It is an absolute honor to share with you my Interview with New York Times Bestselling Author Ruth Harris.
Did you always
want to be a writer?
No, although I was always a big reader. Miss
Nose-In-A-Book. I wanted to be an ice skater and join Ice Follies! Then I
wanted to be a lawyer but a summer job in a law firm killed that one dead. When
I first got out of college, I wanted to be a programmer for IBM—I was very good
at math (not arithmetic!). Then I got a job in publishing & my fate was
sealed.
Your 20th
Century Series which includes Decades, Husbands And Lovers, Love And Money, Modern Women and The Last Romantics I found to be fascinating
and totally relatable. What was your inspiration for this series?
The inspiration was my life and the lives of my friends
during those decades of tremendous social and cultural change. We struggled
with jobs, relationships, boy friends, marriage, and challenging the
traditional boundaries that had defined women's lives for so long. We made
plenty of mistakes but we also eventually opened the doors to the many
opportunities women enjoy—and struggle with—today.
You have
released the Killer Thrillers boxed set which includes Hooked and Override. Did
you enjoy writing in the mystery/thriller genre?
I love writing thrillers! Love reading them,
too. I spent a lot of time in mmpb publishing and loved working in all kinds
of genres. Plus, I have a lurid imagination!
What do you hope
readers will experience while reading your books?
I hope my readers will be carried away by the
characters and the story. I want readers to find my characters and plots
believable—and have been told many times that I've achieved that goal. Last but
hardly least, I definitely want my books to be fun and entertaining—after
all, if you're not having a good time, why bother?
I understand
that you are in the process of releasing your new book ZURI. Can you give a little background on the story?
ZURI is the result of accidental
convergence. Out Of Africa is one of my favorite films. Elegant & romantic--it’s about a writer (Meryl Streep/Isaak Dinesen), her farm in Kenya,
and her star-crossed love affair with the young, golden Robert Redford. Grand
romance! Bittersweet ending! Sigh.
As I was surfing the channels one night, I happened to
see—entirely by accident—a film clip about a baby rhino. I was astonished & delighted to see how cute—and how graceful—this baby was as she bounded around
her stall.
A rhino? Adorable? Yep. I was gobsmacked. The two came
together and, after a ton of research, ZURI was born.
As the novel begins, Renny Kudrow, Director of the Kihali
Animal Orphanage in Kenya, has just hired a new female vet, Starlite Higgins,
over the objections of Kihali's Board of Directors. When the rescue of an
orphaned rhino calf, Zuri, almost fails due to Starlite's sudden panic, Renny
thinks he has made a mistake.
Still, the two must work together to try to save the young
rhino's life, a goal that seems impossible because of the severity of her
injuries and because she is traumatized because she has witnessed her mother's
brutal murder by poachers. Renny's
expertise in animal communication and Starlite's medical skills must combine in
the effort to heal Zuri's physical and psychological wounds. As Renny and Starlite work together to save
Zuri, they fall in love with the irresistible Zuri — and with each other.
This is your chance to speak directly to readers who
haven’t discovered your books. What would you like to say to them?
I'm a traditionally published NYTimes best
selling author who has gone cyber. Millions of readers enjoyed my books, the
reviews were terrific (no, I didn't write them myself!), and publishers around
the world sold my books in 19 languages and 30 countries. If you love romance, if you love mainstream
best sellers about strong, positive women, the odds are you will most likely
enjoy my books. I've invested in professional covers & professional
formatting so you can be assured you will be reading well-produced, high
quality fiction with a proven track record.
