Most weeks I bring you a fellow romance author, usually with one or more books to their name. But occasionally I like to break the pattern and feature someone who writes in a different genre, or someone who is “pre-published” (as I heard it called at a Virginia Romance Writers meeting – isn’t that a great term for authors whose work isn’t quite on the shelves/screen yet?).
So grab that mug of tea or cup of hot cocoa (or maybe a nice iced drink if you’re somewhere hot), and enjoy learning more about Taryn and her upcoming YA epic fantasy release, Hex Breaker.
Welcome to Writer Wednesday! Yes, I said Wednesday, even though it’s Thursday.
Sadly, someone attacked my website and it went down in flames yesterday. But thanks to my computer science professor husband, it’s back up and running, and so I can finally bring you author Dana K. Ray. Just a day late.
My apologies to Dana and to all of you!
But now I invite you to sit back, relax, and get to know Dana and her gutsy, true to life Christian stories!
What was the inspiration for your latest book?
When I wrote A Second Chance it was a form of therapy. It’s a story about forgiving others, forgiving yourself and giving another chance to those who may not deserve it.
Real life is messy. People hurt you and you hurt people. There’s no way around it. Many times we have to offer forgiveness, not for the other person, but for yourself. It’s freeing to forgive. I wanted to show others it can be done.
Name two things people don’t know about me.
Always. I felt odd because I always had movies playing in my head. I was so concerned with it that in college I wrote a paper on “fantasy thoughts” because I wasn’t sure if it was normal. I was a stay-at-home mom which gave me the chance to write my books down. The images are very vivid. I see the characters 3-D and in color but the fun of it, is I can change things. I can watch a scene and if I don’t like it, I mix it up. I do this until I love the scene then I go write it down.
I am an AVID football fan!! I mean I do nothing on the weekends but watch or go to games during the season. I love college and pro, but college a little bit better! I will take any free tickets. Email me at danakray@yahoo.com if you have some freebies I could have! Ha ha.
How much of yourself is reflected in this book (for example, professional expertise, personality, or other), and how?
In A Second Chance are some lessons I’ve personally lived and learned, yet it’s purely fiction. I can honestly say that there is a piece of me in every character in the book. I’ve been Raven; done so many bad things that I felt like God and people around me would never forgive me. I’ve been Matthew; way too judgmental towards others to the point people couldn’t stand to be around me and choosing to go down a road that God didn’t want me on.
I’ve been touched by one friend and two family members that have fought Leukemia. I’ve experienced the effects of suicide four times in my life, from a close friend’s attempt to two friends and one relative following through with it. Suicide is never the answer and I’d plead with anyone thinking about it to please, please, please reach out for help. Your life is SO important and you are loved more than you can even imagine, even if you don’t feel like it.
Why should we read this book and what sets you apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?
A Second Chance is a gutsy, real to life story. It’s a fun and fast (as in you can’t put it down) read. It touches on real to life experiences with drugs, alcohol, suicide, death and cancer. Things that so many of us go through or have gone through. In A Second Chance, there are valuable lessons of how the characters overcome the darkness in their worlds.
Can you tell us something quirky about this book, its story and characters?
I’m from Iowa and grew up in Des Moines but we had a farm outside of town. I moved to Missouri when I was seventeen to go to college, but Iowa holds a special place in my heart.
Like Raven, I’ve walked through tall fields of corn and weeds. I’ve seen the beauty of the state. It was my inspiration for the setting of A Second Chance.
What is your writing process?
I usually turn on some loud music, grab a Diet Coke or a Mocha and start writing. No process at all. I just write and see where the characters end up. Then there is a lot of editing, editing and more editing. I send chapters to my three critique partners, who then edit some more. After a lot of rewriting and editing, you get a book and if you’re truly lucky and blessed, a publishing contract.
Raven will do just about anything to forget a horrific event from the past that still haunts her. Forced to attend church because of a promise she made at a party, she is immediately attracted to the young, handsome preacher but is unconvinced of his promises of a better life.
A future he refuses to accept…
Matthew has everything planned out until Raven walks into his church and turns his life upside down. Repulsed by her lifestyle, yet fascinated by her beauty and charm, he finds himself drawn to her by a force he can’t explain.
Raven and Mathew’s unlikely friendship leads them through escalating troubled waters that threaten to doom their growing relationship. Will they survive to learn valuable lessons of grace, forgiveness and love?
