My Harlequin Moment: Olivia Gates

that your parents encouraged your  passion. So which genre are you gonna try for next, because the two genres I have tried have been wonderful(haven't tried the bombshells yet, and I'll be getting the Bite as soon as it comes out.)

Actually I did sort of turn a passion into more than a pastime. I had a love for plants and gardening. So I went to college and took a Horticurural Technian course for two years, graduated and worked in a greenhouse for 1 1/2 years(half a year part time, year full time). Now that I can't work any longer I still garden for family and friends, plus my friends say my balcony looks like a jungle in the summer

I always miss out on the sweeties

Hugs

Sadhbh 

Hi, Olivia

Thank you sharing your HQ moments, very lovely. 

In  regards to your question: My dh & I both are very supportive of our kids' interest/passion/career planning.  My ds loves photography & cooking.  He is now attending a culinary arts school, we are his honest critics for his cooking (the downside is receipe-tasting is not good to my weight control ).  My dd has chosen to join the Air-Force, I have been biting my nails ever since (my dh is my pillar), we are very proud of her achievement & independency (she was very rebellious in her teens).

 No need to send me the Desert King, because I already have all 3 books of the Throne of Judar, in both Kindle(ebook) & printed.  I have received your autographed books, thank you so much. All your stories were so passionate & beautifully written, I am so looking forward to reading your new release.

Orchid    

I love that your folks have supported you in so many ways!! I hope one year that your mom will come to RWA with you! (Oh, btw, I don't need a copy of the book as I already have both the print and ebook versions WHEEE!).

I remember when you sold to Bombshell. That was the year that I started hanging out here at eHQ and the books that I was discovering were the MedRoms and the Bombshells! And your first MedRom was one of my first MedRoms!! (Yours, Gill/Roger's and Jennifer Taylor's were the first, quickly followed by so many others.) I remember how excited we all were when you sold to Bombshell . . .

I also remember how excited we were when you sold to Desire! Now Nocturne, hmmm, I don't read Nocturnes but I might have to start . . . 

Penn

>> So do you hope to/are trying to/did turn any of your passions into more, a career even? And what do you do when your child is consumed by a passion? Do you worry? Do you support? Both? <<

Am I hoping to turn a passion into more? Yes, I have dabbled in writing for a number of years. Well, I have done some personal essay type writing and been published in a collection of essays and had several essays published in a magazine in the past. But now I am trying to write believeable fiction. My hat is tipped to all you lovely writers that accomplish this often.

As far as children being consumed by passions. I have one child that started requesting bagpiping lessons when she was a preschooler. We let her keep asking until she was large enough to get started. We spent many a summer carting her all around to bagpiping competitions, not to mention dropping her off at bagpipe camp -- where the ages ranged from children younger than her to people in their later years. Then when she decided to go to an engineering school we supported her in that decision. She completed her undergraduate work and is now in seminary.

Our youngest, when she was four, saw a Cape Breton fiddler and decided that she wanted to 'play like that'--at the age of five she started fiddle lessons. She is now a senior in highschool, so, she is doing the college search. She has high aspirations and wants to go to some of the hardest to get into colleges on the east coast (USA). My dh would not let me squelch her dreams. This past spring she was awarded a significant scholarship to a university that is ranked 35th in the USA. Application fees have been waived, but this college has never turned down a student who has received one of their scholarships. Since she discovered this college also has a 3+2 degree program in ethnomusicology, she is excited. She will still apply to the other colleges, one is located a mile from one of her fiddle mentor's house, but she is no longer worried about whether she gets in or not. And now I am no longer worrying either. But I have been a bad mother--I have accused both my dh and my dd of being college snobs...and lived to tell the tale. This dd has worked hard and because she is ranked no. 2 in the class and she is applying to top schools, she has teachers and guidance counselors in our tiny, rural district bending over backwards to help her.

Lovely info here, I love the covers on your books. The part about your
Mom driving all those miles to get your Harlequin books brought me back
when in my 20's my Mom was reading the Dseires books and I came in from
work asking what are they she gave me one to read and after that I was
hooked. I love Harlequin books.

Hi, Penney

Thank you so much for stopping by and for commenting. I'm SO glad your mother introduced you to Desire and that you got hooked on them. Thrilled you love Harlequin books on the whole.

And yes, aren't my covers GREAT? I can't wait to see my new covers! Should have the Nocturne one next month!

Thanks again for dropping by!

about how intense the course was. I went in thinking flowers how hard can it be. Stupid, stupid me. we learn pest and diseases, soils, lawn care, weeds, landscaping. greenhouse production, ornalantel tress, shubs and flowers, houseplants, floral design or arborculture(we could choose either arborculture or floral design here) We even had a 6 hour lecture on nails and screws because one of the assignments was to draw a deck and in it we had to label what screws and nails we used. But the lecture also taught which to use if building gazebo, shed etc. My balcony is my little retreat in the summer. I have a lounge chair out there so on nice days just sit out there and read.

My TBR is teetering. I'm trying to cut back on ordering(I say this after I just ordered 10 books today) but I only got 20 this month(that half what I normally get) Plus I think the first two Bombshells I tried were more paranormal

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed my moments. I know I did!

 
I always miss out on the sweeties

Awwww. If only I can send you some of my paranormal baklava. (or even what I used to dispense, my Satan cookies!)

Maybe one day you'll come to Nationals or I can come to France and you'd sure miss out no more!!!!

Hey Oliva!  I know that Celtic/Barbara was going away for a few weeks....I'll email her and tell her to send her addie to your website!

Thanks for your kind words...it feels amazing!  and yeah, I'll look you up in DC for sure...I met a lot of authors this past year, but I found you so down to earth, and for anyone that hasnt' met her in person...she's tiny and freakin gorgeous!