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May 2018

Ann Simas

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Your new book, HERE AND GONE, was released today, from where did you draw your inspiration for this book?
Here and Gone started out as an entirely different story, with a different title, when I sat down to write it. I knew what I wanted to say and where it was going, but I didn't realize until I was about halfway into the book that I was actually writing something other than what I started out to write. That other book will still get written, and it'll be under that other title, but it won't be anything like Here and Gone.

Do you work from an outline or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ("pantster") kind of writer and why?
Years ago, I thought I had to work from an outline and pages of notes and full characterizations of my protagonists, but I gave all that up when I decided to go indie. I didn't even know there was a name for it, and I'm still not sure how I feel about being called a pantster, but I do know that plotting as I go has given my work a fresh, unique feel and outcome. I'm completely happy and satisfied with the way I write now.

What was the hardest part of writing this book and why?
This may seem weird, but this is the first book I've written where my two main characters do not have a sexual relationship. Relying instead on sexual tension throughout the book is not as easy as it might seem. That's not to say that writing sex scenes is easy, either, but Hannah and Noah are a couple who fall in love at first sight and abstaining is difficult for them, which makes keeping them apart difficult for me. I hope I've achieved it successfully. I know their story left me pulling for them, even as the author, and I think it's a pretty intense love story.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
At the risk of putting forth a spoiler, I will pass on this question.

We all love a hero. Was there a real-life inspiration behind your protagonist(s)? Please explain.
Sheriff Noah Ward, a retired Navy SEAL, had to be tough, knowledgeable, understanding, and sensitive. I also wanted him to have what it takes to be join law enforcement in his thirties, which is why I gave him the SEAL background. One final thing about Noah. He couldn't be afraid to admit his feelings for Hannah to her and to himself.

Is there a clear villain in your book and if so, how did you get in touch with your inner villain to write this book?
Here and Gone actually has three villains, all equally evil. They all sprouted from my imagination, because of course, I don't have an evil inner villain myself.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
With every book I write, I learn something new. Sometimes, it's regarding law enforcement, sometimes it's involves the locale or the occupations of the characters. In Here and Gone, my female protagonist is a scientific illustrator. I may never have discovered there's an Elvis Presley Shield Bug if I hadn't written this book.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
I didn't realize until I took some law enforcement-related classes to enhance my writing that I had an interest in forensics. In retrospect, that might have been a viable option for me as a career, although in real life, I'm not one for gore. Just sayin'.

What are your future project(s)?
I currently have a list of about 25 books that I'd like to write. Some of them are for my Grace Gabbiano and Andi Comstock mystery series, and some are for my Christmas Valley Romance series, but most are single-title books. Here's hoping I'm able to keep writing that long!

Is there a message in your novel you hope readers will grasp?
No. I write to entertain. Whatever my beliefs or opinions, I'm pretty sure my readers aren't interested in hearing about them in my books.

If you would like to contact Ann, check out her website: annsimas.com or via Facebook at facebook.com/Ann-Simas-Author. You can also reach her via her email: [email protected] 

"I love it when readers send photos of themselves reading my books. I post them on my Fan Page."


