Rickey R Mallory is the author of Time Rider and Heart of the Hero, both reviewed here on this site.  But did you know that she also writes as Mallory Kane and does a lot of the artwork for both her own books and many others.

It is a wonder she has found the time to do this interview but we are very grateful to her and would like to welcome her to the Magical Romance Website.

LB    First of all could you please tell us a little bit about yourself as an introduction to the visitors to the site.

RRM    I retired early from my position as assistant chief of pharmacy at a large metropolitan medical center to pursue my other loves, writing and art.  My love of books comes from my mother, who taught me that books are a precious resource and should be treated with loving respect. My grandfather and my father were both steeped in the southern tradition of oral history, and could hold an audience spellbound with their storytelling skills. I aspire to be as good a storyteller as my father.

I love romantic suspense with dangerous heroes and dauntless heroines. I'm also fascinated by story ideas that explore the infinite capacity of the brain to adapt and develop higher skills, and stories that remind me of the faerie tales my mother read me when I was little (some might say paranormal stories).

LB    Your books which are featured on this site are both under the name Rickey R Mallory.  You also write under the name Mallory Kane.  How do the books under each name differ?

RRM    My ImaJinn books (as Rickey R. Mallory) are big paranormal stories with romantic suspense elements.  The Mallory Kane books are Harlequin Intrigues, smaller Romantic Suspense, and never or hardly ever paranormal. 

LB    What are you working on at the moment (bookwise) and what can we expect to see on the shelves soon?

RRM    Well, my next book will be BULLETPROOF BILLIONAIRE, due out in August 04 from Harlequin Intrigue.  This is the 2nd book in a 3 book mini-series which will be released in July, August and September of 2004, called NEW ORLEANS CONFIDENTIAL.  I'm in exalted company on this project.  Rebecca York is doing the first book, I have the second, and Joanna Wayne is winding up the mini-series with the September book.  Working with such popular and brilliant authors has really made me feel special (and humble!) 
My  next Ultimate Agent book for HArlequin Intrigue, tentatively titled WIDOW WITNESS will be released in November of 04.  I'm completing work on it now.  It's about the Special Agent in Charge of the Division of Unsolved Mysteries, Mitch Decker.  He's always been in love with his boss's wife.  Now widowed, her life is in danger and she turns to the only man her husband trusted, Mitch Decker.  The two of them are on the run together, with Mitch's heart in a battle between loyalty to his murdered boss and love for his boss's widow.
 

LB    You have done the artwork for both Time Rider and Heart of the Hero covers as well as a number for other people.  (Very good covers btw- especially like the Heart of the Hero one).  Which of the covers that you have done was the most easy to visualize and which was the most difficult?

RRM    Easiest to visualize was the cover for TIME RIDER.  I'd had that cover in my head ever since I started working on the book.  Later I wished I'd put a close-up of Rider on the cover, but I still love the cover.  Thank you.  HEART OF THE HERO is my favorite cover too.
 

LB    As well as your own writing and cover art you also do critiques.  Being a critique of others do you find this helps you with your own writing or is it a case of being too close to the subject to notice when it is your own work.  And however do you manage the to fit everything in?

RRM    I LOVE judging and critiquing.  It's only when I read someone else's stuff that I can see some of the glaring mistakes in my own.  My former critique group had a saying 'well, it'll work for YOUR book.'   We meant, of course, that problems we couldn't see in our own writing were easy to spot in someone else's work.  Although I try to learn something from each critique I perform (and I generally do learn something!) I still find it extremely hard to effectively critique myself.  I firmly believe a good critique partner is a must!!! 
FITTING EVERYTHING IN?  Argh!  I can never fit everything in.  I stay behind on something all the time.  Usually it's housework, which doesn't bother me much <g> or something for my husband, which does bother me (because it bothers him).  Right now I'm supposed to be doing my part in getting everything together for taxes--guess what I'm behind on??

LB    Correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe that you did the artwork for the books you write as Mallory Kane.  What was it like to relinquish control of the cover to someone else? 

RRM    It was awful!  The good news is Harlequin has these wonderful things called Art Fact Sheets!  I get to tell the art department what scenes I think would make good covers, and I get to send them pictures representing my hero and heroine, and the scenes, if I can find or draw a picture that's appropriate.  So far, Harlequin's art department have been very good about using my suggestions.  Their artists are fabulous, and they've done great jobs with my covers.  (Fingers crossed that my covers will continue to be as exceptional as they have been.  So as long as I can have the sense that I'm contributing ideas for my Intrigue covers, I'm happy.
 
