Author spotlight with Frances Pauli

How did you feel when you got your first publishing contract?
Would swoon be an appropriate term? I nearly fainted. I did a happy dance. I told everyone…and then I started to panic.

How do you categorize yourself: pantser or plotter?
I am a classic pantser. I get an idea, fall for a few characters and run for it. Now, however, I’m finishing up a trilogy and I need to learn to plan…fast. I suppose it’s a good thing to stretch and learn new skills, right?

What makes a book great in your eyes?
Characters I care about, plot that surprises me and a lot of tension. As a reader— and I suppose as a writer, too—I like big themes, even in lighter fiction. I’m a sucker for humor, but I like a nice point behind it.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Chocolate. Definitely chocolate.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working a final edit on a Romance featuring artists on a planet of anachronists. The setting is medieval, but the tech is futuristic and the characters are a blend of both.

Who is your favorite all-time author?
Andre Norton, hands down. I read romantic Speculative Fiction long before there was really a genre for it. I love all of them, Tanith Lee, McCaffrey, McKillip…but Norton will always be my favorite.

Are love scenes easy/difficult to write?
Harder than I ever expected. I’m learning, but I think my comfort zone if far closer to sweet than I would have guessed.

Do you have another career besides writing? What is it?
Yes, Motherhood. The hours are longer and the work is much more difficult, but the rewards can be pretty great. Balancing the two is tricky. Sometimes, I have to hide in the closet to get any writing done. Both of my children are under 5.

To date, which is your favorite story? Which one did you have the most fun writing?
That’s almost like asking me to pick one of my kids. I’d say my first novel, A Moth in Darkness is the one I’m most invested in emotionally, but that’s more of a dodge than an answer. The most fun to write, hands down, is my free serial, Space Slugs. That one is strictly for fun, can be downright silly at times and almost writes itself.

If you had the opportunity to say one thing to your readers, what would that be?
Thank you. I’d definitely say thank you and I hope you enjoy reading my books. Thanks to you for having me, also.

More on my work can be found at: http://francespauli.com
And that free serial is at: http://spaceslugserial.blogspot.com