Interview with Bethany Sefchick

Author of The Pirate’s Seduction

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I’m originally from Houtzdale, a small town in central Pennsylvania and I now live in State College, Pennsylvania with my husband and our very over-crowded fish tank. Oh, and a bunch of raccoons in the trees behind our house, but I’m not sure those count, even though they’re on the deck every night.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

It’s actually not that far, geographically, between Houtzdale and State College – only about 30 miles or about a 40 minute drive – and both of my parents worked in State College while I was growing up. However, in other ways, there’s a huge difference between the two places, especially since State College/University Park is the home of Penn State, where I went to college. Everything from the culture to the overall lifestyle is just so different between the two locations.

About two months before I graduated from Penn State, I started my career in television and since everything about that job was so demanding and time consuming, I ended up staying in State College, even though my original plan had been to go back to my hometown. It was more of a practical decision than anything else, but sometimes, I do regret it a little bit.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

After seventeen very long and grueling years in television, my gut was telling me that my career in that field was coming to a close. I had gone as far as I could in this market, and even most markets above this one. I had done things that I never even dreamed about accomplishing when I was a kid, even though I was in a small market but because I worked on a nationally syndicated series. By that time, I had my awards, including my coveted Emmy award, accolades and commendations. Unless I moved to New York or LA? There wasn’t much else left for me to accomplish and in truth? I was burning out in the world of television and what I had found so magical and captivating in the beginning had long since lost its luster.

So in the summer of 2009, I took a step back and took some time to figure out what came next. I’ve always worked hard and, as my family and friends would say, I can’t ever “just rest.” I always have to be doing something. At that point, it was time to figure out what the “something” was that I wanted to do and I dabbled with a few different ideas. However, the one thing I had done consistently since I was a child was write. There were always stories spinning through my head, usually romantic ones. I’d also always had a strong desire to write a book. I just didn’t know if I could. I felt that I had decent stories and while I knew I was far from an expert writer, I still thought this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Being a writer was actually what I had wanted to be as a child. I just let people talk me out of it and pick something more “practical” like television, which, looking back, wasn’t really practical at all.

So that summer, I sat down and decided to give it a try. The first book I wrote was, in a word, terrible, but I had some people look at it and I was told that it had promise. After that? I just kept writing and writing and writing until I had crafted three more novels (that will never see the light of day) what I thought was a decent, possibly-releasable novella. I shelved that novella for awhile as I worked on my first full-length book, a paranormal romance set in the world of ghost hunting called “Ghosts of Lovers Past.” When I was ready, I released the novella independently and got to work trying to get “Ghosts” published. It was far from a perfect book, but I got some good responses, publishers said they liked the book, but what they really wanted was vampires. I wasn’t interested in writing about vampires. So I decided to strike out on my own, especially as places like Amazon were making it so easy.

“Ghosts” did marginally well, but I still wasn’t quite “feeling it” with modern romance so I decided to try other things, including Regency romance, which is where I really found my niche. My “Tales From Seldon Park” series is now twenty-one novels and seven novellas in, so earlier this year, I decided that I needed to keep branching out or risk getting stale.

I’d always had this pairing in my mind for a couple and pages worth of notes about them, but the Regency era didn’t quite seem to fit. So I played around with the characters and one night, I was struck by the realization that my hero? He was a pirate. After that? I knew exactly where to take that novel. So I sat down and wrote “The Pirate’s Heart” in about two weeks with almost no break, and I did it in between a Regency romance and a modern, magical romance. I can also say that was the most fun I’d had writing anything in a long time, because, let’s face it, pirates are just plain fun! Especially when they’re being a little saucy and a lot naughty.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

In a word? My books are “spicy,” to use a term I’ve heard applied to them often by readers of all ages. No matter if they’re modern, paranormal, magical, Regency, pirate or steampunk-based, all of my books are romances with spice, and that’s not just to see how far I can push the boundaries. Love and passion and romance and sex are, in my mind, all co-mingled in some ways. Still, in my opinion, the root of any good love story is passion. If there’s no passion? Then everything is a little lackluster. So if you want love and romance with a little spice, rather than, “wholesome and pure?” Then my books are for you.

I’d also like to say that my books are human as well. My characters aren’t perfect. nor are they so flawed that readers can’t quite believe their redemption story. IN short, they’re more human than superhero. In the end, though, their hearts are in the right place and, I’ll say it again, they have passion – about their journey, their lives, and their partners.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I think anyone who has loved or is in love or is hoping for love is likely to connect with my books. If you like the idea love, have been in love, are seeking love, or just enjoy stories about love, then my books are for you. I don’t do tragedy or horror or depressed endings. There’s enough of that in the world today as it is.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

Since I’ve been in the creative world for so long, I don’t know that I’ve learned anything new, exactly, but I did have some old lessons that I forgot over the years reinforced. There is value in failure because with that? You won’t know what success is. I’ve remembered that it’s necessary to get back up again, no matter how many times you trip and fall because there’s an excellent chance that one of these times? You won’t fall. You’ll keep going. I’ve also remembered that criticism, when offered in the right spirit, is a valuable thing.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

I would tell myself to keep going and that everything, whether it’s finishing a novel or promotion or editing or cover selection, does get easier. When I first started this journey, I remember looking at my “To Do” list on my laptop and thinking that it was impossible to do one thing on that list, let alone all of it. However, it is possible and in the end, the pay off is worth it. Also, good covers are worth the price. I’d remind myself of that, too! That was the one piece of advice I got going in and I’m so glad that I stuck to it.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Ideally, as many as possible who are interested in romance. I know my books aren’t for everyone. Even if a reader likes romance, they might be put off by the “spicy” nature of what I write. There are other readers who think romance is a waste of time, so there’s little I can do to change their minds. Rather, I want to reach as many readers who, in short, love the idea of love as I possibly can.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

My biggest challenge so far is trying to keep things concise. I like words. They are what I do. However, I am also becoming more aware that sometimes, the story needs to move along faster than I’ve written it. There are times when I end up going back over a chapter and realizing that it’s just too much. Knowing what to cut and what to keep when the words become overwhelming is truly a challenge.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I’m a writer so that’s my biggest strength. I’ve been writing things since I was five and could pick up a crayon and make decent letters, even if the stories about missing unicorns weren’t that great. For me, the writing is the easy part. It’s everything else that’s more difficult.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

For me, it’s marketing, mostly because that’s not something I’ve ever had to do before. I took classes on it and I’ve done it. I’m doing it now. It’s just not all that easy for me to know where to market, what’s most effective, how to get my message across – that sort of thing.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I actually just finished my Regency holiday novella – as in I finished it last Friday and today is Monday. I have readers that get cranky if I don’t put out one every year at this time. Since it’s the holiday season and I make jewelry to “clear out the writing cobwebs,” I’ll take about two or three weeks to give my mind and my hands a rest. After that, I should start writing my next pirate novel in the “Cutlass and Lace” series around mid-December. The story is there, the characters are ready, and I have a rough outline of where I want to go. I just need to sit down and write!

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I am self published. I made some attempts at traditional publishing, but the answer was always the same: “it’s great but what about vampires.” That wasn’t something I could bring myself to write about. After being told so many times that vampires were my future and with Amazon’s KDP really starting to hit its stride, I decided to take a chance on self-publishing. I’d heard that it was harder work, and it is in some ways, but the satisfaction I get from being able to tell my stories (mostly) as I envision them makes it all worth it. I also like being able to make money from telling my stories. It’s crass, yet, but if someone is getting paid because of my imagination? It should be me and not six middle men from a publishing house who hate what I write anyway.