AccessRomance interviews author Stephanie Tyler.

AR: COMING UNDONE is your first published novel, released this month by Harlequin Blaze. Tell us a bit about your road to publication and that all important first call.

Stephanie: I’ve always written, but I didn’t find my niche in romance until my daughter was born in 2001 with medical problems. The romances I read during those days and weeks and months helped me through some of the toughest moments, gave me an escape. I realized that I wanted to do that for somebody. And since my daughter was going to require me staying home with her, rather than returning to my work as a teacher, as I’d planned, I knew I had my chance.

I wrote a few manuscripts for myself in that first year, then got online and found some crit groups. I’d started seriously pursuing publication in April of 2003 and I got my call in February of 2006.

My phone call actually came from my agent – and it started off with an email. I’d sent off requested revisions on my full about 2 months earlier, and I’d found out days earlier that my manuscript had been passed from Kathryn Lye, the editor I was working with, to Brenda Chin for further consideration. So I settled in for another wait. And on that fateful Friday, I was later than usual getting on my treadmill – got on around 3pm. And when I stepped off the treadmill, I checked my email and saw one from my agent with where are you? – in the subject line. She asked if we could talk at 4pm, and I said yes, and she emailed me back and said she had 2 phone calls she had to make, and to practice patience, published author.

And I turned calmly to my parents, who happened to be there watching my daughter for me, and I said, I think I just got published. And I called my husband, emailed Larissa Ione and Alison Kent and waited for that magical phone call. And I got to have another wonderful one when I heard from Kathryn, and she started off the call with, Stephanie – this is your editor…

AR: I'm sure our readers would love more information on the book itself. What can you share about it?

Stephanie: Coming Undone is an April 2007 release from Harlequin Blaze, and it’s the very first book I sold, which makes it extra special to me.

The idea for this book came to me one day when I was sending an important fax – because I tend to be obsessive about these things, I kept checking to make sure I had the right number before pressing send. So I knew immediately that could use that idea of a mis-sent fax, but I really tried to push beyond that initial hook. I always think about this book in terms of redefining yourself and your role in the world –both Hunt and Carly are forced to do that because of outside circumstances before they can make a relationship work. Carly is forced to reevaluate herself as a woman and as an athlete and figure out who she is now. So it’s got plenty of humor and some angst, along with love and a happy ending. And, of course, a SEAL.

AR: Looking at your Website, it's obvious you have a love for military romance and military heroes. Why?

Stephanie: They’re some of my favorite books to read! There’s just something about a man in uniform, especially one who’s been trained to handle most anything the world throws at him. And I just love when they’re paired with a woman they’re not prepared to handle at all.

AR: In addition to your own writing, you collaborate with a writing partner for others. What's the biggest difference in the two methods of work?

Stephanie: Writing with Larissa (Ione) on our Sydney Croft projects was really some of the most effortless writing I’ve done from start to finish – it’s very exciting to write a scene and know that there’s someone on the other end of the line waiting for it, wanting to discover what effect your scene is going to have on hers. You’re not sending your chapter for a critique - you’re building the story together. And it’s a really fast process as well. It’s very difficult to get stuck on something because you’ve got two heads brainstorming and you’re both on the same page, both completely invested in the story.

In a way, it’s very similar to my own process. In my own writing, I tend not to plot beyond a really, really broad synopsis that I typically veer from. I write out of order as well. Larissa was really great in dealing with my non-plotting and my out-of order writing (and she even admits to enjoying writing out of order now.)

AR: What so far has been the best part of your publishing journey? The worst?

Stephanie: The best part has been getting notes from readers who’ve enjoyed Coming Undone. That’s the biggest thrill, to know you’ve made someone smile while reading your words. The worst? You know what? After that first piece of reader mail telling you how much your book meant to them, there is no worst.

AR: Who are your five favorite authors to read?

Stephanie: Tami Hoag, Suzanne Brockmann, Alison Kent, Alice Hoffman and Amy Tan.

AR: What do you have coming up next?

Stephanie: My next book is also a Harlequin Blaze, titled Risking It All, and it comes out in June 2007. It features a Navy SEAL named Cash and the driven documentary filmmaker who drives him to distraction.

AR: Anyone who has visited your blog has seen you mention him, but tell the rest of us . . . who is Jake?

Stephanie: Jake’s one of my Navy SEAL characters who wants his own book. Like any good alpha male romance hero, he’s not happy about having to wait his turn. You can find the full blog post entries of Jake’s continuing saga from the beginning at Jake & Co here. He’s also managed to integrate himself into my site design – just look up at the header and you’ll see him. His book, titled, Hard To Hold, will be published in January 2008 by Bantam Dell.

Interviews Index > Stephanie Tyler (April 07)