Beneath the Covers,Past
A Romance Column
By Carol Ann Culbert Johnson

Introducing Rhonda Noble….

Carol:  Give a short bio about yourself.

Rhonda:   Let me begin by introducing myself.  My name is Rhonda Noble. As An avid romance reader since the age of 12, I’ve spent many a long summer’s evening in my parents’ back-yard swing reading and trying my hand at writing. In my late teen years I wrote mostly poetry for my parents and old boyfriends. Of course my parents kept every line I wrote, as for the old boyfriends – I’m certain those hit the garbage quickly.

Born, reared and a lifelong resident of Tennessee, in a small but growing town, just 19 miles south of Knoxville, Loudon County has always held the perfect mix for me. It’s just small enough to be friendly and large enough to be convenient. Our home on the hill gives a wonderful winter view to the Great Smoky Mountains. On the clearest of January mornings, I can look outside my kitchen window and see the highest peaks capped with snow.

My husband and I were blessed with three wonderful children. The eldest two have made us grandparents and the youngest is in college. With no more daily mothering required from me by my children, my idle hands and love of romance takes me to my computer where I am only bound by the circumference of my dreams and imaginations.

Carol:  Tell us about your motivation to write. 

Rhonda:  I have always been writing “something,” mostly poetry.  My father was by far my biggest fan and source of encouragement.  I have a vast imagination, and writing romance is fun for me.

Carol:  Explain your journey to publication. What was your reaction and how has it changed your life? 

Rhonda:  “On a Rainy Day” took several months to write and to be honest when it began, I didn’t intend to seek publishing.  When the book was finished and I took a look at what I had accomplished, I knew I wanted to see it in print.  The problem with publishing was I didn’t have a clue where to begin. I spent about a month online reading and researching and finally stumbled upon PublishAmerica’s Web site.  I sent the query and they requested my manuscript. I almost didn’t send it.  When I took a critical look at my book, I decided it was good enough and deserved a chance.  Speechless, would be the only words to describe the feeling I had the day PublishAmerica called me to say they wanted to publish “On a Rainy Day.”  I mean those words literally, the lady thought I had hung up on her, I couldn’t breathe or speak for several seconds.  The journey with PublishAmerica thus far has been a joy for me as I have basked in the delight of every phase.  Being a Published Author makes me proud and knowing that this book will be around for my great grandchildren even if I am not - gives me a great sense of joy and satisfaction.  I can’t say this experience has changed my life, but it has changed the way I view myself.

Carol:  Describe your current book. 

Rhonda:  “On a Rainy Day is an unconventional romance about two people both in loveless relationships. They meet online with their hearts and in person with their souls.  A terrible accident finds one of them estranged from the realities of her past and as such leaves the love of her life searching for answers.      A woman of character and highly set moral standards, Catherine Daniels has led a quiet life and has always done what was expected of her. She has made the best of bad situations and even endured years of loneliness during two less-than-ideal marriages. With a simple click of the mouse and years of wondering “what if…”Catherine finds herself heading down a road where what is right and what her heart wants will be two different things—if she can survive. For Alex Stevens, Catherine was his escape from unhappiness into a fantasy world. She was the woman of his dreams on the screen. But what happens when she is also the woman of his dreams in real life—and not available?

Carol:  List your other books, and describe them.

Rhonda:  Although I don’t have any other books which have been published, I plan to write two more to make “On a Rainy Day” a series of three works chronicling the lives of the three Cress sisters. They will all be romance novels but the second one will include abduction, a rape, a murder and a big surprise which will challenge every reader to take a closer examination of their own heart.  The third in the series will be a “feel-good romance” revisiting life and finally giving an answer left questioned in book two. Any of the three will be “stand alone books,” in that a reader can choose to read them all or just any one of them and get a complete story. After that, I have several more good idea and plans for many other novels.

Carol:  Who is your one favorite author?

Rhonda:  Linda Lael Miller.

Carol:  What is your advice to aspiring writers? 

Rhonda:  If you believe you can, with enough work and devotion, you can.

Carol:  What is your genre of writing?

Rhonda:  Romance.

Carol:  Where do you want to take your writing in the future? 

Rhonda:  I want to continue to create stories and lives that others may read, follow and enjoy.

