Meet Megan Carter
Novelist and San Antonio, Texas, resident Megan Carter is enjoying the release of her first book, On The Wings of Love, published by Bella Books. A professional nature photographer and amateur musician, Carter likes to travel and has been across much of the continental U.S., Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Germany, France, Austria and Mexico. Her hobbies include deep-sea fishing, fly-fishing, woodworking and reading. She and her partner have been together for almost six years.
Because we found her debut novel so intriguing, we contacted the author and asked her a few questions about her book.
Family & Friends: What or who inspired you to write this book?
Megan Carter: Stacie Gillette’s character was born while I was hiking through Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. It’s such a beautiful park. The morning started sunny and warm, but a storm rolled in and with it came the typical South Texas torrential rain. The imaginary Stacie appeared on the path and I simply followed her through the rest of the story.
F&F: How do you, personal, describe this book?
Carter: It’s about a young woman who was verbally abused as a child. It’s her story of growing up and learning to trust. She must come to terms with her past before she can move on with her life and find the love she has always sought.
F&F: Tell us a little about your main characters.
Carter: Stacie Gillette is young and determined to become a great journalist. She hides her insecurities behind arrogance and a series of one-night stands. It’s difficult to like her in the beginning. I can’t tell you how many times I shouted, “Grow up!” while working on this manuscript. After a streak of bad luck, most of which Stacie brings on herself, she begins to realize that the universe doesn’t revolve around her. This realization shows us the real Stacie, the one it would be easy to love.
Stacie’s love interest, Cheryl Wright, is a successful novelist who writes a bestseller that explodes beyond her wildest imagination. The problem is, Cheryl’s book is basically autobiographical; and Cheryl finds herself on the verge of hurting the people she loves most – her family.
F&F: Is the book autobiographical in any way?
Carter: I think it’s impossible to write a book that doesn’t include bits and pieces of the author’s life. There’s the obvious example of Cheryl and I sharing the same profession, and I grew up in a small town in the South, so I can identify with some of both Stacie and Cheryl’s childhood memories. As a whole, no, On The Wings of Love is not autobiographical, but a part of me does envy Cheryl’s father. I’ve always found something exciting about the possibility of running moonshine. Of course, that excitement would fade rather quickly the first time someone shot at me!
F&F: Do you read, if so, who are some of your favorite authors and/or books?
Carter: Sometimes I think I was born reading. My mom used to scold me for trying to read at the dinner table. I read everything. I would even read the cereal box or the label on the ketchup bottle. I was the only kid in my third grade class who knew what “chicle” was used for. I don’t really have a “favorite author.” That choice changes with each book. Okay, so I may be a little fickle. If I had to choose a favorite author at this moment, it would be Sue Monk Kidd. Her descriptions are so vivid. I read her novel The Secret Life of Bees more than a year ago and sometimes at night, when I turn out the light and the house grows still, I can almost hear the bees she describes in Lily’s room in the first chapter. As for lesbian romance, I read everything Peggy Herring and Frankie Jones write, of course. One of my all time favorites is Jane Rule’s Memory Board.
F&F: Have you ever met a famous lesbian romance novelist? Ever had a crush on one?
Carter: I once met Katherine Forrest at a conference. I live in San Antonio (Texas), as do Peggy Herring and Frankie Jones, so I know them. As for crushes, I don’t really get crushes. I’m more of the “fall head over heels in love” type.
F&F: What made you want to be a writer?
Carter: I started writing when I was in grade school and never stopped. Writing was much more fun than dolls.
F&F: Can we expect to see more work from you in the future?
Carter: Yes, my second novel, When Love Finds A Home, is scheduled to be released in September 2005.
(as published in Family & Friends Magazine, May 2005)
