Money, sex, image…and love. Those are the key themes in Milwaukee
writer Dave Thome’s debut romance novel Fast Lane. Wait a minute! you say. He’s a romance writer? But isn’t he a guy? Yes. And yes.
Dave is also a journalist, a screenwriter, a hubby, and father of two. But lately he is working to make his mark as
a guy who gets it, who gets what women want…what they want when they read, that
is.
writer Dave Thome’s debut romance novel Fast Lane. Wait a minute! you say. He’s a romance writer? But isn’t he a guy? Yes. And yes.
Dave is also a journalist, a screenwriter, a hubby, and father of two. But lately he is working to make his mark as
a guy who gets it, who gets what women want…what they want when they read, that
is.
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| Dave Thome |
Dave published Fast Lane, as an e-book for the Kindle as well as
in paperback, available through Amazon. He
recently granted me an email interview. I thought you might enjoy hearing what
a guy who writes romance novels has to say about…well, romance!
in paperback, available through Amazon. He
recently granted me an email interview. I thought you might enjoy hearing what
a guy who writes romance novels has to say about…well, romance!
MCW: You are the author of Fast Lane, a romance novel. What ever
possessed you – a guy – to write a romance novel?
possessed you – a guy – to write a romance novel?
DAVE: My
wife, Mary Jo, and I have been self-employed as writers since 1999. At the end
of 2009 we had our worst quarter ever: Only one client had work. Mary Jo knows
a woman who writes erotic romances, which is the fastest-growing segment of
romance, so she decided she’d try to write one during the downtime. I thought
that if she could, I should, too. It turned out neither of us could. I laughed
every time I tried to write a sex scene in the contemporary erotic romance
style—which is the style of Penthouse Forum, but I liked the story and characters
in Fast Lane and continued as a more traditional romantic comedy with romantic
sex scenes.
wife, Mary Jo, and I have been self-employed as writers since 1999. At the end
of 2009 we had our worst quarter ever: Only one client had work. Mary Jo knows
a woman who writes erotic romances, which is the fastest-growing segment of
romance, so she decided she’d try to write one during the downtime. I thought
that if she could, I should, too. It turned out neither of us could. I laughed
every time I tried to write a sex scene in the contemporary erotic romance
style—which is the style of Penthouse Forum, but I liked the story and characters
in Fast Lane and continued as a more traditional romantic comedy with romantic
sex scenes.
I’d
had some experience writing female characters; about half of the twenty
screenplays I wrote before I turned to novels had female leads. No one ever
said anything bad about those characters. Besides—who says men aren’t
romantic?
had some experience writing female characters; about half of the twenty
screenplays I wrote before I turned to novels had female leads. No one ever
said anything bad about those characters. Besides—who says men aren’t
romantic?
MCW: What kind of reaction are you getting to Fast Lane?
DAVE: Women
who read it love it because the heroine, Lara, is strong even though she has
doubts about her looks and her upbringing. The quirky side characters also have
gotten rave reviews. Some readers have suggested I turn Fast Lane into a
series, so I’m going to do that.
who read it love it because the heroine, Lara, is strong even though she has
doubts about her looks and her upbringing. The quirky side characters also have
gotten rave reviews. Some readers have suggested I turn Fast Lane into a
series, so I’m going to do that.
MCW: What were the challenges that you faced writing Fast Lane?
DAVE: In
a screenplay, you don’t have to worry about details, like what someone’s
wearing. In a novel, apparently women readers want to know what everyone’s
wearing all the time. I had to get used to that—and that meant knowing stuff
about what women call their clothes and doing research about what they wear and
where they wear it. I still don’t understand the difference between a sheath
dress and shift or the rules about when it’s OK to refer to panties as panties
(as opposed to “underwear”), but I have extensive notes and beta readers to
help me.
a screenplay, you don’t have to worry about details, like what someone’s
wearing. In a novel, apparently women readers want to know what everyone’s
wearing all the time. I had to get used to that—and that meant knowing stuff
about what women call their clothes and doing research about what they wear and
where they wear it. I still don’t understand the difference between a sheath
dress and shift or the rules about when it’s OK to refer to panties as panties
(as opposed to “underwear”), but I have extensive notes and beta readers to
help me.
MCW: Will you write another romance?
DAVE: I
didn’t think I would write another romance, but I like the characters of Fast
Lane enough to proceed with a trilogy. I’ve got most of the planning of the
whole arc of Lara and Clay’s story, and expand significantly on two characters,
Sushma and Tiffany, in books two and three.
didn’t think I would write another romance, but I like the characters of Fast
Lane enough to proceed with a trilogy. I’ve got most of the planning of the
whole arc of Lara and Clay’s story, and expand significantly on two characters,
Sushma and Tiffany, in books two and three.
Beyond
that, who knows? Three years a go I would not have predicted I would write any
romances.
that, who knows? Three years a go I would not have predicted I would write any
romances.