A Bit About Dana:
Dana K. Ray has been writing gutsy, true to life Christian stories since she became a teenager. An avid Mizzou Tiger fan and a full-time children’s minister in her church, she and her husband reside in the Midwest with their four children and four dogs.
Look for Dana’s second book,Absolution, to be published by eLectio Publishing in July 2017!
Normally I bring you a new and different author every Wednesday, but today – SURPRISE – you get little ol’ me. Why? Because it’s A Matter of Time’s book birthday, and I feel like celebrating!
Hopefully you’ll enjoy these insights into my 2016 HOLT Medallion Certificate of Merit winner and 2016 RONE finalist, and perhaps learn a little more about me, as well.
I’d always intended on writing Regency romance. In fact, it’s the only thing I thought I’d ever write, but darn if my muse didn’t have other plans, since the first big story idea she brought was not set in the Regency at all! A Man of Character takes place in 2012 in Charlottesville, Virginia – with nary a duke or grand ball in sight.
Until the end. Because if my heroine Catherine Schreiber wasn’t going to be a Regency gal, at least her Jane Austen-loving sidekick Eliza James could, right? And what better way to tie my modern magical romantic comedy in with a Regency novel than by sending the sidekick from book one back in time in book two? That’s how the idea began.
Brainstorming what kind of duke Eliza might meet was a blast. Slick and debonair? A frilly, froofy dandy? Or a Darcy in disguise? Of course I chose the Pride and Prejudice–inspired latter for Deveric Mattersley, Duke of Claremont, and melded him with a Beauty and the Beast sort of touch, in part because bubbly Eliza needed a more Eeyorish counterpart, and in part because those are two of my favorite romances ever!
But the most fun part, however, came when I gave Deveric two sidekicks – Morgan Collinswood, Marquess of Emerlin, and James Bradley, Duke of Arthington. Because, well, I’m totally obsessed with the BBC show Merlin and the two lead actors who played Merlin and Arthur – namely Colin Morgan and Bradley James. Turn them around, dress them up a little bit, throw in some Merlin references here and there, and voila! I had my counterparts to Deveric Mattersley. And I love them so much that they each shall eventually get their own books.
What was the hardest thing about writing A Matter of Time?
First and foremost, aiming for historical accuracy in details. And I’m sure I still made mistakes, but I tried to do diligent research and ask questions in the Romance Writers of America‘s wonderful Regency group, The Beau Monde.
Second, there were a few key scenes I had originally written from a third character’s perspective (Deveric’s mother, the rather dragon-like Matilda Mattersley). But my editor believed I should stick solely with Eliza’s and Deveric’s view points, so, well, having to rewrite those scenes from a different point of view while still showing Matilda’s character development proved rather rascally.
Our two new kittens, Otto and Edison, whom we got the day after Thanksgiving!
Do you always include pets in your books?
Yup! I decided from the start I’d include some sort of beloved animal in each of my novels, just because I’m a cat fanatic myself (yes, if I didn’t have husband, I’ve have more cats and be Crazy Cat Lady, indeed). So A Man of Character has a cat, Presley, A Matter of Time has a puppy named Pirate, and A Scandalous Matter has a cat named Ada Lovelace. It’s just a silly little thing for me to do, and I enjoy the feline and canine characters. Do you?
What’s coming up in 2017 for Margaret Locke?
To be honest, I had hoped to publish my next book, The Demon Duke, in December or January. But life has had a way of knocking me down this year (gallbladder surgery, tooth gone rogue, mom had major surgery, my beloved cat Scilla died), so it’s been pushed back a little, but hopefully it will debut in the late spring of 2017. It’s the first in my Put Up Your Dukes series, and a pure Regency, no magic at all. Hopefully my fans will still love it.
I also am working on a draft of A Delicate Matter, which takes a surprise character from book three in the Magic of Love series, A Scandalous Matter, and gives her her own story.
Guess what? For the next few days only, ALL of my books are on sale! You can get each individual title for only $0.99 on Kindle, or all three books in the Magic of Love ebook series for only $2.99! Wahoo!
Prefer a paperback? Those are also available on Amazon, or you may contact me directly for autographed copies!
Want to join me for A Matter of Time’s birthday bash?
Pop on in to my Facebook party tonight (November 30th, 2016) from 8-11 pm EST to meet a number of other great authors and learn about their books (and we’ve got an awesome variety, with several romance authors but also a couple of YA fantasy writers and an espionage writer!), and have the chance to win great giveaways and prizes from them and from moi!
