Elaine Raco Chase Radio Talk Show Host

Today I have the extreme pleasure of having Elaine Raco Chase visiting me.  Elaine is the host of The Author’s Corner on trianglevarietyradio.com.  She has an incredible blog radio talk show for authors.  Every Thursday night you can enjoy the amazing and interesting interviews with authors.

Thanks so much Patricia for having me on your blog…it was great to 'hear' you on the radio when we talked about your fantastic De La Cruz Saga.

Elaine I enjoyed talking to you on your blog radio talk show.  I hope that you invite me to visit again soon, lol (wink).  Elaine, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I've been a published author since 1978…(can I lie and say I was 10??!!!) probably not…I started writing during the 'heyday' of romance novels. I've also taught creative writing at many levels but mostly college/adult classes since 1980.  But I've been brought into elementary and high schools over the years, to excite kids on reading and writing.

Wow that’s amazing, how exciting to talk to the young children on the delights of writing.  How did you decided to enter the world of writing?

It was an accident – I graduated high school, but despite having a few scholarships not enough to cover college – I had wanted to be a lawyer.  But I enrolled in night school and took a course on programming computers then found a job at a TV/radio station programming the first automated computer system.  I soon learned that you just don't do one thing – and I began writing radio/tv shows, doing voice over's, then commercials.  You'd be surprised how much you can highlight in under 60 seconds to sell a product!

What does your family think of your writing?

My children were under the age of 5 when I began writing, as they grew and so did my career…I was very low key…no one really knew that I was a published author – until my second novel hit the romance bestsellers list then…  It was difficult for the kids and hubby…I use my real name and sometimes people assume all romance novels are porn.  We know that is not true…but kids and adults can be cruel. Now that everyone's grown-up – they avidly tell their friends to "buy my mom's books."  One fun item – my son found my Agatha Award nominated non-fiction book:  How to write the Amateur Detective Novel from Writer's Digest in the FBI Forensic Library in Quantico – he's in cyber security after being a federal agent.

Where do you get your ideas?

I usually play 'what if' – I also love to find odd things in newspapers and put them together for book plots – usually do that with my mystery novels.  For romance, I love reading horoscopes and creating people who match up.

Can you tell us a little about your book?

I was thrilled to get the rights back to all of my romance and mystery novels.  Best Laid Plans – which is a FREE download today from Amazon for Kindle was my first mainstream woman's story.  It is certainly a romance but with more chick-lit (that was not even a word back when I wrote it) than my regular romances plus it was a story of best friends realizing they had been in love for many years…again a popular theme now but not then!  It's a classic but updated in quite a few areas and an explicit read – the only thing I didn't want to update was the airplane incident – as it happened to me – now TSA back then and people could smoke on a plane!

I set it in New Orleans a city I fell in love with and visited more than half-a dozen times:

Meet Amanda Wyatt – she had an eight year plan and accomplished so much more. Attractive, talented, she was a success whether she was designing high fashion or running her own elegant shop in New Orleans. And she had a friend with benefits relationship with –

Lucas Crosse, her lawyer and the brother she never had for twelve years. He knew her intimately - well almost. Now, he's decided he wants that, too. And he's ready to fight for Amanda with –

Wade Lloyd. He entered Amanda's life by accident. Now he wants to be a permanent fixture. But can he handle her success? Can he handle Amanda? Can he handle her friendship with Lucas Crosse?

As for Amanda – she has choices to make. A new, exciting love? Or a best friend whose benefits she's begun to dream about.

What is your writing process? Research, research, research…until the characters become so real they talk to me…then layout the plot lines…then nose to the grindstone – well fingers on the keyboard.

What was the hardest part for you when working on your book? I'm a dialogue writer..so writing description is soooo hard…I either do not enough or too much… 

What influenced or inspired you to write?

I have the imagination of a three year old.

