NORAH WILSON ~~ Spotlight Interview with Tracey West ~~ June 2004

Norah Wilson, a new author to the writing scene, has been claimed as Winner of the Romantic Times/Dorchester Publishing "New Voice in Romance" contest for 2003!  Her first release with Dorchester Publishing, Lauren’s Eyes is receiving many great reviews, even before its release!  Let’s get to know this new author and learn more about her work.

Welcome to The Road to Romance Norah!

Norah - Thank you, Tracey.  I’m thrilled to be here.

TW - What is a day in the life of Norah Wilson like?  How many hours a day do you spend writing?

Norah - I actually spend a fair chunk of my day writing, but unfortunately, the lion’s share is not on my work-in-progress.  I work full time for a provincial healthcare association, where I have significant writing responsibilities (newsletters, press releases, briefing notes, etc.).  I also have a husband, two teenage children, and a geriatric dog, so my schedule can get pretty tight.  As for how much time I actually spend writing that varies.  Sometimes my day job leaves me creatively flat, and when that happens, I try to organize my writing around larger chunks of time on the weekends.  On the other hand, if I’ve got a little left at the end of the day, I try to work on my WIP every night.  Writing regularly helps me to stay in the story and keeps it on the edge of my consciousness all the time.

TW - What inspired you to become an author?  Do you remember a specific age that you knew you wanted to be a writer?

Norah - I was always a voracious reader.  But it wasn’t until high school that I fell in love with the idea of communications, the whole business of putting words on paper and winning the reader over.  But even then, I didn’t recognize it as a desire to win hearts through writing fiction.  I figured I had a career in ad copy writing in front of me!  Alas, I didn’t go into communications.  It took me another ten years to realize that I wanted to tell stories.  I think maybe if I’d had more self-awareness, I would have recognized this sooner.  Of course, I doubt that I would have had much of interest to say, so I don’t feel I’ve lost too much ground.

TW - What avenues/organizations are you a member of that has helped you on your journey to publication?

Norah - I’d have to put Romance Writers of America at the top of my list.  They’ve done more to accelerate the learning curve for aspiring romance writers than any other organization I can think of.  I also joined a local RWA chapter and made some friendships/forged some critique relationships that endure to this day.  We were all at approximately the same skill level (novice) when we started out, and we’ve came a long way together.  Since we started this journey, two of my CPs have sold in novel-length romance; one made it to the finals in the Golden Heart contest and the Daphne duMaurier contest.  Another is published in short story format.  And of course, I can’t forget the contributions of three published authors who helped me, each in her own way – Janelle Clare Schneider, Deborah Hale and Julianne MacLean. 

TW - Was it difficult getting published?

Norah - Yes and no.  <g>

It’s definitely highly competitive.  So much depends upon timing – hitting the right editor with the right story at the right time.  Ten years into this endeavor, I’d reached a point where I felt like I was battering my head against a solid wall.  Despite three consecutive finals in RWA’s Golden Heart contest (a prestigious international contest for unpublished writers); I hadn’t managed to sell or to sign with an agent.  But in all that time, despite the discouragements, only occasionally did I ever allow myself to think, “Maybe I should quit.”  For a writer, that’s a very scary place to be.  Fortunately, my stubborn streak is as deep as it is wide.  I knew I had something to say and that readers wanted to hear it. 

But in the end, the actual sale was incredibly easy.  In fact, I literally won my publishing contract.  I entered Dorchester Publishing’s New Voice in Romance Contest, run in conjunction with Romantic Times BookClub.  A month after entering, I got an email to say I’d been short-listed and could I send my full manuscript?  I bundled that baby up, sacrificed a chicken, addressed the parcel in blood, and dropped it in the post.  (Okay, I didn’t really do the chicken-blood thing, but I did say a little prayer.) Within another month, I learned I’d finalled, along with two other very talented writers.  Our first chapters went up at the Romantic Times BookClub website for readers to vote on.  At the same time, the full manuscripts went to 50 booksellers for their votes.  The whole process culminated with the announcement of the winners (Kate Lyon and I actually tied for the title) at the Romantic Times convention in Kansas City in October 2003. 

