1) Why write about superheroes? Isn’t that what comic books are for?

Absolutely. Comic books and graphic novels are filled with all sorts of wonderful, complex, interesting heroes and villains. The stories are fantastic, and the art is incredible. I wouldn’t have written Karma Girl and Hot Mama without the long, storied foundation of comic books to build on and the creative genius of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and all the other writers and artists. They truly are titans.

In the last few years, several movies and television programs have focused on comic book superheroes, from “Spider-Man” to “The Incredibles” to “Smallville.” I’ve enjoyed many of these, but a thought kept nagging at me. Why doesn’t Lana Lang ever figure out that Clark Kent has superpowers? Why can’t Mary Jane Watson see that Peter Parker is Spider-Man? Why doesn’t Commissioner Gordon realize that Bruce Wayne is Batman?

Why don’t the people closest to the heroes and villains ever figure out their secret identities? In some story lines, they do, or the hero tells them. Plus, some superheroes are open about their powers and purpose, like the X-Men. But many comics are built around the idea of having a secret identity.

I wanted to look at superheroes from a different point of view – from a woman betrayed by the man she loved. What if an investigative reporter, a Lois Lane-type, discovered that her fiancé was cheating on her with her best friend? And that he was a superhero? What would she do? Why, expose him, of course! With that idea, Carmen Cole aka Karma Girl was born. Plus, it was just fun to create my own comic book world.

2) Where do your ideas come from?

Everywhere. Movies, books, television shows, news stories, real life, my own overactive imagination. Whenever I read a book or watch a program, I always put myself in a character’s place. What would I do? How would I react to these circumstances? How could I be the hero or the villain?

I also have a tendency to invent new characters to add to my favorite books and movies. I always thought that Luke Skywalker needed a love interest in the Star Wars movies – someone with a Southern accent. I’ve imagined myself as Sydney Bristow’s Alias sidekick, Buffy Summer’s nemesis, a member of The A-Team, and a thousand other characters.

My ideas grow from the world around me. I’ll hear about something, and think what if … It’s one of the most powerful, inspiring thoughts you can ever have.

3) How long does it take you to write a book? How do you do it?

Writing a book is a long, complicated process. I start with an idea, then think about the characters, setting, etc. Once I have my story and characters firmly in mind, I write a rough draft, usually about 50,000 to 70,000 words. Honestly, it’s more like a detailed outline than a rough draft. This takes about a month.

Then, I let the story sit for a few weeks, before going back to it and seeing what revisions need to be done, adding in more descriptions, etc. I usually do this a couple of times, until the book is as perfect as I can make it. Overall, this can take anywhere from several months to a year, depending on how busy I am with other projects.

4) Are your books more fantasy or romance?

This is a toughie mainly because my books aren’t one thing or another. The Bigtime books, including Karma Girl and the sequel Hot Mama, are classified as paranormal romance. There’s lots of sexy superheroes in them, and lots of single gals looking for love.

But the books are written in first person from one character’s point of view, which gives them a chick-lit feel and tone. Also, large parts of the books are about the heroine’s journey, about her figuring out some things about herself – like how to come to grips with her superpower (if she has one), what she wants out of life, how she can become a better person, what makes her strong and special, etc.

The Bigtime books also have quite a bit of action in them. Lots of stuff blows up, buildings get leveled, etc. They’re set in a comic book world, which isn’t your usual paranormal setting. And they’re very campy, very tongue in cheek, sort of like the old “Batman” TV show with Adam West.

They’re just … Bigtime books. Fun, sexy, fantasy. Or sex, lies & superheroes, as my tagline says.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll start a trend and soon everyone will be writing superheroes.

5) If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Which superhero would you be?

Honestly, it depends on what I’m doing. There are just so many cool superpowers out there, it would be hard to pick just one.

When I’m writing, I’d like to have superstrong wrists (that are completely immune to carpal tunnel) and be able to type a thousand words a minute. (Every writer’s dream!)

When I’m stuck in a car on a long trip, I’d like to be able to immediately teleport to my destination. Or when I’m in a long meeting or waiting at the doctor’s office, I’d like to be able to fast-forward through time … You get the idea.

But I guess I’d have to say that if I absolutely had to pick one superpower or superhero to be, I’d go with Wonder Woman. That rockin’ body, the shiny tiara, the bulletproof bracelets, the Lasso of Truth, the Invisible Jet … that woman has it all!