Interview Time With Allie Boniface

It's interview time again, and we have with us the lovely and talented Allie Boniface. Allie writes for several companies, including Samhain and The Wild Rose Press. Welcome Allie, and let's see what she has to say!

Hi Brenna, and thanks for having me here today. Though I’ve only enjoyed the experience of being a published author for a little over a year, it’s been a great ride so far!

**If you use a pen name, how did you choose it?

I do write under a pen name, which is a combination of a nickname and my husband’s last name. I didn’t change my name when we got married (7+ years ago), so publishing under his name is my tribute to him, since in the rest of my life, I’m still known by my maiden name.

**How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

I’ve been writing since shortly after 9/11 - I lost friends and neighbors in that tragedy, which spurred me to stop putting off the dream of writing “some time in the future.” I contracted my first book with Samhain Publishing in December of 2006.

**What genres do you write?

My books, while they do feature love stories and happy endings, don’t fall neatly into the genre of contemporary romance or women’s fiction. Instead, I like to say they straddle both. I don’t tend to follow the “rules” of romance writing too precisely.

**Are there any genres you'd like to try but haven't?

My next planned WIP is actually a literary novel (crossed with romance crossed with paranormal elements - I told you I didn’t follow rules!). Writing a literary piece completely intimidates me, but I think it’s where my heart is.

**What authors inspire you? Who are your favorite authors? My favorite authors have almost nothing in common except for the fact that they can tell an amazing story: William Shakespeare, Ayn Rand, Stephen King, Jane Austen, Jodi Picoult, Tori Phillips.

**If you could choose your dream job, besides writing, what would it be?

Believe it or not, I already work at my dream job: I teach high school English and Education courses. Don’t laugh - it’s true! But I work in a very specialized program, which I helped create; it targets high-achieving HS seniors only who actually want to learn. I have a ball every single day.

**The #1 holiday or birthday gift to purchase for an author is... Extra hours in the day. (Does that exist?)

**What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received?

A woman who works with my father-in-law emailed me to say “I just wanted to tell you after reading your two books back to back that the Mary Higgins Clark book that I just read although enjoyable lacked the excitement that your two had. You rank up there with the best just so you know that.”

I’ll take a comparison like that anytime!

**What advice would you give a new writer?

First, learn the craft. Second, learn the market. And third, write the story you want to write and DO NOT EVER GIVE UP.

**Do you belong to a crit group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it?

I am, and I’ve found it helpful in varying degrees. I think it’s important to know which advice to take and which to toss.

**Which of your own characters would you like to meet in real life, and what would you do?

Eddie West is the hero of the first book I ever wrote (eventually published as Lost in Paradise). He’s the ultimate alpha male and based in part on my own hubby and in part on a very good male friend from grad school. If I met Eddie in person, I’d probably swoon. Yeah, he’s that sexy.

Give us your backlist... with all publishers...

One Night in Boston - Samhain Publishing (print and ebook)

Lost in Paradise - The Wild Rose Press (print and ebook)

**Both are currently available

Tell us about releases you expect within the next year... Remember to say which publishers they are with!

One Night in Memphis (Samhain) will release in print in May 2009

I also have a short story titled “Blue Circle Books” coming out in the anthology My Mom is my Hero (Adams Media) for Mother’s Day 2009

Tell us about your current release... blurb... link to purchase is a plus!

One Night in Memphis is my current release, which has so far enjoyed rave reviews including 5 Nymphs from Literary Nymphs, 5 Hearts from The Romance Studio, a “Fantastic Read” from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction, 4.5 Stars from Ecataromance, and an 86 from Mrs. Giggles. Here’s the blurb:

What if a woman, tired of broken hearts and bad choices, traveled a thousand miles to the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, and spent a night forgetting her past in the blues clubs of Beale Street? What if a man who lost his wife to cancer ventured to Beale Street's social scene for the first time in over a year? And what if they met and realized love was still possible for them both?

Dakota James and Ethan Meriweather have both given up on finding happiness in a relationship. When they meet in downtown Memphis, at a crowded nightclub, neither has romance on the brain. But as the evening unfolds, and small talk turns to the stuff of hopes, dreams, and shared loss, a kinship grows that surprises them.

Before the night is over, though, Dakota's past will catch up with her in the form of a violent ex-boyfriend. As dawn approaches, and tragedy threatens to tear Dakota and Ethan apart, both will have to make a decision that could change their lives -- forever.

Give us your URLs (web site, MySpace, Facebook, blog, etc.)

http://www.allieboniface.com

http://www.allieboniface.blogspot.com

Thanks, Brenna!!

And thanks for talking with us today, Allie!