On Tuesdays, I usually toot my horn for Cathy C. Hall but not this Tuesday. This Tuesday, I’m celebrating my friend and debut romance author, Lisa Ricard Claro!

(Honestly, I wanted to put at least ten more exclamation points there, but that might embarrass Lovely Lisa.)

Lisa has written Love Built To Last and…you know what? I’m going to just zip over and grab my review from Goodreads for you ’cause a. I kinda like my review, and b. it sums up the novel nicely!

And now, on to the five questions! (Don’t worry, there are no spoilers, just juicy tidbits and writerly tips!)

I know that LOVE BUILT TO LAST was originally a short story—a story that garnered a first place award!—but still. How did you take 2,000 words and grow them into a 90,000 word novel?

First, thank you for inviting me to your blog!

You know how your best ideas come to you in the shower, Cath? For me, it’s immediately upon waking. I’m an early riser—4:00-5:00 a.m. whether I want to or not. I’ve found that after I wake up, if I snuggle back down and think about my stories and characters, the ideas roll freely. Whole scenes and dialogue play like a movie. One scene leads to another and the next thing I know I’ve got some great key scenes, and I’m ready to outline and flesh it all out. My only complaint is that sometimes I’ll play out great dialogue in my head, but then I can’t remember it later. *sigh*

(Well, duh, it’s FIVE IN THE MORNING, LISA.)

So, one of the bigger plot points revolves around your female protagonist’s belief that her dead husband communicates with her. Is this mostly fictional, or do you believe that loved ones will always find a way to communicate with us?

Both. I do believe that our loved ones don’t completely leave us. I want to believe that they will communicate with us if they can, though I’ve never experienced it myself. I wrote a blog post about this recently, and a few commenters mentioned dreams. I hadn’t really thought of dreams as being part of that communication, but after thinking about it, I have had some dreams involving my parents that I’d like to believe were gentle visits.

In Love Built to Last, as in the two books that follow, I carried that element through as part of the theme. In each case I tried to present it in such a way that it is left up to the reader to decide if Jack—the deceased—is really communicating, or if it’s wishful thinking by the characters. I’ve asked a few readers what their take was, and the split is about 50/50.

You also have a rescue animal (I love Pirate!) that plays a major role in the story. Did it just happen as you wrote the story or did your own love of animals guarantee that you’d somehow get a rescue in there?

I have a huge heart for rescues and animal companions are natural characters in my world. I believe that in fiction, as in life, you can tell a lot about people/characters by how they treat animals. So, yes, I made the decision to incorporate rescued pets in every book. In Love Built to Last, the rescue of the mutt, Pirate, figures prominently, but in the third book, Love to Win, Pavarotti the cat is already in his forever home. His rescue is mentioned, but only as backstory.

Your three-book series is with Black Opal Books. Can you share a little about this publisher and how you came to connect with them?

I learned about Black Opal Books on the RWA (Romance Writers of America) PRO forum. Black Opal is a small publisher, has been around about seven years. Before signing with them I contacted a number of authors who had published with them—a few who were in the midst of working with them, and a few who had published books with them but had moved on to other publishers. In all instances I received only positive feedback. Now that they’ve published my first book and I’ve been through the process with them from start to finish, I can honestly say they’ve been professional, cooperative, and quick to respond to questions and/or concerns.

Thanks for the insider info, Lisa! Speaking of those three books, I’m sure it was a challenge to get your first contract and end up with a series! How have you managed this challenge, and would you do things differently next time around?

To say I was surprised to be offered a three book contract is an understatement. In many ways it took the pressure off. Even though I was then committed to writing two more books in relatively quick succession, I felt a certain freedom with them. I didn’t have to worry and wonder if I would ever be published again. I knew going in that these three books had found a publishing home, and I could focus on the writing without stressing over the query/submission aspect.

As far as what I’d do differently, that’s an easy question to answer. I’d spend less time stressing and more time enjoying the process. When book two releases this fall, and then book three in early 2016, I’m not going to worry about things I can’t control. Instead, I will open a nice bottle of wine and celebrate!

(And I, as one of your closest and dearest friends, will join you. Um…you might need one of those BIG bottles.)

Big thank you to Lisa for sharing all her writer wisdom and behind-the-scenes info! Now, often, I give away books I’ve read. But I’m sorry, y’all, I can’t give away Lisa’s book. It’s on my Friends-Who’ve-Written-Books Shelf, and it’s waiting to be signed. But I know where you can get your own swell copy of Love Built to Last!

To purchase your copy of Love Built to Last in eBook or print, go to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Black Opal Books, Kobo, or AllRomance.

I hear that romance is good for your heart, and it sure makes my heart feel pretty darn good to see Lisa Ricard Claro’s book out there. And honestly, you’re going to love her book, too!!! (So I added a few more exclamation points–Lisa’s probably blushing, but I’m okay with that.)