FAQ
Books
What should readers know about your books before they buy them?
My books are romances with spice – I don’t shut the bedroom door. A reader experiences everything the characters do. I love to write and read about love, so be prepared to fall in love when you read my work.
I also never write characters that are perfect. Mine have flaws and personality quirks just like regular people. They’re not the all-consuming hero who never had an unkind thought or the holier-than-thou heroine who does part-time work at the church and orphanage. They are like you and me, and they face adversity and challenges and just plain life, be it crappy or wonderful. In the end, we can all imagine ourselves there, in that happily ever after.
Are any of your books interrelated and do I have to read them in order?
Yes, there are a number of my books that are interrelated. With Samhain Publishing, the Malloy family series is linked together through a family in 1880s Wyoming (The Bounty, The Prize, The Reward, The Treasure, The Gift, The Tribute, and The Legacy). With Loose Id, there are three novellas in The Perfect Score series about three women and a local bowling tournament in present day Texas. I would definitely recommend reading them in order. :-)
Do your books have a HEA (Happily-Ever-After)?
My historicals all have an HEA most definitely. My contemporaries could have an HEA or sometimes a happy for now ending.
What are your heroes and heroines alike?
I have a penchant for alpha males so most of my heroes are alphas. My heroines are always strong women that rely on their own skills and smarts to get by in the world.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your books?
I think if you read one of my books, you come away with a measure of happiness, peace, and a feeling that good things happen. Reading is for pleasure, an escape, but I also want my readers to feel good after they finish one of my books.
What do you hope they will understand about romantic fiction and/or about you?
Romantic fiction is one of the most popular markets in publishing. Many readers love romance and all that it can give them. I was a reader before I was a writer. Like many writers, I started with Harlequins when I was a teenager. My love of romance was set in stone right then and there. :-)
About Writing
Where do you get your ideas?
I get my ideas from everywhere, everything. Sometimes I just see something, like an old broken down house, and bam! An “idea” is born. I’m also a people watcher – I spend a lot of time watching other people and their behaviours, mannerisms, etc.
How many books do you usually write a year?
It depends on the length of the book – I can write a novella in six weeks, a novel in 10 weeks. I generally will write 5 to 6 books a year.
What do you like most about being a writer?
When a reader tells me how much they loved my books or that it made them cry, laugh, or go find their significant other. :-) Really, though, the most amazing thing to me is that people like my writing, my characters, and my books. That’s what makes it all worth while.
How much research do you do and how do you do it?
For my historicals, I have all kinds of books on the 1800s, horses, and the various states that I set my books in. I also do research on word usage so I don’t have inappropriate words in the wrong time frame.
Are you a Romance author or an Erotic Romance author?
My books are considered erotic romance – definitely explicit in the sex scenes, but truly romances as well.
Does reader’s feedback help you with your writing? Is feedback something that is very important to you?
Absolutely, positively 100%. I could not go on writing without reader’s feedback. Each and every one of them is very special and I welcome any and all comments (even snarking :-)).
Any advice to aspiring writers?
I could say “never give up” or “have faith in yourself”. I think the most important thing is to listen to your heart – it will always show you the path you need to follow.
Career
How did you get started? How did you become a writer?
I’ve been a writer since I was 8. :-) Writing isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I started writing romance novels about twelve years ago and was firs published in December 2004.
What made you choose romance as your genre?
Romance is my favorite genre – I don’t think I’d want to write in another. It’s what I enjoy reading the most.
What was your first story being published?
My first story published was The Bounty, originally published in December 2004, and republished in April 2006. It’s now also available in print.
Personal
Is Beth Williamson your real name?
No, it’s a pen name.
Who is Beth Williamson?
An erotic romance writer that loves cowboys, alpha males, and happy ever after stories. :-)
What kinds of books do you read and who are your favorites?
My favorites? I read all kinds of genres. My absolute favorite writer is Stephen King. In terms of romance let’s see Lynn Kurland, Amanda Scott, Johanna Lindsey, Stephanie Laurens, and Mary Balogh for historicals in general. For Westerns, Jodi Thomas, Joan Johnston, Elizabeth Lowell, Leigh Greenwood, Jo Goodman, and Lorraine Heath.
What do you do when you aren’t writing?
I’m a normal every day person just like everyone else. I have a job, a mortgage, a husband, and two children (ages 10 and 14). I also love movies, reading, and watching the horses in my neighbourhood race around in the corrals.