Today’s interview is with Grace Cox, author of Daring to Dream, who shares with us how she names her characters, how much of her real life pops up in her work and the most memorable feedback she’s received about the book.

LZ: What prompted you to start writing?

GC: For me, writing is an addiction that I can’t live without. I remember scribbling stories with pencil and paper when I first started school and I completed my first “book” when I was around seven years old. I just hope I’m getting better with age!

LZ: Where did the premise for Daring to Dream come from?

GC: I had a terrible crush on my first boss–he was the original Mr. Sex-on-Legs–but I never dared hope he’d notice me–until the day he did. Then I almost passed out with excitement. As for what happened next, I’ll leave that to your imagination… We’re not together anymore but he was well worth all the heartache!!

LZ: What was your first reaction when you learned the book was going to be published? Had you been published before?

GC: Daring to Dream was my first novel. When I heard Lyrical Press were to publish it, I ran around the house like a bunny rabbit on speed! It was like winning the lottery and sometimes I have to pinch myself to come back down to earth. (I like bouncing around the house–it’s a great feeling!) I’m thrilled so many people have read my book and given positive feedback!

LZ: Did you learn anything from writing the story? If so, what?

GC: I know this will sound horribly cheesy but for me, the moral of the book is that we all need to dare to dream. I’d wanted to write professionally for years but this was the book that launched me. The editing process taught me a huge amount about writing too. I’m a big fan of being brief but concise–for me, there’s nothing worse than thinking “Yeah, yeah, stop waffling and hurry up with the story” while you’re reading a book! Working with an editor really helped me focus on the key moments in the story.

LZ: How did you go about picking names for the characters?

GC: I’m really glad you asked this – because it’s a nightmare to do! Your name tells so much about you! It betrays your age (names are subject to fashion, just like anything else) and where you live (popularity of names varies around the world). The best example of this is the number of girls aged around 20 in the UK called Kylie after Kylie Minogue. In the late 1980s, the TV soap Neighbors was a huge hit here and all the girls who watched it wanted to be Kylie… Hence the popularity of the name!

The hard thing as a novelist is to find a name that suits your character’s personality and their age and will work around the world! I scavenge around car boot sales looking for old books of baby names – they’re a great source of inspiration. So far the oldest I have is early 1990s, but I’d love to find some really old ones, the 1970s or even the 1950s would be fascinating to look at!

As for [Daring to Dream's] Jason and Sarah, they’re both names I like that are fairly international and common to the age group of their characters. I figured out their dates of birth then chose from the popular names in those years…

LZ: What kind of feedback have you gotten back about your writing? What was the most memorable thing someone said about it?

GC: I’ve been delighted with the response to the book; it’s had six incredibly positive reviews and readers have e-mailed me directly too, which is so encouraging! The most memorable things people have said were Fern at Whipped Cream complimenting the book as having “tight writing and a brisk pace throughout” and Audrey at Romance Junkies commented “The twist at the end will keep you on the edge of your seat and make it impossible to put the book down.”

LZ: Does your real life ever sneak in your fiction? In what ways?

GC: Hmm… I could give you the standard author’s answer that all writing is drawn for life experiences etc., etc.–but we’re being brutally honest here, right? The first time Jason kisses Sarah, he abruptly pulls away from her as common sense kicks in and tells him he shouldn’t be messing with his daughter’s babysitter… Well, let’s just say it was easy to write that scene as I knew exactly how panic stricken she was at that moment…

LZ: Do you have any 2010 writing goals or creative projects you’re working on?

GC: I’m working on a full-length erotic romance, Seduced By The Playboy Heir, which I hope will be published later this year. I’m also developing a crime story, which is a completely new genre for me–but it’s got a few romantic encounters in it too!

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To purchase Daring to Dream from its publisher, Lyrical Press, visit www.lyricalpress.com/daring_to_dream.

To learn more about Grace Cox, visit www.gracecox.co.uk.