Because I want to give back to all of you who’ve given me so much in this past eighteen months of being a published authors. It’s been amazing, a roller coaster full of thrills, and it’s taken me beyond my wildest dreams!
And for those of you who aren’t familiar with A Matter of Time, here’s its blurb:
Can a man with a past and a woman from the future forge a love for all time?
Nobody would blame widowed doctoral student Eliza James for giving up on Happily Ever After; at twenty-nine, she’s suffered more loss than most people do in a lifetime. But Eliza’s convinced her own hero is still out there, waiting for her, just like in the beloved romance novels she devours. Every Jane Austen-loving girl deserves a Darcy, right?
Only Eliza doesn’t dream of a modern-day affair: she wants the whole Regency experience. When a magical manuscript thrusts her back two hundred years into the arms and life of one Deveric Mattersley, Duke of Claremont, however, Eliza realizes some fantasies aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, especially when her duke proves himself less than a Prince Charming.
Convinced he’s at fault for the death of his wife, Deveric Mattersley has no interest in women, much less marriage. Determined to atone for his sins, he decrees himself content to focus on running his family’s estates, and on raising his son–until the mysterious Mrs. James appears. Who is she? What does she want? And why does she make Dev’s blood run hot in a way no woman ever has?
A charming time-travel Regency romance full of wit and humor, A Matter of Time reminds us that, like books, you can’t judge people by their covers, and that love often comes when least expected.
And a few reviews, just because they make me giddy. I can’t believe they’re talking about my novel!:
“A love story and so much more, A Matter of Time should be on every fantasy, paranormal, contemporary and Regency romance readers “to read” list…I would definitely recommend this novel – you will be charmed, captivated, have a few good laughs and shed a few tears as you cheer Eliza and Dev on to find their happy every after ending.” – Marsha, KeeperBookshelf.com
“This was one of the best fantasy, paranormal romances I have read in a while. I loved the characters and even the secondary characters were great. I would most definitely recommend this book and I look forward to more from this series.” – Cat, NerdGirlOfficial.com
Thank you so much for hanging with me, not only today, but all the time! I love you guys. Seriously.
If you want to connect with me further, you can find me here:
Welcome to Writer Wednesday, everyone! If you’re from the United States, you’re likely celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. Well, what better to whet your appetite than a tasty, bite-sized interview with a fellow romance author?
Today we’re serving up Arlene Hittle, author of sports romances, geek romances, reimagined fairy tales, and more! And if her author pic doesn’t make you totally want to hang out and split some pie with her, well, I don’t know what will!
So settle in for this calorie-free but oh-so-delicious appetizer of Arlene and her books. Take it away, Arlene!
Which type of romance do you love most and why?
To write, I love contemporary romance. I enjoy taking a thoroughly modern look at love, life and family—both the kind we’re born into and the ones we choose. When I have time to read, it’s a toss-up between contemporary (a la Jill Shalvis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Kristan Higgins) and historical, preferably set in Victorian times—although Regency will do in a pinch. Anything with a duke or earl—or even the Duke of Earl—and a feisty heroine makes me happy.
Name two things people don’t know about you.
I’m not much of a drinker. With the way my characters booze it up, you’d never guess it!
I haven’t turned on the TV since moving into my new place in May 2015. The set’s not even plugged in. I do, however, watch a select few shows on Hulu—and I’m sorely tempted to subscribe to Netflix in time for this week’s “Gilmore Girls” reunion shows. [ML says, “Do it!” Though I still have to get through season 7 of the original.]
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?
I’m tempted to say Gone With the Wind, but with its ending, it’s not strictly a romance.
So I’ll go with Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Lady Be Good. I fell in love with the hero, Kenny Traveler, a disgraced pro golfer trying to restore his career, from his first appearance on the page. Heroine Emma is captivating from Page 1, too.
A potentially career-ending injury sends Arizona Condors pitcher Luis Castillo home to Miami to rehab and recuperate. He hasn’t even unpacked the rental car when he runs into his ex-best friend’s kid sister. She’s not a kid anymore, but she remains the main reason he ran as far and fast as he could six years ago. A successful college baseball career and two good years on the mound with the Condors did nothing to change what they did, or help him forget its consequences. He doesn’t deserve Randi’s warm welcome—and she sure as hell shouldn’t still look at him that way.
