Hi Avid Readers!
Did you ever want to peek behind the curtain of a romance writer’s mind? Today’s your lucky day! I interviewed my #18FreeReads compatriots on questions tickling my curiosity. (Haven’t heard of this giveaway? Download all of the books here until May 22.)
What makes us tick? You, the readers, first and foremost! We’re grateful we get a chance to share time with you, and we learn so much through our interactions with you.
Maggie Jaimeson (Healing Notes) – “…readers purposefully choose to read books that provide examples of characters having to overcome major hurdles in life and still being able to find happiness.”
Jean Oram (The Promise) – “It’s always an honor to hear from readers who got swept away by one of my series while they were undergoing tough times in their lives and my books were able to make them forget and laugh.”
Virna dePaul (Down Deep) – “…many people believe in the healing quality of redemption, and are willing to journey with someone through difficult times to get to a better place.”
Suzanne Whitfield Vince (My Mother’s Journals) – “…knowing that when they read, they want to connect emotionally – to my characters, to the story, to me – is the BEST part of what I do.”
One of my readers wrote to tell me how she had endured a particularly brutal divorce, but after reading my books, she believed in love again. Talk about finding something to inspire me! If you ever hesitate to share your feelings with a writer after reading their story, don’t. You might be making that author’s day!
Writing romance teaches us a lot about ourselves too. Maggie noted that falling in love and staying that way is hard work. You’ll find us reading romance along with writing it! But there’s more.
Tawny Weber (Call to Honor) – “…writing romance has shown me how good it feels to focus on love and all its wonderful gifts.”
Melinda Curtis (The Wedding Promise) – “Without my realizing it, writing has become therapy. Characters need backstory and I often find I put some of the emotional issues I’m dealing with into them.”
Tina Gower (Romancing the Null) – “…I can turn that innate ‘What if this were to happen’ that is an anxiety response into something productive.”
Anne Stone (Life’s Second Chances) – “If I persevere, I can do anything I set my mind to.”
Suzanne added, “I write because, quite simply, I just have to write.” Ditto for me. The characters inside me will not stay silent. If I don’t give them a voice, I won’t find rest. Call it therapy or drive or necessity, but we have to write – we don’t know how to exist any other way!
Of course, all of that creative energy needs to come from somewhere.
Elleby Harper (Secrets & Lies) – “Chocolate and more chocolate are part of my creative process. Sugar is brain food after all!”
Don’t forget the coffee, Elleby! And naps, exercise, silence, noise, music, husbands and kids, dogs and cats, Mother Nature, and aromatherapy. While we share our passion for writing, the HOW of how we do it is as individual as, well, our readers!
A big THANK YOU to all of you for allowing us to do something that pleases you and feeds our passions! As Tawny said, “I’m blessed with amazing readers who are always so enthusiastic and supportive. They really are amazing.”
Yes, readers, you are – and YOU are what makes us tick!
Have you downloaded all of the books in our #18FreeReads giveaway? Here’s the link! Scroll down the page to see a blurb on each of our books, and click on each “Go” button to download it in the format of your choice.
Happy reading from the author of Naked Intolerances!
Yvonne
