A Little About Meg West, Author of Love on the Links
When and why did you begin writing?
My writing career began very early. I loved playing with rag dolls and stuffed animals when I was a little girl, and I made up elaborate stories about them in my head. It was only a matter of time before I began writing down The Terrible Tales of Teddy the Teddy Bear and The Story of Katie the Shy Giraffe. As I grew older, I began playing with my sister's cheap imitation Barbie dolls, and suddenly I had a new plot line: here was a girl (the Barbie lookalike) who didn't have a guy (the elusive Ken). So another romance writer was born.
Tell us your latest news?
Although I live on the west coast of Florida--and my projected trilogy, The Keys to His Heart, is set on the barrier islands off Sarasota--I've never visited the Panhandle or Key West. Over the next year I plan to explore more of the Sunshine State and find inspiration for another series. I also plan to return to Las Vegas, where I'd like to set a fun romance centered around a divorce party.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
You're a writer the second you pick up your pen. But you're a Writer with a capital W when your agent calls and tells you the manuscript has sold. So I'm grateful to Champagne Books for crowning me a Writer.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I love to write dialogue and I hope that my audience enjoys reading the back-and-forth conversations between my characters as much as I have enjoyed writing them. I also love to write description, especially of weather (and Florida sure has a lot of that).
How did you come up with the title?
I decided to call my first romance novel Love on Longboat Key because my heroine and hero, Julie and Thomas, fall for one another on Longboat when each reluctantly returns there to visit their cantankerous, interfering parents for Christmas. Place is very important in this work, as they have to make a decision whether or not to stay in Florida to pursue their relationship or return to the Northeast during a blizzard.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Love on Longboat Key is about the romance between Julie and Thomas--but it also explores the love that both of them have for their aging parents. I hope that readers will find this a heartwarming holiday story.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I never write scenes in chronological order--so the most challenging part of writing, for me, comes when I need to start putting the scenes together. I enjoy puzzling through how to put all the pieces together.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
For me: finding the time to write it! There's always laundry to be done, or more dishes to be washed. I think most writers need to resign themselves to living in a messy house.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
My interest in writing romance began one snowy afternoon in Connecticut, when I leaned against the metal radiator in my parents' sun parlor and began reading Pride and Prejudice. I'll never forget how I got sucked into the story and didn't move for hours--nor will I forget the creases that the hot radiator made on my back.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Patience and persistence. Patience and persistence. Repeat after me: patience and persistence.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Yes! be patient. And persistent!
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I hope you'll love my characters as much as I loved creating them.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My husband and I visit Sarasota a lot and I have a very soft spot in my heart for many of the places mentioned in Love on Longboat Key--the wide, white sandy beaches, St. Armand's Circle, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Absolutely. I'm hard at work on Love on Lido Key, which is about a young widow who meets a sweet and handsome Greek guy on the beach. Trouble is: she has to put up with his harem of nosy sisters as well as hide her relationship from her deceased husband's parents. I'm having a blast writing it.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Place is really the sole element in my series that is autobiographical. But my characters are very relatable and I hope all young women will be able to see some version of her true self in my heroines.
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