NTRWA November 2006 Spotlight On...
     

BARBARA WOODWARD

   aka Lynn LaFleur
          by Gina Nelson

Good morning, Barb. Tell us a little about yourself and your family? Are you new to Texas?

I was born and raised in this area. I married at 18 to a "Yankee" and moved to the West Coast at 19. Nine years ago, we moved back to Texas, where I work for my local weekly newspaper. My husband passed away two years ago, so being close to family meant a lot to me. I have a sister I adore, the best nieces and nephews in the world, and wonderful friends who are as close as sisters to me.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Angela Knight, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Micqui Miller, Nikki Soarde. A favorite author, to me, is one whose book you will buy no matter the cost, sit down in your favorite chair even if there are twelve loads of laundry to do, and READ without letting the world intrude on your time.

Why are these my favorite authors? Because they all make me do exactly what I said. They're the authors who make me take out my credit card and buy their books as soon as they become available. (Of course, Micqui gives me hers. <g>) They're the authors that I hurry and read their books as fast as possible, yet am disappointed when I'm through with the book because I want MORE.

What do you enjoy reading?

Romance. Sweet, sensual or spicy, I want a happy ending.

So, what do you write and how did you get started?

I've been writing forever! I started out writing sweet romances, moved up to sensual, and now write erotic romance. I'm published by both Ellora's Cave and Avon Red.

That's quite a leap from sweet to erotic. How did that happen?

I belonged to a critique group several years ago in Sacramento. My critique partners would listen to my love scenes and always comment that I should make them hotter. At the time, I was shooting for Silhouette Desire, which was the hottest series published. I came close so many times, but never quite managed it "over the hump."

How did you break through to being a published author?

A good friend of mine (our own Micqui Miller) told me about a new epublisher, Wings ePress. I submitted a manuscript that had been turned down by the New York publishers. Wings accepted it. They accepted two more manuscripts before I discovered Ellora's Cave on the Internet. I liked the idea of writing a sexier book, so wrote a story for them. It was accepted in one day. Seven books later, I'm still writing erotic romance.

Do you have an agent?

Yes. Jessica Faust of BookEnds.

What advice do you have for those of us still struggling for publication?

Never give up. Yes, that's a cliché, but it's so true. If writing is in your blood and you can't imagine NOT writing, then keep trying. Read, read, read what you enjoy writing. Learn from your favorite authors. Join a critique group, or find writers who will help you via email. One of my critique partners lives in Canada. You'll get rejections. Have some chocolate, shed a tear or two, and get back to writing.

As a writer, what do you struggle with the most?

Getting enough emotion into my books. I love writing dialogue (probably because I talk so much) and it comes easily for me. Balancing that with narrative is sometimes difficult for me.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

Wow, hard question! In writing, I would have to say it was when Lucia Macro of Avon emailed and asked me to be one of the launch authors in their new Red line.