An Interview with Beth Trissel

Jen: We’re pleased to welcome Beth Trissel to Book Talk this week. Beth, will you please share a short bio with us?
Beth: I’ve been writing historical romance novels with an emphasis on the colonial frontier, think The Last of the Mohicans, and the American Revolution, my version of The Patriot, and now, light paranormal romance, for 12+ years. I’m a long time resident of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where my family has lived for well over 200 years. Fascination with my early American ancestors and the Shawnee Indians initially inspired my writing journey.

Jen: Tell us about Somewhere My Love and where it's available.
Beth: Somewhere My Love, a murder mystery/ghost story with flashbacks to early nineteenth century Virginia, is my first light paranormal romance and debut novel, coming to the Wild Rose Press in digital download on Sept. 26 2008, in print March 27 2009. http://thewildrosepress.com/

Please take a look at the trailer for Somewhere My Love at YouTube. It has a phenomenal number of hits for a new author. I’m delighted.

Jen: At what age did you discover writing and when were you first published? Tell us your call story.
Beth: I’ve been journaling since elementary school, was a dramatic poet in high school, wrote vignettes about country life in my young adult years and took up historical romance novels with a passion at 40. Life truly does begin at 40. I’ve had more than one exciting ‘call’ with major contest finals and from an excellent agent, Pema Browne, who tried to sell my American based historical romance novels to NY without success. Then I was invited to submit to the Wild Rose and received with great enthusiasm and requests for MORE! At the ‘the call’ comes in the form of a much sought after email and I’m thrilled to be a part of this wonderfully exciting, growing like wild fire, romance company. I’m writing for two lines there, the American Rose and Faery Rose.

Jen: Describe your writing is three words.
Beth: Historical/Paranormal Romance

Jen: Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing?
Beth: Hot Earl Grey tea and music—just the right soundtrack/composer for a particular scene

Jen: Describe a typical writing day.
Beth: Ideally, I write in solitary bliss. In reality, I have a lot of interruptions, so I scurry back to my laptop like a mother dog with new pups.

Jen: Did you do anything special to celebrate your first sale or the book’s release?
Beth: Yes! Dinner with the fam at our favorite restaurant and my older daughter gave me an “I’m kind of a big deal” T-shirt.

Jen: Is there a genre that you’d like to write?
Beth: Mystery. I already incorporate a lot of mystery into my writing as in Somewhere My Love.

Jen: Who has inspired you as an author?
Beth: Shakespeare, the ultimate story teller, other classic authors and the English Romantic poets. My father is a retired English professor and I read avidly from his book shelves as a young adult. Katherine, by Anya Seton, was the first romance I ever read. I still vividly remember portions of it.

Jen: What do you do in your free time?
Beth: Gardening, I love old heirloom flowers and herbs, drives up into the mountains, watching Netflix with my family, and playing with my grandbabies. I’ve also been known to read.

Jen: What's next for you?
Beth: I’m working on the next story in my ‘Somewhere’ series, a Scottish time travel entitled Somewhere My Lass, then I’ll finish the sequel to Through the Fire and Enemy of the King.

Jen: Where can you be found on the web?
Beth: http://www.bethtrissel.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/bctrissel

Jen: Would you like to ask our readers anything?
Beth: Hands up any of you who loved The Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day Lewis! Are you a fan? I began writing my colonial frontier trilogy, Through the Fire being the lead story, before I ever saw this movie. I thought, Wow! My time period! Only to discover New York editors weren’t on board. But that didn’t deter me and Through the Fire finaled in the 2008 Golden Heart® Contest. My Wild Rose Press editor loves it.

Beth, thank you for joining us at Book Talk this week. Readers, ask Beth a question or comment on the interview and you'll be entered in a drawing for a digital copy of Somewhere My Love. The contest ends on Friday, October 10 at 5:00 pm PDT.