Sizzle And Sass: Meet Carly Carson!!

Is the summer heat makin' your week miserable?!

Good thing we've got something cool going on at TLN today!

The feisty and ever entertaining CARLY CARSON is here!! What's more, she's brought along the Scarlett, the heroine from the sultry tale Scarlett and The Sheriff. That's right! We're doublin' the advice and doublin' the fun!

So, kick down that AC thermostat and fill up a cup with anything cool. Should that frosty beverage have zing, well, we won't say a thing!


1.If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

Carly: While Carly Carson was driving her kids through a blizzard in Vermont to get them to a ski race, her husband was dining at an airport in Fort Lauderdale with a porn star. Yes, he meets all kinds of people. In a fair trade, while dining outdoors at an Oktoberfest celebration in Salzburg, Austria, Carly was flashed by a kilt-wearing Scotsman. Hubby missed the show. Carly remembers every second. Stay tuned to see what other true experiences Carly manages to weave into her stories.

Scarlet's blurb: Watch me turn that hunky Sheriff's life upside down.

2.Using three words, describe your voice.

Carly: Sexy, edgy, imaginative
Scarlet: Adventurous, naughty and fun

3.What have been some of the challenges you've faced during your journey to publication? How did you overcome them?

Carly: I'm more a mouse than a lion. When I need to roar, I squeak. So my biggest challenge is myself. I've been building a career slowly. I sent off my first query to a relatively small publisher that I respected just to see what would happen. They bought the story, which was a thrill. The reviews and awards were even better. But then I had to challenge myself to go out on a limb (to do things I didn't want to do) and start swinging. "Swinging" in my world means to meet people in the industry, join various groups, start blogging, etc.

I had to stop worrying about whether I would fall or the limb would break. My only goal had to be to jump to the next bigger tree. Whether I can do that is up to me and no one else. The only way for me to meet this challenge is to keep pushing myself to be "out there swinging" even though that's not my nature. (I don't know why I'm in this jungle metaphor right now.)

Scarlet: My biggest challenge? I had to grow up. Sigh. As much fun as I was having with the Sheriff, he was never gonna fall for a jail bird. Hello? He is the Sheriff. Which means he treads the straight and narrow – unless I'm around. You can see what I'm talking about here: www.carlycarson.com/bookshelf.html

4.What's been the best writing/career advice you've ever received?

Carly: This is actually the toughest question, because I have received so much excellent advice. But I'm going to go with this quote: Amateurs wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work. (Stephen King quoting Philip Roth) I think King took this to heart more than Roth did, but the point is that nothing succeeds like hard work. This is true in any profession.

Scarlet: It’s fun to have fun but you have to know how. (OK, she stole it from Dr. Seuss.)

5.How do you balance motherhood and a writing career? Give us some tips!

Carly: Make your choices and don't look back! I made the decision when I started writing that I would not shortchange my kids on any of the things I did before writing. Which meant I had to make compromises in other areas of my life. For example, with my friends, if you want to see me frequently, you will go for a walk or a run with me. If you insist on lunch out, you'll only see me once every 2-3 months. I never, ever watch TV, and I only watch movies if it's a family activity. I've simplified meals when hubby is not home, though I try to make a full meal when he's present (yes, that is him you hear laughing). You will have to make choices. Decide what's not negotiable, and then compromise on the rest.

Scarlet: Motherhood? Do I need an epilogue?

6.Are you a pantzer or a plotter? What works for you?

Carly: I'm both. I start the story as a pantzer. I have my idea or characters and I start writing. But then I go back and impose structure and make sure I have a plot that's flowing well. I know the ending well before the writing takes me there. My favorite passages are those that pour out of me without thought. But you can't have those passages strung together like Christmas tree lights. They need the structure and background of the tree to look their best.

Scarlet: Pantzer all the way. Experience life right now!

7.What does the rest of 2010 hold in store for you? Inquiring fans want to know!

Carly: My second story, The Star Necklace, has just been released so I'm going to be promoting that. I have a third story almost ready for submission and I'm working on a full-length novel which I plan to finish by the end of the year. I also have a free read if you're interested - "Demon Wins his Angel". (This is an erotic read. You must be 18. Thanks.) http://carlycarsonwriter.blogspot.com/?zx=69fbf692c96a7b5f

Scarlet:If you really want to know what happens to me, you can hop on over to my blog for an epilogue to my tale of hijinks with the sheriff. But you really should read my story first, you know. Dessert can come before dinner as far as I'm concerned, but an epilogue should never come before the story.
http://carlycarsonwriter.blogspot.com/2010/05/epilogue-scarlet-and-sheriff.html

If you'd like to enter my contest in August for a free copy of The Star Necklace, please go here: www.carlycarson.com/fun.html.

This is my newest release: The Star Necklace available at www.eredsage.com/store/TheStarNecklace_CarlyCarson.html

Here's a blurb: A solitary warrior risks his life to win a healer whose virginity is being auctioned in a mystical religious ceremony at the far reaches of the galaxy. When he is mortally wounded in his quest, she is torn between two competing demands. She’s already been chosen by her countrywomen to wear the Star Necklace, an honor representing her leading role in helping women gain freedom from male oppression on their planet. But, to save the warrior’s life, she must flee the planet, abandoning her countrywomen. Can she save the warrior, yield to him what he is owed, and fulfill the obligations symbolized by The Star Necklace?

An excerpt is here: www.carlycarson.com/bookshelf.html

If you want to read Scarlet's story, it's here: http://www.eredsage.com/store/Scarlet_and_the_Sheriff_Carly_Carson.html

Thanks for having me on The Lovestruck Novice!
Carly


Anytime, ladies! You gals definitely made the day bright. Thanks for all the wonderful advice, too. Best wishes for tons of success with THE STAR NECKLACE!!

THANK YOU, TLN'ers!! I've been in a musical kind of mood, so here is another of my favorite tunes: ON THE FRONT PORCH WITH YOU from SUMMER MAGIC (1963) Love, love, love this movie. Haily Mills is and always will be one of my fav child actors. Plus, I've always found Burl Ives' voice to be absolutely fantastic! Hope ya'll find someone to linger with on the front porch and maybe do a little sparkin'! *wink wink* Catch you back on Moanday!!