Wednesday's Guest : Penny Watson

Here's hoping everyone had an absolutely fabulous Valentine's Day celebration this week... and to keep the warm feelings flowing right along, we've got another wonderful author visiting the blog this week!

Penny Watson !

I first *met* Penny Watson through my wonderful local New England RWA chapter, although I don't think we've actually met in person! The chapter has a Yahoo loop, where members post their questions, comments, and successes to share. When my first novel was published, Penny jumped right in to congratulate me and give me advice on promoting myself.

When I had to write a recent magazine article on self-promotion, you can bet the first author I emailed was - you guessed it - Penny Watson. Sweet, funny and sharing, a blog or Facebook post by Penny never fails to make me smile. I'm thrilled to have her as my guest today and can't wait for you all to get to know her, too.

Even better, One very lucky commenter will win a copy of her ebook, SWEET INSPIRATION. Even though the holidays are over, the magic is still there!

Penny, for those who don’t know you, could you share a little bit about who you are?

Hi Katie! Thanks so much for having me as a guest today.

I am a former science teacher and lacrosse coach who married my college sweetheart, moved to Boston, adopted two great kids from the Philippines, and decided to write romance novels in my late 30's. Right now I am dividing my time between writing paranormal stories and reviewing romance novels on my review site, Penelope's Romance Reviews.

At what age did you discover writing and when were you first published? Tell us your call story.

I've been writing creatively since elementary school. I have always loved making up stories and reading a lot! I wrote my first completed novel in 2008, a short holiday romance about Santa Claus and his five sons called Sweet Inspiration. I got a lot of rejections since it was short (55,000 words) and seasonal. I finally figured out which publishers were looking for these types of stories, and I got lucky with The Wild Rose Press. They published Sweet Inspiration in December 2009, and the sequel, Sweet Magik, will be published in November 2011.

How do you approach your writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?

I'm a pantser (writing by the seat of my pants). I have very little idea what's going to happen with my stories when I start writing. I just go with the flow and see what happens. It's a really fun way to write.

What is it about the romance genre that appeals to you?

I love the simplicity of the premise for a true romance...love and happiness. The HEA is really important to me. There are not a lot of things in life that have a guaranteed happy ending.

Okay, I have to ask. Your obsession with bearded men. Can you explain?

Ha ha! Yes, I do have an obsession with bearded men. To me, beards are the ultimate symbol of masculinity. And I like super-alpha, masculine heroes in my stories. Lumberjacks are good. :^)

Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?

Oh, great question! I adore Amanda Quick's historicals and Julie Garwood's historicals. They both have the perfect blend of humor, romance, a satisfying storyline, and delicious heroes. I also got hooked on the romance genre by reading Christine Feehan's Dark Series (Carpathian vampires). Her idea that each vampire has one "lifemate" is very romantic...I just love those books! Believe it or not, I am about to start reading a book about an Orca shapeshifter. Don't laugh!

I absolutely loved SWEET INSPIRATION and all of your Klaus brothers! I can hardly wait to read each of their tales. If Hollywood decided to make your book into a movie, which actors would you choose to play Santa’s hunky sons?

Thanks, Katie. I'm so glad you liked the book. Not that I've given this any thought at all (hee hee) but here are my choices for the movie (of course I would play the female lead, that goes without saying!)....

Nicholas--master pastry chef, eldest son: Dark hair, dark eyes, beard, wears glasses...Eric Bana

Sven--toy designer, wood worker: Long dark blond hair, usually pulled into a ponytail...Gabriel Aubry (we'll give him a few acting lessons, he'll be fine!)

Wolfgang--Director of Charitable Donations for Klaus Enterprises; tall, dark and bulked up with intense dark eyes....Joe Manganiello

Gregor--financial guru; has a goatee, slick and well put together...Viggo Mortensen

Oskar--director of elfin management, punk snowboarder, scruffy.....Bradley Cooper (he has that impish smile!)

So, Penny, what's next for you?

I have three WIPs going on right now...yikes! One is book #3 of the Klaus Brothers Series, called Sweet Adventure. One is a mystery called Diabolical. And finally I am working on a botanical paranormal romance called L'Araldo di Primavera.

Where can readers find your books and where can you be found on the web?

I'm all over the web!

Penny Watson's website: http://www.pennywatsonbooks.com/

my writer's blog: http://www.thequirkyladies.com/

my review site: http://www.pennyromance.com/

on Facebook , Twitter @PennyRomance and at goodreads

Sweet Inspiration: Available at Amazon

Sweet Magik will be released by the Wild Rose Press in November 2011