 June 2002 |
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June 2002 |
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Hailey North
USA Today Bestselling Author!
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...or
tie the knot?
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June 2002 Release || Interview || Excerpt || Visit Hailey The Interview ...
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Eclectics: Tell us about your June release
from Avon, TANGLED UP IN LOVE. Eclectics: What kind of novels do you write?
Why did you choose this genre? Seriously, I turned in a novel and my editor said, "This is funny." I said, "Thank you." She said, "But...(real name under which I'd published two mainstream novels) can't be funny. "Oh," I said. "Let's give you a new name, a funny name." "As long as I can cash the check," I said, looking at the
stack of bills on my desk, "And readers will end up smiling and
forgetting their troubles for a few hours, that's okay by me!" Eclectics: This is your fifth book for Avon.
How did a lawyer from LA end up in New Orleans writing romantic comedies?
Eclectics: What do you enjoy most about writing these types of books? Least? Hailey: My books make people smile. The world can be a terribly difficult place, and it's nice to know I bring happy moments into readers' lives. Least...sometimes I feel constrained to stay on the "light"
side of things. There are elements of fiction that don't express themselves
naturally in a comedic vein. Eclectics: What's the funniest/weirdest
thing anyone's ever said to you about your writing? Eclectics: Where do you get your ideas from? Hailey: Everywhere. Let's see...let's take Dr. Michael Halliday, the hero of TANGLED UP IN LOVE. From whence did he spring? Norman Halliday was my eighth grade English teacher, the man who taught me how to keep a journal and assigned me to read Michael Horgan's The Great River. I named Michael after him. My cat's vet is named Scott Abadie. His general assistant is named Michael. Michael is always there, for everyone, as is Scott. In a fit of egalitarianism, I swapped the names of the assistant and the doctor (you get to meet Scottie, too, in Tangled Up In Love!). He's a vet because I love animals and I admire the professionals who take such good care of our special family members. And the workaholic heroine...well, gosh, that only takes looking into the mirror! Note from Eclectics: Pet lovers, be sure to visit
Hailey's Web Page. You're sure to enjoy the special dedication
to the pets in her life, complete with pictures! Eclectics: Do any of your own personal experiences
end up in your books? If so, give us an example. Hailey: This answer is probably one only my therapist should hear!! Eclectics: Hmmmm.... maybe we shouldn't
ask this next question! <g> How do you do research for your
books? Hailey: For TANGLED UP IN LOVE, I spent a half day shadowing Dr.
Lori Schega, who was Dr. Scott Abadie's associate veterinarian when
I was penning this book. She let me observe surgery on a dog, told
me about wolf-dogs, took me through the entire animal hospital, and
shared tales of her experiences from veterinary school. Dr. Abadie
always tells me stories about his practice, and of course, being a
writer, I file all these away in my subconscious! Eclectics: Writing humor in a book must
be challenging. What is your secret to getting your readers to laugh
out loud? Hailey: Click your heels together three times and repeat after me,
"Do not try to be funny." Eclectics: What kind of advice would you
give to aspiring authors wishing to write romantic comedies? Hailey: Humor comes from the angst that lurks in our souls. Create
characters who come with a generous dollop of angst and place them
in a situation that rubs them in a way that brings out the best and/or
the worst in them. Let the humor arise from the release of tension
as they face their fears. Eclectics: Have you won any awards, special
accomplishments? What's been the pinnacle of your career so far? Let's see...as far as the pinnacle, when I was six I had this lovely blue and white checked--what's that? Pinnacle? Oh, not pinafore? Eclectics: (laughing) How would you describe
a typical working day? Hailey: Too long! Eclectics: If TANGLED UP IN LOVE was going to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles? Hailey: If??? Eclectics: Who is your favorite fictional
hero? Why? Hailey: Sidney Carton. Eclectics: Who is your favorite fictional
heroine? Why? Hailey: Oh, okay, I'm a southerner, what do you expect me to say? Hailey: You mean one I've written? Eclectics: Why? Because Parker and Meg transform make believe into reality. And that
is the best metaphor I can find for the bliss of finding meaningful
connection with another human being. Eclectics: Who are the authors you read? Hailey: Over and over again, Georgette Heyer. I've recently discovered
Vince Flynn and have been a longtime fan of Lescroart's San Francisco-based
mysteries, and of course John LeCarre's body of work, and the early
Dick Francis stories. I tend towards spy novels and mysteries. I like
to read biographies and nonfiction, and lots of health and self fix-it
books. Eclectics: What do you do when you aren't
writing? Hailey: Direct the Paralegal Studies Program at Tulane University.
