Hi Fran! It seems like I’ve been waiting for this interview forever. After reading several of your books I think fate intervened so the reviews and interview would happen now because each one of them is a perfect selection for summer reading.  

Thank you, Gina.  It is a pleasure to be here with you and the members of Love Romances and More. 

Now, one of the first things our readers want to know about you—how long have you been writing?  

Gina, I’ve always had an interest in writing, but I only began a serious pursuit of my writing goals in 1998.  I wrote my first romance novel in 1999, and I sold my first book MONTANA MATCH, a contemporary romance, to Avalon Books of New York in early 2001.  As of this time, I have a dozen contemporary and historical romances and children’s novels either published or contracted for publication.  I also recently had a story published in WOMAN’S WORLD magazine, and I have short stories available for download in the Amazon Shorts program at Amazon.com.  (Married While Intoxicated and Crossed Wires) 

Which do you do first? Write the story, research the time period or do they go hand in hand? 

When I am writing a historical novel, I always do my research first.  If I want to write an authentic story, it is imperative that I know the time period before I begin writing my story. 

The same would apply for a contemporary story in which I am using a subject unfamiliar to me.  Research first, then write. 

Of course, it is usually necessary to do additional research as I write too.  Authentic details always make a story more believable and enjoyable for the reader, and entertaining readers is what novel writing and story telling is all about.   

How do you decide which period you want to write in? 

Once I have an idea for a storyline, the time period sometimes dictates the time period.  For example, in A PARTNER’S PROMISE, the protagonist is an orphan train rider.  Since orphan trains ran only from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s, the book had to be set in that time period.  I chose the 1880s because that time frame suited the way I wanted to tell this particular story. 

With LAURA’S LOST LOVE, a story in which the orphan trains play a smaller part, again the time period was dictated by the era in which the trains ran.  However, I set this book in 1912 because it was at this time that new towns were popping up in South Dakota, and fictional Heart Junction, South Dakota was to be an illustration of what it might be like to be living in a fledgling community.  In addition to enjoying the wonderful love story between the hero and heroine, I wanted the readers to imagine the excitement of what it might be like to be part of a brand new, growing community. 

Do you write more than one book at a time or do you focus on just one?  

I always have several projects going at any one time. 

Now, the books!  

I’d like to talk about A PARTNER’S PROMISE. The first thing that greets readers is that wonderful old train. I just love that picture. Where did the idea for this story come from?  

I agree with you on that cover, Gina.  The artist did a wonderful job. 

Let me give a little logline for readers as to the storyline for A PARTNER’S PROMISE, my historical children’s novel. 

“When a boy is forced to leave New York and take the orphan train to Iowa,

he promises his best friend he will return.” 

I hadn’t heard of orphan trains until about eight years ago when I read an article in a newspaper about them.  I was so fascinated with the concept of taking homeless, orphaned children in eastern cities and placing them with families living in rural areas, I had to learn more. 

What an incredible experience this had to be for those little lost souls who found themselves without homes or families!  I wondered as I researched the subject:   

What if a boy had the opportunity to leave his poverty in the city to be placed with a family of comfortable means in the country, but he didn’t want to go because he’d have to leave his best friend?  How would he react once he began to live a life of comfort with a roof over his head and plenty to eat?  Would his comfort become more important than the love he had for his friend back in the city?  Would the boy have the courage to leave his life of plenty to keep his promise to his friend and return to his life of savage poverty? 

A PARTNER’S PROMISE is the result of those musings.  This book received a 2007 EPPIE Nomination for Children’s Literature and the Recommended Read Award from Fallen Angel Reviews. 

With LAURA’S LOST LOVE, I began to wonder:  What if an orphan train rider who had a negative experience decided when she became an adult to adopt another orphan train rider so she could pass on the love she’d longed for in her own life?  And what if the town folk where she lived wouldn’t let her take in the child she wanted to love?  What if the town’s representative who enforced the laws happened to be the most attractive man Laura had ever met? 

As I said, I was fascinated with the subject of orphan trains, and I wanted to produce more than one book using this topic.  But the two books are quite different from each other. 

Is it very different for you switching from writing young adult to adult? Do you do anything different to prepare? 

It really doesn’t make any difference to me whether I’m writing young adult or adult novels.  The way I work is pretty much the same.  I read through my synopsis or outline and what I’ve written about the project, then I get a mindset for the story and just write the book. 

Tell us about Axel and how you developed him. 

Axel is the protagonist in A PARTNER’S PROMISE.  Nate is the best friend he left behind in New York.   

When developing any character, particularly main characters, it is necessary to know everything about a character’s personality.  Although not all details of Axel are revealed in the book, I as a writer know everything about Axel.  Therefore, I know just how he will react in whatever situation he is in. 

The development of the character began using a series of questions as listed above--the “what if” questions.  From there, I went on to do the same as I would do with any other character--discover everything about eleven-year-old, red-headed Axel O’Grady.  The more I know about a character, the more authentic he will be to readers. 

A PARTNER’S PROMISE is available in trade paperback and download at libraries, through bookstores and on the Internet at www.wingsepress.com, www.fictionwise.com, www.amazon.com 

I love your tag line “Historical Romance for everyone who loves a love story.” How did you come up with it? 

Thanks for mentioning my tag line from CHANGE OF HEART.  This tag line was inspired by the wonderful comments I received from reviewers of this book.  Most of the reviewers commented on what a beautiful love story CHANGE OF HEART contained.  My romances focus heavily on the deep emotions and conflicts of people discovering love and what it means to have a truly loving relationship.  After all, isn’t love what all of us want more than anything else?   

Marietta from CHANGE OF HEART is an interesting woman. How much of Fran is in her? 

