Friday's Friend Debra St. John

Today, I'm happy to welcome Debra St John.

Debra St. John has been reading and writing romance since high school. She always dreamed about publishing a romance novel some day. She lives in a suburb of Chicago with her husband, who is her real life hero. Her debut release, This Time for Always is a Champagne Rose and Rosebud bestseller at The Wild Rose Press. She followed her debut with Wild Wedding Weekend. This Can't Be Love is her third release from TWRP.

1) You recently had a new release. Could you tell us a little about it?THIS CAN’T BE LOVE is my third release from The Wild Rose Press. Zach, my hero, was a secondary character in my first book, but I always knew he deserved a
story of his own. Finding Zach at her grandfather’s mountain retreat is quite a surprise for Jessica, who’s running away from a really disastrous relationship. Of course, Zach turns out to be everything Jessica has ever wanted/needed, even if she doesn’t realize it at first.

2) Did you have to do any special research for the novel?The setting for THIS CAN’T BE LOVE is actually based on a real place we vacation each summer. After our very first visit I knew it would be the ideal setting for a book. Everything fell into place when it came time to write LOVE, and it turned out to be the perfect place for Zach and Jessica to fall in love. It was a lot of fun having Zach and Jess explore and visit many of our favorite places. We always take tons of pictures while we’re there, but there were several trips where I took even more than usual. I also took copious notes about everything: sounds, sights, smells, so I’d be able to bring it to life for my readers.

3) Why do you write in the genre you do?I love the Happily Every After. With a real world that doesn’t always guarantee that, it’s quite nice to be able to give that to my characters each and every time.

4) What was your favorite scene to write?At one point Zach and Jessica have some, um, fun, with a jar of hot chocolate sauce. That was really fun to write!

5) What is the best writing advice you’ve received?To join my local RWA chapter. Without the fabulous ladies of Chicago-North RWA I never would have published my first book. Over the years they have offered invaluable advice and support. We have a fantastic critique program, and I don’t even think about submitting, or writing any further, until I’ve gotten their advice on my first chapter.

6) How can readers find you?I can be found at www.debrastjohnromance.com. I also am the Sunday blogger at the Acme Authors Link and the Thursday blogger at Heroines with Hearts. I love it when readers pop in to say hello! My books are available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.com.

7) Do you have a writer’s cave or are you able to write anywhere anytime?When the muse is strong, I can write anywhere. A few years back I finally invested in a lap top so I actually could write anywhere. I don’t work in the summer, so I tend to get most of my writing done then, but it was hard to be sitting inside at the computer when the weather outside was so beautiful. Now I literally write anywhere: front porch, back porch, patio, out by the pond, living room couch, bed, etc. I do have a ‘home base’ of sorts in my den, but I tend to be more productive on my laptop. I also made sure I didn’t install the Internet on my laptop, which helps immensely to eliminate various computer distractions.