LET’S
WELCOME
BARBRA
CAMPBELL
AUTHOR OF:
Rad-Reader: So how did you come up with the idea of telling the story as you explained in the prologue?
Barbra:
It was summer, and I sat on my deck Googling different kinds of lingerie and all the technical names. I wanted the series to feel like more than a bunch of sex scenes threaded together, and what better way to do that than figure out how each person ended up with the lingerie. Thus Claire and her contest were born.
In a matter of days, I had characters/plots for thirteen stories. Teaser…the final one is Claire’s story, and through her contest, she picks up tidbits and puts them into play to salvage her own marriage.
Rad-Reader: Was that beginning with Claire St. James always in your story or something you added?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Did you decide on either Alexis or Chris character first?
Barbra:
The student-professor pair was the motivation for this novella. Initially, the professor was the male and the student was the female, but when I wanted to add the secret admirer component, I liked the idea of the male student leaving gifts for a female professor.
As much as I think having a secret admirer would be totally intriguing, there’s the creepy worrisome component that I felt wouldn’t come across as strong if a man was receiving the gifts.
This brought up some gender bias thoughts for me, and in discussing my novella with fellow writers, we were all intrigued at how much gender bias we had in the word processor.
So as much as I had been looking forward to a sexy male professor, I made the female the professor for a different dynamic.
Rad-Reader: How did you come up with cryptologist as Dr. Alexis Welsh’s field of expertise?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Did you always have the scene where she thinks she has caught Chris, leaving? What would have been the last note, or did you change it?
Barbra: He was going to give final clues to reveal himself but decided that could cause trouble. It would have put the burden on her to go to the ballet knowing who would be in the seat next to her, basically acceptance. It would have been the final note since he would have left it in her hands.
Rad-Reader: What made you have them both show up at the homeless center?
Barbra:
Alexis only knew Chris as a student, former Air Force. Putting them at the homeless shelter gave them a chance to bump into each other off campus, and she got to see what a great guy he was. A reminder that we often only know people on the surface.
Rad-Reader: Was I reading to much into Beverly’s character that she knew that Chris would most likely be there, maybe?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Though Alexis was worried about everything – her friend, Beverly was okay with it wanting her to go for it. Was her character always like that or did you change her as the story went along?
Barbra:
Having come through the ranks together, Alexis compared herself to Beverly. Alexis has the thought that ‘we walked down the same path…what happened?’ When Alexis takes a mental inventory and sees that Beverly is happy at more levels, Alexis has an internal motivation to find her own happiness. After all, Beverly didn’t fail just because she has a life, so Alexis wonders if it could work for her.
On a more serious note, some of the character motivation, and my choice to make Alexis Asian came from my experience with exchange students. Our family has hosted numerous students from many countries, and I serve as a local coordinator. My husband and I hold a firm belief in experiencing life, so when one of our students said she had to quit playing the piano when she got to high school because her ‘job’ was to be the best student possible, we were saddened that her life revolved around textbooks.
We learned many cultural differences from her and the students from other countries, but her devotion to her parents and the path they set for her success stuck with me. We remain her American parents who get excited about things her natural parents don’t value. When these kids cross-cultures, it is truly an amazing experience.
Rad-Reader: Other than the story, what was the reason in having Alexis decide to walk into Mystical Boutique as opposed to a store like Victoria Secrets?
Barbra:
I live in a super small town (less than 2,000 people). When I go to the nearest town with a mall, there is a Victoria Secrets, which is right next to the food court. Somehow, sorting through underwear, visible to the highest traffic area of the mall, just doesn’t work for me! Alexis definitely sympathizes with me on that one. A small shop would be far more personal, especially if I had to ask questions.
And technically, I didn’t want to have any legal troubles if it appeared, I was capitalizing off their brand.
Rad-Reader: Was it your original storyline to have Alexis write puzzles as Chris did in the beginning?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Are you into puzzles or puzzle solving?
Barbra: There are multiple Sudoku and KenKen puzzles at my desk. I like to do one before I start writing/editing. Word puzzles are fun too, but math is my jam. I suppose writers aren’t supposed to say that!
Rad-Reader: Do you know someone who is a cryptologist or into cryptology?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Was Chris’ character always an older student and a veteran or did you change the character as you went along?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Was there a reason why Chris did not have any friends or friend in the story and Alexis had Beverly?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: The scene and the idea that maybe Alexis has lost Chris was good. Did take you a while to write it for you to have her finally coming into her own? Then feeling defeated by him leaving? I found it to be very powerful.
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Do you write using an outline or just start writing to see where the story leads you?
Barbra:
1. I pick a trope, find some characters and conflict to carry it out, and create a basic storyline…then get busy writing.
2. Something sparks a scene in my mind, even as simple as a comment someone makes in real life. I brainstorm the scene, branching out from the conflict and characters, and create a world for them…then start putting the words on the page.
Rad-Reader: Are you planning a story with Beverly as the main character or is this the last time with her character?
Barbra:
I’ve started writing short stories (less than half this length), which will start coming out soon, and some of them will be tied to the novellas. Even if Beverly doesn’t get a novella, she’ll get a short story.
