Christie Craig and Maggie McGinnis get (a little too?) personal

Christie Craig, author of Divorced, Desperate & Dead, and Maggie McGinnis, author of A Cowboy's Christmas Promise, join HEA to delve into each other's personal lives … and their new books, of course.

Maggie: Christie, your books are smart sassy, and laugh-out-loud funny. But tell me, does your sense of humor come naturally, or do you have to work hard to get "the funny" into your books?

Christie: Thank you, Maggie. I've been called sassy and laugh-out-loud, but I've never been called smart. I'm gonna post this one on my bulletin board. Now, about my sense of humor … I was born Southern, middle child, caught between two brothers who made farting sounds with their armpits during dinner. My family's motto was: If you can laugh at it, you can live with it. And we had our share of tough times. So we laughed a lot. As I've gotten older, I've laughed through divorce, mammograms, breast biopsies, birthing babies, appendectomies and gassy dogs and husbands.

Now when I write romance, humor just shows up. I think love should be fun, funny and a little embarrassing. (Embarrassing being the sex part. Face it, getting naked and intimate with someone for the first time can be awkward and hilarious.) So, when I plot two people falling down that slippery slope called love, there's gonna be humor.

But let's talk about you. Where does that funny bone come from?

Maggie: Like a lot of people, I think mine comes from a healthy dose of perspective. It's easier to laugh at things when you've had enough reality doses to show you how important it is to celebrate the lighter moments. I think I started honing my funny bone when I taught junior high, because let's face it — spending entire days with hormonal pre-teens REQUIRES laughter. It's either that or you cry. A lot.

Then I had twins. And oh lordy, has THAT required a sense of humor. When it's 2 a.m., you haven't slept more than an hour since 17 days ago, and you've got diaper cream and who-knows-what-else in your hair, the only thing you CAN do is laugh. Or, y'know … cry. So I laugh. A lot.

Christie: My turn. I have to wonder … how much is your husband like your heroes?

Maggie: Ooh, that's a tough one. When I create my heroes, I draw qualities from lots of different men. Are my heroes like my husband? In some ways, yes. They're strong, compassionate and dead-sexy, and he's got those qualities in spades. My one big disappointment, though, is that he refuses to move West and be a cowboy. If we can solve that tiny issue, he'll be perfect.

How about you, Christie? How are your heroes like your darling hubby? Does he get jealous of the perfect men you create?

Christie: First, let me address your "perfect men" comment. They don't exist. I can't even conjure up a fictional one. My heroes make mistakes, suffer from high-altitude ego issues and are often emotionally deficient. My hubby isn't gonna read this, right? You see, I attribute my ability to write romance to my first husband. He was so bad in the love department; I had to fantasize — hence my Divorced & Desperate series. Now, second hubby, he's a keeper. But let's just say I do a little airbrushing on abs and such. Ahh, but when it comes to the heart, he inspired each and every one of my heroes.

As for jealous? He reads every book I write. He doesn't notice the airbrushing, but he points out everything he might have inspired. That said, your question reminded me of something a woman told me at a book signing. "My husband doesn't like me to read romance because he says the heroes take four pages to do something he can do in two." Let's just say that my husband isn't a two-pager and doesn't need to be jealous.

Maggie: An-nd there's your TMI, gang! Just kidding — he sounds like a doll. But since no man is perfect … what's one thing you would change about him, if anything?

Christie: You know for every flaw he has, there's a kickback. FYI, he's cheap. Scottish with deep pockets and short arms. But his frugalness allowed me to pursue a career in writing during those years when I could have made more money asking people if they wanted fries with that burger. So do tell, Maggie. What would you change about your hubby?

Maggie: I should totally say nothing, right? Yes. But since you're asking … He's the handiest person I know, which is awesome … except when it isn't. Because he CAN do just about anything, he refuses to let anyone ELSE do it, especially professionals. This is why I'm currently trying to figure out how to mount an extreme bathtub emergency that would necessitate an immediate intervention … while he's away on business. My bathtub is 1966 pink. Surely you understand.

But enough about our poor husbands! Let's dish on our books! You have a new release out this week, and I can't WAIT to read it. Can you give us a quick scoop?

Christie: Yes. Yesterday, the fifth book in my Divorced & Desperate series released. Divorced, Desperate & Dead. Yeah, I kind of decided to do something non-traditional. Both my hero and heroine die in the first chapter. But believe me, it all works out. The tagline for this series is: sexy, suspenseful and seriously funny. That pretty much describes all the books. Now what's your latest, Maggie?

Maggie: They DIE? This I have to read! As for me, I'm thrilled to have the second book in my Whisper Creek series out today! I am so hopelessly in love with this hero that I can barely stand to share him, but I must! Daniel's had so much heartbreak at such a young age that you can't help but pull for him to find a happily-ever-after, so what's an author to do? I sent him the perfect heroine to make it all work out beautifully. What can I say? I'm a giver.

Christie: So what's next for you? What book is keeping you up late at night working on it?

Maggie: I'm just putting the finishing touches on the third book in the Whisper Creek series, titled Last First Dance. I'm completely, utterly in love with the hero — yes, again — and I'm having so much fun hanging out in Montana that I'm pretty sure I just need to move there. How about you? What are you working on right now?

Christie: I'm working on the third and final installment of my Young Adult Shadow Falls: After Dark series, which I write under the name C. C. Hunter. It's on the spooky side. Vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves and ghosts. I love a good ghost story.

Maggie: I love your split personality! So what's it take to be Christie Craig's BFF? (And can I please have an application?)

Christie: You betcha. They've got to be able to laugh and be open-minded. They can't be prejudiced, too political or a stick-in-the-mud. They don't have to be writers, but they have to accept that I hear voices, and when I ask questions like, Do you think you could kill someone with a toilet plunger? they know there's no reason for alarm. This is just me doing what I do best. What are your requirements for a BFF? Would I fit them?

Maggie: Absolutely! I love a bestie who makes me laugh until my stomach hurts, one who knows when to hug and when to kick some butt, and one who makes me a better version of myself. I'm blessed to have a collection of them that I'm thankful for every day, but there's always room for another. And I totally think you could do someone in with a plunger. Just saying.

Christie: So Maggie, last question: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Maggie: Umm, could I be sitting on your fabulous porch sipping sweet tea with you? (She has THE best porch, people.) Let's see. I'd love to be doing exactly what I'm doing now … but maybe have a few less chores or a few more hands. Less pounds on the scale and more money in the bank? Oh wait. College is coming. Scratch that! How about you? What do you hope life will look like in five years, if all goes as planned?

Christie: I'll have lost 40 pounds, found a new miracle skin cream, and still be doing what I love: writing books that make people laugh, think, and fall in love with love.

Find out more about Christie and Maggie and their books at their websites, www.christie-craig.com and www.maggiemcginnis.com.