Miranda Vega sets out to convince Luis to take a chance on their relationship, which came to a premature end the night her brother found his baby sister in the arms of his best friend. The discovery sent Ricky into a vehicle, a near-head-on collision and ultimately a wheelchair. To get the boy—now man—she started crushing on at puberty and still loves today to believe Ricky’s accident wasn’t his fault, Randi needs a game plan. With any luck, she, Ricky and a Little League team in serious need of coaching will be able to notch the win.
Even with a bum left arm, Luis is a skilled opponent, adept at getting in his own way. But Randi grew up stubborn. And this time, she’s playing for keeps.
Arlene Hittle is a Midwestern transplant who now makes her home in northern Arizona. She suffers from the well-documented Hittle family curse of being a Cubs fan, which can no longer be considered a curse, courtesy of the 2016 World Series Champion Cubbies. Longtime friends are amazed she writes books with sports in them, since she’s about as coordinated as a newborn giraffe and used to say marching band required more exertion than golf.
Want to connect further with Arlene? Find her online here:
Welcome to Writer Wednesday! Though it’s actually Thursday at this time of posting. My apologies – my beloved cat, Scilla, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning, and it’s thrown me for a loop.
But I’m still excited to bring you Nicole Evelina as this week’s Writer Wednesday guest! Nicole is a fun, feisty (in the good way), fantastic award-winning author of “stories of strong women from history & today.” I just finished her Madame Presidentess, and it was an absorbing look at the first woman to ever run for president – Victoria Woodhull.
But enough of me talking – let’s let Nicole tell us a bit more about herself and her work!
What inspires you to write?
I write because I have to. As I once told my boss at my day job, “Writing is like breathing for me.” I hear my characters talking in my head and once a story has hold of me, I have to get it on paper in order to get the characters to be quiet and for me to find peace. There’s a great quote from Maya Angelou that perfectly describes the feeling of being a writer: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” It feels like something is trying to crawl through your skin. I know that sounds terrible, but it’s also the most exhilarating feeling in the world. Forget drugs; the high of being in the zone of a story is the best kind there is.
Which type of romance do you love most, and why?
I like contemporary romance on the sweet side. I’m okay with some sex and adult language doesn’t bother me at all, but I don’t like graphic sex. I find that my imagination is more of a turn on than all the adjectives and detailed instructions in the world. Because of this, I prefer books that are more about romance than sex. I think I’m just old fashioned that way.
Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book.
My last book, Madame Presidentess, is biographical historical fiction about Victoria Woodhull, the first woman who ran for President in the United States in 1872. She was a strong campaigner for women’s suffrage alongside Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, yet is not in the history books.
The most interesting thing I learned was that the suffrage movement wasn’t all roses and sisterhood like I expected. That was the picture Hollywood and my high school textbooks painted. But the suffrage movement was actually broken into two competing factions in the mid-1800s, the American Woman Suffrage Association, led by Lucy Stone, that endorsed suffrage state by state and were more conservative, and the more radical National Woman Suffrage Association, led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, which advocated for federal women’s suffrage. Victoria was a member of the later for several years. In addition to being split ideologically, the women often disagreed and fought with one another more than you would think, penning unflattering articles and messages about one another and speaking out publicly against each other. The rift between the two major groups wasn’t mended until 1890, when they joined as the National American Woman Suffrage Association.
Name two things people don’t know about you.
I feel like I’m such an open book that there’s not much people don’t know! I guess I’ll go with:
I was born three months premature, weighing only 1 lb. 15 oz. The doctors told my mom that I survived because I was a girl and girls fight harder. (Girl power!) All I know is I’m here 37 years later and pretty darn healthy considering all that could have gone wrong. I like to joke that I’ve been impatient since before I was born.
I’m a contest junkie. I’ve always been highly competitive and I love trophies, medals, and all things shiny (I blame it on dance and gymnastics competitions when I was little), so I enter every writing contest I can. So far, that strategy has worked out well. My four books have won more than a dozen awards, with each one earning at least one honor.
What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?
I love Nora Roberts and am becoming a fan of J.R. Ward. I like Nora’s books because they are not only well-written, but have wonderful characters you can root for and luscious settings. While they are sexy, they aren’t over the top. She really is the queen of romance. J.D. Ward’s books show a depth of story beyond the romance that I don’t see too often. They are very well developed and expertly written. They are a little racy for me, and contain one of my romance pet peeves (the guy getting an erection every time he sees the girl…which to me sounds like a medical problem) but the story is so good, I can overlook that.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
Write what you love, get it out there and don’t stress about the rest because your books WILL find their audience. I’ve done the querying and submission thing for traditional publishing (I had an agent for two years) and now I’m indie. I don’t advocate one over the other, but either way, we authors put ourselves through way more stress over platforms, social media numbers and sales than is necessary. Just write and the rest will fall into place.
