RWA 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!

Welcome to Writer Wednesday! It’s a magical week, as today we’re hosting Linda Wisdom, author of books that will bewitch you (‘Cause she writes romances about witches and other fun, magickal things. See? I funny.)

What inspires you to write?

I’d have to say it’s the voices in my head. <G> Characters will either tap me on the shoulder or scream in my ear and tell me what I’m supposed to be doing. They usually like to do it when I’m out running errands. My Notepad app on my phone and tablet are handy for quickly writing down enough words to remind me what they were talking about.

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

I’d have to say paranormal/urban fantasy. I loved paranormal years ago before it was popular and was always searching for reading material. I started reading a lot of factual books about ghost towns and legends. It was soon easier to just write my own paranormal books, even if they weren’t popular back then.

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

Talk to people already in the business so you don’t feel alone. I didn’t know anyone when I started out. I just sat down and wrote two books and was lucky enough to sell those two books to Silhouette Romance a month after submission. I didn’t meet another romance author for almost two years. RWA wasn’t around when I began. The first RWA conference was an eye-opener for me.

Find Hotel Hex here, and Free Spirits here. I hope you also visit Linda at her website.

Thanks so much for joining us, Linda! It’s been a delight.