Hi Sam! As we're trying to stay warm here in Central and Northern NY, let's give our ARR readers some info. on who Samantha Hunter is, shall we?

Sounds great! I'm excited!

First of all, what motivated you to become a writer? Is it something that you have always aspired to do?

I've always been a writer. In fact, we just put a picture on the website of me when I was about ten years old, banging away at my sister's typewriter, so I have proof!

Writing has always been prominent in my life, though I didn't really pursue a romance writing career. I wrote one Silhouette Desire back in the late eighties, and the editor requested the full, but then rejected it - too much sex, they said (I was made for Blaze!). No biggie, I just let that go and went on with life. When I went back to college after that, I gained my undergrad degree in English with a focus on creative writing, and then received my grad degree in English and ended up teaching writing for over ten years. I learned so much of what I know about writing from teaching.

Then I re-educated as an environmental geographer, which had me writing constantly - long papers, short papers, all kinds of papers, including a thesis that is almost 200 pages long. That experience really taught me about things like structure and coherence, as well as research. Though it may not seem like it, all of this experience feeds into my novel writing, and in fact, writing my thesis showed me I could write something that long, which I did shortly after finishing my degree (Virtually Perfect, July 2004).

Funny thing is, I still wasn't pursuing a writing career when it happened! I was looking for a job as a geographer I sold my book and made the decision to try writing professionally, full-time. Now, a little more than a year later, I feel like I've ended up doing the thing I was always supposed to be doing. However, I also believe I really needed all that life experience that came before to be able to do it well. It happened when the time was right for it to happen.

Your first book, Virtually Perfect has met with rave reviews. How long did it take you to sell your book?

Thanks, I love that book. :) Selling the book took about 8 months. I sent in a query in May 2003, had the full requested in June, and was asked to do some light revisions in December. Though my editor (the amazingly wonderful Birgit Davis-Todd!) couldn't commit to buying the book until I did the revisions, I knew she really liked it, and the revisions were pretty minor. She called about 4 weeks later in January 2004 to officially buy it.

Your second book, About Last Night…,which will be released March 2005, is another book that is meeting favorably with reviewers and readers. How long does it take for you to write a book?

It really depends on the book. On average, I'd say it takes me about three months, though About Last Night… was a different case. That one just sort of popped into my head and I was able to write it in a little less than two months. However, I did have to put another month of revisions into it before it sold in July 2004. In general, I plan on about three months for a Blaze, and maybe four months for a longer book, including revisions. If I have to spend more time than that I start to burn out on the story.

When you are trying to come up with a story line, where do you tend to get your inspiration from? Have you ever molded your characters around someone you know?

Some ideas are directly inspired by something I've experienced, such as Virtually Perfect, since I met my own husband on the internet (though our real life story was very different than what I wrote). Then, other ideas feel very random and I just go with it and see where it takes me. Sometimes I have to write (and rewrite) a few chapters to feel out the idea and see what the possibilities are. I get a lot of inspiration from every day life, and I think you have to get out of the house and away from the computer, to experience things you can bring back to your writing. Also, that lets you have a life. :

People I've met, if they are memorable or quirky to me in some way, or those who have an interesting job or say something that gets me thinking, may be the starting point for a character, or offer a trait for a character, a voice or a mannerism, though I don't model characters directly on any one person. I have a friend, for instance, who is a psychology professor, and the hero in About Last Night… is also a psychology professor, but that is the only thing they have in common. Having been in academia myself, this is an environment I can write about comfortably, so my experience always influences my writing, but you have to be discrete in how you use it. It's fiction, after all, not biography (or autobiography).

When writing a contemporary novel, what kind of research do you have to do to make the story believable?

I love it that you used the word believable! One of my favorite things to say when someone says "But is that realistic?" is to respond that a story doesn't necessarily have to be realistic (is Buffy realistic? No, it's not even very accurate to its own mythology, but we love it, and want to believe in those characters and storylines…), but it does have to be believable!

Facts and accuracy are important, of course, and they can add a lot of texture to a novel. They can also be distracting, if they're overused. We're not writing nonfiction. It's a balance. I only write about locations I've actually been to - it makes a difference in creating a place if you really know it and have seen it with your own eyes. I also read books, articles, and in some cases will find experts in various professional fields who can help me understand what I need to know to build a character or a plot. Those things are important.

But believability has very little to do with facts and research. Believability is a seduction. Readers need to believe in your characters' hearts and in the situation those characters find themselves in. They have to believe the emotional stakes for a story to really be believable. A story is believable because it touches something in the reader's heart more so than in their mind. Hey -- I think this will be the next article I write for my website!

I have talked to a lot of authors over the years and there has been a debate of sorts about having an agent vs a public relations rep. What is your take on this? Which do you think is more helpful to an aspiring author?

As a still-aspiring writing, my gut feeling would be to say that an agent is much more valuable early in your career.

An agent will not only be your connection to editors, they will help you grow as a writer. Agents help you get better deals with publishers, and most of them have been editors themselves, so they are a wonderful source of industry knowledge as well as writing support. Agents have a direct (financial) investment in your success, and they can help you promote yourself effectively. Promotion is always an issue, but when you are starting out, you can handle it yourself. Why spend more of your hard-earned money, which is scarce enough for the first few years?

