Intervew Ainslie Paton a Harlequin Escape Author

Hey guys to day with have an interview with Ainslie Paton a brand new Author from Harlequin Escape, a new Digital first imprint from Harlequin Australia, I had a chance to ask Ainslie a few questions about her self and her relationship with the new imprint that ever one is talking about, here's what she had to say. 

How are you?
Are you sure you want to ask that because the answer is - fully freaked out. Grease Monkey Jive climbed as high as #805 on Amazon. In my wildest dreams I never fathomed that would happen.

Smart people like Jane at Dear Author said really nice things about it. And it got a run in USA Today.

I keep looking behind me to see if this is about someone else’s book with the same title.

Tell us about yourself?
I’m really quite boring. It’s only my stories that are interesting. I hope!

How did you get in to Writing?
Writing is part of my day job and has been for a long time. I’ve written everything from video scripts to stage shows, print, TV and radio advertising and stock exchange releases.

I wrote my first piece of fiction in June 2011, that story Hiding Hollywood was basically a test to see if I could spin a full length narrative. I was by no means sure I could do it. Fiction writing is very different to writing for corporate use. No descriptive language for a start and not usually much dialogue in the corporate world. So first thing I learned – I can’t describe things for nuts! I really have to work on that. Surprisingly I find writing dialogue easily, in fact it’s my favourite thing.

Do you have any advice for fellow Authors?Finish! I’ve learned that lots of people start stories but less finish them. Until you finish your first manuscript you don’t know what you need to learn. 10,000 words is not enough to learn enough from, unless it’s a short story. Finishing teaches you so much. Stopping somewhere short cheats you of learnings that will carry you much further forward.

Tell us about your up and coming novels?
Escape is looking at publishing one of my self published stories – Producing Real. Fingers Crossed. That will ensure it has more polish and a wider distribution. Producing Real is about a wild child rock chick running from her past and a boy next door roadie.

I have two unpublished manuscripts. Detained – about a journalist and a businessman who get into all sorts of trouble with the truth in Sydney and Shanghai. And Floored – about an undercover cop and a female limo driver. He’s the one undercover, but she’s the one with the secret.

Tell us about your partnership with Harlequin Escape?
Wow. Never having been published I had no idea what to expect and now I’ve gone and gotten all spoiled rotten by being a launch author for Escape. Grease Monkey Jive even had its own signature cocktail. More importantly the attention to editorial, cover, market placement, pricing and marketing are simply awesome.

Was it an easy decision to go with Harlequin escape?
Can I tell you a secret? Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. I heard Haylee Nash talk at the RWA conference on the Gold Coast and I was kind of smitten. I really wanted to be published by Escape because I loved the business philosophy behind the new line.

Was it an easy process?
Dead simple. Apart from the writing a cracking good story bit. If you can do that bit, submitting it – no sweat.

Who are your inspirations?
So many writers, so many books, not enough time. The short list: Jennifer Cruise, Jo Jo Moyes, Gillian Flynn, Jennifer Eagan, Lionel Shriver, Hilary Mantel.

And the writing teams behind: True Blood, Sopranos, West Wing, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Homeland. All hail – Allan Ball and Aaron Sorkin.

What are you currently reading?
Just finished the third of Tiffany Reisz’ Original Sinners series, The Prince and Laini Taylor’s Days of Blood and Starlight. Tonight let’s see. There are 18 pages of unread books on my kindle. I’ve got plenty to choose from.

What is the best way for your readers to keep up with you?
I’m kind of wondering why anyone would want to. See question two. I’m boring. I sit at my keyboard all day drinking too much coffee and fanging about on my keyboard. That’s so not interesting. Even to people who are paid to like me. (I don’t actually pay anyone yet, but there’s a thought).

I have a blog: www.ainsliepaton.com.au if anyone is really desperate. You can at least follow the progress of my current drafts and you can ask me questions about what you’ve read that I might not be able to answer. That could be fun.

Who are you when you are not writing?
Exactly the same boring person I am when I am writing. But I’m probably not wearing my pjs, and I might’ve brushed my hair.