Conflict is vital to creating a story that sustains itself. There has to be a struggle for the characters, they need to earn their happily ever after.
Anna J. Stewart was the girl in the back of the class with a paperback romance hidden in her algebra book. She jokes that she came out of the womb with a book in her hand and says her mother never said no to a book she wanted to read. Anna began writing in high school and loves creating something out of nothing, of having a glimmer of an idea transform itself into a story somewhere between thought and fingers. An award winning and a USA Today bestselling author of sweet and mainstream romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance, her more recent books are thriller romances.
Lyndi: Always an avid reader, how did you start to write and why the focus on family?
Anna: I started by accident, actually, in high school. We’d call it fan fiction now, but then they were little romances featuring ourselves and our favorite rock stars. This coincided with me reading my first romance novel, Partners, by Nora Roberts. From then on, I knew what I wanted to do: read and write romance.
I think the focus on family was a natural progression. I love writing large casts of characters and fell into the “building” the family you need, not necessarily confining oneself to the family we’re born to. It’s fun writing a bunch of personalities into one story and of course it gives me lots of story fodder and characters for future books!
Lyndi: How does writing for anthologies differ from novel writing?
Anna: Writing anthologies has a lot more responsibility in regards to working with other writers. It’s not a solitary project, you have to take into account what others are doing with their story that connects to you. So it takes some flexibility and understanding and perhaps a little more patience, too.
Lyndi: A Recipe for Romance was made into a TV movie A Christmas Recipe for Romance. What was it like to watch your story being filmed and then see it on the screen?
Anna: It was amazing! And a complete surprise. I had no idea it was even happening until they’d already started filming. I’m a huge TV and movie geek, so having the chance to visit the set and see it working from behind the scenes was a real dream come true. Watching the finished product, at home with my mom, who has always been my biggest supporter, might be one of the best days of my life. Madeline and Sebastian (the lead actors) were absolute perfection and Brain Power Studios was so gracious and welcoming. As was their entire cast and crew.
Lyndi: Exposed and Vanished deviate from your previous books into the sub-genre of thriller romance. How did you come to write them and how do they differ from your other romance titles?
Anna: Lezli Robyn, my editor at Caezik romance, said they wanted me to write a single title romance for them, followed quickly by her asking me “What do you want to write?”. I’d had an idea in my head for a while and it just kind of burst out of my lips: Women’s Murder Club meets LA Confidential. Her response was “I want it.” That might be every author’s dream come true. I’ve been writing romantic suspense for Harlequin for a number of years, but The Circle of the Red Lily series (there are 5 planned books) takes that in a darker direction. It’s just fun to be able to write about some of my favorite subjects (Old Hollywood, secret societies, murder and mystery) in my favorite genre of romance (hot couple alerts for sure!). That said, even these books are all about family. Temple House, the apartment building where all my heroines live, is one big family of convenience and choice. Which makes it perfect.
Lyndi: As well as other writing workshops, you offer one called, “It’s All About Conflict,” to reading and writing organizations. Why is conflict so important to a story?
Anna: Conflict is vital to creating a story that sustains itself. There has to be a struggle for the characters, they need to earn their happily ever after. That means they have to overcome obstacles and have a meeting of the minds to get together in the end. So yeah, conflict is vital, otherwise there’s no reward at the end, for either the characters or the readers.
Lyndi: How has working with a publicist helped you market your books?
Anna: Before Arc Manor and Caezik, I’d never worked with one before. It’s really opened my eyes as to how marketing can really benefit a title and a publishing house. Having someone who will focus in on your work, on what you’re writing, and finding the appropriate places to do that is a little bit of a weight off an author’s shoulder.
Anna J Stewart is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty sweet to spicy romances. Primarily writing for Harlequin’s Heartwarming (sweet romance) and Romantic Suspense (spicy) lines, she also writes for Arc Manor’s Caezik Romance. In addition to being a Holt Medallion winner (Bride on the Run), she’s finaled in both the Daphne duMaurier, and the National Readers’ Choice. In 2019 one of her books was optioned for television. No matter the story, Anna’s books are always about family—the ones we’re born to and the ones we create.
Anna lives in Northern California where she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually cooking, baking, binge-watching her newest TV addiction, and re- watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural. She also spends a frustrating amount of time wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock. You can read more about Anna, her books, and her workshops for authors at www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.
