Cold Call Friday with Ruth Logan Herne!!!

Welcome Ruth, to your “Cold Call” interview!!  For those of you who don’t know what the “Cold Call” feature is, at the beginning of the month I have a poll, the winning author YOU then get to interview!! Ruth Logan Herne won this month’s vote and I am thrilled to present her here with YOUR questions. Without any further ado, heeeerrrre’s Ruthy!

Out of all the heroines, who would you say most reflects you?

Oh. Well. Dagnabbit. Hmm…  Kayla…. Young, beautiful, educated, focused, pretending to be normal on the outside…

Gotta think on that.

Sarah… Strong, stoic, reserved but passionate, hard-working, determined, rough self-esteem, put down and demeaned all her life…

Considering that one, too.

Rita… A baker, a mother, an eager to please personality, recovering alcoholic, rough on herself, just starting to come into her own as a woman and entrepreneur…

Maybe.

Alyssa, self-sacrificing, a fixer but a hider, too, pretending things are all right when they’re not, proud, unwilling to bend when needed, longing to change things…

I think whenever you write characters that parts of your personality come through. Overall, though, I’d say Kayla because she’s brave and stout-hearted, willing to do whatever it takes and she puts on the face for the world even though she KNOWS she’s a mess inside. And while she feels like she’s improving and getting a handle on things, she recognizes her limitations. But she doesn’t want anyone else to see them, ever.  I gave Rita my baking credentials, and she makes a mean crème horn, LOL! And Sarah has my love and appreciation of dogs, but she treats them like dogs, not children, and that’s my quality too. Alyssa got my anxious to please part, the part that hates letting people down. But overall so far, I’d vote Kayla. Although she’s YOUNGER, PRETTIER, BETTER EDUCATED AND SKINNIER.  Brat.

If Winter’s End were a movie who would you like to see play Marc and Kayla?

Oh, this is a great question because I’d love, love, love to see my series work on the Hallmark Channel. I’d be thrilled. Beyond thrilled. Almost beyond chocolate, but not quite.

Why the Hallmark Channel, you ask? Why not movie theaters?

Here’s why:  People can see it for free (all right, all right, they’re paying for the cable, but you know what I mean.) on the Hallmark Channel. Do you know how fun it is to imagine touching hearts of so many and they don’t have to pay an extra dime?  And yeah, big movie deals pay more, but how much money does any one person need? 

Okay, back to it:  Marc:  Well, I sent Derek Jeter’s pic in to  Harlequin’s wonderful art team for cover art because Marc’s mix makes him distinctive. Latino and Dutch, a hint dark, but those big, green, Jeter-like eyes. Short hair, a little ragged at times…

Hmm… I’d go with Tom Welling. I’m attaching his pic. Strong. Rugged. Tough. Maybe a little acerbic.  But a heart of gold. Good with animals.

For Kayla, it would be Reese Witherspoon. Short hair, spunky, able to do whatever it takes, funny… Love her.

Hot, medium or mild? And that would be chicken wings, not romance. :-P

I’m the only person on the planet (and I live only an hour from BUFFALO, inventor of the wing!!!) who isn’t a big fan of chicken wings. I hate to fight the bone for my food, but when I do eat them, I like sweet-n-sour sauce, like Boss sauce. Just a little bite and a hint of sweet. Kind of like me.

Oh, I think I threw up, just a little, in my mouth. My bad.

(Casey here: answer the romance one too!! J)

Romance: Personal????  Hot’s great. I won’t even pretend otherwise.  There’s nothing wrong with stoking those been-married-for -37-years-fires, right???? 

Reading:  Warm. Mildly hot if it fits the moment, but… And this is a big but… (not mine, that’s two ‘t’s, the exception I’m about to make, sheesh… Ladies… really….)  I love reading great romance. I don’t need a huge build up of passion, but I do need one of emotion and those are very different things for me. So sweet-to-warm (think Hitch… Sweet Home Alabama… You’ve Got Mail… Maid in Manhattan) with purpose. And I love my gals to be pull-‘em-up-by-the-bootstraps tough. School of hard knocks educational society!

We always complain about the weather, but what are your favorite parts of living New York? Aside from those mystery men of Allegany County of course, ROFL.

Ah, those Men of Allegany County.  Gotta love the boys!!!  (laughing here…) And Casey, you’ve made the same mistake everyone does. The county isn’t spelled the same way as the mountains. Do not ask me why. I wasn’t around when they chose the spelling, but everyone messes it up. I have to keep changing it on my edits and copies because each editor must think the other one missed it.

Nope. Just different!

Anyway, favorite part of living in New York:  The weather. Before you spew, it’s true. I love the change of seasons, I love our long, languorous, gorgeous falls, it’s just breathtaking here, the hot, sultry summer, just enough for a taste, any more and I’d kill someone. (READ: DOESN’T DO BUGS OR HUMIDITY WELL. NEITHER DOES HER HAIR) 

So  knowing that, God sends just enough summer here to make me appreciate winter. Isn’t he clever???  Winter stays too long, but so does summer in Mississippi and I don’t have poisonous ANYTHING, so New York works for me. Except for the taxes. Oh my stars, do not get me started on New York taxes.

Do you really eat peanut M&M’s for breakfast?

I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t eat peanut M&M’s for breakfast. You’re kidding, right???

And for all the salivating fans out there…where can they get in touch with you online?

First, get them tissues. Baby wipes. Something. Here’s a napkin, salivating fans are just a touch disturbing, dear.

I’m actually everywhere these days. It’s got to be quite annoying to like the whole planet. Really. I mean that. Kind of.

The teeming masses can find me at Ruthy’s Place www.ruthysplace.com  which is where I exploit small animals and children in order to lure people in to buy books. Or I might be hangin’ with the guys at www.menofalleganycounty.com  where I love to cook up some really good food and chat up this new series that I LOVE… Have I mentioned that? My love for this series? Because if I haven’t, I should. Really. Put that in special font or something, Casey, because I LOVE THIS SERIES…

Or come see me and my buds at my fave hangout in all the world www.seekerville.blogspot.com where all the cool cat readers and writers come to chat and eat great cyber food. No cover charge. NONE!!! SWEET! I’m also at www.ruthloganherne.com which is a standard website, but I can’t blog and chat there so it’s more fun to annoy people where they can make fun of me and I can return the favor. So much more gratifying, don’t you think???

Friday's Note:

The winner of Cara Lynn James's Love on Assignment is...

Laura H!!!!

(bornajhawk....)

Thanks everyone for entering!!