A visit with Harlequin editor Kathleen Scheibling

Kathleen Scheibling has worked in book publishing for over 15 years, with occasional forays into film development and production. She has worked as a literary agent, a book promoter, a freelance editor for publishers such as Random House and Harper Collins, an in-house editor at a small press, and joined Harlequin in 2001. Kathleen’s focus is on contemporary romance, and she has worked on Harlequin Superromance, Silhouette Special Edition and Harlequin Everlasting Romance. She is now Senior Editor of the Harlequin American Romance series.

Thank you for joining us, Kathleen. You have quite an impressive biography. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a lawyer. As I got older, I realized I might bore myself to death, or have an early heart attack due to stress. So naturally I went into a low-stress career in publishing (insert maniacal laughter here.)

What or who influenced you to become an editor?

My senior year high school English teacher confessed to me that she read Hemingway and Shakespeare during the day, and steamy historical romances at night. There was something about this confession that made me realize I wanted to work in publishing—that being a book lover didn’t mean marginalizing your taste.

What books do you read for pleasure?

Um, everything? I read other genres of romance (besides contemporary), lots of non-fiction and literary fiction. I just finished American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld and am starting Jon Krakauer’s Where Men Win Glory. I also love magazines—Vanity Fair is a favorite.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Puppeteer. A highlight of last year’s RWA National conference was visiting Kermit the Frog at the Smithsonian.

What one word would you use to describe yourself?

Hungry.

It’s said you can tell a lot about a person by their surroundings. What does your workspace look like?

Like my mind, it is cluttered. But I still know where everything is.

Do you have any hobbies?

I watch tons of movies. I’m very physically active and like to hike, box, run, cycle, canoe, etc. But not all at the same time.

If you were stranded on an island… what four things would you want with you?

1) A gorgeous, intelligent, interesting man.

2) A stocked refrigerator.

3) A stocked bar.

4) Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen.

What was the most dangerous or scariest thing you’ve ever done? (such as bungee jumping or alligator wrestling.)

Kayaking in the freezing Atlantic Ocean with whales coming up all around me, no land in sight. And I DID once wrestle an alligator. Piece of cake.

If you could have lunch with anyone living or dead, who would it be?

Cary Grant. It would be the wittiest darn lunch, ever.

If you could live in another time period, when would it be and why?

No way. Women have the most freedom now—why go back?

What is your favorite word? What is your least favorite word?

Fav: Cookie. Not so much: Empty.

Flash Round:

Favorite Ice Cream flavor?

Chocolate mint chip.

Favorite Food?

Shellfish.

Favorite flower?

Iris.

Favorite Sport?

Cycling.

Guilty Pleasure?

Watching movies over and over and over. I must have seen The Godfather 50 times.

What can you tell us about the workshop you’re doing for the Desert Rose conference?

On Saturday afternoon I’m sitting on a panel with three Harlequin authors, talking about how writing category romance can exponentially boost your career.

Thank you again, for spending the day with us.

If you want to learn more about Kathleen, you can visit with her at the Desert Rose conference April 16-18.