Episode 125: Crafting Series — Interview with Elisabeth Barrett

by Gabriela Pereira
published in Podcast

Hey there word nerds! Today I’m speaking with Elisabeth Barrett, a romance author living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Elisabeth spends her days teaching, editing, writing sexy contemporary romance, and enjoying time with her sometimes-bearded husband and three spirited kids. She is constantly perfecting that juggling act between home/work/writing, but in her free time she loves to hike open space preserves, grow orchids, bake sweet things her husband won’t eat, and sing in grand choruses.

Her latest book Anywhere You Are is out now from Random House and she also has an indie published West Coast Holiday Series box set that is out just in time for the holidays.

In this episode we discuss:

  • Crafting a series for the Romance genre and all the considerations that go with sustaining a story across multiple books.
  • Different ways that series can play out. In Romance, one of the big trends is having series consist of “companion novels” focusing on a different romantic couple in each one.
  • How characters can change over the course of a series, and how to adapt the story as your characters grow and evolve.
  • Finding that work/life balance, especially when you have a family or a “day job” that compete with writing for your attention.

Plus, Elisabeth’s #1 tip for writers.

About the Author

Elisabeth Barrett lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and spends her days teaching, editing, writing sexy contemporary romance, and enjoying time with her sometimes-bearded husband and three spirited children. She is constantly perfecting her home-work-writing juggling act, but in her free time she loves to hike open space preserves, grow orchids, bake sweet things her husband won’t eat, and sing in grand choruses.

If you want to learn more about Elisabeth, check her out at any of these places: Author Website, Author Newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads.

Below, I share more details two of Elisabeth’s latest projects Anywhere You Are and her West Coast Holiday Series boxed set. As with most books we recommend on this podcast, the links that follow are Amazon Affiliate links. This means that if you decide to purchase through these links, DIY MFA will get a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Anywhere You Are

As the daughter of a music legend, Grace Davingham knows all too well what it’s like to be burned by the media’s glare. Now all she wants is to be left to do her painting and conservation work in peace, with no intention of returning to the spotlight. But after she sprains her ankle hiking and a handsome real-estate mogul comes to her rescue, Grace once again finds herself in the public eye.

Sexy, successful, and averse to any attachments, Marcus Colby thrives on rigid discipline in order to manage both his real-estate investment company and his personal life. Marc has no time for fun, and no patience for crazy. Which is why meeting Grace—and inheriting an enormous Great Dane who won’t listen to a word he says—has turned Marc’s carefully constructed world upside down.

Only when Grace and Marc square off over a local controversy do they realize how different they really are. But if opposites attract, their love is destined to bind them together—forever.

Anywhere You Are is the third book in the Return to Briarwood series, and is preceded by Once and Again and The Best of Me.

West Coast Holiday Series

These three sexy and emotional stories are set in scenic Northern California. They’re available as a box set and make a great holiday gift for the romance reader in your life.

CHRISTMAS IN TAHOE

At first glance, Chase Deckert and Ann Smith seem to have nothing in common. He’s a snowboarding instructor living a low-key life in Tahoe, and she’s an actuary who spends most of her free time working in Silicon Valley. But as the holiday weekend unfolds, they learn more about each other–and themselves–than they ever imagined. All it takes is one long, steamy Christmas to help them realize they’re meant to be together.

NEW YEAR’S IN NAPA

Workaholic scientist Amanda Aligheri has a New Year’s resolution: go to Napa, relax, and achieve some balance. The problem? There’s no chance to soul-search while tempting-as-sin winemaker Liam Flynn is around. Mandy and Liam have history together, and one glance at his easy smile reminds her exactly why she fell for him the first time. It’s up to Liam to convince Mandy that he’s the man for her now and forever.

RENDEZVOUS IN POINT REYES

Shy, quiet Stella Flynn escapes to Point Reyes to wallow after a rough divorce, but little does she know that sexy, free-spirited Jason Roberts has other plans. Jason has secretly been in love with Stella for years. Unfortunately, she’s his best friend’s younger sister, and Stella’s brother would kill him if he ever broke her heart. Over a long, romantic Valentine’s Day weekend, Stella and Jace discover that seduction is a game that’s easy to lose … and that the path from friends to lovers is never as smooth as it seems.

Link to Episode 125

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

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