Chocolate, No Nuts: Spotlight Thursday: Victoria Pitts-Caine

2/14/13

Spotlight Thursday: Victoria Pitts-Caine

I’ve know Vicki Caine for several years now and am thrilled to be able to tell you about her and her books.

Victoria Pitts Caine is a native Californian and lives in the bountiful San Joaquin Valley. Her varied interests include genealogy and exotic gemstone collecting both of which she’s incorporated into her novels. While her genre is inspirational, she likes to refer to herself as a Christian Romance Adventure Novelist.

The author has received recognition in both fiction and nonfiction from: Enduring Romance top 10 picks for 2008, William Saroyan Writing Conference, Byline Magazine, Writer’s Journal Magazine and The Southern California Genealogical Society. Her first novel, Alvarado Gold, was published in 2007.

Victoria is a former staff technician for the environmental sector working in air pollution control. She is the mother of two daughters. Victoria and her husband enjoy travel, church service and emergency radio communications.

Q. Why did you pick Inspirational romance as your genre?

At first, I wanted to write an adventure novel. I didn’t see myself as a romance writer, but I learned quickly if I didn’t have a genre, I wasn’t going anywhere. I added a romance to my first book, Alvarado Gold, and because of my beliefs and preferences in what I read myself, inspirational was the next step.

Q. Who is one of your favorite characters in your books and why?

There is a little bit of “me” in all of my female characters. Addie Brown is about as close to me as any of my heroines since the book is based on a family story of my own. I’m technically Addie in the family breakdown of the six cousins in the book.

Q. How long does it take you to write a book?

It usually takes me about two years. However, I have one on the back burner I haven’t gotten beyond the first chapter. It is written in a style I’m not familiar with and it takes me to a different place that takes considerable thought.

Q. How did you come up with your titles?

Alvarado Gold came from the name of the small town near where my family originally settled in Texas. Cairo, which is the next book in the series, follows Addie and Gary on an ill-fated vacation to Egypt. The Tempering Agent is also set in Egypt and is the third in the series. The title for that book came from the agent mixed into clay that gives it strength and stability. Alvarado Gold is available on Amazon and Cairo and The Tempering Agent will be released this year from PRISM BOOK GROUP

Q. When did you start writing?

I wrote a story for an adoption magazine years ago and was urged to have it published in a national magazine. When I didn’t get any takers, I set writing aside for another twenty years until I started attending a writing critique group.

Q. How hard was it to find a publisher?

I think the real question for me is: was it hard to find the right publisher? I wanted my three books to be with the same house and when I saw that wasn’t going to happen I looked for a long time to find a house to take the other two. I actually was just short of signing a contract when I realized I couldn’t do everything that particular publisher wanted. As they say, good things come to those who wait because my current publisher is awesome.

Q. What’s new with your writing?

I’m excited to announce I’ll have an Easter novella coming out next month with PRISM BOOK GROUP. The name of the story is Like a Lily. I don’t have the exact release date but it will be available on their website and Amazon the first part of March.