Wednesday Writer's Spotlight: An Interview with Brooke Moss

Brooke Moss is an award winning author of books that touch the heart of the reader. The Carny is a story that shows that love is possible even against great odds. Today she's dropped by to share her thoughts on her writing, her life and her books.

Welcome Brooke! When did you first start writing? What made you want to be a writer?
I knew that I wanted to be a writer when I was a little kid. Probably 6-7 years old. I used to cut pictures of people out of my mother’s Sears and JCPenny’s catologues, and then line them up on paper. I would create a bio for each person in the “family” (fave color, age, interests, etc.), then make up stories about the family. This was the beginning of what would turn into an obsession with making up stories about people…

What inspired you to write The Carny? 
I had a dream about a handsome Carny, which—in and of itself—is a contradiction. Carny’s are usually creepers. But then once I started writing the story, the characters begged to be an interracial couple, and for me to tackle the subject of interracial love in small town America. I love following my character’s whims!

Are you a pantser or a plotter? 
I am a LOOSE plotter. I start the story, then go back and plot out the remaining chapters once I am about halfway through. I only do it so that I won’t wind up with a 200K word saga. :)

Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write? 
I need music, hot cocoa to sip on (or diet wild cherry pepsi), and I have to turn my Internet off. If it’s not off…I’ll be distracted. I’m like an animal that way. Distracted by the shiny Internet. 

What authors inspire you?
I am always inspired by Kristan Higgins, Jane Porter, and Liza Palmer. But most recently, I’ve been amazed by the work of Scott Westerfield and Lauren Oliver. Freaking brilliant!

If you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose? Why? 
I could never choose. Never ever. Though I do have to say that my comfort zone (meaning the genre where writing comes the most easily) is in the contemporary romance genre.

Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why?
I love Vincent. He is so charming and amazingly patient. But under the surface, he has a lot of pain, and angst. I liked bringing his not-so-lovely qualities to the surface, and breaking through his“happy-candy-shell”. 
 
Are any of your characters modeled after real people?  If so, which ones?
The character of Charlotte was absolutely modeled after actress Ginnifer Goodwin. She has played a multitude of characters who really needed more confidence and were desperate for an ego boost. Which, is basically Charlotte in a nutshell!

What music was on your playlist while writing your novel?
Want to know the weirdest thing ever?? I was obsessed with Cher music while I was writing The Carny. I have no idea why…I just was. I even included her in my acknowledgments. It was the darndest thing…

Morning person or grumpy bear?
Grumpy bear. My nickname growing up was actually “Bear”, and that is exactly why. Because I was grumpy as a bear. 

Tell us one thing it would surprise us to know about you?
I was once asked to be a guest on the Maury Povitch show. I didn’t do it. I was afraid I’d never be able to face my friends and family again. 
 
What is next for you?
I have a romantic women’s fiction coming out in August, entitled Keeping Secrets in Seattle. It is best described as “Bridget Jone’s Diary”meets “My Best Friend’s Wedding”…with a dark twist.

Do you have any unique skills or talents? If so, what?
I was a florist for a number of years before pursuing writing. I specialized in wedding work. :)

If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees?
None of the above. I have a lot of what many consider to be an author’s uniform. Pajama pants and sweatshirts. My poor husband…it’s good he loves me despite my fashion sense.

Thank you Brooke for stopping by and sharing with us!  If you haven't bought or read The Carny yet, you can buy it today at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, as well as the Inskpell Store!  Don't forget to get the companion short story "Charlotte's Wedding" which shares with you some sizzling action in Charlotte's life before she found Vin again!

---

At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.

Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.

As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival? After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover.

---