INTERVIEW with Marcia Gruver

I was first taken in by the beautiful cover of Diamond Duo, and then was more than delightfully surprised when I found myself unable to put it down. I was so fully enveloped in the book, I think I even skipped a meal or two because I was reading so much. Chasing Charity and Emmy's Equal were the same way. The rich history and warming characters of the series swept me up into their lives. So when Marcia Gruver agreed to be a guest on my blog today, imagine my delight!

CW: I love the characters of Bertha and Magda in this series. Are they based on anyone in real life?

MG: Not intentionally. Although, I've been accused of being the inspiration for Bertha. Hate wearing shoes. I do love down-home, quirky people, and I come from a long line of them. I have an aunt who reminds me a little of Magda. She has a hilarious sense of humor, yet a no-nonsense air about her. In retrospect, I guess it's official. . . I'm Bertha. Aunt Jackie is Magda!

CW: Readers often have a favorite character from a trilogy. Who was your favorite character in the Texas Fortunes to write?

MG: In the early days of the series, it was Bertha. She was so much fun to write! Even I didn't know what she might do next. About midway through book two, Emmy Dane stole first place in my heart. Emmy's the consummate rascal. In Chasing Charity, she gets to do all the naughty things we're tempted to do, yet don't always follow through. That little voice in your head telling you things like: "Go ahead! Take that extra slice of cheesecake. What's a few extra pounds? Honey, put those Louis Vuitton shoes on your husband's credit card! You deserve them!" Yeah. . . that voice is Emmy.

CW: What is the most challenging aspect to writing for you?

MG: Jumping off the whirlwind of life and sitting down to write. I don't do well with distraction. I'll sit at my desk for as long as it takes to get the words down, but if I get distracted for more than a minute, there goes my day.

CW: Do you have any interesting writing quirks?

MG: Who me? Of course not! I know you're not talking about my cup of green tea on one side of the desk, bowl of trail mix on the other. Or the phone turned down, not off, the blinds opened just so, and the television on in the next room- loud enough to hear but not to distract. My Internet thesaurus and dictionary of etymology always open in the background? You're not talking about any of those things, right?

CW: How do you like to spend your time when you are not writing?

MG: We travel quite a bit, though not by choice. My husband's job has him all over the country. His last assignment was in Carrizo Springs, a little town deep in South Texas (not coincidentally the setting for Emmy's Equal), and now he's in North Dakota, as far north that he can go and remain in the country. I love to jump in a car or hop on a plane and go see him. We recently bought a place in the Texas Hill Country. It's quite rugged, but breathtakingly beautiful. I like to drive up there and plan the home we hope to one day build. I'm not allowed to say "retirement" home though. My workaholic husband claims he'll never retire.

CW: And last, the question I am dying to ask: What are you currently working on? As a fan, what can I look forward to next?

MG: Thanks for asking! I'm very excited about my next project. I've contracted with Barbour Publishing to write a three-book series entitled Backwoods Buccaneers. It's the tale of three generations of land pirates-- a band of misguided crooks who make their living by raiding and stealing in the aftermath of the civil war. The story begins in Scuffletown, North Carolina, and makes its way down the Natchez Trace to Uncertain, Texas. It's quite a departure from Texas Fortunes, and I can't wait to introduce my latest cast of characters to my readers. Exciting stuff!

Exciting stuff, indeed! Thank you, Marcia, for taking the time to answer these questions!