TW - In August your first book, Lauren’s Eyes will be released from Dorchester Publishing.  Is this the very first book you have ever submitted anywhere to be published?

Norah - No, Lauren’s Eyes is not the first story I’d submitted.  In fact, it’s not even my first sale.  Back in 2000, I published a short contemporary with Hard Shell Word Factory, a really great little e-publisher.  Lauren’s Eyes was my first mass-market sale, but I had been querying the big New York publishers for years by then.  I was getting good interest, especially after my Golden Heart finals, but I somehow couldn’t seem to turn that interest into a sale, until this story.

TW - What can you tell us about Lauren’s Eyes? And I would like to say that it is a gorgeous cover on that book, which really draws my attention!

Norah - Thank you!  I love the cover, too.  Interestingly, I had no input into its design…because it was done before I even knew I’d sold the book!   When the winners were announced at the RT convention, they unveiled our respective covers (giant, glossy poster-sized covers!) at the award dinner.   I couldn’t attend the convention, which disappointed me enormously, but in retrospect, it’s probably just as well.  I’m sure I would have burst out crying when I saw my name on that beautiful cover.  <Gulp, sniff>

As for Lauren’s Eyes, it’s a western-set romantic suspense with a strong paranormal element.  The heroine has psychic visions of murder, which lead her to the hero’s ranch to try to prevent the crime.  In the past, she’s tried and failed to prevent a murder she foresaw by going to the police, only to be dismissed as a nutcase…until the murder actually transpired.  Then she’d found herself the main suspect.  With that experience behind her, she’s determined to do her own sleuthing this time.

TW - What can you tell us about the hero and heroine in this book?

Norah - My hero, Cal Taggart, is an embattled rancher who has been obliged to open a guest ranch in a last-ditch effort to save his cow/calf operation.  For reasons that are tied up in his rocky relationship with his dad, failure is not an option for this guy.  He’s driven.  He can be tough as boot leather, but he also has a tender side.  And he’s big on assuming responsibility, for himself and for others.  (Very broad shoulders, my guy!  And lean hips, and…whoops!)

My heroine, Lauren Townsend, is a woman who has never been able to share herself fully with another living soul.  All her experiences have taught her that her psychic gift must remain secret.  As she and Cal get closer, she finds herself in a Catch 22.  She longs for him to know her completely, but if she reveals her gift, he’ll back away from her, just as everyone else has.

TW - What, in your opinion, makes a great hero/heroine?

Norah - I think strength, courage and intelligence are prerequisites for both hero and heroine, though they may manifest differently in the two sexes.  They have to be capable of great passion, and not just for each other (although my H & h are very hot for each other, I promise you!).  They need to care passionately enough about their goals and dreams to pursue them against terrible odds, which make them “larger than life”.  But at the same time, they also need a major flaw or weakness to solidify them in our minds as “real” people.  Not to mention there could be no character arc if they were perfect!

TW - You have already had a few advanced reviews for Lauren’s Eyes from various reviewers/sites.  Are you surprised at all that this book is being given such high praise?

Norah - This story has always seemed to strike a chord with readers.  Of my three long contemporary stories that finalled in the Golden Heart contest; this one received the highest marks, by a pretty good margin.  And it went on to win the New Voice contest, further confirming that something in it resonated for readers.  So in one way, I’m not unduly surprised by its good reception.  However, there’s always that little voice of doubt (okay, it’s more like a big voice, boosted by a megaphone!).  And fiction is so subjective; what’s wonderful by one reader’s yardstick might be lousy by another’s.  All of this to say, I am supremely grateful that the reviews to date have been so positive.

TW - Have you been very nervous with the upcoming release, the feedback that you have waited for with respect to reviews, etc?

