I first discovered Annette Blair via her Amish romance, Thee I Love, and let her emotional, romantic style woo me into her first two Regencies, Lady Faith and Lady Patience. From there, I was hooked. Of course, when I contacted the author to let her know she’d won a new fan, I found a personable, friendly, vivacious person eager to share.

What are the best and worst things about being a writer? What scares you the most about writing?

I can think of two bests--one is the joy of creating characters and watching them grow, stumble, and find love. The other 'best' is the real people I meet through my writing, who have enriched my life to a degree I could never have imagined. I could live without the ratio of three downs to one up in this business, however, and my greatest fear is not living long enough to tell all the stories I have inside me.

How does your family deal with having a writer in their midst?

They never expect me to provide a meal, or come out of my 'cave,' as they call it, but when I do, we simply enjoy the opportunity to be together. They come to signings, and stand across the mall, beam with pride, and wave, like it's the first day of nursery school and I'm the kid on the little school bus. My 32-year-old son admits to being eyed in an airport as he sat wearing a business suit, reading a romance novel--mine, of course. :)

When did you first know you were a writer? What settings and subgenera do you prefer?

I didn't know. I'm dense, sometimes. My daughter suggested, after I suggested a better ending for one romance, that I should write a book of my own. Funny I hadn't considered it, myself, because when she mentioned it, I went up to my nightstand, took out the odd notes, envelope corners, backs of recipe cards, etc., with plot ideas on them, and sat at the computer to begin. The book I started that day became Lady Faith, which was published in 1999.

Tell us a little bit about how the Rogues books came to be. Did the series concept come first, or an individual character/couple start it all?

I love a marriage of convenience story but was looking for a twist. So I thought, what if a man promised a dying comrade, on the battlefield, to marry his sister, except, when he met her, right before the wedding, he saw that his bride was nine months pregnant? I wrote a quick proposal, and sent "A Rake, Undeniable" to Amy Garvey, my former editor, at Kensington. She called days later to say, "I want it, and I want a sequel, and we'll call the series: The Rogues Club." Days after I turned in the first completed rogue, she asked for a third.

Now that An Unforgettable Rogue is available, what can readers look forward to next? Will there be more Rogues, or do we meet new characters? Perhaps another Amish title?

An Unmistakable Rogue is coming out as a single title Historical in November 2003. Yes, there are more Amish stories in the works; a Victorian series that is sooo different, and that I adore. I have even tried my hand at a contemporary romantic comedy. But which, exactly, comes next, is yet to be determined. We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best. :)

Your first two Regency era historicals, Lady Faith and Lady Patience, were put out by the now-defunct Precious Gems line. Would you ever want to see them reissued under another imprint? (I know I would!)

Absolutely, and the rights are due to revert back to me soon. Those two stories were cut in half for the Precious Gems line, but I still have the original full length manuscripts, and they're what I'd like to see in print.

You've written wonderfully emotional romances in both Regency and Amish settings, two venues that couldn't be more different. What do they have in common? Why are they each perfect for romance?

What my Amish and Regency stories have in common is what I think we all have in common: that instinct to find the other half of our souls, that one human being, among all others, who will complete us. I adore the search, that first bloom of love, so exhilarating and awesome to behold and experience, finding the flaws, overcoming them, falling in love despite, or perhaps even because, of our love's humanity.

What would you say makes an Annette Blair book stand out from the rest?

I don't think we ever really see our work as others do, but I can tell you this: I fall in love, literally, with every story and character I create, and if I can't love them, I can't bring the story to life.

Romance titles can be some of the most unique out there, but even more unique are the titles that don't get passed the publishers. Have any of your book babies been rechristened?

Thee, I Love is the only title I kept. Lady Patience used to be The Patience of a Saint; Lady Faith was Keeping Faith. I told you the original title of the first rogue (A Rake, Undeniable), and my editor told me the title of the second before I'd ever written a word of the story. For the third rogue, I sent in a list of five and my editor picked one.

What are your top three pet peeves about how non-romance readers misperceive the genre?

They judge romance as poorly written, without ever having read one. They judge by the covers. They don't consider them real books. I know that I write real words, and stay up real nights to write them.

What do you consider the perfect balance between historical detail and romantic atmosphere?

I don't like the historical detail to take over. Like confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon, a light sprinkling goes a long way toward sweetening the treat, without overpowering the natural flavor of the fruit.

If you could give only one piece of advice to aspiring writers of historical romance, what would that be?

If you're not in love with the time period, the characters and story, don't write the book. If you are in love, write it, no matter the market. I was told I shouldn't write Thee, I Love, that it would never sell, by someone who knew what she was talking about. My response was: "Then I'm writing it for me."

Where do you see the romance genre going in the next ten years? Your own career?

I think that someday students will study the romance genre. Romance is after all, the basis of life, is it not? A celebration of life, I like to say. As for my career, I see myself writing full time and I like to think that I will do so successfully.

What is your work environment like? Can you take us into your writing space in fifty words or less?

Small room off the master bedroom, desk facing windows overlooking the common, books to the ceiling, info on books in progress in marked, clear folders at my right, computer, Amish dolls, teddy bears, videos, framed bookcovers, pictures of people I love, a chair for my husband when he 'visits,' an emergency snack, a bottle of diet coke, a rug that needs to be vacuumed. :) You shouldn't have made me look around.

What do you do when creatively blocked or empty? Are there any special songs, foods, movies, etc that get your idea hamster running again?

Favorite videos help, though I am rarely blocked, just too tired to climb on my wheel. :) A favorite is Practical Magic; anything with Cary Grant, videos of Austin & Bronte books, classic romances, contemporary romances like While You Were Sleeping and An American President. A video is often the way I 'cleanse my palate' after a day of raising money and before an evening of writing romance.

The original cover for Thee, I Love is, shall we say, unique. (I don't think any Amishwoman ever flashed that much cleavage) If you could design the perfect cover for Thee, I Love, what would it look like?

Ah, that's an easy one. A rough-hewn barn wall with one woman's kapp and two Amishmen's hats hanging on pegs.

Jacob and Rachel from Thee, I Love get to peek at a ball in Regency London. What is their reaction?

They'd probably be shocked at first, but they'd never judge, after all they've been through. They might even want to join the fun, though they'd probably restrain themselves.

Now, the Rogue couple of your choice gets to peek at an Amish barn raising. What do they tell the others about what they've seen?

The rogues, themselves, all three, would roll up their sleeves and help, of course, as their ladies would help serve the food. They'd tell the others that they had visited another world with wonderful people and awesome food.

You have a ten-minute free shopping spree in the world's largest used bookstore. When time is called, what's in your cart?

Historical research books on the Amish and on Victorian and Regency England.

Poof! You have been made Queen of Romance. What are your top three cliched plots, settings, etc, that you would banish for one year? What would you suggest authors try instead?

I can't banish any plots, because they don't have to be cliched. They can all be made new and bright and exciting, even unique with a little creative writing. :) I'm not fond of some exotic settings, however, or historicals where people chase each other half way across the world.

Right now, what are you computer wallpaper and screensaver images?

At school, I have a wallpaper of An Unforgettable Rogue covers--to remind me who I really am. At home I have a pink stucco building with a blue window and dried flowers outside. Screensaver at home is an assortment of my bookcovers that pop in and out. At school, it's fish.

Did Rhett ever come back for Scarlett?

After she straightened herself out and learned not to be so selfish, he finally did, and they lived happily ever after. :)

Annette loves to hear from readers at: Annette@AnnetteBlair.com
Visit her website at: www.annetteblair.com.