One of the great things about being a romance writer is the opportunity to explore the dynamic between men and women.
Men may be from Mars and women may be from Venus, but we both inhabit planet Earth together and great many of us fall in love and live happily ever after together but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have differences of opinion.
This will be the start of an occasional series where we look beyond the ‘happily ever after’ and talk about life, love and working together.
My special guests are husband and wife writers Heather and Travis Sharpe.
Heather is a stablemate from Etopia Press and author of Finding Flight, a shape-shifter romance while her husband Travis is signed with Rebel Ink Press and his latest title is Tunneling For Revenge.
Heather M. Sharpe lives on 6 acres in Central Kansas with her husband, perfect baby boy, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. In case the house isn’t full enough, it also includes four noisy dogs, one cat who inspired For the love of a Sphynx, another who torments him, and a lizard. At night, all of them think they need room on the bed (except the lizard, thankfully).
Travis and Heather Sharpe with their gorgeous son.
How long have you both been writing?
I’ve been writing about 4 years, and Travis 3.
I’ve always loved train tagging (i meant reading, but my phone autocorrect was too funny to delete, lol!) and writing.
Travis only started enjoying reading about four years ago and writing about three.
Was writing one of the things which brought you together?
Not at all. We are high school sweethearts-the whole football player/cheerleader story. I was also a book nerd/band geek, though. After fifteen years together some habits began to rub of on each other. Now I get up early to work out and he writes!
Is writing a solitary pursuit for you both or do you collaborate on story developments?
We wrote different genres but collaborate. Before I quit to stay home with our son we drove 20 minutes to work each morning together and often talked through plot points. He’s helped me with some twists, and I gave him the idea for the antagonist for his next WIP.
Do you critique/edit each others’ work?
We did a lot in the beginning. Now that a toddler has claimed so much of our spare (ha!) time we don’t as much. We still send each other chapters or blurbs/synopsis and beta reads to look through.
What is the best thing about being married to a writer?
Being able to be together and working at the same time. It’s part of what got Travis started writing-so he’d have something to do while I was writing, and what we liked about being two college kids together. We’d study side by side and get our work done and still be together. I also like that he is understanding of a stay at home mommy that may have used nap time today to write instead of do housework.
What is the worst thing about being married to a writer?
Hmmm. It’s pretty great. I guess trying to market two people and separate genres. I love writing but marketing is a struggle for both of us.
Considering how obsessive and solitary writing can be, how do you keep the work/life balance in your relationship?
We use writing as something we can do together and talk/share what we are doing so it is actually something that brings us together. Before the toddler it was a great way to spend a winner evening when it was too dark and cold to play outside sitting together writing. Now it’s more difficult to find writing time at all, so we can take turns if need be. Usually he gets up at 4:30 or earlier and I stay up after my boys are asleep to get our writing in.
Thank you for joining us!
Tunneling for Revenge
A man with a special gift is bent on revenge. Who can stop him? Tunneling for Revenge by Travis Sharpe
Travis Sharpe
Blurb:
Fueled by revenge, guided by an intense hatred for any type of elected or appointed authority, and driven by an inherent need to worship a strong male leader, Alex sets out on a killing spree that will satisfy all three of his psychological crutches. Alex seeks to avenge and free his captured leader. He planned to do this on his own, but prior to embarking on his journey he is approached by a mysterious organization that offers to finance his entire operation. The specialized weapon system that they offer him for the job proves too much to pass up.
The CIA agents who caused the downfall of his beloved anarchist cult become aware of his murderous plot, and they engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Alex’s ability to defy physics as a wild card. Thanks to his newfound weapon, Alex avoids capture while paralyzing his enemies with fear. Alex’s mysterious helpers employ the assistance of a local gang whose mission is to assist Alex in finding one of his targets. In so doing, the local gang, Alex, the CIA agents, and the local police find themselves mixed up in an international gang war for control of the illegal drugs and firearms market in the United States. A colossal betrayal finds Alex working
on the side of law enforcement with him as a tool to help thwart the influx of foreign gangsters, and them as a tool to help Alex exact revenge on the very man he would have stopped at nothing to protect.
www.facebook.com/travisksharpe
www.travisksharpe.webstarts.com
Finding Flight
Can her gift help her find an everlasting love? Finding Flight by Heather M Sharpe
Heather M. Sharpe
Blurb:
As an Enforcer for a secret society of shapeshifters, Ledger Arneau is offered a chance to retrieve his wayward brother before The Council puts out a warrant for his arrest. When the trail goes cold, he is willing to try anything to pick it up again, even if it means bringing in an outsider.
Corinne Winters is able to find any missing object, except her own, by concentrating on it. She’s always dreamed of using her skills to help locate missing people. After an embarrassing setback with the local police department, she jumps on the opportunity to use her skills to help Ledger.
Corinne finds a love she didn’t know she was looking for with Ledger, and discovers a new depth to her talent when they are together. When her new love and his brother disappear back into the secret society, Corinne must stretch her talent beyond anything she ever imagined to bring them home. Unaware of the circumstances surrounding Ledger’s disappearance, Corinne races across the country on his trail. When she finally locates the brothers, she witnesses the unbelievable, and flees in terror. In order to claim the love of her life, she must find a way to accept him and his secret.
Links: www.heathermsharpe.webstarts.com
www.facebook.com/heathermsharpe
www.twitter.com/heathermsharpe
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-flight-heather-m-sharpe/1115091588?ean=2940016720999
Allromance ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html