Run. Pet my cat Snickers. (Did I mention she's sitting in my lap at
this very moment?) Grub in the soil. Eclectics: How would you describe the perfect man? Hailey: Intelligent. Humorous. At least as smart as I am, if not
smarter. A man of integrity. Eclectics: What is your goal as a writer? Hailey: To create characters who live on in readers' minds as friends
after they have read "the end." Eclectics: If you weren't a writer, what
do you think you'd do for a living? Hailey: Hmm...here's a bio from one of my early books...I think it
sheds some light on this question: Eclectics: Please tell us about the story
you've always wanted to write but haven't yet done. Hailey: 1626. Isaac Allerton, the treasurer of Plimoth Plantation, has been sent into exile for embezzling funds. His wife, her world thrown into turmoil, accompanies him. What happens to this couple? To their relationship? What's that? There's a reason my editor controls the tangents my
mind travels? Oh! Eclectics: What's coming up next for Hailey
North? Hailey: Jonni's story...Daffodil Landry's twin sister (DEAR LOVE DOCTOR). Grieving widow Jonni DeVries forces herself to get a grip on her compulsive overeating...just in time, as sexy Hollywood action hero Cameron Scott lands on the doorstep of her New Orleans' Garden District mansion. Eclectics: We can hardly wait! :-) Luckily, we don't have to wait for a taste of TANGLED UP IN LOVE. Our exclusive excerpt starts below ... the rest of the chapter is waiting for you on Hailey's Web Page, and while you're there, be sure to enter her contest! Two lucky winners will receive a JazzFest t-shirt and an autographed copy of BEDROOM EYES (now out of print and difficult to find).
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"Wit and charm enliven this sexy romp by North. The Excerpt ... From...
…A man appeared in the doorway, framed by the lights. Stacey stroked her beardie's head then got out of her car. He wore jeans and a T-shirt that wasn't quite tucked in. And cowboy boots. His hair could use a good trimming, or maybe it was just rumpled from his pillow. That flash of a thought warmed Stacey. He didn't look like any of the vets she'd visited. Stacey hesitated, even as he reached her side. "Dr. Halliday," he said, his voice in person even deeper than over the phone. "Where's the patient?" She watched, partially irritated, but mainly impressed, as Dr. Halliday lowered his body gracefully until his head was level with that of her dog's. "Hi, girl," he murmured. "I heard you weren't feeling so good. Let's take a look at you and see if we can't get you patched up." "Wuf!" For the first time since Stacey had been an hour out of New Orleans, True lifted her head and looked around. Then she let the veterinarian pick her up, all sixty-four pounds of her and march towards the entrance of the animal hospital. "Get the door, will you?" was all he said. Stacey slammed her car door shut, and hurried past the vet towards the door of the clinic. Even if the man was abrupt-bordering on downright rude-he did have a way with True. And that, Stacey reminded herself, was all that mattered. Still, she noticed how the fabric of his jeans outlined the well-honed lines of his thighs and hips. And he'd hoisted True as if she weighed no more than a cream puff. Strength, Stacey thought. And-- Whatever other attributes she might have listed in his favor fizzled as he commanded, "Wait here." And then he disappeared through a swinging door. "Oh no you don't," Stacey said, following the pair of them before the door had completed one full swing back and forth. "That's my baby and where she goes, I go." Arms full of dog, the man shrugged. He deposited True on an examination table in a small room whose walls were covered with pictures of dogs. Greyhounds, Labradors, poodles, you name it, their photos plastered the walls. Yet what held Stacey's attention was the way Dr. Halliday's T-shirt had come untucked from his jeans the rest of the way. He looked rumpled and sleepy and appealing in an oddly charming way…
Read the rest of the chapter, here.
June 2002 Release || Interview || Excerpt || Visit Hailey
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Should
she cut and run...
HAILEY
NORTH began writing while employed as a “game show lawyer”
for NBC Studios. Tired of hearing lawyers weren’t creative, she
quit her job and typed “Chapter One,” (not the chapter,
just the heading!). Thus began her first novel. Join us as we find
out more about what makes Hailey tick in this exclusive Eclectics
interview! 