Lori and Tony: Oh, we can see you're not going to go easy on us, are you? ;} Hmm, let's start with what's most important to us and that's family. We have two boys, Tony, Jr. 23, and Tim, 22. I know, their ages qualify them as men now, but they'll always be our boys. Both are at a crossroads right now, questioning what they want from life and how to go about getting it. Gotta tell ya, watching them is the perfect cure for those moments when we wish we were a little younger (okay, a lot younger!). Truly, I don't think either of us would trade what we have now for that time when you're trying to create your own unique identity. We constantly ask ourselves where we see ourselves in five years and steadily work toward the goals we set and that never includes returning to the past. Another question we constantly grapple with is what we're giving back to the world. Now that's a tough one. And I don't think we've completely answered it to our own satisfaction yet. When we do, y'all will be the first to know. *g*

Since Tony is Greek, it's only natural that we met in a Greek diner. Think "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding" and you'll get a pretty good idea of the setting and situation, except that neither one of us worked there ... and I was a little younger than he was. But don't tell him I told you that. If you try to follow his fuzzy math, I'll soon be older than him. Snickers.

We have a huge soft spot for stray cats. So much so that three out of our four indoor cats were a stray's entire first litter. And the five others (spayed!) we feed outside are descendants of the same Mama cat. Tim wants to get a dog - a boxer to be more exact - but Tony, Jr. shares our love for felines and has three of his own.

We adore traveling. In fact, we recently returned from a family visit to Greece. Check out a few snapshots by going to

Okay, there are more than a few. Actually, you may want to carve out some time in order to go through them all. Yeah, I'm one of those camera-happy people who's always telling you to smile. Notice it also guarantees I'm not in the majority of shots. Yes, there's a method to my madness.

Beaty: When did you know you wanted to be authors?

Lori and Tony: April 13th, 1984, at 11:18 p.m. Okay, I'm fudging on the exact, to-the-minute time, but it was somewhere around there. It's a moment neither one of us will forget simply because it changed our lives so dramatically. You know, that all important "identity" moment I mentioned above. That bolt of lightening. That sense of complete and utter knowing. And all because Tony had turned to me during one of our favorite book review sessions (I'd been reading Shirley Conran's LACE and he'd just read Sidney Sheldon's THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT) and he asked that dangerous and exciting question, "Why don't we try writing a book of our own?" It had never been him, or me, it had and continues to be always "our," "we," and "us". And neither of us have ever regretted a moment of it.

Well, okay, maybe there's that one time when Tony wanted to have the hero of THE P.I. WHO LOVED HER sit on a tin roof in the buff. Yikes! And, of course, I never want to touch his horror idea that still sometimes gives me nightmares. *vbg* And, boy, does he ever have the eye-rolling bit down to a science whenever I bring up my idea for a sweeping romantic WWII saga.

Beaty: How did the joint career come about? Why did you choose romance?

Lori and Tony: At some point we'll learn to browse through all of the interview questions before we answer 'em. ;} I think we answered the first question above. As for the second question, it really wasn't a conscious decision. We didn't buy that ream of paper and a typewriter and set out to write a romance. No, when we initially decided to write we just, well, wrote. And the end result happened to be a romance. I don't know. They tell you to write what you know. And I suppose subconsciously we realized that we knew our romance best. A better career we couldn't recommend!

Beaty: From my research, I know that you split the writing duties. Please explain how it works. And don't forget to tell us who writes all those beautiful love scenes! *Very Big Grin* Ladies' rooms and body paints!!! WOW!!!

Lori and Tony: Oh, Beaty! We're tickled you read our books as evidenced by your ladies' rooms and body paints references!

Ahem. Okay. Now that we've batted our egos back into place, let's focus on the question. Our writing duties ... In the beginning we tried several different approaches, from the obvious - Tony writing the male viewpoint, me the female - to the more inventive - me writing dialogue, Tony writing narrative - but none gave us that seamless quality we were looking for. It wasn't until we tried on the hats we still currently wear, that of Master Plotter and Chief Writer, that everything clicked into place. As the master of all things plotterly, Tony gets final say on plot matters while I do the majority of the actual writing. As for the sex scenes, we get out our Kama Sutra book, try the positions out ourselves, then highly suggest our favorites to our characters ... *g* Just joshing. Although that might not be a bad idea. With nineteen published titles to our credit, and seven more scheduled within the next year, I think we could use some fresh ideas ...