Norah - With respect to waiting on the reviews, I was very nervous until I got a couple of positive ones under my belt.  I figure they will help bolster me if/when a bad one comes in.  I’ve relaxed enough to start breathing again.  But as for the release of the book itself, I have to confess to some major nerves.  The idea of strangers reading it and being transported pleases me mightily.  But the idea of folks closer to home reading it, well…yikes!  Mostly, I walk around in denial.  It will NOT be read by the chairman of my board of directors, my mother, my old high school teachers….

TW - How difficult was it to write Lauren’s Eyes?  Were there any moments of insecurity, writer’s block or anything of that nature?

Norah - I’m not really good at sharing or brainstorming when I get stuck.  I feel this need to shelter the work until I’ve given it my very best, after which I have no trouble exposing it to strenuous critique.  But in the creation phase, critique seems to do me more harm than good.  So when I get stuck, it’s up to me to get unstuck, and that happened a few times with this story.  Not that I don’t have talented critique partners who are anxious to help me; I’m just paranoid that input too early will make it less my story.   

As for the insecurity, there is a point in every draft when I look at what I’ve written and want to wail because I’m convinced that it’s utter drivel.  I want to drag and drop the file into the trash, and then reformat my hard drive so it can never be resuscitated again.  When that happens, I just have to back away from the keyboard.  J

TW - You also have a book, Haunted by Dreams, which was a Heart of Denver Aspen Gold Finalist for Short Contemporary in 2003.  Where and when was this released?

Norah - This was the title published by Hard Shell Word Factory, the e-publisher I mentioned earlier.  Shortly after the trade paperback version became available in 2002, I read a plea for e-published authors to enter their stuff in more contests, so we could make a statement that our stories can go head-to-head with print pubs.  On impulse, I entered HAUNTED.  You could have knocked me over with a feather when I finalled.  I didn’t win, but it was a blast to see my name there beside the seriously talented Jane Graves and Holly Jacobs.

TW - What can you tell us about Haunted by Dreams?

Norah - I loved this story, and I needed to write it, but once it was done, I realized I’d written something that was never going to find a home with a conventional publisher.  Both the hero and heroine are Native.  Not to say that the publishing world does not have a good appetite for books featuring First Nations protagonists, but I haven’t encountered one where both hero and heroine are Native.  Most often, the hero is Native and the heroine is lily white.  The conventional wisdom (I assume) is that the heroine should be “like” us, to maximize how strongly we identify with her, and as we know, white females dominate the romance-reading demographic.  I’ve read and loved many books written in this vein (I genuflect automatically when I hear Kathleen Eagle’s name).  But I really yearned to write a story where it was a beautiful Indian woman who snagged the handsome Native hero.  So I did.  HAUNTED is actually set in my home province of New Brunswick, which also gave me great pleasure.

TW - What is something that no one knows about you?  Something they’d be surprised to find out? 

Norah - LOL!  Great question.  Actually, I’m a pretty open book these days, about most things.  Anything no one knows about me at this point will go to the grave with me.

Having said that, up until about seven years ago, one thing that many people didn’t know about me was that I write romance.  Yes, it’s true!  I was afraid to come out of the closet.  That’s another thing RWA, and the close association with other romance writers, does for you.  Now I’m proud to say I’m a romance writer.  In my own defense, I should say that at the time, I was surrounded in my working environment with people who didn’t read commercial fiction, let alone lowly romances.  I know your audience will agree that romance writing is a good and honourable calling in a world that too often seems harsh and pitiless.

TW - What is your favourite food?

Norah - Mmmmmmm gotta be chocolate.  Preferably with almonds.  I know; predictable! 

Of course, maybe my choice has something to do with the fact that I’m on a low carb diet at the moment, trying to shed those winter pounds before I go to Dallas for the RWA conference this summer.  (My long-distance friends all think I’m svelte!)

TW - What is your favourite thing about writing?

Norah - Magic.  The kind that happens when you put random details into your scenes just because you have to put something down there, but then later, those details prove to be pivotal at the climax.  Did my subconscious know I was going to need that detail?  Maybe.  Or maybe I just made my own magic.

TW - When you are not writing, what would we find you doing?

