Marketing for Romance Writers Magazine May, 2019 Volume # 2, Issue # 5 | Page 5

P. E. KAVANAGH (Cont.)
INTERVIEW
MFRW:
PEK: Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I‟m completely obsessed with the human
mind and spirit, which I‟ve been studying for
at least twenty years. I also think that the
greatest incubator for human development is
the intimate relationship, so all my stories (so
far) include that element. They sometimes
veer quite a bit toward psychological fiction,
but I love the central theme of a love story.
I understand the desire to escape to these
worlds as well as the desire to see ourselves in
the flawed and lovable heroes and heroines.
Romance tells me, over and over, that so
many more things are possible than what I
might find in my ordinary life. It is exciting,
inspiring, and emotionally satisfying.
Unlike many authors I talk to, I‟m rarely
happier than when I get to write about some
sexy time. Writing a fight scene or a chase
scene would have me hitting my head against
a wall. But a sex scene puts a big, fat smile
across my face.
MFRW: What is your writing routine once you start a
book?
I don‟t follow a set schedule, primarily be-
cause my life—as a bicoastal mother
and business owner—is fairly chaotic.
Sometimes I write just a few hundred
words, or spend time cleaning up
pieces prior to publication. Then
there are periods where I‟m cranking
out 10,000 words or more a day. I
follow the rhythms of my body and
my creative uprisings. Thankfully, they
always come. My MacBook Air is
PEK:
5
never farther than
arm‟s reach away.
As for creative
process, I have
been shifting, with
each manuscript,
from hardcore,
determined
“pantsing” to al-
lowing more and
more plotting ear-
lier in the process.
As opposed to strangling my creative flow
(which I had assumed in the beginning), un-
derstanding structure is allowing me to create
much more cohesive and coherent work. So,
after the typically messy first draft is done, I
then start applying an overlay of a three- or
five-act structure to the whole thing. It‟s like
making a huge sheet cake, then carving it to
resemble a landscape. Or a face.
Because my settings are so varied—from
beds to planes to coffee shops—I haven‟t at-
tached any particular ritual. Even if my be-
loved computer is down, I can write on sticky
pads, restaurant nap-
kins, and even my
phone, when in need.
I always make music
playlists for each
book and if I listen to
anything, it‟ll be that.
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