Ask the Author: Debbie A. McClure
Answered Questions (7)
Debbie A. McClure
I'd have to say Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, from Gone With The Wind. They were both such flawed, complex characters that I fell in love with them from the first time I read the book to watching the movie many, many years ago.
Debbie A. McClure
Growing up, my mother told me about a great paternal aunt of hers in Denmark who claimed that we are related to Louise Rasmussen, Countess Danner, a woman of poor birth who rose to become a ballerina with the Royal Danish Ballet and who then fell in love with and married King Frederik VII of Denmark in the mid-1800s.
Despite having found true love, Louise was never accepted by the aristocracy of the time, so consequently, had a terrible time. Never forgetting her roots, toward the end of her life she created Denmark's first home for poor, abused, and unwed mothers of Denmark. Danner House, as it came to be commonly called, is an outstanding legacy, and still exists as a safe house for women in Copenhagen today.
I fell in love with Louise and Frederik's story as a teenager, and after much research, have come to respect both of these incredible people who did so much for the people of their country. It is a story of unequivocal love, acceptance, and shining example of what one person can do to affect real change in the life of others.
Despite having found true love, Louise was never accepted by the aristocracy of the time, so consequently, had a terrible time. Never forgetting her roots, toward the end of her life she created Denmark's first home for poor, abused, and unwed mothers of Denmark. Danner House, as it came to be commonly called, is an outstanding legacy, and still exists as a safe house for women in Copenhagen today.
I fell in love with Louise and Frederik's story as a teenager, and after much research, have come to respect both of these incredible people who did so much for the people of their country. It is a story of unequivocal love, acceptance, and shining example of what one person can do to affect real change in the life of others.
Debbie A. McClure
Honestly, I find plenty of topics to write about. For my historical fiction novels though, I research information about strong, lesser known women of history and read about them to see if I'm inspired by their life, what they accomplished, or what the endured.
For my (ghost) paranormal romances, I love writing about the possibilities of love and connection that spans time, mixed in with a bit of mystery. Once I've re-released my first two titles, I will be taking those characters and beginning a new series. The response to In The Spirit Of Love and In The Spirit Of Forgiveness was terrific, so I definitely don't want to let them go. They are such fun to write, and I'm looking forward to seeing where those story lines take me in the new series.
For my (ghost) paranormal romances, I love writing about the possibilities of love and connection that spans time, mixed in with a bit of mystery. Once I've re-released my first two titles, I will be taking those characters and beginning a new series. The response to In The Spirit Of Love and In The Spirit Of Forgiveness was terrific, so I definitely don't want to let them go. They are such fun to write, and I'm looking forward to seeing where those story lines take me in the new series.
Debbie A. McClure
I've just completed work on a new (bio)historical fiction novel, The King's Consort-The Louise Rasmussen Story (releasing September 10, 2016), which I'm extremely excited about. Right now I'm focusing on the marketing and promotion of that project, but will begin work in the next week or two on re-releasing my first two titles back into the market. After that I plan to continue work on a second (bio) historical fiction novel based on the life of Tsar Nicholas of Russia's youngest sister, Grand Duchess Olga.
Debbie A. McClure
Don't worry about trying to learn everything all at once. There's plenty of time to learn as you go. The learning curve of writing and publishing is the size of a tsunami, but just relax and breathe through it.
One of the most important things for new writers to remember is that there really is only one way to write a story - plant butt in chair and WRITE! There are no short-cuts to that one. All the excuses for why you're not writing won't get the job done. Even a few minutes a day is better than day after day, week after week, year after year, of writing nothing.
One of the most important things for new writers to remember is that there really is only one way to write a story - plant butt in chair and WRITE! There are no short-cuts to that one. All the excuses for why you're not writing won't get the job done. Even a few minutes a day is better than day after day, week after week, year after year, of writing nothing.
Debbie A. McClure
Seeing the story unfold before your eyes, and then having others from around the world read the story you've told. Of course the absolute pinnacle is when a reader writes a wonderful, glowing review, or emails me to tell me how much they enjoyed the story. That's as good as it gets for a writer, and it's why we do what we do.
Debbie A. McClure
Actually, I rarely have issues with writer's block. When I do get stumped for a bit, I give myself a brief breather of anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days to mull things over in my head. The other thing I sometimes do is I just keep writing through it. Even if I know it isn't exactly what I want, I truly believe that the magic happens while I'm writing, not when the timing is "right".
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