Ronda Thompson

Ronda: Yes, I usually write westerns, but love the England set books, so I wanted to do one. I didn't really write it as a Regency, in fact, specifically told my editor not to tout it as a Regency because I know what sticklers the readers are of Regency for facts, language, clothing, the whole nine yards. Well, plain as day my editor starts touting Scandalous as a Regency, and even though I told the early reviewers the book was not a Regency, but a Victorian, they all say it's a Regency in their reviews, too. Sigh. I guess it is, but I know how research oriented Regency readers can be (grin). I just wanted to be honest and not pretend I also think my book should be classified as a Regency. I do love the book, don't get me wrong, and I hope my readers will love it too, just wanted to clarify that in my opinion, Scandalous is not a true Regency romance.

RLC: What gave you your idea for Scandalous?

Ronda: The opening scene just came to me, that's the way it works with me most of the time. I knew the setting was England, and yes, this was my first British Historical. I cut my teeth on England set romances, so I've always loved them and knew one day I wanted to write one. Luckily, my editor at Leisure, Christopher Keasler, hasn't roped me in on what I want to write. He's been great. I really tried to set Scandalous around 1830s but the book really isn't about the political climate then.

RLC: I see by your publishing history that you write in varied settings, and write contemporary as well as historical. Which do you like best?

Ronda: Historical has always been my first true love. I started out reading historical and didn't discover a taste for contemporary until later in my reading years. I do love contemporary too, and I do enjoy writing contemporary romances. For me, it's a nice change of pace. I don't have to worry if they had matches then, or if the dialogue sounds too modern. I'm hoping to do more contemporaries in the future, but for now, am enjoying writing historical.

RLC: Ronda, what other books have you done?

Ronda: Prickly Pear and In Trouble's Arms are both westerns, and Cougar's Woman is more of a Native American setting . Just to let you know what's coming up from me, I'm very excited to be doing an anthology with Madeline Baker and Christine Feehan, due out Sept. 01. It's a Halloween anthology and all the stories have, ah, different heroes. My hero is a werewolf.:) Then in Dec. 01 my sequel to Prickly Pear, Desert Bloom will co-lead with Bobbie Smith. Then in July 02, I'll have another western, not even titled yet, that will also co-lead with Bobbie Smith. So I'm excited about the coming year. You might have been able to tell from my web page that I don't just do one type of book.:)

RLC: How did you get published?

Ronda: My first sale was a single title romantic comedy through LionHearted Publishing called Isn't It Romantic?, it won me rave reviews and was a finalist for the Readers Choice Award for best single title contemporary in 98. I also had a Precious Gems book called Welcome To Paradise come out in 98, then I started selling historicals to Leisure.

RLC:Can you tell readers how you keep coming up with fresh, new ideas for your books?

Ronda: I like to think the characters are fresh, rather than the ideas. Romance has been around for a long time, and finding new plot lines is very difficult, but to me, the characters are what makes a book great, regardless if the plot line is tried and true.

RLC: Of all of your characters, which hero or heroine has been your favorite and why?

Ronda: That's a tough one. My characters are like my children, so it's hard to say I love one more than I love another. Gavin in Scandalous stole my heart because his character growth throughout the book deeply touched me. I love Christine because she has a good heart. I loved her because she discovered things she didn't know about herself, not just about her background, but about her soul.

RLC: Have you always been an author or did you work at other things?

Ronda: I've been dabbling in writing since I was a little girl. I wrote poetry and short stories in those days. I didn't tackle novels until around ten years ago. I had plenty of other jobs, but wanted one where I could stay home with my children. I found one in writing, it just took eight years to get published.:)

RLC: Any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers?

Ronda: Just to remember to be true to yourself. Write from the heart, but learn the market.:)

RLC: Thank you Ronda for letting me interview you for The Regency Lover's Cafe, and good luck with Scandalous! Though you have set it in the 1830's, it does have a Regency flavor for those of us who enjoy the style and society of the Regency period.

The Regency Lover's Cafe