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~ Mimi Riser ~

 

Mimi Riser has been an actress, model, clown, belly-dancer, jewelry designer, editor, and publisher, but her first and foremost love is writing. She specializes in offbeat tales where laughter reigns and good always triumphs—but she makes her characters really work for their happy endings. Her books have been said to read like a snowball rolling downhill, gathering size and speed as it goes. But if you think her stories are crazy, you should see her life.

Once devout city people, she and her husband exchanged the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia a lifetime or two ago for the natural, rugged splendor of the rural southwest. They were looking for a simpler way of life. They got it. It ended up being so “natural and rugged,” they spent their first six and a half years there in a hand-built house with dirt floors, no electricity and no plumbing. This has proved helpful for her historicals as she can now write about the “olden days” from personal experience. They have since rejoined the 21st century and enjoy life on the open range with a houseful of eccentric cats and a large, wacky dog who thinks she’s a cat, too.

Mimi Riser has had five novels published to date along with numerous articles and short stories. This year she won Amber Quill Press's 2007 Heat Wave contest for her comedy sci-fi erotic romance novella, Samantha White & The Seven Dwarves. Her historical romance novel, I Do, was a “Top Ten Finisher” in the mammoth Preditors & Editors Readers Poll of 2003, and her contemporary comedy, Every Jack Needs His Jil, won the poll the following year for the “Best Mainstream Novel of 2004.”

 

Hi Mimi, Welcome to Sensual Reads and Reviews. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us today.

Thank you so much for having me. I'm delighted to be here.


Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure. I'm a relatively new Amber Quill Press author, but not a new author. In a way, I've had two writing careers, but the first one was short lived. My first three novels were published in 1978. Unfortunately, "Life" intervened soon after, and I was forced to abandon novel writing for way too long-- although, I continued writing short pieces as time allowed, and periodically worked as an editor. I returned to authordom in 2003 when Dorchester published my historical romance, I DO. Then I became the Senior Editor for New Age Dimensions until their closing in 2006, and NAD published my romantic comedy, EVERY JACK NEEDS HIS JIL. This year, my sci-fi erotic-romance, SAMANTHA WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARVES, was a winner in AQP's annual Heat Wave contest, and that's how I ended up at Amber Quill-- where I'm very happy to be, I might add. They're a wonderful publisher.


You have had several jobs, including an actress, model, clown, belly-dancer, jewelry designer, editor, publisher, and writer, is there another job that you have not been able to do but would love to?

Great question. And to answer it, I have to admit I've always had a hankering to be an archeologist. But I'd want to be the Indiana Jones sort. ;-) I love adventure.


What inspired you to submit your first story?

Being my mother's daughter. My mom was a fulltime professional writer, so I was raised in the field, and always wanted to be a writer, too. It's encoded in my genes, I think. :-)


How did you feel when your first story was accepted?

Boy, the first one was so long ago, I can't remember, LOL. I'm sure I must have felt good, though. But I probably felt even better when I sold I DO to Dorchester, because it had been such a long, hard climb to get back in the saddle, so to speak. There are years between my 3rd and 4th published novels, and I'm not talking about years of writing books that weren't being accepted. Every novel I've ever written has been published, for whatever that's worth. It's just that there was a long time when I wasn't able to complete anything other than the short stuff. So, when I finally managed to finish another full-length book, I felt like I'd just climbed Mt. Everest or something. I felt winded and weak and happy all at once. But most of all I felt very, very grateful, because it was at that point I knew I'd been given a second chance.


What inspired you to write Samantha White and the Seven Dwarves?

I've wondered that myself, LOL. Samantha is one of those stories that pretty much wrote itself. I started out with just this very simple, little idea of a woman abducted by aliens. I was figuring it would be a shorty, maybe 5-6K words. But as I wrote it, all these other things started to happen, and it got bigger and bigger, and deeper and deeper... and by the time it was finished it was *18K* and a whole different thing from what I had expected. It just kept surprising me with one twist after another right up to the end. So, I don't feel I can really take credit for the idea. It was like it was being "fed" to me as I went along, if you know what I mean. I've had that sort of thing happen before with stories-- a lot, actually, because I'm pretty much a seat-of-the-pants writer when it comes to plotting. But with Samantha it was even more so. Which makes it a particularly special story for me, kind of a "gift from the muse." :-)


Samantha White and the Seven Dwarves has released with Amber Quill Press, Can you tell us a little about the story?

In a nutshell, it's a steamy sci-fi/fantasy comedy with a surprise ending and a message hidden between the laughs. Here's the abridged version of the blurb: "Abducted by aliens and facing sex-training from the lava-hot Deuce, Samantha battles to keep her cool. But the issues are large, the stakes high. Soon she and Deuce are wrapped up in each other and an escape plan that could melt the ship... if it doesn’t melt them first." Readers can find an excerpt on the story's page at amberheat.com (Amber Heat is the erotic imprint of AQP).


I see Samantha White and the Seven Dwarves was an AQP bestseller & Winner in the 2007 Amber Heat Wave, how did that make you feel?

To be honest, I was floating in the clouds for days. It was a wonderful high.


How does it feel to be an award-winning author?

Surprised. :-) I never expect to win anything, so I'm always surprised when it happens.


Are there currently any works in progress you would like to share?

Well, let's see, I already have another story out with Amber Quill, a contemporary called ROMEO'S REVENGE, which is the first in a series of reunion romances. The second book in the series, TINA TAKES A TUMBLE, will be released in early December of this year, with the third one, SAVING SALLY SAVOY, due out next year. In the line-up for 2008, I also have a fantasy, DUNGEONS & DIRTY DREAMS, which I recently finished, and I'm currently working on a space-opera, titled THE ADVENTURES OF CASSIE NOVA, along with two others, which are still untitled. All those are erotic-romances, written for AQP's imprint, Amber Heat. Plus, I have a novel coming out next year under Amber Quill's mainstream line. It's called SHERWOOD CHARADE and is a medieval time-travel romance centered around the Robin Hood legend.


Is there a Genre that you haven’t tried yet but would like to?

None that I can think of at the moment, but that could always change in the future. My main concern is just to write the best book I can. I don't think in terms of genre so much as the individual requirements of each story.


What is the biggest hurdle you have to overcome when you are writing a book?

I'm not sure that I have any big hurdles with writing. For me, it's more like each story is a series of little hills to climb up and over, and each one offers me new and different challenges. It's an ongoing learning process.


What is the best part of your writing career?

The chance to offer joy and inspiration to others through my stories. I don't know if I always accomplish this, but it's always my aim.


What has been your greatest challenge?

In writing, it's been learning how to trust my instincts and keep moving forward, even when I'm not sure where the characters and plot are headed. Because, if you stick with it, somehow it always comes together and makes sense by the end. In life, I've discovered it works pretty much the same way. ;-)


What do you hope to accomplish in the next 5 years?

Oh dear, I'm so busy at the moment, I'm more concerned with what I need to accomplish in the next 5 weeks, LOL. My main goal is just to keep on doing what I'm doing.


Anything you would like to add for your readers?

Just a big thank you to ALL for your interest in books and writing. And if anyone ever has any questions or comments for me, please feel free to email (contact info can be found on my Website). Be happy and well, and whatever life throws at you, never let go of your dreams. :-)


Thank you Mimi for being here with us today, we really enjoyed it.

The pleasure was all mine. Thanks, again!




Interview was conducted by Crystal Stone
November 2007
Sensual Reads & Reviews



 

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