I always think of PR as something you need once you get to be very big, like Nora Roberts, you know, or on that scale, where you have so many demands being made on you by publishers or readers you need someone to manage it for you. This is just my very personal opinion, so I don't want to step on any toes, but it's just what makes sense to me.

The books that you write for Harlequin are pretty steamy. Is it difficult to write this kind of story? Would you ever want to write in another genre style, say historical or time travel?

I love writing steamy stories! I don't know if I could not write steamy! Historical is not my thing at all, but I would love to try paranormal or time travel at some point - I also love comedy, and you'll find in some of my books that humor plays some part. I like doing dark and intense, but I also like a laugh. But anything I write, no matter the genre, would probably be steamy. :) It's just what I enjoy the most.

Writing hot love scenes is a challenge. It's difficult because it's not just about plopping sex into a book. It's about weaving sexuality through a story in such a way as the sex is important to the romance and the growth of the characters. Sex has all kinds of nuances and layers, and you really have to put a lot of thought into how it plays a part in a book. You really have to think, who are these people? What kind of relationship do they have, and what will that mean for them sexually? How is this couple's approach to sex unique? Sex and love are such complex things in our lives, bound up tightly in our psyches, and that has to show in the writing.

Love scenes are sometimes the very hardest part of the book for me to write. They can be exhausting because they are so emotionally and mentally demanding. But I also can't imagine not having them in a book (as a reader or a writer), and I love the feeling when I get them right. My readers seem to enjoy them, too. :)

You have a huge support unit through your family and let's not forget Mike, your loving hubby! When you got the "call" to tell you that your book was bought, how did you celebrate?

Oh, we were so happy! We still celebrate every time I sell a book. Mike is the greatest thing that ever happened to me - the heart of all my heroes. He's also my webmaster, brainstorming partner, and neurosis-control system! LOL When Virtually Perfect sold, we went out to a wonderful dinner, it was very romantic, and we just really basked in the moment. We kept it to ourselves, not telling anyone for a while, and just really let it sink in. It was wonderful. But it's exciting every time - I don't know if I will ever be able to be casual about selling a book. We celebrate every time it happens.

On average, what is a typical writing day like for you? Do you have any set schedule?

I generally work 8-10 hours, 5 days a week. I don't work evenings, weekends, or holidays (with some exceptions, of course) - just like any other job. I don't have any time of day in particular that I like to write, I can write at any time, it depends on what else I'm doing (planning, promo, revising, etc). But I write every day, usually a minimum of ten pages. I usually sit down between 9-10 in the morning, take a lunch break, walk the dogs, and close up shop around 5 or 6 in the evening. I'm still pretty flexible, though, because that is the benefit of working at home and being a writer. You can be very disciplined without being rigid.

When you have time to read, what kind of books do you like? Do you have any favorite authors? Any hobbies?

I have so many favorite authors I don't know if I could mention them all here! I read constantly, since it's not only my relaxation, but it feeds into my writing. I read while I work out, on weekends, and before bed. I sincerely believe what Stephen King said, that if you don't have the time to read, you aren't prepared to write (loosely paraphrased).

I read many Blazes and a lot of single titles. Some favorite authors are Lori Wilde, Lori Foster, Tanya Michaels, Diana Duncan, Isabel Sharpe, Julie Leto, Janet Evanovich, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nora Roberts/JD Robb, Stephanie Bond, Harlan Coben, David Baldacci….the list goes on. I also read a lot of non-romance and non-fiction. I just love to read.

Other interests I have are connected to volunteer work for environment and animal protection organizations (10% of my book proceeds are always donated to various causes you can see on my website), and Mike and I do a lot of outdoor stuff, kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, as well as various remodeling projects in our home. I like to cook, make candles, read tarot. I'm always interested in new things because as a writer, I want to continue to broaden my own life experience so that all feeds into my writing.

What can we expect next from Samantha Hunter? Can you give us any hints on your works-in-progress?

Oh, there's lots! :) I just sold a three book mini-series to Blaze, so look for news about that coming soon. I don't know the title of the series yet, but the books revolve around the stories of three computer crime unit investigators in Norfolk, VA, hackers and viruses and all that kind of thing, and I loved planning this series and writing the first book. Very hot stuff!

I'm also just finishing my first single title attempt, a romantic suspense with a chicklit tone, which is the first book I've written completely in the first person, as well, so that was enlightening! The book is set in my home town here in Syracuse, and I am planning a second book based on the secondary heroine in this one.

Then, there are various other projects and proposals, which hopefully will become newsworthy somewhere along the way. I'm keeping busy!

Sam, how can your fans get in touch with you?

The best way is through my website, where my reader email account is listed: samhunter@samanthahunter.com. I love getting reader letters! It's really been one of the highlights of being a writer.

Sam, thanks so much for talking to us at ARR. We all wish you the best of luck in your career.

Thanks so much, Debbie. I love A Romance Review, and appreciate you having me.