Norah - I’m an avid cribbage player, and often compete in tournaments.  I love to watch my underachieving Toronto Blue Jays, though I watch less and less TV these days, as my time gets more limited.  Four days a week, my family and I can always be found in front of The Daily Show for our dose of news delivered with a satirical bite.  I also have a huge perennial garden that my more green-thumbed sisters help me maintain.  And I spend way too much time on line with the Wet Noodle Posse (WNP), an affectionate term for my fellow-finalists from the Golden Heart finalist class of 2003.  Though I was part of two other GH finalist cohorts (2001 and 2002), some weird alchemy happened with this 2003 group to bond us in strange and wonderful ways.  I truly think we’ve made some lifelong friendships.  If anyone is curious to read more about the WNP, I’d invite you check the Favorite Links section of my website at http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/wilson/  We are a force to be reckoned with!

TW - Who are some of your favourite authors?

Norah - Oh, oh, oh!  I like this part.  Barbara Samuel rules.  Jennifer Crusie is a goddess.  I’ve already mentioned Kathleen Eagle.  Susan Elizabeth Phillips is incapable of writing something I wouldn’t love.  In the suspenseful vein, Lisa Gardner, Tami Hoag, Iris Johansen, Linda Howard.  In category, give me Gayle Wilson (no relation, sadly), Justine Davis and Ruth Glick/Rebecca York.  Out of genre, I adore Carl Hiaasen, Robert Crais, Harlan Coban.

In the historical vein, I love Deborah Hale and Julianne MacLean.  And if you recognize these names as two of the pubbed authors who lent me their support as I was scrabbling for a toehold in this business, you’re not mistaken!  But this is not payback.  These authors have proven themselves.  Deborah just debuted with LUNA, Harlequin’s new fantasy trade paperback line, and Julianne MacLean’s latest Avon release hit the USA Today Bestsellers list. 

And while I’m on a roll plugging authors I know (but who TOTALLY deserve it!), I would put a word in for Stephanie Rowe, whose Flipside “Stress & the City” just cracked me up.  Barbara Phinney is making big impressions with Silhouette Intimate Moments (my favorite category line!), and a gal by the name of Carol Schede, whose Five Star books I look forward to with as much enthusiasm as the next Jennifer Crusie hardback, is quietly winning hearts everywhere.  And my predictions for the historical market?  Look out for Sandy Blair; she’s going to be huge.  And Nadele Jacobs, too.   And oh, darn, I think I’ve run out of space!

TW - What other releases do you have set for release? Anything you can discuss at the present time?

Norah - Unfortunately, nothing yet.  I’m as yet unagented (my experience proves the old adage that it’s harder to sign an agent than to sell to a publisher), and I’m just approaching that delicate dance of pitching stories to my publisher.

TW - What do you have, have goals for in the future, with respect to your writing career?

Norah - I work full time, and I’m not able to give up that employment income just yet.  In point of fact, I’m not sure I want to give the work up.  I do draw a lot of reward from my job.  So I’ll probably continue to write a book a year for a while.  I also have a small inventory of Golden Heart finalling romantic suspense stories I’d love to sell.  My aim is for my writing career to build momentum at the same time as my 9-5 job winds down.  Ultimately, I would love to be able to be self-sustaining as a writer.  But it won’t stop there.  I’m afraid I never was content to be merely adequate and workmanlike in my job.  When writing becomes my principal focus and source of income, I’m afraid I’ll have to excel at it.  (No pressure, right?) 

TW - If fans would like to get in contact with you, where could they write?

Norah - Fans can email me at norah@nbnet.nb.ca  If they prefer a snail mail address, they can correspond with me at P.O. Box 25030, Fredericton, NB, E3A 5V7, Canada.

TW - Is there anything else you would like to add Norah?

Norah - Just a great big THANKS!  The whole reason we writers write is to connect with readers.  We want to hook them, draw them in, and hold them in thrall.  But opportunities like this afford me a chance to speak to readers on a different level.   

Thank you so much Norah for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit with us at The Road to Romance.