Interview with SE Gilchrist A Harlequin Escape Author

Hey guys to day with have an interview with SE Gilchrist
 a brand new Author from Harlequin Escape, a new Digital first imprint from Harlequin Australia, I had a chance to ask SE Gilchrist 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?

I’m fine, thankyou, a little wilted around the edges from the heat though.

Tell us about yourself?

I live in regional NSW, have three children now in their twenties, two dogs and work full time. Being a newly published author I’m still a bit dizzy with excitement, especially as I’m published with Escape Publishing.

How did you get in to Writing?

For a long time, writing was a pastime to idle away a few hours. It wasn’t until I had more free time that the urge to write grew stronger and in January 2009 I made a commitment to take my passion seriously. That year I attended my first RWAustralia conference and it changed my life.  

Do you have any advice for fellow Authors? 

Keep on writing, put those words down every day if possible and try to turn off your internal editor; hard I know but you can always go back fix what you’ve written later. Join writing associations and f2f writing groups. If there isn’t one nearby, organize a group yourself (which is what I did with a fellow writing buddy). Devour ‘how to’ books and attend as many writing courses as you can afford. Contests are a great way to get feedback on your writing, too.

Tell us about your up and coming novels? 

Legend Beyond the Stars is a single title, hot sci fi romance and was released on 10^th January this year. Its book one in a planned series set in another galaxy where a war has been raging for many cycles over control of a powerful energy source. The heroine, Alana is part of the first wave of colonists seeking to terra form a new earth but they are betrayed by aliens thought to be allies and sold to another race, the Darkons. Alana is a soldier and determined to keep the women in her charge safe and somehow find a way home. The hero, Tarak, is both a Commander in their fleet and also the son of the ruler of a war-beleaguered race. They were betrayed from within and now fight a desperate rearguard battle with little hope of surviving beyond this generation. He has been charged with delivering any human females to research station. To disobey will mean a charge of treason and could well mean his entire race’s death warrant.

I’m also super excited that I can now announce Escape Publishing have accepted my short story called The Portal, which is also set in the same world.

I’m currently working on book two in this series and also book one in a Return to Earth series where some of the stolen women land on Earth only to find a vastly different planet to the one they left behind.

Tell us about your partnership with Harlequin Escape? 

The Escape team was represented at our RWA conference last year held on the Gold Coast and announced the formation of this new arm of Harlequin Australia. I did another quick edit / look over of my manuscript and in mid September sent it off. Their response time is two weeks and it was right on the very last day when I received the magical email advising Legend Beyond the Stars had been accepted. The two editors I have worked with, Serena Tatti and Danica Fehrenbach have been wonderful. And I love the cover for Legends.

Was it an easy decision to go with Harlequin escape?

Definitely. I grew up reading the old Mills and Boons contemporary novels and to me Harlequin was THE Romance Publisher. To be part of their huge global chain is quite humbling and exciting at the same time. Everyone is professional and very pleasant which makes the whole publishing process so much easier.

Was it an easy process?

Harlequin Escape have a super easy method of sending off a manuscript by filling in details about yourself, a brief 100 word synopsis and uploading your story direct to their site. You receive a notification your work has been received which is fantastic as you’re not left wondering whether it disappeared into the void. With the two week turnaround between upload and formal response anyone who doesn’t receive a favourable reply is able to target other publishers much more quickly.

Who are your inspirations?

I have a list as long as my leg of writers that have inspired me and awed me with their stories over the years. Some include: Georgette Heyer, Elizabeth Peters, Agatha Christie, J R R Tolkein, Matthew Reilly, John Birmingham, Karen Maree Moning, Angela Knight, J R Robb, Linnea Sinclair, Betty Neels, Karen Hawkins, Tess Gerritsen, Dorothy Cannell, Janet Evanovich…I could go on and on…

Music, I love Enya, Hans Zimmer soundtracks, Loreena McKennitt, Lana Del Rey.

What are you currently reading? 

Stalin’s Hammer by John Birmingham and Guilty as Sin by Denise Rossetti.

What is the best way for your readers to keep up with you? 

Readers can subscribe to my blog which is on my website. Also, my f2f writing group, Hunter Romance Writers has info on me. Plus there’s the usual twitter, facebook and on rare occasions, goodreads.

http://www.segilchrist.com/

twitter : @segilchrist1

facebook : SEGilchrist

http://hunterromancewriters.wordpress.com/

Who are you when you are not writing?

I’m a paper-pusher, a bean counter, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a lover of dogs and animals, a passionate advocate of a healthier Earth, a bushwalker and a reader. Oh, and I’m addicted to chocolate and sci fi TV series. And we need more; of both.

Monique thank you so much for hosting me here today. 

You're welcome, Thanks for stopping by The Book Mystess, stop back next week for more Harlequin Escape Authors.