Local author breaks romance novelist mold By RACHEL MARKOWITZ Collegian Staff Writer Sally Hoover, whose latest novels, Summer's Witness and Private Inten tions recently hit the local bookshelves, says romance authors are not the passionate, silkily clad sylphs many readers expect. "On a 'romantic scale' from one to 10. I'm about a five, - says Hoover, 46. "IC:, the same with all the other romance writers I know. We're all in it for the bucks now." Hoover, known to readers as Pame la Lind and more recently Saranne Dawson. says top romance authors can gross $35,000-$40.000 a book. gen erally an $B.OOO advance plus roy alties twice a year. She says she earns about $20.000 per book, and her main income for this year has come from her writing. She has written two books this year, and seven since she began. Hoover says when she started writ ing romance novels every romance writer used a pen name. Her first pen name. Pamela Lind, was derived from the way she got her start in writing. Pamela is her daughter's first name, and Linda is the name of the friend she was exchanging novels with. Her second pen name, Saranne Dawson, is her real name. Sally is the name she uses now. Hoover. director of On Drugs, Inc.. a local substance and general prob lems clinic on South Allen Street, writes at her home "in the middle of the woods" about 10 miles from State College. She first cast her skeptical eyes on romance novels about five years ago, when her 17-year-old daughter was exchanging books with a friend. A science fiction, mystery and hor ror enthusiast, Hoover had never read a romance. "The first one I read was full of weak, passive women and cold, arro gant men it was horrible," she says. "I said, 'I could write better than that. My daughter said. 'Try it!' so I did." Hoover, who had never written serious fiction but had been praised for her writing skills, faced two re jections before her first book was published by Silhouette. Her books are sold worldwide and have been translated into German. Italian French, Spanish, Japanese and Swed Debra Matteucci, Hoover's editor at Harlequin American Romance in New York City, says the author's strength lies in "a strong narrative voice and a style that is emotional from word one." Personable and articulate. Hoover says her strong point in writing is dialogue. "Dialogue is not hard because I can envision people talking. Sometimes characters literally take over the typewriter," she says. The hardest things for Hoover as a writer are pacing and sex scenes. "Sex scenes are not easy to write." she says, puffing on a cigarette." - hat's hard is wording, atmosphere, creating 'sexual tension'." Hoover says she can not write suc cessful horror stories, which, ironi cally, she loves to read. She is currently at work on a fantasy novel. "My ideas come from anywhere." she says. "I write about places I've been, like Maine or England. For places I haven't been. I call a friend who lives there, and tell him to tell me all about the best restaurant or place to go." "The characters are a composite of people I've known, maybe a dash of some I wish I'd known." she contin ues. She says the hero must have more depth than the heroine because wom en are more interested in him. Hoover says she is never complete ly satisfied with her work, even when the manuscript is on the way to the publisher. "You never think it's right, and when the book comes out, it's even worse. You think, 'Oh my God, why did I write it that way?' " she says. Hoover explains the formula that romance novels require: "The hero and heroine already know each other or meet in the first chapter," she says. "Then there's the conflict, which is resolved. Finally. the couple gets married. And they don't live together first." Hoover says she tried marriage and living together, but neither was satisfying. "I strongly approve of marriage, but not for myself," she says. "I'm Two of Sally Hoover's novels are pictured above unwilling to make the adjustment of nick, a co-worker at On-Drugs. living with someone. I'm self-cen- Hoover describes herself as a prag tered. I like my life as it is. Men my matic and cynical liberal with vary age want to be taken care of." ing interests. She works out her plots A Penn State graduate. Hoover has while she sews and falls asleep each a bachelor's degree in political sci- night with a book in hand. Passionate ence and a master's in public admin- for politics, she closely follows the istration. She says that even if her media. She lives with three cats, who writing career takes off, she won't are "paranoid, psychotic and hope give up her work in human service. lessly obnoxious." respectively. "Sally does a good job, she has a "If you plan to be a writer, have high level of commitment and she's a another job or a rich spouse," she good politician," says Corinne Zupa- says. Liberal Arts Seniors Graduating May 1988 ! Are You Interested in 1 Business-Related Careers???? k e Contact Ernestine Montgomery at a 9 Career Development and Placement Services 865-2377, P and attend an Orientation Program on Wednesday, Q November 4, 1987, 7 p.m. in 413 Boucke. a Deadline: Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. RCO....alit. CMGs 1 , -L 2 2417C.....C:P.den0 Mii... ( V).,,Lit 411ta...GP.,,e:P Ma. cp.