5 Questions with Carol Ritten Smith!

Heya, readers! Author Carol Ritten Smith considers herself a very fortunate woman. She has a wonderful husband of thirty-nine years. Her son and daughter and their families all live within a half hour’s drive. Grandchildren are readily available for hugs. And she gets to write. It doesn’t get much better than that. Carol is one of my Crimson Sisters - welcome, Carol!!

Kristina: M&Ms, Chips 'n Dip, Jell-O Shots…what's your snack of choice when you're on deadline?

Carol: Sad to say, I love to snack, usually sweets. Right now, I am particularly liking a certain trail mix because it has M&M's and raisins added. I love chocolate, but I try to abstain from it because too much makes me irritable and depressed. So while many of you get all the exquisite benefits of chocolate, I don't. On the upside, carob chips are a decent substitute.

Kristina: Sweet snacks are always the best... What's your favorite non-word (as in a word we've bastardized or completely made up) and why?

Carol: I love the non-word "gonna" as in, "I'm gonna see if I can get 'gonna' added to a regular dictionary." Somehow, the male characters in my historical romances can't seem to get the words "going to" out of their mouths without truncating them. I've caught myself writing "gonna" in my blogs and other writing. I guess I'm gonna have to keep an eye on that--I mean going to keep an eye on that. Just kidding! But don't you think it would be a great word?

Kristina: When the writing gets tough, who do you lean on?

Carol: I belong to a superb writing group so they give me lots of support. And if I can't seem to come up with an idea to get my characters out of a fix I put them in, I go to my mom. She may be elderly, but her noggin works just fine. I dedicated my debut book, STUBBORN HEARTS to her!  

Kristina: My writer friends are awesome to lean on, too! Finish this sentence: For me, writing is like ______________

Carol: For me, writing is like an addiction. I'm sure lots of writers think that way. What else would make us keep at it day after day, trying to get the words just right so we can conver our ideas to others.

Kristina: Tell us one interesting/funny/crazy thing about this book or its characters that didn't make in 'between the covers'?

Carol: The 'between the covers' or sex scene didn't make the book. I had some writing friends read it (some of them men), and they all said it was great. But in the end, I cut out the actual "deed". I decided some of my customers might not approve (I own a picture framing shop which helps pay the bills), plus my mother's friends may not appreciate reading that sort of thing. It isn't erotica, but it does get the juices flowing.;-) Maybe someday I'll post it on my blog.  

All About STUBBORN HEARTS: Stubborn Hearts released August 6. It can be purchased at many popular eBook outlets including Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Here's the blurb in case anyone wants to know what it's about.

Beth Patterson and her two younger brothers are hiding from the law in the small town of Whistle Creek. Beth is committed to keeping her family together and she will do anything to ensure it. Anything.

When her youngest brother befriends Tom Carver, the local blacksmith, Beth worries the truth will fly out of the six-year-old’s mouth faster than he can spit a watermelon seed.
                                                   
Surprisingly, it isn’t the boy who invites Tom’s suspicion. It’s Beth herself, the night he catches her snooping around in his barn with an excuse so ridiculous it gets him wondering just what she is up to.

Intrigued, he takes it upon himself to find out. But instead of unravelling the secret, Tom becomes entangled in their everyday lives. Beth knows the danger of letting her guard down and soon she faces the most crucial and heart wrenching dilemma of her life.

Is Tom’s love strong enough to forgive her of her one felonious deed…or…will he condemn her?

Buy the Book:
Amazon: B&N:

Carol: Thank you, Kristina, for having me as a guest on your blog. I truly enjoyed it.

Kristina: You're welcome! Great having you here today!!