Welcome, Ms. Bellacera, to Love Romances and to our interview.  The readers and I, look forward to this talk about your book, and getting to know you on a more personal level. 

Let us start off by telling you a little about this acclaimed author, Carole Bellacera, with a wonderful quote and a short blurb of her book, Understudy. 

“Ms. Bellacera is well on her way to setting the romance field on fire, with quality writing, entertaining and realistic characters, and a sizzling premise!  Understudy has the winning combination that packs a powerful punch!”

Robin Mulcahey always dreamed of being a big-time actress. In college, she took countless drama classes and finally snagged the coveted lead of Maggie in Tennessee Williams's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Now, six years later, she's one of the country's hottest soap-opera stars. She's just won a Day-time Emmy for her portrayal of "South Riding's" bad girl, and now, when it seemed life couldn't be any more perfect, she's wed Declan Blair, the hottest up-and-coming Irish film actor.

So, what's the problem?

Robin Mulcahey is dead. Killed in a devastating car wreck in 1996 while riding with her best friend, Amy Shiley, her life should have ended there. Amy, battered beyond recognition in the accident, makes a bold decision and steps into the role. But things aren't always as they appear and despite her glamorous life, Amy's never been able to forget the love she shared with Paul Mulcahey–Robin's older brother. A love now forbidden... 

Ms. Bellacera, if you would be so kind as to tell the readers little about yourself and, what you do when you are not busy writing?

 Well, I waste a lot of time doing things like reading e-mail and buying stuff on Ebay.  Seriously, I keep busy.  I love to bake (and eat what I bake…i.e. cookies, cakes, pies…)  Lately, I’ve found a new hobby—I make hand-decorated Christmas ornaments out of recycled Christmas cards.  It’s so much fun…but I don’t know what I’m going to do with them all.  I also love to travel—places like Ireland, Italy, Hawaii, Vermont.  And I love to ski. 

Could you tell the readers how you came up with the premise for Understudy?

It was at…believe it or not…a Longaberger basket party.  I was chatting with an ER nurse, and she brought up a case here in Virginia where a couple of teenage boys were brought into the ER, one DOA, the other in critical condition.  And somehow, the hospital got their identities mixed up.  The wrong parents were sitting at the bedside of the surviving boy.  I knew immediately that had to be a novel! 

Ms. Bellacera, who is your great inspiration?   

This may sound cheesy, but it’s God.  All my inspiration comes from the Great Divine. It wasn’t an accident that I met that ER nurse at a party.  It’s called Serendipity, and guess who is in charge of that?  J 

Do you have a favorite scene from Understudy?  

Okay, this will probably shock ya’all, but I love that scene where Declan has his moment of truth in the pool at his friend’s Malibu estate.  That totally took ME by surprise.  And I love it when I get surprised while writing.    
 
What was the hardest scene to develop in Understudy?   

That’s easy.  It’s the scene when Amy comes clean with Paul about her identity.  There were so many ways I could go with it, but once I got started, it practically wrote itself.  It was the brainstorming before it that had me going in circles. 

Do you have a special formulation or technique when you write?    

Not really.  I don’t like to over think things.  In other words, when I sit down to write a particular scene, I’ve got a vague idea as to what it’s going to be about, but I really just try to let it happen.  That’s usually when the surprises happen, and sometimes, the plot goes in another direction. 

Ms. Bellacera, what is the nicest thing another author said about you?   

There’s a tie for that.  Once Catherine Asaro told me that reading BORDER CROSSINGS helped her get through a difficult plot point in her WIP.  And once Patricia Potter told one of her fans in my presence that I was her favorite author.  I’ll always treasure that! 

Could you describe to the readers what it felt like when Understudy was accepted for publication? 

