The Writing Life with Romance Author Anna del Mar

Anna del Mar writes hot, smart romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart. Her stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, kickass, military heroes who defy the limits of their broken bodies to protect the women they love. She is the author of The Asset (Carina Press), the first novel of her Wounded Warrior series and three other novels scheduled for release during 2016.


A Georgetown University graduate, Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.


What’s inside the mind of a romance author?

The short answer is simple: Two people, love, lust and sex, plus the nitty-gritty of how it all comes about. The long answer is more complicated. People. Relationships. The human mind. Our complex emotional needs. The longing for wholeness, companionship and affection. We are all so different. We are all so alike. Where does love come from? How does it grow? How does it change? How does it change us?

What is so great about being an author?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I love the fact that I get to wear my pajamas all day if I want to. For me, the great advantage comes from the joy I get from writing. I’m doing what I love. I’m happy.

When do you hate it?

When I can’t write or when I have to devote so much time to doing all of those other things that must be done in order to achieve your peripheral goals.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

The day goes quickly. There’s a lot to do. This is when the rest of the world is awake you’ve got to reply, post, contribute, edit, talk to, hear from, negotiate with, pay for and get paid by a whole bunch of people. Then comes the night, the peaceful, quiet, blessedly uninterrupted night. That’s where the real writing happens.

Do you think authors have big egos? Do you?

I don’t know too many authors who have big egos. We’re primarily a bunch of creative folks living in our heads while glued to our laptops. In fact, I think the few folks who may seem to have ego issues are coming from the opposite direction, from having frail egos, thin skins and isolating experiences. But most of us who are really committed to this business are simply too busy to have egos.

How do you handle negative reviews?

I suffer through them and then…I let them go.

How do you handle positive reviews?

I bask in them and then…I let them go.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

People usually ask: “Are you a famous author?”

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

I can’t remember a day when I didn’t feel like writing. I’ll admit to days where there’s so much going on that it’s hard to concentrate on the story. I’ll also admit to days when sleep deprivation catches up and forces me to take a break. I always feel like writing and I take every opportunity to do so.

Any writing quirks?

Every new story is titled “Chapter One.” I’ve got a lot of those in my files!

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

I’d think that they’re very rude and non-supportive and then I’d keep writing.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

No. Mine is a love-love relationship. Passionate. Intense. Addictive. I can’t imagine writing if I hated the craft or the act of writing itself. It’s just beyond my comprehension.

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

Some of civilization’s greatest writers never generated a penny from their work and yet they’re still civilization’s greatest writers. Right? If an author is able to touch a single person with his work, if he or she brings comfort, relief, joy and/or meaning to a second of someone’s life, then an author has been successful.

What has writing taught you?

Patience, perseverance, resilience and joy.

Leave us with some words of wisdom.

Writing is an act of love.

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Title: The Asset
Genre: Romantic suspense, Contemporary romance, Military romance, SEAL romance.
Author: Anna del Mar
Publisher: Carina Press, http://www.carinapress.com.


About the Book:

Anna del Mar’s explosive, sexy debut novel in the Wounded Warrior series, perfect for fans of Lisa Marie Rice and Lora Leigh—the story of a woman desperate to escape her dangerous past and the navy SEAL who would lay down his life to save her.

Ash Hunter knows what it is to run. A SEAL gravely injured in Afghanistan, he’s gone AWOL from the military hospital. Physically and mentally scarred, he returns home to his grandmother’s isolated cottage—and finds a beautiful, haunted stranger inside.
Like recognizes like.

Lia Stewart’s in hiding from the cartel she barely escaped alive, holed up in this small Rocky Mountain town. Surviving, but only just. Helping the wounded warrior on her doorstep is the right thing to do…it’s loving him that might get them both killed.
Soon, Ash realizes he’s not the only one tormented by the past. Pushing the limits of his broken body, testing the boundaries of her shattered soul, he’ll protect Lia until his last breath.


1 comment:

  1. Hello Mayra. I stopped by to say thanks for having me here at The Writers Life. What a wonderful blog. It's a writer's paradise. I love finding new writing communities like this one. Once again, thanks for the invite. I really enjoyed chatting with you.

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