Frequently Asked Questions…OK, well they do crop up at parties…or maybe my mother is the only one who truly cares…
Have you always wanted to be a writer?:
When I was in fourth grade, I bought a copy of Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. I couldn’t put it down! I begged my mother to take me to the drug store where I purchased my first notebook. I wrote down everything just like Harriet. I still have that notebook! I’ve always been a reader, reading everything from Ray Bradbury to Harper Lee. When I was younger I read the Alfred Hitchcock mysteries, biographies of famous people when they were children, and anything with adventure.
Did you study writing in school?:
Apart from creative writing courses in high school, I didn’t study writing in a formal university setting. I have always written stories or kept a journal. I pursued my other interest which is art in college. I graduated with a Masters in Fine Arts focusing on Art History Museum Studies. I worked with the collections at several fine arts museums before becoming a mother. Due to the special needs of my infant son, my career options were limited to my home. I found that nap times for my son were writing times for me!
What gave your writing career that vital boost to publication?:
Tenacity. Never giving up. Writing almost every day. But the most important thing that helped me was joining a fabulous writers organization, Washington Romance Writers. I became involved in this stellar organization that introduced me to editors and my agent. I organized two seminars on romance for The Smithsonian Associates, and later became President of Washington Romance Writers from 2001-2002. I also am a member of Romance Writers of America. I enter contest and take the feedback seriously. I attend workshops, hone my craft, and learn something new everyday! My fellow writers are a valuable source of information and opinion too!
Who are your favorite authors?:
I define favorite authors by people who I would buy a hardback at full price! Those included, but are not limited to, are Fannie Flagg, Nick Hornby, Sue Townsend, Stephen King, and John Irving. My favorite romance authors are Kathleen Gilles Seidel, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Laurin Wittig, and Christina Dodd. My all-time favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I’ve read everything by Truman Capote, Ray Bradbury, and Jane Austen.
Where do you get your ideas?:
I know some authors cringe at this question. For me, ideas always come out of a “what if” question. What if Pride and Prejudice was set in Las Vegas? What if a Scotsman discovered his roots in the American West? Those are two questions I have expanded upon into book-length stories. I find quirky, interesting people placed in wonderful settings very interesting!
What inspired your first book, Heaven and the Heather? :
The answer is quite simple. A magazine photograph. The December 1998 issue of Vanity Fair magazine published an Annie Leibowitz photograph of actor Ewan McGregor. He is dressed in a muddied kilt, waistcoat and tunic. His expression holds a wry grin and a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. Even more intriguing to me was the speckled rooster he held under one arm. So, I began thinking about a story as I stood there holding the magazine while standing in the supermarket check out. All of my stories begin with a "what if?" question. I borrowed from the title of Jane Numeroff's popular children's book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and asked myself: "If you give a Highlander a chicken...what will he do with it?" My answer to that question was: "He'll get a bonny lass."
Drawing of MacChicken by Owen, age 7.
What is your writing day like?:
Very simple. I usually start the day catching up on emails. I’m an early bird, so I’m at the computer at 5:30 in the morning. Then I sew something to get my brain dancing on what I want to write that day. By mid-morning, I’m ready to write. I do so until mid to late-afternoon. Weekends are family time, but sometimes I can sneak in a paragraph or two!
Where do you write?:
I have a lovely office with keylime green walls and cream trim. Lots of book shelves and mementos on the walls. One side of my office has my writing desk, and the other has my sewing table. I have a lot of stuff in my projects, so I’m really into organization. My dog and cat have their own beds in my office and usually join me. They are welcome as long as they don’t fight. When I’m sewing I usually have a DVD or home show, like Clean Sweep or Trading Spaces on. When I’m writing, I usually have The Proclaimers, U2, Johnny Cash, or REM on the I-Pod.
Elizabeth Holcombe and son, Owen, meet Charlie and Craig Reid, Scotland's Proclaimers.
How can I contact you?:
Very easy! Please email me or write! I always reply and would love to hear from you! Old friends are always welcome!
email:
beth@elizabethholcombe.com
Mailing address:
Elizabeth Holcombe
P.O. Box 308
Merrifield, VA
22116-0308