craft Archives | Margaret Locke

Welcome to Writer Wednesday! I’m glad you’re here for our weekly mini-break for a mini-interview with a magnificent author.

Today I’m happy to bring you Marie Johnston, author of paranormal and contemporary romance, whose website insists, “Life is too short to not read romance!” I whole-heartedly agree, and am thrilled to have Marie with us today.

So grab those Girl Scout cookies (I’m my daughter’s troop’s cookie mom, so cookies are on the mind, and in the house) and a cup of something to sip on, and enjoy getting to know Marie and her work a little better!

Which type of romance do you love most, and why?

Paranormal! I transitioned to romance after being a diehard fantasy reader. But when I noticed I was scouring blurbs, looking for the romance, I wondered why I didn’t just read romance. Paranormal was a natural transition and after a little Sherrilyn Kenyon and J. R. Ward, I was hooked.

Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book:

I’m working on Navy short stories and it’s really, really hard to find a Sailor to interview when I live in the middle of the country. My husband’s friend recommended Carrier, a PBS miniseries that followed USS Nimitz on a deployment. It sucked me in and I binge watched all 10 episodes.

Name two things people don’t know about you:

I’m a veteran and a triathlete. My knees are shot, so I don’t know if I can get back to sprint triathlons, but I haven’t ruled it out. My soldier days are way past done, though.

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

Join RWA. Learn the craft.

I had zero knowledge about writing and publishing. But writing seemed so simple compared to self-publishing. I immersed myself in learning the business side, but my writing wasn’t where it should’ve been. I did a lot of things right but so, so many things wrong. I would’ve also loved if someone told me to become a marketing expert and handed me a list of reputable editors. All of it is a lifelong process writing and publishing, but I wish I knew more of those topics when I began.

A Bit About Ancient Ties:

Kaitlyn Savoy might’ve been raised human, but she’s fully embraced her shifter side in her role as Guardian. Protecting her species calls to her blood, but unfortunately, so does her new partner. She pretends indifference to his cutting remarks about her heritage and the inconvenient blackouts she experiences after each shift.

Chayton Eagle’s honorable bloodlines include an ancient father and full-blooded Sioux mother. When he joins the West Creek Guardians and meets Kaitlyn, he can’t believe fate chose her to be his mate. But it’s too late. He already swore himself to another female.

When the two Guardians have to partner for a mission, it brings them too close to resist their attraction. Until Chayton discovers the promise he made in the past may kill his future.

Find Ancient Ties here:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

A Bit About Marie:

Marie Johnston lives in the upper-Midwest with her husband, four kids, and an old cat. Deciding to trade in her lab coat for a laptop, she’s writing down all the tales she’s been making up in her head for years. An avid reader of paranormal romance, these are the stories hanging out and waiting to be told, between the demands of work, home, and the endless chauffeuring that comes with children.

Want to connect further with Marie? Find her here!

Thanks so much for spending time with us today, Marie! I’m glad you could be a part of Writer Wednesday!

That’s right! It’s Writer Wednesday! Time to PAR-TAY!

And by party, I mean read this whole interview, because learning about authors is way cool.

The weather is stunningly gorgeous here in Virginia today – a true spring masterpiece. I hope you can say the same wherever you are. Speaking of Virginia, I’m delighted to have fellow Virginian and romance author Julieann Dove with us today, sharing about her life as a writer, and giving us a glimpse into her newest book, Waking Amy!

Welcome, Julieann! And away we go…

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

I would’ve liked to be told that no matter what skill set I thought I had, or how I might’ve thought my imagination was good…go take at least two or three writing workshops before submitting anything to an agent. Let’s face it, you get one chance to make an impression, and although I got my fair share of requests, it always came back to a craft problem that enabled me from getting representation.

What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?

Wuthering Heights. I can feel the love Heathcliff had for Catherine. Right down to my bones. The way he wanted her to haunt him when she died. There was such passion between these two characters. I never tire of reading it!

What inspires you to write?

Music. I can hear a song and write a novel around the lyrics. I wrote my first novel from listening to the song Gravity, by Sara Bareilles. I even titled it “Gravity!” I’ve since changed the title, but I won an award for it, and I have the certificate with the original title. That was neat. 🙂

And now, a bit on Waking Amy:

Amy Whitfield is blindsided when she comes home and finds a note on the fridge from her husband, Wesley, stating that after four years of marriage, he’s leaving her. Amy was in the midst of trying to spice things up, to bring life back to their boring marriage. It seems now that she was too late.

As Amy sits with her head between her knees, trying to figure out what to do next, a call comes from Mercer General Hospital. The ER nurse is telling Amy’s answering machine that Wesley has been in a car accident.

When Amy arrives at the hospital, she finds her husband in a coma. The doctors say there is no sign of brain damage, and Wesley will eventually wake up. Relieved, Amy sees this as her second chance: the chance to get it right this time. To channel the girl Wesley won’t leave when he regains consciousness… She just needs some help to pull it off. After all, she was voted girl most likely to die a virgin in high school.

Amy would never figure on getting that help from Mark Reilly…Wesley’s doctor! He’s a non-committer, too-cute-for-his-own-good bachelor, and completely the guy Amy begins falling for. It’s a race against time to see who wakes up first—Amy or her husband.

Find Waking Amy on Amazon!

A bit about Julieann Dove:

Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!