Warm Days, Cool Nights and Hot Guys....: Cara Marsi

Please welcome another one of my Wild Rose Press sisters, Carolyn/Cara! I'm a huge fan of Romantic Suspense, no matter what other sub-genre the author might add. If you love RS too, take the time to check out the links to Carolyn's books!

Now, let's take a minute and get to know Carolyn better! :)

1- Tell us about your road to publication: Was it a fast track or a gravel road filled with potholes? How long have you been writing?

Jennifer, Thank you for having me today.

My road to publication was filled with very deep potholes. It took ten long years of writing, learning, submitting and rejections before I published my first book in 2003. That book, A Catered Affair from Avalon Books, is a sweet romance written under my real name, Carolyn Matkowsky. It would take me four years to sell another book. But I never gave up.

2- What made you want to write your genre?

I don't write in only one genre. A Catered Affair is a traditional romance. Logan's Redemption, published in 2007 from The Wild Rose Press and now available exclusively on Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook, is a sensual romantic suspense. Murder, Mi Amore, available now from The Wild Rose Press, is a sensual romantic suspense novella. Cursed Mates, available now from Noble Romance Publishing, is a dark, sensual paranormal romance. However, the genres may be different, but all my stories have the same theme: second chances, and ultimately redemption. I've also discovered a love of writing short stories. In the past year I've sold nine short romance stories to the confession magazines-True Love, True Romance, True Confessions and True Experience. When I was at my lowest, ready to give up writing, I sold my first "Trues." My short stories have kept me in the game. I love writing them.

3- What is your perfect writing place?

My perfect writing place would be a terrace overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. But I have to settle for a small office overlooking a rather spindly rose garden.

4-Do you have critique partner(s)?

Oh, yes, I couldn't do without my critique partners. I'm a writer who needs critique. My first critique group was wonderful. They taught me so much and were responsible for my selling my first book. We split up but remain friends. But having no critique group is better than having a bad group that either tears you down or doesn't help you improve. My second critique group was more of a social thing, no help at all. That group ended on a bad note. There are five us in my current group. One of my critique partners has published over twenty books with Harlequin. Another partner has over ten books with several large publishers. One, while still unpublished in book length, is a newspaper columnist. And the other, a medical doctor, is still unpublished but is very talented and I have no doubt you'll soon be reading her books. They've helped make my stories better, even if I sometimes chafe at their critiques. I believe in critique groups as long as you have a group that supports you but challenges you to write better.

6- What is the hardest element for you to capture: characters, plot, emotion?

I have to struggle to bring out my characters' full emotions. I find my heroes are easier to write than the heroines. I can really delve into my heroes' feelings. I have a harder time with the women. I think it's because I tend to fall in love with my heroes.

7- Tell us about your WIP?