| Py: How did you get your pen name as Maruerite | | | | completed was and decided it wasn't worth revising. |
| Arotin? | | | | But that first story led to a sequel, called The |
| Marguerite: My real name is Dana but when I decided | | | | Locktender's Daughter, and I loved that tale :-). I knew I |
| to write romance, I always knew Dana would be too | | | | didn't have enough experience yet to try a large print |
| unisex for the romance market. So I thought about my | | | | publishing house or even go for an agent, but I |
| nickname. My grandma used to call me Daisy and my | | | | submitted my tale to a few e-book/POD presses and |
| hubby eventually picked it up too. Marguerite is french | | | | TheLocktender's Daughter found a home with Wings. |
| for Daisy and I'm part French so I loved that ;-). Arotin | | | | Py: Any tips for romance writers? |
| was my late mother-in-law's maiden name so I took | | | | Marguerite: I've learned that everyone has their own |
| the name in honor of her and plus it flowed nicely with | | | | writing techniques and they have to use what works |
| Marguerite. I will be marketing all books under my pen | | | | best for them. Some people just allow the story to |
| name of Marguerite Arotin. | | | | roam freely and other's tend to go all out and do full |
| Py: When did you start reading romance novels? | | | | outlines. I do a mixture of both. |
| Marguerite: It was just after I met my hubby that I | | | | I want to add here is how important it is never to give |
| picked up my very first romance novel. I think meeting | | | | up on your dream. It took me a good two years of |
| someone so perfect for me taught me that true love | | | | submitting The Locktender's Daughter before I found a |
| does exist and that maybe those romance novels I | | | | home for it. I knew I had a great story, I knew it my |
| always thought were so sappy could come true. But | | | | heart. I loved Bethany and Tyler too much to give up |
| then I met Phil and the attraction hit me like a ton of | | | | them. Writing is one of the toughest jobs out there and |
| bricks. I can't imagine any other guy who can fulfill my | | | | those rejection letters can hurt. But you have to put it |
| needs as much as he can and I wouldn't want to | | | | aside and remember that people behind those |
| satisfy any other man but him. Since I was a bit of a | | | | rejection letters, agents, editors, etc, are not rejecting |
| history nut, I picked up a historical by Linda Lael Miller | | | | you and if you love your story and characters enough, |
| and then got addicted to the genre. | | | | you have to keep trying no matter what. I did and I |
| Believe it or not, prior to meeting my husband, Phillip, I | | | | found a great home for Bethany and Tyler :-). |
| was a bit of a young cynic when it came to romance | | | | Py: Your Contact Information and your giveaways to |
| and relationships. I met Phil when I was nineteen years | | | | readers?: |
| old and prior to that, well I seemed to end up with a lot | | | | Marguerite: My first historical romance novel will be |
| of jerks. At least I had a sense of humor of my | | | | published with Wings Press ( in May of next year. My |
| unfortunate social life: I kept telling everyone I might as | | | | site at |
| well adopt a bunch of cats and become the world's | | | | As far as giveaways, I have the first three unedited |
| youngest spinster. | | | | chapters of The Locktender's Daughter posted at my |
| Py: What inspired you to write your romance story, | | | | website @ |
| The Locktender's Daughter? | | | | I've really got to update my page because it says that |
| Marguerite: It wasn't until the unthinkable happened, | | | | TLD is still in the hands of the editors at Wings and it's |
| when my hubby lost his job and I just had a baby, that | | | | already been contracted. Guess when you spend too |
| I even considered writing my own my romance novel. | | | | much time writing, you forget about simple things like |
| I've always loved local Ohio history. I would walk the | | | | remembering to update your site. I'll get it updated |
| old towpath trail wondering what life was like back | | | | before Sunday. I do post free excerpts in my |
| when the mules pulled the boats through the murky | | | | myspace blog from time to time and have been |
| canal water. I happened to find some notes for a story | | | | posting a lot lately from my teenage sorceress for my |
| I wanted to write, a historical romance set along the | | | | NANOWRIMO YA project. Also I will be running a |
| Ohio & Erie canal, and decided I would write it. By the | | | | contest around May in conjuction with the release of |
| time my hubby found another job, I was too caught up | | | | my story, I have no idea of what I'm going to do yet |
| in the story to stop writing. As I learned more about | | | | but it will probably have something to do with canal |
| my craft, I realized how crappy the first MS I | | | | history :-). |