D’Elen McClain
I’m loving these interviews. Are you getting to know some authors new to you? Let’s do it again! Introducing D’Elen McClain!
D’Elen McClain aka Holly S. Roberts is the USA Today best-selling author of thirty books soon to be thirty-one. She went to police academy at age forty-five and spent ten years working in law enforcement. She retired as a sex crimes and homicide detective. She now spends most of her time writing high in the Arizona Mountains with her husband and two spoiled dogs.
Let’s start with something fun. What’s your favorite hobby?
Gardening. I love every part of it and have always liked getting my hands dirty. It may sound strange but the earth has energy that feeds my soul. I bring all my herbs inside in the winter and coax them until spring. Our kitchen window is a garden right now.
If you had the opportunity—who would you like to spend an afternoon with and why?
My great, great, great maybe great, grandmother. She was a Jefferson, related to Thomas Jefferson who has always fascinated me. I would love to know the thoughts of women in that time period. I come from a long line of female warriors. From raising ten children (my mother’s mother) to working on highly classified jobs for the military (my mother), our bloodline is filled with great women.
Coffee, tea, soda or something else?
Water, coffee, tea in that order. It’s been years since I’ve had soda and I will most likely die without ever drinking one again.
What are you working on right now?
I’m so excited about Sizzle (writing as Holly S. Roberts) and I’ve just finished the first chapter. It’s the next book in the Hotter Than Hell series and I have a lot to live up to. The reviews for Heat, book I, have been outstanding and my readers are bugging me for the next installment. This book is about an enforcer for an Arizona crime syndicate. There’s a battle among readers for Team Moon (book I) or Team Gomez (book II). Oh, the pressure.
How would you describe your writing style?
I build a story in my head and put nothing on paper until I know the time is right. Things often change once I begin typing. The small problems also work themselves out. I can mentally be working on stories for several books at a time but once the actual writing starts, it’s all about the current work in progress.
Do you have any advice for a person just beginning their writing career?
I wrote a book in my twenties. It took over a year and was a painful process. I realized I wasn’t ready. At age 49, I wrote my next book in two months. This was while I worked full-time as a police detective. My writing flowed and helped me get through the insomnia I’ve always suffered. Then I wrote another book and another. I’m now a full-time writer. So my advice is to finish the first book, then the next. Write every day and every minute you can find time for. If you’re ready, you will know it.
Do you immerse yourself in new situations for writing ideas or do your ideas come to you through your normal, day-to-day life?
My ideas come from odd places and or situations and sometimes research will spark that creative place in my brain. I’m always adding a note to my phone or iPad—a book title, phrase, idea. It’s become the norm for me and my husband is accustomed to that far off, slightly dazed look I get.
Where can we find you on the interwebs?
Website: www.wickedstorytelling.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/delenmcclainauthor
Facebook: http://facebook.com/hollysrobertsauthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mywickedstories
Instagram: http://instagram.com/wicked_story_telling
Thank you so much for chatting with us today, D’Elen.
If you liked today’s interview, please check out one or more of D’Elen’s pages. She’d love to have you visit.