Urban Reviews: Tell our
readers about Spotlight On Desire.
Anita Bunkley: Lights. Camera.
Attraction...Come with me to the set of a popular black
daytime drama.For Jewel Blaine, the spotlight and her fans
are all the family she’ll ever need as the star of the popular
daytime soap opera The Proud and the Passionate or P&P. After
a high-profile breakup with a co-star, Jewel developed her own
call sheet: No romantic entanglements with cast members,
producers and especially directors. But when the stage lights
dim, Jewel secretly yearns for a sexy leading man to co-star
with her in real life. Rugged, handsome Taye Elliot was
trained as a stuntman, but always had his eye on directing.
This is his big break and he needs P&P’s leading lady to trust
him. But Jewel thinks he’s better off pretending to break legs
than really calling the shots. Taye’s never shied away from a
challenge and he’s certainly not going to now. He’s perfecting
the scene of a lifetime—to direct Jewel on screen…and make
love to her off camera.
Urban Reviews: What
inspired you to want to write this particular story?
Anita Bunkley: I wanted to create a Black Soap
Opera World with all the fun characters, twists and turns, and
racy storylines that we get from any daytime drama on TV.
Urban Reviews: Can you
please share how you got into the business?
Anita Bunkley: I entered a partial manuscript
of my historical novel, Black Gold, in a writers
contest in Texas. It won first place. Denise Marcil, one of
the agents in attendance, asked to see it when it was
finished. She eventually negotiated a multi book contract with
Penguin USA for 4 books in 1995, and I have been with her ever
since. Together we have done 17 books for publication.
Urban Reviews: What has
been the most rewarding part about being a published author?
Anita Bunkley: I write for my readers, so all
of the reward comes when a reader lets me know that I have
delivered what they wanted and expected from me. I also enjoy
the freedom of being my own boss to a certain extent --
setting my own agenda and scheduling writing time takes
discipline and it can be a bit lonely, but I love the creative
process.
Urban Reviews: Do you
prefer writing romance, or would you rather be writing
contemporary fiction? Why?
Anita Bunkley: I have written both and I love
both. All of my mainstream novels have had a strong romantic
storyline, so it was a natural progress for me to shift into
the romance genre. I'll shift back and forth between the
genres in future books, too.
Urban Reviews: What is
your writing process like? Is there a certain time of day,
location, or mood that you need to have in order to write?
Anita Bunkley: I write in my home office in the
mornings, finish up my day about 4:00 pm and rarely write late
at night (unless I am on a very tight deadline and have to get
more hours in). I treat my work as a regular day job, so that
my evenings are usually free to enjoy family time.
Urban Reviews: What
projects can we look forward to from you in the future?
Anita Bunkley: I have another Kimani Romance
due out in January 2010. The title is Vote For Love.
Synopsis: Hit the campaign trail with feisty media coach,
Trina Powers, as she shapes the campaign of Texas state
senatorial candidate, Dwayne Hunter.
Their close interaction sparks a romantic attraction that
pulls her into his political drama as well as into his heart.
She must either play dirty with the man who is campaigning for
office, or play fair with the man who is campaigning for her
heart. He must decide if revealing a hurtful truth about the
woman he loves is worth the price they both will have to pay.
Political intrigue, hot-tempered debates, and raw emotions
fuel this racy romance set in Houston, Texas.
Urban Reviews: Do you
have any favorite authors or books?
Anita Bunkley: I read a wide variety of authors
and genres. My favorite books are autobiographies and
biographies. Real life can often be more dramatic than
fiction.
Urban Reviews: If there
was one thing about the romance market that could be changed,
what would you want it to be?
Anita Bunkley: With so many books hitting the
market, the shelf life is short. I understand why, but often
wish romance books had a little longer time to be available to
readers. Kimani is doing a great job of providing hot,
sensuous and engaging tales for romance readers, and I am
proud to be a member of the team.
Urban Reviews: Is there
anything else you would like to share about yourself or your
novel?
Anita Bunkley: I have been writing a long time,
but I still find the craft of writing to be the most
satisfying career I have ever had. Happy reading to all who
love books! |
