Awesome Romance Writer Dorothy Callahan
My awesome romance author this week is Dorothy Callahan! Dorothy is the author of happily-ever-after romances that span a range of romance genres. The one thing they all have in common is adopted pets. Today Dorothy shares some of things that inspire work and are dear to her.
Thank you for being here Dorothy…
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi, and thanks for having me here! My name is Dorothy Callahan, and I live in Upstate New York with my husband and a house full of pets. My cats take turns blocking my computer monitor/chasing the cursor, and my two Goldens like to flop between my desk and the wall, effectively trapping me at my desk. Perhaps I should pay them for keeping me here? 🙂 I love pets and have worked in the animal field since I was old enough to be employed. Consequently, all of my books have animals in them. I also donate a portion of proceeds from my first book, Taming the Stallion, to my local humane society, Lollypop Farm, where my husband and I foster their kitties in the summer.
Do you have an unusual hobby?
Actually, I can play the bagpipes, and when my lungs are functioning at full capacity, I like to take them out and annoy the neighbors.. I mean, practice, practice, practice! I thought my next hero should be a Scottish piper, so Matty MacKenzie was “born.” (By the way, ladies, he’s totally hot.)
What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?
I’ve been working in the veterinary field for 13 years now, and I’ve wanted to write about a veterinarian for the last ten years, but didn’t know who the character would be. Hero? Heroine? Who is this person’s best yet worst match? I finally found my inspiration with the DVM I introduced in IMPENETRABLE: Let No One In, who was called Crazy Carla by her staff. Funny, smart, a little off the wall. But who was going to make her life insane yet fill her heart? Enter DEA agent Gunner Fitz, in Crazy Little Fling. Hold onto your hats; it’s one whale of a ride!
When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I wrote my first book when I was 15, a high fantasy. I remember my little brother asking me, “Why would you ever want to write a book?” And pantzer that I am, replied, “To see how it ends, of course!” (Duh. Little brothers can be so annoying.) But I had two elf-like main characters in a land of unicorns and chimeras. I also had eight other “major characters,” which one should never, ever, ever do. But the “bones” of the story were good. I just didn’t have good inter-personal conflict between the hero/heroine, which is really important when you’re writing a romance, even for teens. Maybe someday I’ll tweak it. Who knows?
If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
Yes, and I tell this to aspiring authors all the time: “Use the advice you’re given!” When I was just starting out, many people recommended I take certain classes and go to specific training areas, but I was so pathologically shy that I blew it off. I could have been published 20 years sooner if I had jumped in and taken the chances and advice I was given. While I’m far from a social butterfly, I am certainly far more social now than I’ve ever been, and love helping new authors find their feet.
Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?
I’m going back to high fantasy, where I first started my journey. I’m working on a Young Adult paranormal with shape-shifters. My heroine’s being hunted by a radical group of haters, but she’s determined not to let her best friend know who and what she is. She’s a steadfast, fierce friend with a strong moral compass. I’m not done with the series yet, but keep checking my website; I’ll let everyone know when it’s coming out!
Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Crazy Little Fling came out November 1, and as of the time of this writing, I’m hoping to have the spin-off released at the beginning of December. My goal was to make this a two-pack, but you know what they say about the best of intentions… Anyway, coming soon, Ever Since. (Product includes One Hot Scot. No assembly required.)
Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you, so much, to everyone who supported me, and even more thanks to those who ask when my next book is coming out. You guys are the best! And thank you, Zara, for inviting me to be part of your blog. All best to you!
Crazy Little Fling by Dorothy Callahan
Fun loving veterinarian Carla Krasinski is finally taking her dream vacation—a week in Key West. Working overnights in emergency means she sees all the critical cases… and no sun. So this week will be seven full days of brainless meandering and sunbathing. No life-saving decisions. No winter-white skin to make a vampire quiver with envy. Nope. Just a week-long stroll under the palm trees. Having her sister out of prison means Carla’s babysitting duties of her niece are also moot this week.
And the fact her new boyfriend proposed and expects an answer when she returns? Well, that’s what a week of no decisions is for, right?
She’s one cabana boy shy of unadulterated bliss.
When DEA Agent Gunner Fitz gets the call that a possible drug deal is going down—by a woman he incarcerated and who just got released—he knows he has to follow the lead to Florida. Not only will this woman lead him to the crime boss, but also his abducted sister, the reason he went into this field in the first place. Catch the bad guy, free the girl. He’s got this. But Gunner gets sidetracked by a woman on the plane, one whose laugh captivates him. After scant minutes in her presence, Gunner knows unequivocally this is the woman he’s going to marry.
And then he gets the email: Carla’s the woman he’s supposed to trail.
If Gunner tells her the truth about his mission, he’ll lose her. If he lies, he’ll lose her.
And when Carla’s only choice is to help Gunner rescue his sister, her decisions become matter of life or death.
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Thank you for being my guest Dorothy. I was wondering if you can tell us about some of the pets you have adopted?
Oh, dear, where to start? 🙂 Almost all of my pets since childhood have been adopted, starting with a bunny when I was 10. Then cats and dogs. Nowadays, we are owned by a pride of demanding kitties that almost exclusively came from our local shelter (minus the one stray), and two dogs, one from the same shelter and one from craigslist. They keep my lap and feet warm, especially on these long winter days ahead! Right now I have one cat on my lap and one blocking the monitor (I’ll blame her for typos) and I’m not quite sure where the dogs went….???
Do you have a funny story to share about your pet? Or, if you could own any single animal in the world, what would it be?
I taught science and have had a great many unusual pets. The most interesting was the snake I adopted/rescued from a college student who was graduating and didn’t need it to scare co-eds with anymore. His name was Wiley, and he was a 7 feet long albino corn snake. He was very used to being handled, and my students loved him. But my principal didn’t. For the entire 6 years I had him, she wouldn’t come into my classroom!
I work full time in a veterinary hospital, and we have 2 sweet pet rats right now. People either love or fear them, so it’s funny watching the gamut of reactions when people either beg to handle them or cross the room to get away. 🙂
Albino corn snakes are beautiful animals. I like snakes, too, and would have owned them as a child, but I just never wanted to run the risk of them trying to eat my guinea pigs!