Let me give a logline of CHANGE OF HEART for the readers:  “1850s Nebraska:  A woman from Chicago is stranded in the Nebraska territory with a man she cannot resist.” 

Gina, Marietta is indeed an intriguing woman.  There is a little piece of every woman in Marietta, and that is why readers have found her so interesting.  They can readily identify with her many frailties, weaknesses, and negative “mother baggage,” and they want to see themselves having the same courage she eventually exhibits when she must face the most daunting challenge of her life--Should she set aside everything familiar to her and have a complete CHANGE OF HEART? 

CHANGE OF HEART is available in paperback and download exclusively at:  www.lulu.com  

In LAURA’S LOST LOVE, book 1 of the Heart Junction Series, once again has a train on the cover.  If I could share something personal, I grew up with a fascination about trains. It was a big thing for us on Sundays to go and watch the train pull in and see if any of our relatives were on. My youngest sister also loved trains and when she died at age 4 I felt a kind of peace that she was buried near where a train would pass every day. You can see why this book struck a chord in me just because of the train on the cover. What do trains mean to Fran Shaff?  

Gina, what a lovely story you’ve told about your special feelings for trains. 

I hadn’t really thought about any personal connection to trains, though I suppose I do have one.  The town where I grew up, Aberdeen, South Dakota, was called the “Hub City” because it was a hub of connection for the many train lines which traveled there in the town’s youthful days. 

The time period of 1912 to 1916 in which the Heart Junction Series is set is fascinating.  Everything changed quickly as the age of modern conveniences arrived.  Trains were as important then as airlines are now.  I think everyone has a bit of fascination for trains. 

LAURA’S LOST LOVE is available in trade paperback and download at libraries, bookstores and all over the Internet at places like amazon.com, bn.com, bamm.com, target.com, mundania.com 

How many books will be in the Heart Junction Series?  When will book 2 be out? 

Thanks for asking, Gina.  There will be at least three books in the Heart Junction Series.  LAURA’S LOST LOVE was released this spring.  Book Two, STEPHANIE’S SURPRISE is due for release this fall, and Book Three, MARI’S MIRACLE will come out in 2008.   

Each female lead is very different in each story, but the townspeople (the ones we love and the ones we’d like to smack in the mouth) remain throughout the series.  Each book does stand by itself in that you don’t need to have read the first book to understand the second, but the read is more enjoyable, I believe, to indulge in reading all three books because readers feel that familiarity that is a comfort and adds to the enjoyment.   

Which do you prefer, series or stand alone? 

Stand alone books are definitely easier to write because there aren’t all the complications of consistency that come with series books.  However, there is something special about writing series books just as there is something special about reading a series.  So I’m going to have to do a “politician” thing here and say I enjoy writing both series and stand alone books. 

Was this an easy pitch to your publisher?  

When has anything about writing ever been easy?  J  I will admit that my publisher, after reading LAURA’S LOST LOVE, expressed immediate interest in doing the Heart Junction Series. 

This question may seem a bit off the wall, but I am curious, have you ever suffered from "writer’s block"?  If so, what did you do to get out if it?  

I’ve never had “writer’s block.”  But that doesn’t mean I haven’t had my share of difficulties composing a story.  As I mentioned a bit ago, there is nothing easy about writing. 

Are you working on anything right now? Can you tell us a teaser about these projects?  

I do have several projects going right now.  Some of the books I’m working on include a children’s historical novel which is almost completed, a romantic suspense partly written and a mainstream suspense which I am just beginning to develop.  I also have a few short stories simmering on my computer. 

Okay, imagination time…or maybe a prelude of what is to come.  You got the call, one of your series is going to be a mini-series of television movies.  Which one do you pick and who gets the parts? 

If we’re talking mini-series, Gina, it has to be the Heart Junction series since that project is the only one long enough for a mini series.  The protagonists in each of these books are in their twenties.  I can’t think of anyone off hand to play the parts.  I’m afraid I’d have to see auditions of dozens of great-looking young men and beautiful young women to choose the perfect person to play my lead characters.  What a grueling job that would be, huh?  J 

Seriously, I have had reviewers and readers comment that they’d like to see various books I’ve written become movies, particularly MONTANA MATCH, STOLEN SON and FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE.  In fact, one reviewer for MyShelf.com commented about FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE:  This book deserves to be turned into a Hallmark movie classic. 

Do you read for relaxation? Who do you turn to? 

Writers are always readers.  I enjoy reading non-fiction and a variety of genres of fiction.  I really don’t have a particular author whose books I seek out.  Rather, I find a topic or story line that grabs me and read those books. 

Do you have anything to add? 

Yes, I do.  I’d love to have your readers visit my website at:  www.members.aol.com/frnshaff  and my MySpace page at:  www.myspace.com/franshaff   

My website has all the latest information about my books and stories.  Readers may also contact me at Msfshaff@aol.com if they have any questions. 

Please look for these upcoming novels: 

STEPHANIE’S SURPRISE, Book Two of the Heart Junction series.  Historical Romance from Mundania Press, fall, 2007 

LITTLE GREEK GODS, Fantasy Children’s novel from Wings ePress, November, 2007  (See the truly awesome cover at my website now) 

FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE, new release in paperback, re-release in e-format.  Contemporary Romance from Mundania Press, spring, 2008  (This book won a Write Readers Award, More than Magic Award and a CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award when it was originally released in e-format) 

MARI’S MIRACLE, Book Three of the Heart Junction series.  Historical Romance from Mundania Press, 2008 

STOLEN SON, Contemporary Romance, new release in paperback, re-release in download, date yet to be determined  (This book won a Top Pick Award from Romance Reader at Heart when it was originally released in e-format.)