MEET THE AUTHOR

Today it is my true pleasure on Meet the Author to introduce you to one of my favorite romance writers, Lee Mckenzie.

Lee and her artist/teacher husband live on an island in the Pacific Northwest, and she loves to spend time with two of her best friends—her grown-up children.

From the time she was ten years old and read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, Lee McKenzie knew she wanted to be a writer, just like Anne and Jo.

In the intervening years she has written advertising copy, magazine articles, and an honors thesis in paleontology, and edited conference proceedings, educational material and technical publications.

Along the way her imagination demanded a more creative outlet, and she soon discovered the world of romance. Becoming a four-time Golden Heart finalist and a Harlequin author are her proudest accomplishments yet.

Lee was gracious enough to share a little bit about herself with us:

Are you published?

I’m proud to say I am! My eighth book for Harlequin, The Parent Trap, was released on October 1^st. Just a warning…this book is nothing like the old Haley Mills movie that so many of us still adore. That film was about two long-lost sisters who reunite a family. My story is about two teenage BFFs who unite two families.

The print edition of The Parent Trap is only available through Harlequin.com.

You’ll find the electronic edition everywhere eBooks are sold, including Amazon.com.

What do you write?

I write contemporary series romance for Harlequin’s American Romance and Heartwarming lines. Family ties and family values are a common theme in my books, and readers tell me they enjoy the humor in my writing and the sexual tension between the hero and heroine. My books lean toward sweet, though, and my husband tells everyone I write fifty shades of pink. Gotta love the man.

When did you realise you wanted to be a writer?

I read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women when I was ten and knew then that I wanted to be a writer someday. I’ve read both books many, many times—as a child and as an adult—and both heroines still resonate with me.

What do you think is the best way to publish these days?

Every way. I’m traditionally published and consider myself very, very fortunate to have had this opportunity because I’ve learned so much from my editor. I plan to self-publish several projects in the future (and soon, I hope!) and I feel more confident about doing that after having my work so closely scrutinized.

What are your favorite genres to read? Why?

Contemporary romance, women’s fiction and YA romance are my first choices. I especially love a smattering of humor, and while I enjoy books that deal with issues, I don’t like issues to equate to angst, especially when it’s being used in an attempt to create conflict. If an author can make me laugh, or even smile, I’m hooked.

Do your characters talk to you?

I’ve never really thought about it before. Now that I have, I have to say no, not directly to me, but in my head I can hear them talking to each other. Does that make me an eavesdropper?

Although they don’t speak directly to me, they definitely lead me through the story. I do not plot my books, my characters do.

What are the best writing books or blogs you’ve ever read?

The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes & Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever and Sue Viders. For me, my characters are my plot. If I get to know them well before I start writing, then the less I have to cut and rewrite.

How do you approach starting a new book?

I spend some time pouring through The Writer’s Guide to Heroes & Heroines and make lots and lots of notes.

What is your writing process?

I’m a pantser and also a bit of a quilter, so I’m best described as a messy writer. Because I’m not a plotter, I end up writing lots of stuff that never makes it into the finished manuscript. And because I don’t have a plot, I sometimes write scenes out of order and then piece them together later.

When the book is finished, I write brief scene descriptions on sticky notes—blue for the hero, pink for the heroine—and lay them out chapter by chapter on my dining room table. Believe it or not, this gives me a great visual of how the book has come together. I can see if I have too many consecutive scenes in one POV and I can figure out if scenes are out of order.

Is this an efficient way to write? No. Would I recommend it to other writers? NO! But it’s my process, for better or for worse, and it works for me. So I’ll amend that first sentence.

I’m a pantser, a quilter and an after-the-fact plotter, so I’m best described as a very messy writer!

Navy SEAL or cowboy?

I can’t have both? Heh, heh. Truthfully, my top pick for a hero is a science geek. I absolutely adore The Big Bang Theory, it’s my favourite show on TV right now. In real life I’ve followed everything Colonel Chris Hadfield has done since becoming commander of the ISS. I even stood in line for four hours to have him autograph my copy of his amazing book. In my own writing, the closest I’ve come to writing a science guy was in one of my Harlequin American Romances, The Daddy Project. The hero is a biology professor and I had so much fun writing that book!

Chocolate or chips?

Definitely chips. Don’t get me wrong, though. Now and then I love to savour a small square of really dark, really good quality chocolate. But give me a bag of chips or a big bowl of buttery popcorn and I’m not going anywhere till that bag or bowl is empty.

Fancy restaurant or picnic?

Fancy restaurant. There was a time when I would have said picnic but these days I don’t like sitting on the ground. And if I do sit on the ground, I have trouble getting up again. So I’ll take a chair rather than a blanket, thank you. Oh, and could you please ask the sommelier to swing by with the wine list?

Beer or wine?

Thank you for asking. Can you recommend a nice Zinfandel or maybe a Merlot?

Oh! One of my books, The Wedding Bargain, is set in San Francisco and Napa Valley, and the hero owns a winery. Let’s just say the research for this one was not a hardship.

Favorite author?

Nora Roberts

Smooth or hairy?

If you say Star Trek, I say Jean Luc Picard.

Where can you be found on social media?

Website or blog: www.LeeMcKenzie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.mckenzie.romancewriter

Twitter: @LeeMcWrites

Thank you for being my guest on Meet the Author, Lee Mckenzie. I love that you’re a very messy writer, I don’t feel so bad about my overflowing kitchen table now, 🙂 Lee would like to offer one lucky commenter a copy of her new book, The Parent Trap, or one of her backlist books.

We’ll draw a name by midnight October 23, and contact the lucky winner via this posting, so keep watch.

How about you? Are you a Plotter or a Pantser, or something in between like Lee.