Carol Ann Kauffman's VISION and VERSE : INTERVIEW: Romance Author Anna Del Mar

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

INTERVIEW: Romance Author Anna Del Mar

Anna del Mar

Denver, Colorado

Good morning, Anna, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Spot for Art and Authors. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?

As Anna del Mar, I write sweeping romances about strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, military heroes who defy their enemies and their demons to protect the women they love. I’ve published six contemporary romances. My romantic suspense is hot and it includes The Asset, The Stranger, and The Guardian. My erotic romance is beyond hot, audacious, and it includes At the Brink, To the Edgeand Beyond the Rules, winner of the2018 IPPY Silver Medal in its category. I’ve also got four novels coming out in the next few months, including the first novels my new romantic suspense series, Battle Brothers. I’m so excited about that! More about my novels at http://www.annadelmar.com/.

What is your favorite genre to write?

Romance, of course!

Favorite food.

I wish I could say lettuce. Or kale. Kale’s really trending right now. Unfortunately, it’s vanilla cake with cream filling or coconut icing.

Oh, white cake with coconut icing is my favorite, also. Yum! Tea or coffee?

Coffee, but I’ll have a hardy Earl Gray occasionally. And I never miss high tea when I’m in England. Tea goes great with those tiny sandwiches and lovely pastries.

Pizza or ice cream?

Hmm. Toss up there. Pizza first. Gelato for dessert.

Wine or beer?

Wine, a nice robust red in winter and a light sauvignon blanc in summer. I’m particularly fond of New Zealand whites and rosés.

I discovered those New Zealand rośes recently and they are terrific Where would you like to visit?

That’s a long list! As we speak, I’m visiting Australia. Iceland, Norway, Thailand, and Egypt come to mind. Italy and Spain are a “must do again.”

Italy IS a must. Go as soon as you can. It's an artistic life-changer. Favorite musical artist.

Right now, I’m obsessed with anything by Imagine Dragons.

Do you listen to music when you write? What?

I listen to music before and after I sit down to

write, mostly to get me in the right mood.

But I prefer to write in silence, so that I can listen to my characters’ voices exclusively.

What makes you laugh?

Babies, kittens’ blunders, dry humor, and the sound of my loved ones laughing.

Favorite work of art or sculpture.

Oh, wow. That’s a hard one. Rodin’s The Thinker and Goya’s Nude Maja come to mind, but honestly, I love art in all of its manifestation. I’m a huge fan of African and Caribbean art as well, including the works of Pratts Ventos and Candido Bido.

How old were you when you started writing?

My first completed story dates to when I was eight or nine. And yes, it was about a girl and her horse.

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?

I come up with a loose outline and then I ignore it, sit down, and write, write, write.

Describe your perfect evening.

A glass of wine, hubby by my side, my family laughing and cooking downstairs while I’m writing as fast as I can on my way to joining them.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get a lot of inspirations from my travels and also from real life. Having real human interactions with all kinds of people from different spectrums of life is also inspiring to me.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?

I don’t get writer’s block. Instead, sometimes I get “life blocks,” a condition in which my real life interrupts my writing. I deal with it by trying to resolve whatever issue is taking away my peace of mind and then I reconvene around my writing.

Who is your favorite author?

I can’t possibly settle on one author. There are too many great writers who have put out great books throughout history. I have so many great friends who are romance authors and who’s work I really enjoy reading! If I went there, the list would be endless. Also, I read all kinds of different genres. Just to give you an idea of how wildly different my tastes are, some of the authors I enjoy Tolstoi, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Dianna Gabaldon.

Last book you read.

I just finished reading Under the Northern Lights by S.C. Stephens.

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?

I’d probably run a business, since I have an MBA. Or chase unicorns for photographic purposes. Yes, let’s go with number two. It sounds so much more fun.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

My parents, because they taught me all I know and my kids because they taught me that I didn’t know squat.