 AUTHOR
PROFILE: Barb Webb (a.k.a. Anne Leland)
Author's Name: Barb Webb/Anne Leland
Website: www.BarbWebb.com
and www.AnneLeland.com
Barb Webb is a multi-published author who specialized in non-fiction.
Her alter ego, Anne Leland, is a multi-published author of women's
fiction, erotic comedy and paranormal romance.
New Release:
SINFUL SUNDAES Second Servings: Tarot & Toasted Almonds
Midnight Showcase, October 2006
Tarot mistress Lady Gael needs a new card deck more than a lover.
Will reclusive werewolf Chase MacGregor be able to break down
her barriers?
BRIEF EXCERPT:
A knock on her door was the last thing Serena expected
to hear after the witching hour. Yet, the steady rhythm of need
rang its insistent thrum across the aged wood.
She wrapped a shawl around her bare shoulders, slipped off the
couch and walked over to the window, overseeing the front porch.
Normally, her heart might jump in the familiar pattern of a mother
who fears the worst for her child, but she’d just spoken
with Marissa an hour ago and knew she was tucked away in the arms
of her husband. Serena still didn’t approve of her daughter
taking up with one of her college professors, but Marissa was
old enough to make decisions on her own—wise or not.
Peering through the slit in the curtain, she could barely make
out the shape of her visitor in the moonless night. Whoever it
was, he was here on a mission. Knock, after booming knock, splintered
the surface of the old oak. Any more of this nonsense and there
might not be a paint chip left to splatter.
She moved away from the window and walked over to the front door.
Slipping the chain off the lock and turning the knob, she eased
the door open and peered out into the darkness. Before she could
identify her midnight caller and offer a “hello,” the
door slammed open. Serena stumbled backward as her heel caught
the edge of her silk nightgown.
Her breath caught in her throat. Chase MacGregor’s bulky
frame filled the doorway. It wasn’t the tense strain of muscle
rippling beneath his arms that shook her, nor the fact that he
could crush half the town without blinking; it was the wild look
of hunger and pain in his eyes.
How did you get started in writing?
My brother taught me to read at the age of four. From then on,
I've had a book in my hand and a story in my head.
Anything in particular draw you to the genre(s) you write?
Everything and anything...I'm a very eclectic writer.
What is your writing process like?
I have three children, a part-time job, and of course, family and
community obligations in addition to a writing career. My process
is never the same twice, except for one facet—I'm a persistent
bugger!
Where do you get most of your ideas from?
Life. There's inspiration everywhere, the hard part is choosing
which route to go or which story to tell.
Do you have a schedule/routine?
Yes and no. Often I have to squish in writing time, edits, research
and so on wherever and whenever I can. ie: writing a paragraph while
waiting in the car line to pick up my children from school, editing
pages at the laundromat, finishing a chapter during nap time, researching
during a scheduled break at work. I have one to two solid hours
at night after the kids are tucked in, but the rest is a matter
of learning how to multi-task well and make writing an integral
part of my life.
Have you ever experienced writer's block?
All the time. Life gets in the way and I envy those who can shut
it down and not experience writers block. To overcome it, I start
writing and sure enough, the words will flow again. If it's in
you, it's always there, you simply have to give it a big enough
nudge.
On Conferences and Contests
I've won some nice awards and I've been to conferences I thoroughly
enjoyed. Not one played a significant role in my path to publication,
per say, but they did give me boosts of confidence, a network
of wonderful writing friends, fresh insights, and sparks
of energy to make the path a less bumpy!
Best Advice Received
To keep writing and leave the editing for later. I was stumbling
early on with the urge to continuously edit my work up front.
When I learned to turn the editor off and the writer on, writing
the first draft became much more fruitful.
 What's
Next?
As Anne Leland I'm working on an erotic comedy novel and two
contracted novellas for Midnight Showcase.
As Barb Webb, I'm working on a few new articles for various magazines
and a proposal for a new frugal living book as a follow up
to The Mom's Guide to Earning and Saving Thousands on the Internet
(McGraw Hill, ISBN 0071457763).
I also blog daily at www.MOMdotCOM.blogspot.com
and produce content for CLUBMOM.
In my spare moments (ha ha!) I'm working on a dark paranormal
romantic suspense that I expect to have finished early next
year.
 Advice
for Aspiring Writers
It's been said time and time again, but it's true —faith
and persistence can take you a long way. The hardest part of being
a writer is the constant uncertainty, rejection, and waiting.
Decide what it is that you want from writing and a writing career,
then follow the best path.
The Last Word
Believe in yourself and your work, keep learning your craft,
and hold fast to your dreams!
Visit Barb online at www.BarbWebb.com
Visit Anne Leland online at www.AnneLeland.com
(Interviewed Novermber, 2006)
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