Interview Carol McPhee
by
Carlene Havel
Retreat To Danger by Carol McPhee is the story of a reclusive Maine fisherman who has his emotional defenses shattered by a new pistol-packing neighbor intent on protecting her young son.
1) How did you choose Maine as the setting for Retreat To Danger?
Most of my stories take place in Nova Scotia and my critique group was feeling a bit left out as they are mostly American, so where else is like Nova Scotia? Maine!
2) Do you personally identify more or have more empathy for your hero or your heroine?
I identify mostly with my heroine I think because I feel her emotions, her insecurities, and her pain.
3) What did you find most challenging about writing Retreat To Danger?
This was the first time I used a woman as the villain and while she was fun to write mean, I can't stand such jealous types.
4) Which of your characters was the most fun to write about, and why?
Good question. The most fun to write was Jenny in Alaskan Magic, but I liked the gay cowboys in Something About That Lady, too. To go beyond my own personality and what I know is a challenge and if the characters turn out distinct and likeable then I've achieved a monumental goal.
5) Did completing Retreat To Danger leave you attached enough to one or more of its characters to make you want to write about him or her again?
I've already been asked by an editor to consider writing an historical based on two of the lesser characters in the story. This story is a story within a story with two love involvements running parallel. I did this once before in Jeweled Seduction.
6) If you were going to stage a play based on Retreat To Danger, and you could have anyone you wanted to make up the cast, who would you choose to portray your main characters?
I would want Mel Gibson to play lobster fisherman, Greg Sanders. If you remember Mel's role in Man Without A Face, he lived as a recluse in a similar locale and was the strong silent type I portrayed for Greg. I would always choose Julia Roberts to play any of my heroines. Dream on!
7) Do you work on several projects simultaneously, or do you finish each book or story before beginning a new work?
At one time I worked on three manuscripts at once but found myself getting the characters mixed up, lol. Now I tamp down other storyline ideas until I've finished my work in progress.
8) What person in history, living or dead, would you like to time travel and spend a year with, as research for a book based on that person?
For my present manuscript I've been researching 18th century Nova Scotia and would love to visit with Simeon Perkins in Lunenburg. His home is preserved as a museum and visiting there gave me a feel for life during those times. He was a privateer and so is one of the characters in my work.
9) Does the unexpected development of a character ever persuade you to change your plot line?
For sure. Those pesky characters keep appearing frequently and won't stay down unless I use them in my story and once I do they make their own demands on the plot.
10) What is your current work in progress?
My current WIP, tentatively called Shadows Of Sunset, is the story of a corporate shark taking advantage of a woman desperate for a substantial loan to save her ill father from bankruptcy. He doesn't count on falling in love with her. Though written in modern times, there are elements of an historical nature arising from interference by Erin Parker's 18th century ancestors. Nova Scotia's pride and joy, Bluenose II even plays a role.
I invite readers to visit my website: http://www.geocities.com/carolmcphee2003