Anyway, back to the question. Since I am the preeminent expert :::sniff::: on all things writerly, I get first crack at the sex/love scenes, letting the characters dictate where they'd like to go and what they'd like to do. Then Tony goes over the scenes, making the male viewpoint, well, more male. After that, I go through and ax all crotch-scratching, excessive rearranging, and other cruder, unnecessary references that fall solidly into the "TMI" - too much info - category. (Something I found out immediately is that men really are all about the sex, even when they're being romantic. Especially when they're being romantic. And it's definitely not something that wanes with time. *vbg*)

Beaty: Do your characters "talk" to you? Do they behave and do as you want them to or do they tend to have minds of their own? Who is better behaved - the heroes or the heroines?

Lori and Tony: The first time our characters talked directly to us I swear I shrieked! I remember it well because the heroine was probably more similar to our own personal backgrounds than any we'd written before. Oh, yes, Margo Karras fought us every step of the blasted way and we ended up with a book that didn't work for any of us. In fact, I don't think we submitted that manuscript more than once before locking it away in the closet where it probably belongs. (It ended up being a women's fiction title rather than straight romance because of Margo's lack of cooperation. Talk about missing a happy ending!)

Before Margo we approached our characters from a Godlike-angle, controlling them somewhat like the characters you see in claymation. "And now you'll go here and you'll do this. That's it ... that's the ticket ..." Post Margo, we can't shut any of our characters up.

We suppose outsiders will find something, well, a little strange about our conversing with our characters. The experience must be similar to what someone suffering from mild schizophrenia goes through, or a child who creates an imaginary friend. Since we do plot so heavily in advance, each element is linked tightly into the next, so understandably it's beyond frustrating when we get to a certain major plot point and a character balks. In the beginning we used to push and shove them, grumbling all the way, into our predetermined mold. Now we respect their opinions and, more often than not, re-plot the rest of the story along with the character in question. So our collaborations include more than just the two of us.

Beaty: What happens if you disagree on a story? No way can you sell me on the fact that it's always smooth sailing. *Grin* I've talked to authors - I KNOW!

Lori and Tony: Oh, it's always smooth sailing. Always. *g*

Okay, I just choked on my coffee.

Of course we disagree. In fact, there are some days it seems we agree on nothing. I hate those days. From something as simple as what breed the heroine's dog should be, to whether we're going to whack the next door neighbor (in our books, of course. We adore our own neighbors. *vbg's*). This is where compromise comes in. It helps that the Greeks just naturally have a knack for bartering, and women are born debaters. So we move into these contentious situations knowing the other's priorities and keep track of those ideas previously discarded, and we haggle it out until we reach a workable agreement. Failing that, we call our agent or our editor and let him or her choose for us. *g*

Sure, we both have ideas that we've shelved. Refer to the mention of my sweeping WWII saga above that makes Tony gag, and his Stephen King-esque horror idea I wouldn't touch with somebody else's ten-foot pole. We keep saying we're going to work on these ideas separately, but somehow we never seem to get around to it. I think that's mostly because we enjoy working together so much. Well, I'd like to think that's the reason anyway. *g*

Beaty: Since you work together and, obviously, live together, what do you do to take a "break" from each other?

Lori and Tony: Hmmm ... we've never been asked that question. Truthfully, times are few when we need a complete break from each other. We share the same workspace - I moved into the guest bedroom for about a six-month period eight years ago, decided I didn't like it, and moved back into what will forever more be known as "Tony's office." Sigh. Boy, do I ever regret that one. *lol* We spend the majority of our time together both in and out of the office. It helps that we share so much in common and truly enjoy and treasure each other's company.

I suppose a mini-break for me would be my buying a book from one of my many favorite authors and laying claim to the sofa until I've turned the very last page. A break for Tony would be having free reign of the DSL line to surf the Web to his heart's content.