LOL!!!  The first time or the second time?  Tor put out the hardcover, and Echelon Press published the paperback.  When I got the offer from Tor, I felt a sense of relief mostly.  I’d originally turned down their first offer because my agent at the time thought this was a “big” book that could sell for a lot of money.  He was wrong (thanks to 9/11, in my opinion), and it was rejected by every publisher in New York.  Tor still wanted it, but they made me suffer by dropping the advance a $1,000.  And then they chose not to publish the paperback, so that’s why I went with Echelon.  When Karen Syed, my editor at Echelon, called to offer the contract, I was more than happy to go with a small press because I knew she loved my work and respected me as an artist.   

They say everyone has a dream, what is yours? 

I used to have a different dream.  I dreamed of being a NY Times Best Selling Author.  I wanted the whole shebang.  That dream has changed.  Now, I just want to write the books that are important to me, and it would be really nice if they get published.   

How much background research went into Understudy?  

I spent a week in Williamsburg, hanging out at William & Mary to study college life.  And then I spent a really cool day in New York on the set of “One Life to Live” to research the soap world.  It was a blast.  I got to meet all the actors, and watch them film scenes.  Oh, and I got the dirt on some of the actors from the make-up and wardrobe people.  J 

Ms. Bellacera, do you have any special interests or causes you would like to share with the readers? 

I have several charities that I donate to—St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Save the Children, Operation Smile…and I do the MS Walk every year in honor of my good friend, LaRita Heet and my uncle, Avery Owens.  I’ll be collecting pledges for that soon, so any of you who want to give, you can contact me at Carole@Bellacera.com.  It’s a great cause! 

Ms. Bellacera, what are your views in regards to sex in the romance field today?   

I’m totally in support of it.  J   Seriously, there is such a huge range of sexual heat in romance today…from holding hands to oral sex.  Something for everyone.  As a reader, I like good sex scenes, but they have to involve me emotionally.  I’m really turned off when I read a sex scene between a couple who’ve just met a few pages earlier.  Guess I’m old-fashioned that way.  Also, I’m not a fan of romance novels where sex is the main theme.  I like a story to go with it.   

You give the characters in Understudy a realistic and personal feel to them.  Did you model anyone from the book after someone you know personally?   

Well, I kid my friend, Gloria, that the character of Robin is based on her.  But there’s only a bit of truth to that.  Some of the outrageous things Robin says were inspired by Gloria, but Robin is much, much wilder than Gloria would ever be.  J  Most of my characters, though, just come out of that mysterious ether of the creative mind.   

Ms. Bellacera, will you try your hand at other genres?    

How can I do that when I don’t really know what my genre is in the first place?  <<G>>  See, my books are so different from each other, I don’t even know what to call them.  Let’s see, I’ve got two romantic suspense, one psychological suspense, one hen lit, one humorous geezer lit… 

And yes, what I’m working on now is entirely different.  It’s the first book of a trilogy about 3 generations of Kentucky women trying to find their identities.  It’s called BLISS SPRINGS, and the setting spans from 1952-1972.   It’s inspired by my mother, and her marriage at 19 to my father.  The second book will be about Lily’s daughter, and take place during the Vietnam War, and the third one will be about Lily’s granddaughter, and take place in the 90’s in New York.  Oh, and each book  will feature recipes from my own Kentucky family.  

Would you like to tell the readers about any new or upcoming releases, Ms. Bellacera?   

No new releases scheduled.  I’m writing the full manuscript of  BLISS SPRINGS before I go agent-hunting.  God knows when it will be finished.  I’m probably a little over halfway through it. 

How can your fans reach you, Ms. Bellacera?  

Email me at Carole@Bellacera.com.

Ms. Bellacera, do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 

If you know writing is what you’re meant to do, don’t  let “the business” discourage you from pursuing your dream.  It’s brutal on thin-skinned artists.  Lots of good work gets rejected.  And lots of agents and editors are afraid to buy anything too different.  But keep believing in yourself, write your stories, and no matter many “no’s” you get, don’t ever give up.   

I would like to thank you Ms. Bellacera, for sharing your talent and time with the readers of Love Romances.  I truly enjoyed reading Understudy and hope to read more from you soon!