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  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Our Authors
    • Our Board of Directors
    • OUR HISTORY
    • Donate
    • Become a Member >
      • Membership Policy
  • BOOKSTORE
    • Book Review Submission
    • Featured Reviews
    • 2025 New Releases
    • Action & Adventure
    • Children's
    • Comedy
    • Contemporary
    • Crime & Mystery
    • Fantasy
    • Graphic Novel
    • Historical
    • Horror
    • LGBTQ+
    • Non-Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Romance
    • Sci-Fi
    • Short Stories
    • Women's Lit
    • Young Adult
    • SEARCH BY AUTHOR >
      • A >
        • J.M.M. Adams
        • Heather Ames
        • Josh Amos
        • Shari Lyn Anderson
        • Judith Ashley
        • Stephen Atkins
      • B >
        • E. A. Bagby
        • Pam Bainbridge-Cowan
        • Maya Bairey
        • Melissa Gowdy Baldwin
        • Hollis Barkhaus
        • Rebecca J. Bastian
        • Allan Batchelder
        • Barry L. Becker
        • Elizabeth Beechwood
        • Doug Beisley
        • B. Elizabeth Bell
        • Michael Bershay
        • David R Beshears
        • JP Biddlecome
        • J. A. Bierman
        • Diana Blackstone
        • Kerry Blaisdell
        • Lynn Bohart
        • Byrum K. Bolerjack
        • D Dean Boom
        • A. K. Brauneis
        • Anna Brentwood
        • David Bruce
        • Kami Bryant
        • Andy R. Bunch
      • C >
        • Linda Caradine
        • R Lindsay Carter
        • Baer Charlton
        • Emma E. Chavez
        • Mike Chinakos
        • Kate Cody
        • Randal Collins
        • William J Cook
        • Adam Copeland
        • Brendan Corbett
        • Kelly Coston
        • Pamela Cowan
        • Mary Cox
        • Kathryn Crabtree
        • J. M. Crist
        • Joshua Crosson
        • Deb Cushman
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        • Sheila Deeth
        • C. Quinn DeMar
        • Raven J. Demers
        • Tiffany Dickinson
        • Rebecca M. Douglass
      • E - F - G >
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        • Jonathan Michael Erickson
        • Veronica Esagui
        • August Evans
        • Susan K Field
        • Kim Fielding
        • Cay Fletcher
        • Lana M Fox
        • Gus Frederick
        • Ava M. Gale
        • James L. Gillaspy
        • Judy Glenney
        • Kc Gloer
        • Angela D. Goldsmith
        • Thomas Gondolfi
        • Patty Grasher
        • J C Graves
        • Tag Gregory
      • H >
        • T K Hall
        • J M Halloran
        • Van Haney
        • E B Harding
        • J. R. R. R. (jim) Hardison
        • Skelly Harrington
        • Christopher J Harris
        • Dianne Hartsock
        • Kathy Haynes
        • Craig Allen Heath
        • Rhett Heath
        • Nelle Heran
        • Jonno Heyne
        • Angela Highland
        • Heather Hobson
        • Lana W. Holden
        • M. P. Hopcroft
        • James H. Horton
        • Kathy Hoxworth
        • A. M. Huff
        • Mollie Hunt
      • I - J - K >
        • Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito
        • Maquel A. Jacob
        • Ellen Jacobson
        • Paty Jager
        • Maggie Jaimeson
        • F. L. Journey
        • Flo Journey
        • Kimila Kay
        • Shaun C. Kennedy
        • Mark Shelley Kenzer
        • James W. Kitson
        • Chloe Kontur
        • Angela Korra'ti
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        • Nikki McCormack
        • James M. McCracken
        • Sharon A McDonell
        • Donald McEwing
        • Agathon McGeachy
        • Marvin McKenzie
        • Joyce Labelle McNair
        • Minnette Meador
        • Erick Mertz
        • Michael J. Metroke
        • Russell Mickler
        • K Z Miller
        • Rory Miller
        • Ruth A Milligan
        • Jeff Monday
        • Sonja S Mongar
        • L. M. Montes
        • J. Moody
        • Barbara J Moritsch
        • S. K. Mueller
      • N - O - P >
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        • Shelly M Neinast
        • D G Nelson
        • NIWA
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        • Tammy Owen
        • Susan Patterson
        • Julie Pershing
        • Jenny Plumb
        • L. Wade Powers
        • E M Prazeman
        • Shelly Pulse
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        • Shawna Reppert
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        • P. K. Ross
        • Jean Rover
        • E. J. Russell
        • R Roderick Rowe
      • S - T - U >
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        • DJ Schneider
        • Bonnie Schroeder
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        • Andrey Sid
        • Ann Simas
        • Susie Slanina
        • M.A. Smith
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        • Jon Spoelstra
        • Deni Starr
        • Thomas Stimson
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        • Fia Sylvan
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        • Charles Thomas
        • Patrick Timm
        • Contessa Timmerman
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      • V- W- X - Y - Z >
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        • Skeet Will
        • James Ross Wilks
        • Suzi Wiser
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      • PAST EVENT STATS
      • HOW TO SIGN UP FOR EVENTS
      • REGISTER YOUR BOOKS FOR EVENTS
      • 2025 EVENTS >
        • 06 PRIDE in the Park 25
        • 07 Robin Hood 25
        • 07 NW Book Fair 25
        • 07 Portland Pride 25
        • 07 1ST City
        • 08 OC Festival Arts
        • 08 MULTNOMAH DAYS
        • 09 Mt Angel Oktoberfest 25
        • 09 FG Oktoberfest 25
    • NEWSBITS BLOG
    • Newsletter Author Spotlight Application
    • NSQ
    • Renew My Membership
    • RESOURCES >
      • Advertise Your Book
      • Audio Book
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      • Editing & Formatting
      • Grammar
      • Indie Friendly Bookstores
      • ISBNs, COPYRIGHTS, AND LCCNs >
        • Understanding your ISBN
      • Legacy Planning
      • Printers
      • Publishing
      • Add A Member Tool
    • Storage >
      • Storage Policy
      • Storage Inventory
    • Update My Membership Info
    • Update My Author Page
    • ZOOM Videos >
      • Audiobooks 11-8-22
      • Book Covers
      • Editing
      • Self Editing & Proofreading
      • Writing Resources
      • Reviews and Why We Need Them
      • 2022 in Review
      • Pinterest - 1-10-23
      • Book Signings - 2-14-23
      • Genres - 3-14-23
      • Blurbs, Taglines, Pitches - 4-11-23
      • AI in Publishing - 5-9-23
      • Professional Ethics - 6-13-23
      • Newsletters - 7-11-23
      • How to work with Editors - 8-8-23
      • Events - 9-12-23
      • Marketing with Joe Marich- 11-4-24