Beaty: I have to admit my intro to Tori Carrington was through the McCoys. A fellow reader said, "Beaty, you HAVE to read the McCoys!" So, of course, I did. And, of course, she was right! (For the RBLs - The McCoy series is about a family of law enforcement men who love and support each other. Their camaraderie and teasing gives the reader a warm glow inside. I absolutely loved them.) Did you enjoy doing this type of writing? A series of interwoven stories where the characters grow more in each story? What special challenges does this type of story give the writer? And, VERY importantly, are you planning more? Now *that's* a question!

Lori and Tony: We're thrilled you enjoyed the McCoys, Beaty. Those six guys (the five brothers and their father) will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

It's funny, but the majority of our books seem to link some way, be it through friends or siblings or work colleagues or ... well, you name it. I guess it all goes toward the whole community mindset. When you create a character, you're not just creating them, but everyone surrounding them. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire cast of characters to make a hero or heroine. And, inevitably, you're going to stumble across one or two - or five! - who want their own story.

The whole miniseries process comes as naturally to us as breathing. It's actually a chore not to write intriguing secondary characters who'll eventually want their own books. Let's face it, since the hero and heroine are connected to their relatives and friends, then those relatives and friends are likable or the hero and heroine wouldn't be very heroic.

Writing a five-book miniseries like the McCoys, however, provided some unique challenges, both from a writing and a publishing standpoint. Not only do you have to plot each book individually, you have to plot all five up front, and then you have to include an overall story that stretches the length of the series. We had a blast doing this with the McCoys, which was our first series endeavor. We went out and invested in a huge white board and spent days plotting everything out, shading in the brothers' and father's roles in each of the others' books, and weaving the father's story throughout.

From a publishing standpoint, since the first book in the series, LICENSE TO THRILL, was our second published novel with Harlequin Temptation, we weren't in a position to have all five books released closely together (they were spaced out over a two-year period). It's a paying-your-dues type of thing. New authors usually have to prove themselves before they're given a shot at writing such an in-line miniseries at Harlequin. In fact, we were extremely lucky they picked it up at all. But we do wonder if it wouldn't have been better had the books been released back-to-back.

Oh, oh, oh! Our editor Brenda Chin just this very minute passed on the great news that the first book in the McCoy Men series is being reprinted by Harlequin's By Request program in 2004! Don't have all the details yet, but we'll post everything to our site as soon as we do. Yes! The Magnificent McCoy Men live!

We have continued in the miniseries tradition (we can't seem to write a book without stumbling across a connected character clamoring for his or her own story!). There's our three-book Blaze Legal Briefs miniseries, our current Blaze Kiss and Tell trilogy, and our coming Blaze Sleeping with Secrets miniseries. Then, of course, two out of our last three Silhouette Special Editions (in addition to our next SSE, WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, due out March 2004), all take place in the fictional town of Old Orchard, Ohio.

Yes, our circle of friends keeps growing and growing. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Beaty: I read somewhere that your editors edit out some of your hotter stuff because it's "too much" for a Harlequin story. Can you give us an example of something that would be taken out? *Very Evil Grin* I've read your stuff, and I gotta tell you I'm not sure how it could be hotter!

Lori and Tony: Actually that's no longer the case. We - and all our fellow Harlequin authors - are given special license to be as hot as we wanna be. In our case, we're even encouraged to turn up the heat in our Silhouette Special Editions, which is a welcome shocker. Of course, Harlequin does discourage cruder language, anything outside the boundaries of a monogamous relationship between the heroine and hero, and so on, but that's understandable. After all, in the end we're writing not only for the romance market, but for women who specifically read Harlequin and expect and find comfort in the product the company offers.

Beaty: I know you must have some great fan stories since you make many appearances to meet them. What's one of your favorites?

Lori and Tony: I think one of our favorites is actually one of our first. You see, it took us a long, long time to sell our first book - thirteen and a half years to be exact - and we'd met, and continue to meet, many, many great people at writers' conferences. And it was right after our first book was published, we happily made the acquaintance of a fellow writer/fan - who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty! - at Ohio Valley Rya's annual conference. We ended up spending an extended amount of time with her over the course of the conference and had grown quite fond of her. Imagine our surprise, then, when on the last day of the event she suddenly appeared more than a little nervous around us. When we asked what was the matter, she blurted out something along the lines of, "Oh my God, I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, here you guys are, these great authors, and I've practically been *stalking* you this entire conference. I'm so sorry." Of course, we immediately stopped her from running away from us, and were completely gobsmacked by her comment. I mean, first and foremost, we're people. People who spent a long, long time on the other side of that exclusive velvet rope and have truly learned that it really is all about the journey, not the destination. Not only that, but we thoroughly enjoy meeting and spending time with fellow travelers we meet along the way no matter if they have a hundred published titles to their credit, or have never put pen to paper.