MCW: Do you consider yourself to be a romantic guy?
DAVE: You
could ask Mary Jo that, and she’d say yes. I’m also kind of a regular guy—I
watch football and Pawn Stars and cuss and wear ratty sweatshirts and have a
chair that only I’m allowed to use. For some reason, I think that stuff is also
romantic. Kind of.
could ask Mary Jo that, and she’d say yes. I’m also kind of a regular guy—I
watch football and Pawn Stars and cuss and wear ratty sweatshirts and have a
chair that only I’m allowed to use. For some reason, I think that stuff is also
romantic. Kind of.
MCW: What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for your wife? (Or
anybody else, for that matter.)
anybody else, for that matter.)
DAVE: I
gave Mary Jo bib overalls on the first Christmas after we met. That may not
sound romantic, but it was 1979, she always wore bib overalls and she looked
hot in them. But, if you want something more traditional, we rolled down the
hill together behind the journalism school a couple of weeks after we met while
at Marquette University. There’s a law school there now. Bummer.
gave Mary Jo bib overalls on the first Christmas after we met. That may not
sound romantic, but it was 1979, she always wore bib overalls and she looked
hot in them. But, if you want something more traditional, we rolled down the
hill together behind the journalism school a couple of weeks after we met while
at Marquette University. There’s a law school there now. Bummer.
MCW: What do you do when you are not writing romance novels?
DAVE: I
write a column about car technology that appears in The Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel every week. Don’t ask me to fix your car; I don’t know how. Otherwise,
I’ve written twenty screenplays and plan to turn them into novellas or put them
up for sale as screenplays.
write a column about car technology that appears in The Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel every week. Don’t ask me to fix your car; I don’t know how. Otherwise,
I’ve written twenty screenplays and plan to turn them into novellas or put them
up for sale as screenplays.
MCW: What do you do when you are not writing?
DAVE: There’s
lots of TV I have to keep up on: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report every
night, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Storage Wars, Mythbusters and Ancient
Aliens. God forbid I should miss an episode of Ancient Aliens. Don’t worry
about me. I also exercise every day. And cook dinner.
lots of TV I have to keep up on: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report every
night, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Storage Wars, Mythbusters and Ancient
Aliens. God forbid I should miss an episode of Ancient Aliens. Don’t worry
about me. I also exercise every day. And cook dinner.
MCW: What do you like to read?
DAVE: I’m
a slow reader because I like to read with a cup of tea or an Edy’s Frozen Fruit
Bar between my exercise for the day and cooking supper. At least half of what I
read is nonfiction, and that’s usually science or theology.
a slow reader because I like to read with a cup of tea or an Edy’s Frozen Fruit
Bar between my exercise for the day and cooking supper. At least half of what I
read is nonfiction, and that’s usually science or theology.
When
I read fiction I’m all over the board. I read all of the Harry Potter books and
The Hunger Games trilogy.
I read fiction I’m all over the board. I read all of the Harry Potter books and
The Hunger Games trilogy.
MCW: What keeps you going as a romantic guy?
DAVE: I
guess if you’re a romantic guy you’re a romantic guy. I don’t think I can try
to not be romantic.
guess if you’re a romantic guy you’re a romantic guy. I don’t think I can try
to not be romantic.
MCW: What do you most want readers to know about you?
DAVE: I
believe what I write in my screenplays, novels and blog. Women and men are
equal. Not always the same, but still equal. Maybe not always physically—but
there are female athletes who could kick my ass in just about any sport. Oh,
yeah…and babies and menstruation. I’m glad I didn’t have to go through those
things, because I’m not up to them physically. So, yeah…equal.
believe what I write in my screenplays, novels and blog. Women and men are
equal. Not always the same, but still equal. Maybe not always physically—but
there are female athletes who could kick my ass in just about any sport. Oh,
yeah…and babies and menstruation. I’m glad I didn’t have to go through those
things, because I’m not up to them physically. So, yeah…equal.
MCW: What are you working on now, or what do you plan to publish next?
DAVE: I
started turning [my movie script] See You in Hell into a novella before I
started outlining the Fast Lane sequels, and I’m gonna finish what I started.
Hopefully, that won’t take too long, because I’m starting to feel like I’m
ready to tackle a series.
started turning [my movie script] See You in Hell into a novella before I
started outlining the Fast Lane sequels, and I’m gonna finish what I started.
Hopefully, that won’t take too long, because I’m starting to feel like I’m
ready to tackle a series.
MCW: Is there anything I missed?
DAVE: My
blood type is A positive. That should cover just about everything, right?
blood type is A positive. That should cover just about everything, right?
My thanks to Dave Thome for sharing his experiences with romance, reading, and writing FastLane.
To get more of Dave’s wit and humor, check out his blog Man Writing a Romance. Readers interested in taking his
novel for a spin can find it on Amazon.
Dave, I'm so glad to hear you're writing a trilogy with characters from Fast Lane. More fun to come. Kathy