„esa enza....cp...egz amt....qv...if:ft emb....x)-orYt) mai. co-egt cesta...v..eg. eit....(xl Elected Sheriff of Centre County in 1983 4 years as Chief Deputy Sheriff 11 years as State College Policeman (9 years as a Criminal Investigator) 4 1 / 2 years Washington, D.C. Policeman 3 1 / 2 years Military Police (U.S. Marines) Attended Penn State for 2 years and received Law Enforcement Certificate Attended numerous Law Enforcement Seminars Sheriff Kunes and his wife Juanita reside in and Courses. (F. 8.1., State and Local) Snow Shoe Township and have three children Charter member of the Nittany Leathernecks • ' PRIVATE INTENTIC Emphasis on Banking Emphasis on Insurance Emphasis on Merchandising Emphasis on Product Sales the Annual Spring Semester Career Interview Program for Liberal Arts Students Registrants are still needed for GARRY G. KUNES TV program shows fire sunk the Titanic By SYDNEY RUBIN Associated Press Writer PARIS Evidence recovered from the wreck of the Titanic indicates a fire in the luxury line r's hold played a role in its sinking 75 years ago. according to a pro gram broadcast last night about last summer's treasure hunt. Expedition organizers said physical evidence recovered in the dive shows that a coal fire soft ened the hull. When an iceberg hit the side, it indented the ship, caus ing an explosion that blasted out ward through the hull. they theorized. In addition, the position of two mechanical arms used by the Ti tanic bridge to communicate di rection to the engine room indicates the ship ma}• have been moving forward when it went down. they said. A satchel of jewels and the con tents of a safe scooped up from the wreck were to be opened during the live segment of the two-hour U.N. asks Reagan to pay back dues By VICTORIA GRAHAM Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar has appealed to President Reagan to pay a substantial amount in back dues to the United Nations to save it from financial crisis, a spokesman said yesterday. Without U.S. aid, the world body may not be able to pay the 6,500 employees at its New York headquar ters in December. according to spokesman Francois Guiliani. Guiliani told reporters yesterday: "He sent a letter to President Rea gan, expressing concern over the RE-ELECT SHERIFF QUALIFIED BY MORE THAN 25 YEARS TRAINING & EXPERIENCE Honorary Member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Frat. Member of Penn State Club Fraternal Order of Police, Bald Eagle Lodge Past President of Snow Shoe Lions Club Snow Shoe Fire Company American Legion Post of Clarence, Pa. Bellefonte Elks Club, Moose Club and V.F.W. Centre Hall Business Men's & Farmer's Assn The Daily Collegian Thursday, Oct. 29. 1987-7 international broadcast. Viewers also were to see some of the artifacts recovered by the ex pedition, including the oceanlin er's giant bell, porthole covers, delicate blue-and-white china and fluted silver serving trays. The venture brought back about 900 artifacts. some of which were shown in the live telecast carried by 155 stations in the United States. The show. featuring actor Telly Savalas. also was broadcast in Argentina. Australia. Brazil. Can ada. Colombia. Hong Kong. Italy and Peru. It was not shown in France. The telecast from Paris' Mu seum of Science and Industry opened with film and interviews telling the story of the Titanic. which struck an iceberg and sank April 15. 1912 on its maiden voyage from Southampton. England to New York . The wreck was discovered in September 1985 in a joint U.S.- French expedition. very difficult financial situation Giuliani said Perez de Cuellar pre sented the letter Monday to U.S. Am bassador Vernon Walters. who said he would try to deliver it personally to the president. "At present. without some contri bution from the United States or other countries, there will be a very diffi cult situation." Giuliani said. He added that the United Nations was not demanding immediate payment of all outstanding American dues. The press section of the U.S. mis sion said Walters was expected to deliver Perez de Cuellar's letter to day to the president. Paid for by the College Republicans
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