Author Spotlight: Debra St. John, Romance Author

Hello, everyone!  It is so good to be back and talking to my fellow authors again.  I hope the passage of time has freshened these segments.  Pull up a comfy chair grab a tall glass of iced raspberry tea or whatever your preference and enjoy.

Today I am welcoming Debra St. John writer of sultry romance and sexy heroes whose ultimate challenge are taming spunky heroines.  Oooh la la! I can't wait to get into this interview. Oh and...Debra told me that she will be giving away a copy of one of her books in .pdf format to one lucky commenter today:)  Wait! I heard the front door.  Yoo hoo! Debra! We're back here on the sun porch...
Are you comfy now, Debra?  Isn't the iced tea refreshing?  Now I suppose we should begin.  And let's get down to the nitty gritty...

Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?

I definitely write for the love of writing! And for the pleasure of holding a book with my name on it as the author in my hand.

And oh what a feeling that is every time, don't you agree? The first book is special but the feeling is never lost on the following ones, at least for me:)

Do you write every day? Or when the muse strikes?

Usually I write when the muse strikes. If I try to write when there’s no muse flowing, I don’t accomplish much at all. If I’m working on revisions or edits, I make myself write every day.

Are you someone who can write on demand? Or do you have to stew and coax an idea before you sit down and write? Or maybe you write when the muse knocks you upside your head, like me?

My ideas usually need to be coaxed and coddled into fruition before I sit down to write. I spend a lot of time working through things in my head and jotting notes everywhere when I first start working on a story…or even in the midst of one. I’m telling you, I have literally hundreds of little yellow sheets lying around filled with scribbles. That said, I really am more of a pantster than an actual plotter. On some days that muse does knock me upside the head, and I can sit at my keyboard all day and pound the words out.

Oh I hear that. I am a sit down and go with it type girl.  I don't plot and plan. Once I get into a story idea in my head its off to the finish and once the characters come alive, most times they run with it. Have you ever noticed how the characters do that? I mean I've literally hit a brick wall with one book trying to take things one way until I finally gave in and followed my hero's lead.  Whoa! I'll never ignore a character again:)

Where do you write?

I’d have to say I’m the most productive when I’m working on my lap top. I tend to migrate while I write: front porch, back porch, patio, living room, etc. Sometimes a change of scenery helps to push past those annoying episodes of writer’s block.

I will move about as well depending on the mood. Yes, environmental stimulants and scenery changes can make all the difference at times.

When do you read? Where?

In the winter I curl up in bed right before I go to sleep. In the summer you’ll find me cozied up in a rocker on the front porch sipping lemonade or out back on a bench by our pond. Early afternoon reads when the weather is nice are my favorites.

Do you put pieces of yourself or your life in your stories?

I like to use places I’ve actually been as the settings for my books. I also like to put people I know in my books as minor characters.

Do you have an upcoming release?

“Wild Wedding Weekend”, my second book with The Wild Rose Press, came out last week! This was a fun story to write, as it involves two people who get married under unusual circumstances. While faking their way through a wedding and honeymoon for the cameras, they learn something about life, love, themselves, and each other.

Tell us about your Hero. Do you have a favorite, if you’ve written multiple books?

For Noah life is all about fun and adventure. He’s completely content living a carefree single life. That is until he meets Abby and discovers being with her is all the adventure he’ll ever need.


I have to admit, I have a soft spot for (and a little bit of a crush on) all of my heroes. Logan, from “This Time for Always”, is trying to prove he’s a better man than the boy he used to be. Noah, from “Wild Wedding Weekend”, discovers falling in love is better than any other adventure in life. Zach, from the upcoming “This Can’t Be Love”, wants nothing more than to love and cherish the unexpected woman who comes into his life. And Chase, from my WIP, is learning how to balance fatherhood and falling in love. My heroes are all very special to me. Not to mention sexy as all get out!

Tell us about your Heroine.

Abby is perfectly content to live a life without any adventure at all. But when she finds herself married to Noah, she discovers a little adventure in life makes it worth living.

Are any of your characters modeled after people you know?

I had a bit of fun using friends of mine as minor characters in “Wild Wedding Weekend”. I think they’ll get a kick out of seeing themselves in print!

What type of music do you favor?

I am a huge country music fan. To me no other type of music evokes as much emotion or brings characters and stories to life like country does. Each song is like a mini-novel unto itself.

Wild Wedding Weekend Except:

“I really am sorry.” Abby's mind whirled. The thoughts tangled. The Noah she’d spent the last couple of days with wasn’t anything like the man she’d imagined him to be. The man even he claimed to be. Who was the real Noah?

She didn’t have time to ponder the question, because he took both her hands in his, drawing her attention back to him. “Know this. While we’re married. For this week, this trip, this asinine show, I am committed to you.” He paused and raised one hand to tuck a wisp of hair behind her ear. “Totally. Completely. Committed. To you.” With each word his voice and head lowered, until the last was a whisper against her lips.

His hand slid around to the back of her neck, then up into her hair, unfastening the clip and tossing it aside. He tangled his fingers in the strands that fell free, using enough force to keep her from pulling away as he deepened the kiss.
Abby had no thoughts of moving even the slightest bit away. She wrapped her arms around him as the tip of his tongue teased the fullness of her bottom lip. When she opened to him and he dipped inside, she almost melted from the instant flood of liquid heat that suffused her body. The warmth spread to her limbs and made her pliant as, his mouth never leaving hers, Noah lowered them both to the bed.
More about Debra:

Debra St. John has been reading and writing romance since high school. She always dreamed about publishing a romance novel some day. She lives in a suburb of Chicago with her husband, who is her real life hero. Her debut release, "This Time for Always" is a Champagne Rose and Rosebud bestseller at The Wild Rose Press. "Wild Wedding Weekend" was released last week. "This Can't Be Love" is coming soon from TWRP.


Feel free to visit her at her website http://www.debrastjohnromance.com/, or at The Acme Authors Link, where she is the Sunday Blogger http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/.

Links to buy:

WILD WEDDING WEEKEND

THIS TIME FOR ALWAYS

MISTLETOE AND FOLLY