Award Winning Author Gail Barrett’s new release High-Risk Reunion is the first book in the Stealth Knights miniseries (“Stealth Knights: Powerful, passionate heroes with their own code of law.”)
I am excited! Today’s Thursday Treat is award winning author Gail Barrett. She is a multi-published author who I am thrilled to have as a guest blogger. A big thank you to Gail for agreeing to spend a few minutes here sharing a bit about her writing process and providing some insights to her success. Speaking of which, her new release High Risk Reunion is the first book in the Stealth Knights miniseries from Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
Let’s get to the facts right up front. What’s your full author name, website, your latest release, the WIP that is keeping you up at night, your agent, your publisher, how long have you been writing…your successes? Yes, I want the mini bio right here, right now!
Gail said: Okay, here goes. My name is Gail Barrett, and I’ve been writing forever. I’m one of those people who knew from childhood on what I wanted to do with my life, but I didn’t get serious about trying to publish a book until my children were in school full time. My agent is Pam Hopkins, and my ninth book for Harlequin is out right now, High-Risk Reunion. The tenth will be out in March. Probably my biggest success is all the awards and contests I’ve won or finaled in over the years. Meltdown was a Rita ® finalist last summer, which was an enormous honor and a personal milestone for me. My books have also won the Holt Medallion, the National Readers Choice Award, the Book Buyers Best Award, and the Golden Heart, among others. My website is www.gailbarrett.com.
Q. What’s the best-kept secret about your writing process?
Gail said: I don’t know that it’s a secret, but I’m very obsessive about my writing. I revise everything dozens of times, and even then I’m never quite satisfied with how it comes out. I can spend hours on a single paragraph. I have a certain ideal in my head, a kind of internal rhythm to my sentences, and I go crazy until my writing sounds like I think it should. As a result I tend to write more slowly than I’d like, but that seems to be the way I work.
Q. What character have you written or are writing that keeps you up at night – just one, please:)?
Gail said: Once I finish a book and have completed all the edits, I stop worrying about the characters because they have achieved their happy endings and don’t need my help anymore. The ones that keep me up at night (literally) are the ones whose stories I can’t quite figure out. Right now I have a dozen such characters making me toss and turn in the middle of the night.
Q. What television or pop culture fictional character has had the greatest influence on your writing style and why?
Gail said: Howard Roark from The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I read that book in high school, and his philosophy has influenced all aspects of my life ever since — from my writing to politics. He embodies the triumph of the individual against collective society. He is a man who thinks for himself and isn’t afraid to go against the mainstream. He resists all pressure to conform and seeks perfection in his work.
Q. What book/author is the current “hot read” on your bookshelf?
Gail said: Right now I’m on a Nora Roberts binge, trying to finish some of her older trilogies that have been collecting dust in my to-be-read pile. I plan to pick up the first book in her new trilogy at her book signing this weekend and can’t wait to read it. That trilogy is set in Boonsboro (just a few miles from my house) and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she does with it.
Q. What’s your favorite drink on a hot August evening – and who (fictional or not, friend or family, celebrity or historic figure) would be sitting at your side enjoying that drink with you?
Gail said: My ideal night would be sitting at an outdoor cafe in Spain, drinking red wine and eating tapas with my husband and a few good friends.
Q. Who’s your favorite romance author and what would you ask them if you had the chance (or when you had the chance)?
Gail said: Oh, that’s a hard one because I have several favorite romance authors. I’d love to find out from Nora how she writes so fast, though!!!
Q. Last question…what question have you been dying to answer but no one has ever asked?
Gail said: Is it true that you used to play the bagpipes? The answer is YES. I am a bagpipe and Celtic music fanatic. My favorite group is Berrogüetto, which hails from Galicia, a Celtic area in northern Spain. I have some links to their music on the Bio page on my website.
Thank you Gail.
Now it’s time for you to ask questions. Gail will be around and looks forward to chatting. So take a moment to say hi!
Denny, Great post with Gail Barrett. She's one of my favorite authors. 🙂
Gail,
I loved Meltdown and recently finished reading Cowboy Under Seige in the Kelley Legacy. I love how you bring your characters to life and their connections.
You make the stories flow so effortlessly and always with alot of intrigue.
I've read your series, "The Crusaders" and you've done the continuity books "The Kelley Legacy" and "The Love in 60 Seconds" and now with your new series coming out–how do you keep all the characters together from one book to the next and is it easier if it's your own series or when you work with others in a Continuity?
Keep up the great work! I love your books!
Hugs!
Loni Lynne
Hi Loni. Thank you so much for the wonderful comments!!!! I'm so glad you like my books:)))
To answer your question, keeping characters straight can be hard. I actually think it's easier when it's a continuity because the editors create a bible that lists all the major characters. When I'm writing my own series I usually create a folder with the names of all the characters, photos and maps of the setting, and any other details I need to remember. Sometimes I forget, though, and have to hunt through my papers and computer files to find the forgotten detail. That can be frustrating. I always have the nagging suspicion that other writers must be more organized than I am….
Thanks again for your interest in my books!!!
gail