Put on those party hats! It’s #WriterWednesday!
Today we get to learn about Kathleen Duhamel, writer of romance featuring older characters with youthful personalities, and fellow member of the Virginia Romance Writers. Hooray!
She gives us insights into her own writing life, and shares about her new novel, Deeper, which debuts March 20th.
Excited? I am! Here we go… 🙂
What inspires you to write?
I am motivated by the people in my life. In particular, my husband of 15 years, Tom, whose devotion and commitment to my writing career have made it possible.
I’m inspired by my BFF Diane, who makes the world a better place every day. She was the prototype for the character of Denise Hrivnak in my Deep Blue novels.
Mostly, I’m inspired by love itself.
Tom and I recently attended the wedding of a couple we know who’ve been through a long and circuitous journey to matrimony, and I was reminded once again of what a hopeful event a wedding can be. We go into marriage knowing there’s a 50 per cent chance it will fail, but we’re still winning to take an emotional risk for love.
Which type of romance do you love most, and why?
I write and love contemporary romance, and my work features older characters with youthful personalities. I enjoy writing about present-day situations (and I’m far too lazy to do the research needed for historical romance).
Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book:
One of my characters works for an organization whose mission is to end childhood hunger. I learned that there are at least 16 million children who go to bed hungry every night in the United States. Personally, I find this situation inexcusable in a country that has so many resources. It’s shameful.
Name two things people don’t know about you:
I live in Virginia now, but I spent 30 years in Colorado where I hiked, biked, fished, camped and snowshoed. Someday I hope to return.
I began my career as a newspaper reporter and editor. That past work experience probably has shaped my writing style more than anything else. My writing is pretty straightforward. I try not to bury my readers with lengthy descriptions that stop the flow of the story.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
The same piece of advice someone recently told me: “Trust your gift.” Don’t give up, no matter what.
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?
Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann.
Even though it was written about 50 years ago, the themes explored by the author are still relevant today: marriage vs. independence, the high personal cost of fame and the temptation of drugs.
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00070]](http://margaretlocke.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Duhamel.Deeper.jpg)
A Bit on Deeper, Kathleen’s novel debuting March 20th:
Secrets of the past seldom stay buried forever…
Now married to the love of her life, landscape artist Claire Martin’s peaceful world is rocked by an unexpected revelation that crushes her dreams of the future and causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her famous husband, legendary singer Robert Silver of the band Deep Blue.
Although Robert is now clean and sober, and embarking on a new opportunity with his musical partner Art Hoffman, the consequences of one night long ago fracture his family and threaten his marriage to the woman who loves him like no one else.
Will love survive, or will career pressures, family turmoil and the ever-present specter of the paparazzi destroy their new life together?
A Bit About Kathleen:
Kathleen Duhamel wrote and illustrated her first short story at the age of eight, and has never stopped writing. Her love of the written word continued throughout her varied career as a newspaper journalist and editor, public relations executive, freelance travel writer and owner/operator of two small businesses.
A native of Texas, she spent most of her adult life in Colorado before relocating to Virginia in 2014, where she lives with her husband, a standard poodle and a geriatric cat. She is a lifelong devotee of rock and soul music, contemporary art and pop culture. Please visit her at .
Want to connect further with Kathleen?
Website: https://kathleenduhamel.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kathleen.duhamel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kathleenduhamel
Thank you so much for stopping by today, Kathleen! We loved having you here.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
What inspires you to write?
Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!
I was inspired to write Invisible Ink by my love of going to 
Lex has never felt more exposed.
Being a fantasy novel, there are a lot of pre-determined expectations from fantasy readers. And as much as I wanted it to be “my” book, I was aware that if I ever wanted to write another book, one that would be appreciated by more than just me, I would have to concede certain things. Critical thinking and an understanding of the psychology of people, is a skill authors learn from the get-go. But writing in fantasy, I had to create a new world and that world had to make sense.
TP Keane
And…we’re back! After an unintentional one-week hiatus (thanks a LOT, gallbladder), #WriterWednesday returns, and we’ve got 
She’s got it all Perfectly Planned . . .