Carol:  Do you like writing short stories, novels, poems or novella? Which is your favorite and why?

Rhonda:  Novels are the best to me because I can actually create a whole life for my characters.  Although I may try my hand at short stories someday.

Carol:  What is your opinion of your current publisher and would you recommend them to others? 

Rhonda:  Yes, Publish America has been wonderful to me so far in my journey to being a published author.  Any questions I have had (and there were many) were handled efficiently and in a courteous manner.  I would definitely recommend PublishAmerica to anyone seeking a publishing opportunity.

Carol:  Would you self-publish and why or why not? 

Rhonda:  I would prefer not to self-publish.  I like the thought that there is someone else walking behind me that knows the way when/if I get lost.

Carol:  What do you think of the black writers today? 

Rhonda:  That would be a hard question for me as I do not see color when I read.  A good author is a good author in any race.  However I must say I have noticed that more black writers of today are writing less about their heritage and more about life of today.  Not being much of a history buff, it makes those works more popular for the me with the material I prefer to read.

Carol:  What family member, if any, supports your writing?

Rhonda:  My entire family is a “complete support system.”  Without them, I would be hopelessly lost as writing takes up a lot of my time.

Carol:  Have you done any book signings? If so, what was the result? 

Rhonda:  My book has just recently finished the publishing stage.  Although I have several events planned – none as yet have been held.

Carol:  What are your marketing tools for your books? 

Rhonda:  Bookmarks, business cards, flyers and word of mouth from a lot of friends.  We travel quite often and I keep a supply of cards and bookmarks with me to leave everywhere I go.

Carol:  Give us your website and email address where we can purchase and check out your work. 

Rhonda:  My email address is: noble7@charter.net and my Web site is: www.freewebs.com/rhondanoble.

Carol:  Did you attend writing classes, and if so, what is your opinion on writing seminars, degrees, and workshops? 

Rhonda:  I have taken writing classes and I suppose they were helpful.  But I truly believe we do best what we love to do.

Carol:  What are your other hobbies?

Rhonda:  I love sports, reading and trying to be lazy.

Carol:  What is your favorite voice to write in and why?

Rhonda:  I like third person.  I feel it gives me more objectivity as I develop my characters.

Carol:  Do you want to write full-time or is this just a hobby for you? 

Rhonda:  I would love to write full-time, that would be my dream come true.  However, for now, I must work.  I am a photographer.

Carol:  In reviews of your books/short stories, etc., is the feedback positive or negative? 

Rhonda:  All of my reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

Carol:  Do you have an editor?

Rhonda:  No I do not have an editor, but I have a dear friend who is an editor and she is kind enough to read through my work.

Carol:  Do you have an agent?

Rhonda:  No.

Carol:  Where can your books/short stories be purchase?

Rhonda:   “On a Rainy Day” (ISBN 1-4241-8450-9) can be purchased directly from the publisher at www.publishamerica.com.  It is also available online through most major booksellers or it can be ordered from any local bookstore. It can also be purchased directly by contacting the author at noble7@charter.netnoble7@charter.net.

Carol:  What is the message you want to send out with your books? 

Rhonda:  Life can have a happy ending, although it isn’t always the ending you had planned.

Carol:  Is non-fiction and historical something you want to write in the future?

Rhonda:  There is only one non-fiction book I plan to write before I die and that will be the story of my son and his friends growing up together from early childhood into adulthood.

Carol:  Is science-fiction, romance, or mystery a genre you’d like to pursue? 

Rhonda:  I think I am in love with love (romance).

Carol:  What kinds of books do you like to read? 

Rhonda:  Romance.

Carol:  What is your full-time job?

Rhonda:  I am a photographer, wife and mother. 

Carol:  If God gave you three wishes what would they be and why? 

Rhonda:  My three wishes won’t require an explanation, they would be for my children to be close, prosperous, safe and happy – oops, I guess I really want four wishes.

Carol:  Tell us about your upcoming books and events. 

Rhonda:  As I mentioned before, “On a Rainy Day” will be a series of three books chronicling the lives of three sisters.  The second book is almost complete and I hope to have the third written by Christmas.  I am planning a launch for “On a Rainy Day,” as well as several signings and I hope to speak to some of our local high school students who may be interested in writing.

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