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?
It’s not officially a romance, but the most romantic book I’ve ever read is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Deb claims it is general fiction, but it could easily be considered a paranormal romance. I’ve read this book about five times now and each time something new strikes me. This time is was that the story really shows that love is about sacrifice and trust, being there for each other in any way the other needs and never giving up on each other. It’s a beautiful story.
A Bit About Been Searching For You:
Get ready to lose your heart to this award-winning, humorous love story. Written in the tradition of Nora Ephron and Hallmark Channel movies, this fun romantic comedy shows that old-fashioned love can be found by the modern girl, if only she’s willing to trust herself and search hard enough.
Annabeth is a hopeless romantic who believes in soul mates. In fact, she’s been writing to hers each year on her birthday since she was 16.
Now, at 34, she’s still holding out hope of finding Mr. Right even though he’d be fighting an uphill battle to gain her trust, thanks to a traumatic experience years before that’s left her unable to commit.
When Annabeth meets a handsome literature professor named Alex on her 34th birthday, she thinks her quest may finally be at an end. Things don’t quite go as planned, so Annabeth resolves to do everything she can over the next year to find the unknown recipient of her letters. But blind dates, Meetup events and online singles sites have nothing on what fate has in store for her when a co-worker unexpectedly quits and Annabeth finds herself working in close quarters with both Alex and her long ago ex, Nick. Fighting her attraction to one and loathing for the other, Annabeth is forced to face all of her old insecurities while keeping an eye on a scheming frienemy who may derail her hopes and dreams.
Been Searching for You was the winner of the Romance category in the 2016 Colorado Independent Publishing Association’s EVVY Awards, as well as the 2015 Romance Writers of America Great Expectations and Golden Rose contests.
Heat level: Mild – all the sex takes place behind closed doors, but there is a little action on the page.
Language: Contains some adult language and sexual innuendo.
Nicole Evelina is a multi-award-winning historical fiction and romantic comedy writer. Her most recent novel, Madame Presidentess, a historical novel about Victoria Woodhull, America’s first female Presidential candidate, was the first place winner in the Women’s US History category of the 2015 Chaucer Awards for Historical Fiction.
Her debut novel, Daughter of Destiny, the first book of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view, was named Book of the Year by Chanticleer Reviews, took the Grand Prize in the 2015 Chatelaine Awards for Women’s Fiction/Romance, won a Gold Medal in the fantasy category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, a Gold Medal in the fantasy category in the Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was short-listed for the Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction. Its sequel, Camelot’s Queen, was awarded the prestigious B.R.A.G Medallion. Been Searching for You, her contemporary romantic comedy, won the 2016 Colorado Independent Publishers Association Award for Romance, the 2015 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Great Expectations and Golden Rose contests and was a finalist in the chick-lit category of the Readers Favorite Awards.
Nicole’s writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Independent Journal,Curve Magazine and numerous historical publications. She is one of only six authors who completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness. As an armchair historian, Nicole researches her books extensively, consulting with biographers, historical societies and traveling to locations when possible. For example, she traveled to England twice to research the Guinevere’s Tale trilogy, where she consulted with internationally acclaimed author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Marion Zimmer Bradley research The Mists of Avalon.
Nicole is a member of and book reviewer for The Historical Novel Society, as well as a member of the Historical Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, Women Writing the West, Alliance of Independent Authors, the Independent Book Publishers Association and the Midwest Publisher’s Association.
Welcome to Writer Wednesday!
When I wrote 
I am an AVID football fan!! I mean I do nothing on the weekends but watch or go to games during the season. I love college and pro, but college a little bit better! I will take any free tickets. Email me at 
Can you tell us something quirky about this book, its story and characters? 
What is your writing process?
A Bit About Dana:
But the most fun part, however, came when I gave Deveric two sidekicks – Morgan Collinswood, Marquess of Emerlin, and James Bradley, Duke of Arthington. Because, well, 
Which type of romance do you love most and why?
Name two things people don’t know about you.
Welcome to Writer Wednesday! Though it’s actually Thursday at this time of posting. My apologies – my beloved cat, Scilla, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning, and it’s thrown me for a loop.
What inspires you to write?
Which type of romance do you love most, and why?
Name two things people don’t know about you.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?
A Bit About Been Searching For You: