Part 2 An Interview with NY Times best selling author, Jennifer Ryan
Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment ?
A. Let’s just say I’ve got a very active imagination….an idea sparks from a song, a show, a book, a conversation with family and friends, seeing a couple on the street, overhearing a conversation in a restaurant…I can find a story in just about anything. Once that spark hits, my mind takes off.
Q. When did you begin to write seriously?
A. In 2005 when my 2 kids were in school and I had some free time. I learned I was pregnant with my daughter and not going back to work anytime soon, so I turned to writing as something to fill my time, give me a sense of accomplishment, and doing something that was just for me that I loved.
Q. How long after that were you published?
A. It took five years and a lot of rejections from publishers and agents. Believe me, I have a stack of them, but I kept at it, always learning and honing my craft. I kept submitting even after those rejections with the hope that I’d find that person who loved what I wrote. I found several and used their support and encouragement to find my publisher.
Q. What makes a writer great?
A. Being a great storyteller, who uses words to evoke emotion and create a story you can see and feel.
Q. and the all important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like?
A. It’s a lot of sitting in the chair – or on the couch – typing away on my laptop in my yoga pants and t-shirt. Most of the time I’ve skipped the shower because the story is moving along, the dishes haven’t been done, and I’m scrambling to be on time to get the kids.
Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing/stories?
A. Write what you know! That’s the old saying, right? I’m a strong person. I speak my mind, but I try never to be mean. I know what I want and go after it. I try to be kind, grateful, generous, and polite. Sometimes I need to be tough and direct. I’m sentimental and a romantic at heart. Those are some of the qualities I like to put into the characters I write. I’m married to a military man. I’ve used his experiences to write characters in my books. I love to cook. Several of my characters own restaurants or bakeries. All of them love chocolate. Though the stories I create are different from my life, there are bits of truth and pieces of my heart in each of them.
Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?
A. I’m a pantser (…flying 
by the seat of my pants). I don’t really plot out a book. Writing a synopsis for my editor is my worst nightmare. For me, the story comes first with the opening scene. That’s usually all I know. And since most of my books start with a bang, it takes me some time to really get to know my characters as they work their way out of peril or whatever dire circumstances I’ve put them in. That’s the best part about what I do, going along for the ride and falling for my characters just like I hope the readers do.
Q. Have you? Or do you want to write in another genre`?
A. I blur the line between contemporary romance and romantic suspense depending on the story. Some are much more intense with the suspense than others. I do have a series idea I’d love to write that is much more a thriller, written through the eyes of a serial killer on the hunt.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?
A. It really is true, when you get to do what you love and make a living at it, it’s not work at all. It’s what you’re meant to do. I hope everyone finds whatever that is for them.
Did you miss Part one of the Interview? Click here
Coming Soon! My Review of ‘Her Lucky Cowboy’ Release date Sept 25th ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Jennifer Ryan,(Aug.), Grant Blackwood (Tom Clancy) Sept. and Julia London.
Don’t Miss it! A bonus Interview with Iconic comic book writer, Chuck Dixon, in September.
Coming Soon! Don’t miss my Reviews of Sue Grafton’s ” X “ , the newest Kinsey Millhone mystery and Jennifer Ryan’s newest release.
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