Rad-Reader: If your book was made into a movie who would you want to play…
Alexis: Grace Park
Chris: Luke Benward
Barbra:
I like your picks!
Rad-Reader: What song or songs best describes your couple relationship or your book best?
“Secret Love – Hunter Hayes”
Beginning
“One of These Nights – Eagles”
First time meeting. Secret…
“You Make it Easy – Jason Alden”
Coming as one.
Barbra:
So back to your question…I’ve noticed writers attributing songs to their stories lately, so I’m starting to think about that. Some of my stories have songs, but this one didn’t get one, yet.
I love your suggestion of Eagles, One of these Nights
Rad-Reader: How long did it take you to write this book?
Barbra:
-These novellas are around 30K words. If I push, I write around 5K a day, which means I can crank out a pre-planned DRAFT in a week.
-I take a break, usually over the weekend (some people say you need longer, but my bad memory expands the time frame!) then work on editing the next week, because no one should see the mess of the unedited version. At the end of the editing, I let the computer read it to me so I can find errors that my eyes automatically fix.
-Then it goes to critique partners (CP’s) for a week.
-I take a few days to work on suggestions from the CP’s, then send it to the editor for a first pass. She usually turns it around in three days.
-She’s very clear about what she wants, so I can make the changes quickly, then get it out to Beta readers that agree to read it over a long weekend.
-Amassing the Beta reader comments, I make another editing pass.
-Then it goes back to the editor for a second pass, and back to me for final touches. After that, I spend a day proofreading (and sometimes use an outside proofreader) by tracking the page while I listen to the computer read it.
-Then the misery starts! Just kidding, but the next step is formatting, which I do myself. I am technologically challenged when it comes to electronics, so I struggle even though I’ve made extensive notes on how to do it correctly. Ebook and paperback have different formatting, so I have to keep my brain focused on which one I am doing because mingling them is a disaster. I have cried over this!
-Intertwined with the formatting, I get the ISBN’s and load the books to the appropriate websites.
-And somewhere in there, I get the covers made (and put into all the formats needed), write the tagline and blurb, work on promo, and make a social media/marketing plan. While the covers for the Tales of the Nightie series match, only needing text and color changes, the short stories I’m working on have clinch covers.
-It’s about a 6-week process from draft to publication.
-And I tend to overlap some of the writing of the next novella in the cracks.
Rad-Reader: What is your favorite genre to read?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: What was the first book to get published? Was that the first book you wanted to be published or the one that was right at the time?
Barbra:
When I tried my hand at romance, I fell in love…pun intended! A mentor suggested I enter my work in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest, and I finalized …shocker!
Being a newb, I thought the publishing world was going to embrace me, and I’d keep moving along, but after watching several writer friends, I realized I needed to have control of my process. Romance writers are amazing people, and when I put the word out that I was going to self-pub, I received a ton of support. It has been a sharp learning curve, but I’m glad I did it.
I wanted the novel that was the Golden Heart finalist to be my first because I LOOOOOVE the characters, but for various reasons, it is waiting until later this year to make its debut.
Rad-Reader: When did you start writing professionally?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: What did your friends and family say when they found out you were writing and being published? Did they know you were a writer all along?
Barbra:
When I told people I was writing romance, the most common comment was, ‘Are you writing the throbbing member stuff?’ to which I answered, ‘Yes, but I tend to be very direct.’
There have been a few snobby comments, but most people are really supportive. I mean, what do they really care what I spend my time doing. And daydreaming about people falling in love is way better than other things I could be doing.
Rad-Reader: Where is your favorite place to write?
Barbra:
I used to write in my car, outside of the middle school gym when I took my kids to basketball practice before school. They were homeschooled, so I had to stay and bring him back home afterward. I actually loved that.
Rad-Reader: Is it hard to find time to write or do you set time every day to write no matter what?
Barbra:
Generally, my daily schedule revolves around my writing goals.
Generally, my daily schedule revolves around my writing goals.
Rad-Reader: What is your ideal vacation?
Barbra:
But I love seeing new places and loved seeing Brazil last October. Standing at the junction of Ipanema and Copa Cabana was intensely soothing…so much ocean. If all goes well, my husband and I will check out Spain and Morocco this fall.
Other than that, I like to visit the hot springs a couple of hours away.
Rad-Reader: What are three things that you can’t leave home without?
Barbra:
2. My phone because I can read books on it, and it contains my credit card and almost anything else I want to do.
3. I would say my purse, but I forget it half the time. And if I do remember to take it with me, there’s a good chance I’ll leave it somewhere.
Rad-Reader: What is your favorite dessert?
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Where can our readers buy your books on the Web? Links
Barbra:
Rad-Reader: Where can our reader find you on the Web? Links
Barbra:
Barbra,
We would like to thank you for being with us. It was fun reading your book and now seeing your process of how you went about writing your first book that was ever published no less. Good job.
Once again thanks for being with us,
Pat & Char
We would like to thank you for being with us. It was fun reading your book and now seeing your process of how you went about writing your first book that was ever published no less. Good job.
Once again thanks for being with us,
Pat & Char
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