We're pleased to say that this special woman is still a friend as well as a fan. And that she'll always be branded with the title as our first personal stalker!

Beaty: How long does it normally take to write a book?

Lori and Tony: We've turned out a book in as little as fifteen days, and sweated over another for over three months. The average time falls in between there somewhere. It all depends on the book, really. The lighter comedies we can turn around fairly quickly (having said that, fate will dictate our next comedy be torture on earth). The darker, more heavily plotted books take much longer. For example, the first McCoy book, LICENSE TO THRILL, was a breeze to write. The fourth, FOR HER EYES ONLY, was like trudging through quicksand.

Beaty: I know that authors don't stop the story in their mind when they are done with a book. I KNOW they don't always give us the whole story. *Grin* One of the things I like to do in my interviews is ask one of the characters a question. I'd love to ask Connor about the bedrooms. "Did you manage to fill all six? Is it different being the Daddy to your own versus being Daddy to your brothers?"

Lori and Tony: Oh, what a unique and perfectly wonderful idea! Let's give Connor a virtual telephone call and find out ...

Connor McCoy, the eldest of the McCoy Men, is pleased to hear from us. It's been much too long since the last time we talked and we have a lot of catching up to do. We pose your questions to him and he says, "Hold on a second, won't you? My youngest, Ryan, is trying to fit one of his square wooden pegs into the light socket." Sound of the telephone receiver being put down, a baby squealing then crying, quiet male murmurs, then Connor comes back on line, his voice a welcome rumble.

"Sorry about that. Normally Bronte would be around to take care of the kids while I'm on the phone, but she's at my parents, Sean and Wilhemenia's, picking up the twins on the way back from her prenatal appointment."

A pause, then, "What was the question? Oh, yes, bedrooms and whether or not we've filled them all yet." He clears his throat as if not all that comfortable discussing items of an intimate nature, then continues. "Let's see ... at this point, our two-year old twins Caitlin and Colin like sharing a room, but Bronte and I see that changing fairly soon. Just this morning Cait didn't take kindly to finding gummy bears knotted in her hair. Then there's one-year-old Ryan who's in the bedroom next to ours, although we'll have to move him one down when the new baby arrives in about five months. So, you see, we don't have all six bedrooms filled yet, but we're, um, busily working on it." We can hear a characteristic McCoy man grin in his voice and decide not to ask him to elaborate.

"Hold on a second. I think I hear Bronte's car in the drive." The sound of the phone being moved, then, "False alarm. My brother Jake just pulled up with his kids, Lili and Jean Claude. We're going out pumpkin hunting after lunch." A pause and we can imagine him considering how much his life has changed over the past three years. "Is it easier being a father to my own children rather than my brothers?" A muffled, mild swear word, then a quiet chuckle. "I'd like to say yes, but I can't. You see, even when I was looking after my brothers, Pops was around somewhere and could have stepped in if I needed him, even if I didn't know that at the time. Now ... well, now I'm flying solo."

The sound of a door opening and children's voices. "There are Halloween cookies on the kitchen table. Keep your hands off the wall as you go down the hall," Connor says, presumably to his niece and nephew.

"Who's on the phone?" we can hear Jake ask.

"Just a couple of old friends," Connor tells him. "Actually," he says directly to us again, "maybe what I said isn't quite accurate. Because now, with my own children, I not only still have Pops to back me up, I have my four brothers. Or should I say we all have each other? And that's a very nice thing to have, indeed ..."

Thanks so much for this opportunity, Beaty! We'd love it if you could pass on that we're currently holding two drawings on our site. The first is for $25 and a copy of our November Blaze, FLAVOR OF THE MONTH. The second is for goodies we picked up for one lucky winner during our recent visit to Greece.

Now, back to creating more friends to share with everyone ...