I'm so pleased to welcome Jannine Corti Petska as my guest author today!
Welcome, Jannine. Please
introduce yourself. Tell us a little about the person behind the pen.
I’m Jannine Corti Petska, author of
historical romances. I began writing 30 years ago when my three daughters were
young. I’m a native of New York although I’ve lived in Southern California
since the age of three. I have 6
grandchildren, 3 Rat Terriers and one husband!
Why
did you decide to write historical
romances? What is the appeal?
I hated history in school, mostly due to
the fact that my teachers were boring. (I loved and excelled in English grammar
and writing.) It’s rather odd that I’d end up researching and writing
historicals. But thanks to Kathleen Woodiwiss and Johanna Lindsey, I was
hooked. I discovered how much I had missed by not paying attention in my
history classes. I suppose I’m making up for it now, lol.
Stories of romance mixed with the
historical background goes hand-in-hand for me. A romance can come out of any
situation. I become a part of the history and travel to places I’d never been
or would never go to.
How
much research goes into your books, and how do you tackle that?
An idea for a story will pop into my
head. Setting depends on the story’s plot. Then I establish my hero and
heroine, names included. That’s always been a must for me before I begin to
write. I lived in libraries, searched
used book stores and library book sales, and antique stores to find books on
the subject I needed. When I started, there wasn’t the internet. Now, however,
the internet is the first place I go to learn more about the era I plan to use.
I rarely step foot into a library these days. Having over 2000 research books
in my home library helps me stay home while I work on the research. Still, it
takes several months to compile my notes. And I continue to research during the
writing process.
What
is the best comment you ever received from a reader? The worst or weirdest?
It’s difficult to pick just one. Readers
have said I paint a vivid picture with words. Others felt like they were
transported back in time.
I haven’t had any negative comments from
readers. But one reviewer said she loved the book and the writing of the
western she read, but she went off on the rape scene. There wasn’t a rape scene. I suppose that could go under weirdest.
Tell
us a little about your writing style? Do you plan and plot your stories, or do
you just plow through them?
I plow through them. I have an idea
where I want the story to go, but I cannot plot it out. That really cramps my
writing style. However, I usually loosely plot the last 3 chapters so I know
how the story is going to end. But sometimes I stray from what I thought would
be the ending. I never know the certainty of a book’s end until the very last
chapter.
Can
you tell us a little about your current work, SURRENDER TO HONOR? Is there a
story behind the story?
This book is the second in my Italian
medieval series and is set in Palermo to honor my Sicilian mother. It actually
tells the story of the beginning of the mafia—not that my mother was part of
that organization, lol.
The hero returns home after a 15 year
absence. He finds his father dying and his family in a battle over who will
rule Palermo. It’s not an official rule like a king’s. The ruler is the head of
a family others can go to when there’s trouble, look to for guidance—la
famiglia. And no, I don’t mean the mafia, lol. The powerful leader has
wealth, respect, and brings no harm to anyone…except the bad guys.
What
sets your heroine Prima Ranieri apart from all the other women in your hero
Antonio Massaro’s life? Why is she perfect for him?
Antonio is about peace and doesn’t carry
any weapons. But do not mistake him for
a beta male. Quite the contrary. The
women in his past were bored wives, single women, or any woman he desired to
satisfy his sexual needs. But Prima is a warrior. She dons armor and is an
expert with several weapons as she battles the evil Falcone family. You might
say she was 600 years ahead of women’s lib. <g> She doesn’t frighten
easily and is a huge source of frustration and intrigue to Antonio. Really,
their relationship is a case of opposites attract. But in dealing with her
impulsiveness, Antonio learns a lot about himself and about true love.
Have
you ever had writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
I’ve had nearly 10 years of writer’s
block, lol. The turn of events in my life and the stress I’ve endured nearly
killed my thought process. I couldn’t think beyond the simple plot idea of (for
example, from TEMPT NOT MY HEART, book 4 of my Italian medieval series) the
hero goes to Siena for business and the yearly Palio but gets caught up with a
few not so nice people with ulterior motives. The heroine is not your dainty
female. She’s tall and somewhat a plus-size woman. And she desires to go to
Siena’s medical school but cannot afford to get in.
Plot ideas during those 10 years were
stagnant. I’d gotten very depressed because my mind was virtually blank. I’ve
never been good in dealing with writer’s block. I let it eat me up.
Then last year, one of my editors asked
if I’d write a short story for a certain line. I was terrified. I had written
only one book three years back, and it was a struggle to find the words and
ideas. That went on from beginning to end of that story, which took 7 months to
write. I’ve never gone past 2 months to write a full-length novel. But it was
such an honor to be asked, so I accepted. That started me on the road to
writing again. In November, I did the NaNoWriMo challenge for the first time
(and last!) and muddled my way through the 50,000 words required to “win” the
challenge. It pushed me into rebooting
my thought process. I still struggle for ideas, but I usually go out and
garden, play with my three dogs, watch Italian professional soccer on
TV—basically anything that does not require me to think. That allows my mind to
be free to whatever thoughts about my story pop into my head. For a while
there, I had the neatest gardens, and I think I wore my dogs out. J
Can
you give us a little background on your hero Antonio Massaro that’s only in
your author notes, and not found in your story?
