The Novel Lady Interviews Author Hildie McQueen

September is "Hildie McQueen Month" here at The Novel Lady!

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of historical romance… Highlands or Western or whatever.  Makes no difference.  I love them all.  And because of that, I am especially excited about interviewing USA Today Bestselling author Hildie McQueen!  

Hildie McQueen loves unusual situations and getting into interesting adventures, which is what her characters do as well. She writes romance because she is in love with love! Author of Romance in Highland Historical, Western Historical and Contemporary, she writes something every reader can enjoy.

So…. without further ado, let's get to it…

Scherry:  Hi Everyone!  I’m here with Hildie McQueen, USA Today Bestselling author of numerous romance novels!  Thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed on The Novel Lady. We're huge fans of your work and thrilled you're here to talk to us.

Hildie:   Hi Scherry and readers!  Thank you for inviting me to visit The Novel Lady.  This is exciting!! I’m pouring a cup of tea and searching for something sweet to eat...oooh a cookie!

Scherry:  Sounds good.... reaching for a cookie myself.  So Hildie, tell us a bit about your background.  I read somewhere that you used to work for the government.  That’s rather ominous!  What did you do?

Hildie: My life in one sentence. Born in Mexico, grew up in San Diego and joined the Army at eighteen.  I worked for Military Intelligence my whole life.  The funny part is I never did anything exciting.  I was a paper pusher my entire career, but if anyone asked me about my job, I always embellished because saying human resources person, or database administrator is boring.  My usual answer to people asking what I did for the government is.  “I worked with highly classified material in locations all over the world.” In a way personnel files are super confidential.  Aren’t they? *Snicker

Scherry:  You've got to admit that being able to say that you worked for Military Intelligence at least "sounds" pretty exciting!  

You have so many different romance novels out right now.  Have you ever veered away from romance and written anything else?  Not that you should!  You do a great job with the romance!  But have you in the past or have you ever thought about maybe in the future writing something in a different genre?

Hildie: Thank you, romance is my lane and I plan to stay in it. Every writer has tons of ideas in their mental file. Maybe one day I’ll write a fictional work about a lady who does crazy things in an effort to get her husband’s attention.  I guess it would be women’s fiction.

Scherry:  Are you a plotter and know what’s going to happen or are you a pantser (writing by the seat of your pants) that lets your characters lead the way?

Hildie:  I’m a panster.  It’s kinda like being a reader. I don’t have any idea what will happen from one scene to the next.  I have a general idea of the beginning, the middle and the end, but everything else goes wherever the characters guide.

Scherry:  What do you do when you’re not writing?  Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

Hildie:  I am obsessed with paper planning.  I love decorating my many planners.  Oh and I love YouTube.  I watch videos every evening while the hubby binge watches SyFy stuff.

Scherry:  Some authors have favorite characters, or characters they love to hate. Do you have any favorites or not so favorites? Which of your characters would you like to hang out with… or wake up next to?

Hildie:  Oooh-La-La.  I’d pretty much sleep with any of my heroes.  I would be a total fictional slut monster.  I write men who call to me and who I find utterly attractive and fascinating.  I would love to hang out in medieval Scotland with Valent, the hero in Highland Archer.  Time with Adam Ford of even heroes cry would be awesome. He’s super hot.

Scherry:  I totally agree with those choices!  Very hot!  Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

Hildie:  While still working for the government, the towers fell.  In December of that year, my hubby and half of the guys I worked with were deployed with the marines into Afghanistan.  Besides them being civilians and first on the ground over there, my guys were not allowed to carry weapons.  Over the next couple years as the unit we were assigned to went back and fourth to war, I saw transformations in them.  Adam Ford, the hero in Even Heroes Cry is a compilation of what people bring back from war.

Scherry:  Wow!  That's interesting!  I can read that in a whole new light now!  Can you give us any hints or teasers about what we can expect in future books?  Are you working on anything right now?

Hildie:  Oh my goodness.  I am smiling wide.  The second book in the Laurel Creek series, Broken: Taylor will be a heart breaker.  This guy has gone through so much and his story will bring out things from him that some men keep locked inside.  I think the readers will both hate me and love me when they read his book.  Broken is the sequel to Jaded: Luke, which is the story of a cowboy with PTSD.  

Also, I am releasing the next book in Brides for All Seasons.  Christina, A Bride for Christmas is up for preorder now.  In this mail order bride story, which releases September 30^th, the heroine goes through a lot prior to arriving in Wyoming.  When she finally gets to the town, her future husband is not exactly waiting for her...  (wink)

Scherry:  Can't wait to read them!  I recently read "Wilhelmina, A Winter Bride" and I loved it.  My review for that book is scheduled for tomorrow here on The Novel Lady. So naturally I'm anxious to read Christina, A Bride for Christmas.  And I'm looking forward to the sequel to Jaded: Luke as well!
Hildie, do you have any advice for new writers?

Hildie:  Write something every single day.  Every. Single. Day.  Hire professionals for editing. It’s best top learn what you’re doing wrong in the beginning than after releasing books and getting bad reviews.  Oh and grow a thick skin, people are bullies. 

Scherry:  Great advice!  Can you tell us some of your favorite books or authors who inspired you?

Hildie:  My muse to love and write romance was Bertrice Small. Ms. Small influenced me to fall in love with historical stories.  My favorite author to read is J.R. Ward.  I love her edgy style.

Scherry:  Hildie, thank you so much for chatting with us.  I’m looking forward to reading more of your books… AND I’m looking forward to seeing you in Daytona Beach in February 2018 for the Coastal Magic Convention.

Hildie:  Thanks a bunch! See you in Daytona!!



Hildie McQueen's books are too numerous to list all of them here, but you can take a look by clicking on this link to her website...

Hildie McQueen's Books

And here's a sneak peak at a couple of her latest and upcoming books:

If two people are meant to be together, nothing can stand in their way. When everything goes wrong are you still meant for each other?

After being dispatched to Blanchard Creek, Wyoming by her mother as a mail order bride, Christina Mills tumbles from one mishap to another. As if arriving in Wyoming with a fever, losing luggage and being accosted by the hotel owner isn’t already bad enough, her to be groom decides to back out of the marriage.

Alexander Barrett Patterson is a man of honor. However, the scars from battle are more than skin deep. Rather than tying the beautiful woman to a cripple, he decides to give her up and suffer the consequences of a decision every ounce of his being protests. Now, if only half the town would stop trying to make him change his mind.

A story of hurt, scars and the healing power of love.

Broken: Taylor

Ex-detective Taylor Hamilton is broken. After the devastating loss of his children and parents, his marriage crumbled and fell apart. No matter how easygoing he appears, sadness overtakes him when he’s alone. His way of dealing with it has him headed straight for disaster.

Allison had two reasons for returning to her childhood home of Billings, Montana: a fresh start after a failing relationship and a handsome rancher she’s loved since high school. When Taylor thwarts her plans by courting his ex-wife, her heart is crushed once again. Perhaps there is a way to get his attention, even if it’s not entirely honest.

Do Taylor and Allison have a second chance at love, or will they destroy each other in the process?