Louise Dane

Tell us more about yourself:
     I’m pretty normal, I think. Seriously, I’m twenty-six years old. I finished AB Psychology and I love learning new things. I have this fixation on Peter Pan, warriors, knights, spartans and American native Indians and I don’t know why. I really think Vash Stampede is cute. I have a crush on Kimi Raikkonen and David Beckham. Kung matapang ako, I would try skydiving, drifting and imitate those contestants in The X Games, but since I’m not, panonoorin ko na lang sila. Noong bata pa ako, pangarap kong maging rockstar.

What do you usually do on your free time? Any hobbies?
     Straining my eyes, hurting my ears, noise-polluting, spying around… Translation: I read till my eyes are too sleepy to open, listen to music that matched my mood (usually it’s rock e.g. POD, Linkin Park, Pillar, 12 Stones— just so I could be pumped up and not fall asleep while at work), singing while playing guitar and observing people so I could find ideas to write (just like Adam, hero in one of the novels in my upcoming spy series. Naks, simpleng plugging).

What are the places that you would want to visit in the future?
     Paris, Israel (pag walang giyera), Australia (and see Marty Sampson and Joel Houston of United performing live at Hillsong Church).

Three things that you’re addicted to:
     Music, books, food

Five things you tend to splurge on
     Music (players, earphones, concerts etc.), books, stuff for my pamangkins, stuff for writing and siyempre pagkain.

What book/s are you reading right now?
     25 Ways To Win With People (John C. Maxwell), Purpose Driven Life (Rick Warren), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Sidney Sheldon).

What is your favorite color? Blue
What’s your favorite midnight snack? Buy-one-take-one burgers from the kanto and coffee or pastilles ni Nanay Evy.
What are some of your favorite vacation spots? In front of my computer. Sorry, I’m such a bore. I spend holidays and vacations writing, if not reading.
Favorite ice cream flavors: I love ice cream, so kahit ano.
Favorite pizza toppings: Any meat toppings and cheese
Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Pineapple juice
Favorite alcoholic drink: Reformed lasenggera na po ako
Favorite things in your bedroom: Computer, bed, kumot (I can sleep without any pillow but never without a kumot).
Favorite fruits: Apple, ripe mangoes, bananas, papaya
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Favorite song as of now: ‘Change Your Mind’ by Boyce Avenue and ‘Over My Head’ by Brian Littrell
Favorite street food: Kwek-kwek
Favorite comfort foods: Dark chocolate, ice cream, pizza
Favorite movies: Troy, Spiderman, Batman movies (the ones with Christian Bale), Superman, Daredevil, 300, The Notebook and a lot more.
Favorite line from a movie: “Go ahead. Make my day.”

What’s your status right now? Are you single, married, or it’s complicated?
     Single. All caps pala dapat, so SINGLE.
Love is like….?
     (Ang hirap naman! After thinking for eons…) Love is… love is… a many splendored thing
Love makes the world….?
     A lovelier place to live in. Despite all the bad things we’re experiencing, love makes life more bearable.
What’s your first love like?
     It was a good training ground.
What’s the one thing you won’t do for love?
     Turn away from my God.
Do you believe that everyone has a soulmate?
     I don’t call it soulmate, but I do believe that God has someone in mind for us to end up with.
Roses and Chocolates….Romantic or Corny?
     Depende kung kanino galing.
Long-distance relationships….Go for it or Run away from it?
     (shrug)..
Muscular men in tight fitting shirt and jeans….Sexy or Nasty?
     Nye!
Isang Linggong Pag-ibig….True love or Kabaliwan?
     (shrug again). But I find it really romantic.

What made you decide to write romance?
     I’m a voracious reader and insatiably romantic so I decided to give it a try. I used to write short stories since I was in elementary (I wrote my very first when I was 12. It was inspired from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. So you can imagine how juvenile it was. Hekhek.)
Where do you usually get your inspiration….in writing sex/sexy scenes? Do you use your OWN experiences?
     I haven’t written anything sexy yet. Pero kung sakali, I’ll use my imagination na lang.
What’s your writing process like? Where do you get ideas? How many hours a day (or days? Months? Years?) Do you work on a single manuscript?
     I first think of the theme (like the morale of the story, the message I want the novel to convey, etc.), I search the internet for pictures para maging model ng aking characters and come up with their qualities. Then, I take details from my ‘pool’ of ideas that I got from ‘spying around’. Then I write. And oh, I construct my own ‘soundtrack’ for the novel. I select songs and make up an OST-like playlist in Winamp. I play it over and over while writing the novel. I get ideas from books, songs, movies, TV shows (noong nakakapanood pa ako), kung saan-saan. Walang exact time ang pag-work sa isang novel. I work on different novels simultaneously, especially if I get stuck up with a scene on one story.
Who is your favorite author? Would you say that your writing style is similar to him/her?
     Sidney Sheldon, Nicholas Sparks, Bob Ong, Bo Sanchez, John Maxwell and a couple of local romance novelist. I want to believe I have a different style.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
     I listen to music, read books (not just romance), talk to my friends, just google around, I daydream or if I’m really near my wit’s end, I lock up in my room and deliberate with myself with a recorder in my hand. (Weirdo ba?)
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring romance writers out there? (There are millions, I tell you!)
     Write with a purpose in mind and with all your heart.
In all honesty, what are the joys of writing romance novels?
     The whole writing stuff is fun, but the best part of it is hearing people’s appreciation of it… telling you how somehow you were able to touch hearts through your novel. It’s priceless! You know, each time I feel down, I just think of those people who believed in me and in my talent.

Ang taong nagpapasaya ng bonggang-bongga sa akin ay si….?
     My family. (‘None’ sana kaya lang masyadong emo ang dating. Hehe.)
Ang paborito kong bad word ay….?
     Nakakaburyong!
Madali kong magustuhan ang mga taong….?
     Funny, madaldal at koboy (walang kiyeme).
Ayaw ko sa mga taong mahilig sa….?
     Away.
Ang pinaka-astig na taong kilala ko ay si….?
     Our pastor and his wife.
Hindi masarap ang hamburger kapag walang…?
     Kapartner na softdrinks or coffee.
Hindi kumpleto ang araw ko kapag walang….?
     Good music na pakikinggan slash book na babasahin.
Hindi masaya ang party kapag walang….?
     Pagkain!
Ang pamilya ay walang kwenta kapag….?
     It’s not serving its purpose (Pasensya na, I was too influenced by Rick Warren’s book )
Masarap manood ng sine kapag….?
     Walang mga katabing kuwentuhan nang kuwentuhan at crush mo ang bida.
Iiyak ako kapag nawala….?
     Ang laptop or ipod ko.
Masarap maging lalaki kasi….?
     Walang dysmenorrhea at puwedeng shirtless any time they fancy.
Boring ang buhay kapag….?
     Everything’s perfect. Walang struggles or challenges.
Masakit magmahal kapag….?
     One-sided.
Masarap magbasa ng My Special Valentine pocketbooks kapag ako ay nasa….?
     …bed, may snack sa tabi at tahimik ang paligid.