What you see is what you get. I always
reveal all my hero’s secrets by the end of the book. If there’s anything in
creating his character that I don’t use, I make note of it for another hero. I
detest secretive people— I’m suspicious of them. I’m all about the truth.
That’s why my hero and heroine come clean by the end of the book.
What
inspired you to create this character?
Antonio is a combination of many male
relatives, all Italian, of course! If my hero’s tall with black hair, then he
has a bit of my favorite cousin Sonny (Antonio is his real name) whom I had
planned to marry in my little girl dreams.
(He was 20 years older.)
My hero Antonio was the stable master in
book one of my Italian medieval series, THE LILY AND THE FALCON. In that book,
there was a lot of mystery behind his character. But that wasn’t his story, so
I brought none of that mystery to light.
Describe
a favorite scene in your current novel.
Prima likes to train with her weapons and
Antonio’s men to keep her skills up. She’s an expert at archery, and as adept
with a sword in her hands. One day, he’s fed up with her distracting his men
and challenges her to a swordfight. Because it’s known that he doesn’t carry
weapons, she figures he wouldn’t be much of an opponent. She hates to humiliate
him, but she’s ticked off with him and thinks he deserves the humiliation. She
soon learns Antonio is not without skill in swordplay. Curious about how that
scene ends? You’ll have to read the book. J
What else do you have in store for your readers?
DANTE’S FLAME, Book 3 of my Italian
medieval series, will be released in July. I am presently writing book 4, TEMPT
NOT MY HEART set in Siena around the Palio. In August, MINE TO KEEP, the short
story I mentioned above, will be released.
Would you care to share an
excerpt from your book, SURRENDER TO
HONOR, book 2, Italian medieval series
Blurb
Prima Ranieri seeks retribution
for her family's death and loss of home and land. Her plans go
awry when the heir to the powerful Massaro family returns home. After only one
glance, Prima's attraction to him undermines her furor toward those she blames
for her plight.
After a fifteen year absence, Antonio Massaro
returns to Palermo to find a war raging between his family and the evil
Falcone. His refusal to accept his rightful position as the head of the
Honored Society carries serious consequences. The welfare of the people of
Palermo is at stake. But one look at the beautiful woman Prima has become costs
him his heart. She's a deadly distraction...one that
jeopardizes her life as well as his own.
Excerpt
Antonio ordered Prima
thrown into the dungeon. In this scene, he goes down to release her from the
rack where he had previously secured her wrists and ankles.
“If you confess, you will
find yourself free before nightfall.”
“I have naught to confess.” She
lifted her chin and met his gaze.
“You attacked me. By what reason
did you greet me with unfriendly intentions?”
“I thought you were a…thief,
looking to prey on the innocent women weeping for their dead.”
“Liar.”
She glared up at him.
“You had no other reason than to
seek revenge on the Massaro and the Falcone. You thought I came, summoned to
Palermo by one of those families, another man willing to join forces with powerful
foes.”
“Was it not I who you bade to
confess? Alas, since you have spoken my truth, as I already did after you
captured me, am I free to leave?”
Antonio forced back a grin caused
by her saucy remark. “Clever, piccola.” He pulled open the cuffs at her wrists anyway,
ignoring the shock spanning her features. “They were never locked,” he
admitted, watching her shock turn to seething hatred.
She sat up, rubbing her wrists.
He scooped her surcoat from the rushes and sat down beside her legs on the
raised rack. When he took her hand in his, she snatched it away.
“I mean only to tend your cuts,”
he said.
“I shall see to them myself.”
Prima tugged her surcoat out of his hand. “The ankle cuffs?”
Antonio glanced back at her
wiggling feet, all the while aware that her eyes were on the leather tie holding
his long hair in place. It was uncommon for a man of wealth and honor to wear
his hair below his jaw; he didn’t care. He turned then and caught her staring.
The ill-lit dungeon did not conceal the warm flush unfolding up her cheeks.
“It appears we are in a small
quandary. The ankle cuffs are locked, and I have not the key.” He rose to
search the dungeon. He picked up an axe and curled his fingers around the
leather wrapped handle. From the corner
of his eye he watched Prima as he raised the old weapon to his lips and blew
the dust free. When he cleaved the table with the sharp blade, Prima gasped. “This
should do, I think,” he said.
“Wh-what are you
about?” Her eyes widened as he raised the weapon high above his head.
“What—? Dio!” She clasped her hands behind her neck and pulled
her head between her knees. The chains jerked her ankles and her legs slammed together,
snapping against her ears. He knew of no easier way to rid her of the chains.
One final blow freed her completely. She raised her head, rubbing her ears, and
shook herself of the gypsy bells undoubtedly tinkling within. She touched her
hair, felt her neck, and exhaled loudly.
Astonished, Antonio asked,
“Think you I would take your head?”
She boldly met his gaze. “Sì.”
Where can we find you and your books?
Jannine Corti Petska
