Author Spotlight Interview Bertrice Small

Thanks for having me. My road began back in 1978 when my first novel, THE KADIN, was published by Avon Books.
I’m one of the original 8 women known as The Avon Ladies whose novels revived Romance in publishing. Back in the day there were the 8 of us, as well as Robbie Gellis, Jennifer Blake, and a guy from Texas named Jennifer Wilde who was actually Tom E. Huff, a delightful and talented Southern gentleman. After my second book was published with Avon I moved over with my then editor to Ballantine. I was with them for 19 novels. I have also published with Kensington, HQN, and NAL who are the exclusive publishers of my historicals now. THE BORDER VIXEN is my 50th novel.

How did you come up with the idea for The Border Vixen and what was your writing process like?

I don’t really have a process. Last spring Jo Beverly wrote an article for RWR about writers like herself, me and a group of others. It was called “Into The Mist”. We don’t ruminate, cogitate, write detailed outlines. We sit down and write the book. I’ve always done it that way. With THE BORDER VIXEN the main character, Mad Maggie Kerr, a girl who refused to marry unless her husband could outrun, outride and out fight her, came first, and the rest developed around her. Sometimes the first idea is a place, or a situation. I never know. It varies. I do, however, write 6 days a week much of the year from morning, with a break for a midday dinner, and then until about 7 p.m. Sometimes I’ll work later.

My books are all carefully researched. “The Border Chronicles”series is actually held together by only 2 things. They all take place in the borders of Scotland, and the names of the families are those who actually lived in the borders. Each book has been set in a different time and a different reign. I generally wrap the story about the period and the events taking place.

No. I have a tendency to sing along which is very distracting. I also whistle an excellent version of Mozart’sEine Kline Nacht Musik. Personally, however, I like romantic music, classical, Frank and Tony, old Broadwayshow and movie music, the Monkees and the Beatles. But I really do prefer a peaceful surrounding. However Ican work anywhere if I have to, and sometimes over the years I have.

They are all such individual characters, each unique in her/his own way. The most memorable for readers seem to be Janet Leslie (THE KADIN), Skye O’Malley (SKYE O’MALLEY AND ALL THE SWEET TOMORROWS), Lara (THE WORLD OF HETAR). Some love Rosamund (THE FRIARSGATE INHERITANCE), and Wynne of Gwernach (A MOMENT IN TIME). Francis Stewart-Hepburn from LOVE WILD AND FAIR, Niall Burke, Geoffrey Southwood, and Adam de Marisco of The O’Malley Saga series, and Prince Kaliq from The World of Hetar series seem favorites among the men. I did want to do a book on BLAZE WYNDHAM’S younger sister, Delight Morgan, who was swept off to Ireland by her betrothed, but Delight was always a difficult girl, and she absolutely would never share her story with me.