Great to have a writing duo here today! I'd love to learn more how you both work together and the pair of you joined forces in the first place? I cannot imagine working with anyone else on the same piece of work so this combination fascinates me!T. C. Archer is comprised of award winning authors Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey. They live in the Northeast where long, cold winter nights require a roaring fire and a companion of the hot blood persuasion. Evan puts his Ph.D. to good use by writing about alternate realities, and Shawn channels the mythology and philosophy she studied during her wasted youth into writing about exotic places and times.
Space travel, time travel, past or present, love (and lust,) transcend place and time. And Evan and Shawn will go where no man—or woman—has dared go before.
Thanks so much for having us, Rachel. We’re thrilled to visit with you on your blog.
1) What is your writing routine?
Evan--I write in the evenings after supper. I can get a couple hours in on most week nights. On weekends, I get up early and get an hour or two in before everyone else gets up. It’s very quiet in the early morning. I always have to have the TV on, but it’s turned down low. I’ve got my laptop and a cup of strong coffee, and I’m all set.
Shawn--I’m self employed and my schedule isn’t a 9-5 routine, so I plan my writing on a weekly basis. On the days I can, I write as much as possible in the mornings before the concerns of the day pick up speed. Plus, on weekends and days my daughter is home from school, I get a lot more done before she wakes up! I try to write 4 hours a day on average.
2) Which author/s inspire you to write?
Evan--For inspiration, I think about the writers who I wish I was as good as. Philip Roth is an amazing writer. Some of his prose is brilliant. It makes me sit back and think, ‘Wow, I wish I could write like that.’ Some others that really make me want to write are Dennis LaHane, William Gibson (How can you beat this opening line from Neuromancer: ‘The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.’) Philip K. Dick, and Charles Dickens.
Shawn--Gosh, there are some great writers. Stephen King and Ann Rice are two writers whose work I have studied. Charles Dickens is my favorite author. His characterization is quite amazing. Connie Willis and John Sandford--these people know how to write!
3) Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write
We write different forms of suspense and romantic sci-fi, and love reading in these genres/subgenres. Suspense and science fiction allow lots of room for using other elements like paranormal, time travel, even historical (think steam punk.) So we have opportunities to stretch ourselves. Which we love to do!
4) How do you deal with criticism/rejection?
Rejection is a part of the business. (Of course, this attitude comes from plenty of rejection and experience.) No one loves to be rejected, but as writers we have to depend on agents and editors to know their customers’ needs. If we don’t fit that bill then it’s better we’re not with them. If that agent or editor isn’t in love with our work, they won’t sell it. Of course, we often wonder why we get rejected when we see other authors similar to ourselves published by the people who rejected us. There’s no clear cut answer. You just have to move on.
5) What do you expect from an editor?
Ohh. To fix our books? ROFL. We expect an editor to help us make our books better. Editing is a tough process. It’s hard to give someone permission to show us how we can make a book better. (This implies we missed the boat, which every author does.) But, wow, the results can be phenomenal. Bottom line; we need editors to push us to be the best we can be.
6) Tell me about your latest release
Sasha’s Calling from Loose Id is our latest release. Sasha’s Calling is an erotic space opera. For those who aren’t certain what a space opera is, think Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars. Space operas are high adventure, usually take place away from earth, and there are plenty of space ships involved. HA!! Of course, there must be stakes of galactic proportions to deal with.
7) Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt
Nothing can stop freelance thief Sasha Smirnov from saving her planet -- except, Dirk, the gorgeous ambassador with polychrome eyes. Is it lust or designer pheromones? He is hot, too hot to resist -- or forget. A single, sizzling kiss burns him into her memory, and her body, but she can't afford to stop for passion, let alone love.
Sasha needs to get as far away from Dirk as possible and take the classified data she stole with her. So she stows away on a ship outward bound, only to discover Dirk's the pilot. Now she can't get away from him, or the system, but he will let her into his bed...
8) Which is your favorite character in the book? Why?
There are two main characters, our hero Dirk Roscopilot and heroine Sasha Smirnoff. We like these characters equally. They compliment each other well. Sasha, on the wrong side of the law, Dirk on the right side off the law—or the legal side, anyway. Heh heh. But the big difference between them isn’t what side of the law their on, but how they interpret that law.
9) What are you working on right now?
We’re working on another erotic science fiction Fontana’s Trouble. Fontana has been sent to Sagitariun, the fantasy planet, where she is supposed to be taking a much needed vacation after losing a coworker on her last assignment. What Fontana doesn’t know is that her superiors have bought her a fantasy package.
10) Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists?
Learn your craft. Simple. Right?
11) Where can readers find you?
Our website is http://www.tcarcher.com/
Feel free to connect with us at twitter, if you like
Thanks for having us!
You're welcome - can't wait for the comments and questions. Please tell us more about your joined writing process, it intrigues me so much!
Comments?
Rachel:
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having us on your blog! It's so nice to visit with other authors.