 

LB    I see from your site that you are a supporter of your mother's genealogy project.  Do you have an interest in this hobby yourself or is that stretching your time too much? 

RRM    My mother, along with an exceptional lady who has done several genealogy books, spent five years compiling and researching the book.  She is 82 years old!  Finally she had to stop and say "Okay, it's done."  Just like fiction writers, she discovered she could keep researching and revising forever.  I love genealogy, thanks to her.  I think it could become an all-consuming hobby for me.  It's one more thing among the many I have to choose to do or to put off.  <sigh>

LB    Where do you find the inspiration for your works, both art and books? 

RRM    I find this a very interesting question.  When people ask about inspiration for books, are they asking about ideas?  If so, I seem to get them everywhere.  A line on a TV show, a picture of a gorgeous, an interesting, or a sinister-looking person, an article in a newspaper, an overheard remark.

My first Harlequin Intrigue, THE LAWMAN WHO LOVED HER started as a writing assignment.  The assignment was to start with a person in a tub or shower who hears a noise in their house.

BODYGUARD/HUSBAND began as an interest in the term "Black Widow" as used for women who marry and then kill their husbands.  That's not what the book is about now, but that's where the idea started.

HEART OF THE HERO was my revenge on whoever did the movie SOMERSBY!  I was so frustrated by the end of that movie that I decided to write it my way.  Of course my way included setting it in the near future instead of the Civil War as well as a bunch of other differences, but that was the inspiration.

As far as artwork, generally I like to read the back cover copy and maybe the synopsis of a book I'm going to illustrate.  Then I let that 'percolate' for a few days.  As I do, images come and go.  Often, I'll start with one idea and then it changes as I work on it, much like a book changes as we write.

I love concept covers more than illustrative covers.  So I prefer a cover like HEART OF THE HERO over a cover which would depict a specific activity in a specific scene in the book.

LB    What do you think has been the highlight of your writing career so far and where do you see your career going from here?  Do you see yourself branching into another other genres for example? 

RRM    So far the highlight of my career has been the delight and surprise of each and every contract.  I'm so thrilled that people like what I write that every time it happens, it's like the first time.  I hope I never forget that feeling.

I've been very fortunate.  Harlequin, Denise O'Sullivan, the Senior Editor for Intrigue, and my former and current editors have all been extraordinarily supportive.  I was given the incredible opportunity to do the NEW ORLEANS CONFIDENTIAL series I mentioned above.  I was allowed to propose an ongoing mini-series of my own called ULTIMATE AGENTS, and have it accepted as a concept.  I really can't say enough good things about working for Intrigue.

Of course I want to branch out!  I'm happy and content doing Intrigues, but I love paranormals, I have some stories that are NOT Intrigues that I'd like to sell to other imprints or other publishers.  As far as I'm concerned, writing is the Final Frontier.  There is no limit to the imagination, so there is no limit to what one can do if one puts one's mind to it!

For those who are where I was a very short time ago... still aiming to get that first contract, I say  never give up.  Never.  Never ever.  The people who make it in this business are the people who can work through the rejections, through the slow times, through the heartache, through the good times.  I've seen in time and time again.  Those who persevere become successful.  Those who can't take the lows or the rejections or the inevitable blows to the ego, fall by the wayside.  This is an art, but it's also a business.   It took me nine (9) years to become published, and it could all fall apart tomorrow.  But I don't plan on ever giving up.

LB    Finally, do you have a message for all your readers out there? 

RRM    My readers.  Two of the most beautiful words in the English language.  It awes me that I have readers.   To each and every person who has read and liked a book of mine or maybe even more than one :)   thank you.  I hope I never let you down, although I know I will.  Nobody can please every reader every time (okay well maybe Mary Stewart!)  My mother taught me to read, to love and respect books, and to treasure good stories.  More than anything, I love to read.  Thank you for being readers, and thank you for liking my books.  Please write and let me know how you feel.  I'd love to know what you like--and <gulp> what you don't like, so I can do it better.
 

Thanks for doing the interview.  Sorry to say that now there is one less excuse for you to avoid those taxes :-)

Visit Rickey R Mallory at any of her sites below.
http://www.rrmallory.com http://www.mallorykane.com http://www.ultimateagents.com

Reviews: Time Rider and Heart of the Hero