  

Was there a scene that you didn’t add or you removed in your finished work? Nope – for Best Laid Plans…it's all there…oddly enough the fashions didn't need updating; the sex scenes are now more explicit/mature because writers weren't allowed to 'say that!' then…LOL!

  

Do you have a favorite character (from you're book)? Why?

I loved Amanda – she was so focused on her career, didn't take 'no' for any answer, easily developed friendships with everyone…and then wham…finally realized she wanted way more than being a buddy to her hunky best friend Lucas! But another man entered her world and Amanda had a choice!

Do you already know what to write next? Can you tell us?

I will trumpet! LOL!  I am so excited about Caught in a Trap – the erotic romantic comedy I'm currently working on.  It had maybe the funniest heroine in Kit Forrester – who has lied her entire life, mostly to keep herself safe.  And when she takes her first vacation ever – a cruise…and it sinks lower than the Titanic – well her girlfriends and co-workers don't want to hear that!  So Kit does what she always does – lie! Describes the hunky guy in an underwear ad, makes up a name from the gift bottles of Rum and an autograph from a kid and…creates her moonlight cruise fantasy lover - Rafe Morgan.  Just one problem – he exists. He's angry. And he wants answers!

Omg, Caught in a Trap sounds awesome!  I have to read it. 

Where can we find more information about you and your books? 

You can find me:
http://www.amazon.com/Elaine-Raco-Chase/e/B000APAUD2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
www.elaineracochase.com
@ElaineRaco on twitter;
https://www.facebook.com/elaineracochase?ref=hl
http://pinterest.com/elaineracochase/ and on
audible.com and iTunes!
And join me every Thursday Nite 8PM EST – when I host The Author's Corner on trianglevarietyradio.com

Do you have any last words?

I am so loving audio books! I have 6 of them out now, with 2 others coming any day…and 2 more in production…they are linked on Amazon to the ebooks, audible.com and iTunes….

One Way or Another was audible's top reviewed romance novel for October 2012; and Special Delivery was one of the top reviewed romance novels for all of 2012! (#4 out of 10!) It features dual narrators, original music and sound effects – for a completely different audio book experience – Destiny Landon and Lee James of Bella Czar productions also did Dare the Devil and the upcoming Double Occupancy! 

And I am over-the-top with the response to the updated Double Occupancy – it's been on FB's fabulous Top 50 Books to Read after 50 Shades of Grey list for over 6 months!! No bdsm, just adult characters in an erotic romantic comedy.  All my original paperback novels have been updated, enhanced, expanded for ebooks unless they are posted as 'Classics'.

Today:  Best Laid Plans is FREE for everyone http://amzn.com/B009FEDS1A

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009FEDS1A       

if you don't have a Kindle – just download the app!

Fun Questions ~

I love weekends because? I can relax, read the huge Sunday newspaper and all the ads and maybe even indulge in a book.

I hate? Friends who become 'toxic' – never sure why it happens but it does and I'm learning not just to me

I want to buy? Nothing…I was very poor growing up and instead of going crazy with 'buys' I have to push myself to buy almost anything that isn't a necessity …okay, maybe a lipstick…or two!

My favorite song is? Any love song by Elvis..yes, I know but his voice turns me into a puddle.

My favorite precious stone is? I love opals…despite their superstitions – they are a rainbow of colors…I have a gorgeous necklace given to me by my cousin from Australia…and I read they are good luck if given..but never buy one for yourself..so I figure I'm okay!

I want to travel to? Why? Calabria, Italy…where my father was from

I want to meet?  Why? Hillary Clinton and invite her to dinner…one on one… she's amazing… what she's done, how she's lived her life, how she handled Bill's indiscretion and continued to thrive.

I want to invite   -------------- to dinner. Why?

My dream is to? Okay, just like every author, would love to see one of my books become a movie

My favorite book is? That is a tough question…but the book that made me want to be a writer is an old classic: Green Mansions…it transported me out of Schenectady, NY and into the Amazon.

Please note that Best Laid Plans is FREE today January 25th! Click link above to get your copy!