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QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Beverly Barton answers readers' questions about her prolific writing practices, the recurring characters from her novels, and the methods she employs to disengage from the haunting characters she creates.

Rita from Coppell, TX: I looked at your publishing history and am amazed at how many books you have written. How do you maintain your pace?

Beverly Barton: I’m a workaholic. Actually, I’m not a fast writer, so over the past 18 years (since my first book was released in 1990), I have put in some long hours/long days/long weeks at the computer. And I reward myself after I finish a book by having lunch with friends, going shopping, reading a book at the top of my to-be-read pile, pampering myself with a massage and/or a manicure and pedicure. And to be honest, once one book is completed, there are always ideas for more books vying for my attention and I usually can’t wait to get started on the next story.

Barbara from East Meadow, NY: Where do your ideas come from?

Beverly Barton: This has to be the question that writers are asked more frequently than any other and is one of the most difficult to answer. My ideas come from inside me, of course, from a lifetime of experiences, memories, world events, joys, tragedies, etc. Every movie I’ve ever seen, every song I’ve ever heard, every story my grandmother ever told me, every newspaper article I’ve read, everything that has happened to me, to friends and acquaintances, are all inside my writer’s mind. I combine those with my vivid imagination and, like magic, a story forms in my thoughts and then I transfer those thoughts into written words. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had stories in my head, even when I was a small child.

Tabitha from Cumming, GA: Will we see Griff and Nic in a new suspense book?

Beverly Barton: I’m delighted that readers have been clamoring for more of Griff and Nic because I love these two fascinating people. In my next romantic suspense novel, COLD HEARTED, Nic and Griff make brief appearances, as do Sanders and Barbara Jean. The hero of this next book, Rick Carson, works for the Powell Agency. I have tentative plans to include Griff and Nic in upcoming books, especially those that will feature Dr. Yvette Meng and possibly trial lawyer Camden Hendrix, as well as several Powell agents.

Kelsey from Anderson, SC: Are you ever haunted by your evil characters, like Rosswalt Everhart?

Beverly Barton: After I finish a book, I release the evil character who has tormented me while I was writing the book. If I didn’t, I couldn’t continue writing about such inhuman monsters. When I write a scene with an evil, cruel, mentally twisted character such as Rosswalt Everhart, I go into a dark place inside my soul, so when I finish a scene, I have to walk away from my computer and do something that renews my spirit. I will call a friend and laugh about something silly. Or I’ll call my daughter and talk to her or to one of my grandsons. Or I’ll go outside and take a walk. Or I’ll meet my son for lunch. I do something that reminds me of all the good there is in life.

Sandy from West Farmington, OH: When is your next book coming out?

Beverly Barton: My next book, COLD HEARTED, is set for release in September this year. This is a novel that incorporates a new twist on the old black widow theme. My hero, Rick Carson, is hired to conduct a private investigation into the suicide death of the late Senator Daniel Price. Complicating the investigation is Rick’s attraction to the lovely, young widow, and the discovery that the senator isn’t the first man in Jordan Price’s life to meet an untimely death.

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