Today, I have the great pleasure of welcoming award-winning romance author, Katy Regnery, to Creating the Write Reality.
Here is a small sample of her work:
Welcome, Katy! Hopefully, you don’t mind, but I’m going to dive right in to some questions 🙂
[LG] Katy, you launched The Vixen and the Vet, and donated 50% of the proceeds from June & July to Operation Mend. Tell us a little bit about that and what inspired you.
[KR] Hey Liz!
First of all, thanks so much for letting me stop by!
While I was writing “The Vixen and the Vet,” I committed to making Asher's journey as realistic as possible. I wanted to write a deep, meaningful love story, but I didn't want to shy away from his injuries or minimize them for the sake of the reader. The injuries I chose to describe are very graphic, but they're an accurate representation of the destruction resulting from a close-range IED explosion. As I did on-line research, I kept circling back to Operation Mend and the stories of the veterans who have received treatment there. The doctors are so amazing and the stories of heroism and bravery are so touching, I decided to give back a large chunk of my earnings to benefit Operation Mend during the first two months of publication. I am still waiting for official numbers to roll in, but it looks like I will be donating between $1,600 – $1,800.
[LG] I discovered you on Twitter last year with A Christmas Wish, part of your Hearts of Montana series. I recently finished Playing for Love at Deep Haven. You have some intriguing romances out right now in both the sweet and spicy categories. Tell us briefly about the Contemporary Romances you are writing and where you are taking each series?
[KR] Right now, I am concentrating on The English Brothers, my series of five books that will follow the love lives of the wildly-handsome, terribly-rich English brothers of Philadelphia. “Breaking Up with Barrett,” The English Brothers #1 and “Falling for Fitz,” The English Brothers #2 are out now. The other three books will follow this fall. These a full-length, short contemporary romances with scenes of detailed intimacy (they're hot!) and a guaranteed happily ever after. And I recently decided to write a follow-up novella to “The Vixen and the Vet” so I will be starting that this fall.
[LG] You are an incredibly prolific writer! I heard you have 13 books coming out this year. Wow. That is beyond impressive. What advice would you give new writers just starting out? What has been your biggest challenge as a writer?
[KR] I made some very freshman mistakes out of the gate. I signed way too many contracts with my first publisher because I was so flattered by the attention they paid my first novel. What I quickly realized was that while I was grateful for their initial assistance, I really LOVE publishing indie. So, to new authors? I'd say – Whatever you do, ignore the urgency you feel in the beginning. That's a very tall order, I know, but try to keep your options open so that you are happy with your new career trajectory.
[LG] Discoverability and connecting directly with readers is so important regardless of publishing method. As an award winning author, what have been the most effective ways for you to reach and connect with your fans?
[KR] I devoted a lot of time (A LOT – like, 4-6 hours a day for over a year) to building my Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads audiences. Now? I believe I have over 16,000 followers/likes/friends on all three combined social media outlets. It's imperative to have a social media presence. I make an effort to write back to every message, comment, tweet and question…it takes a lot of work, but my audience has swelled over the past few months and that's been really gratifying.
[LG] Tell us about Katy's Ladies and the support network for your writing.
[KR] Katy's Ladies is my amazing street team, made up of readers, bloggers, reviewers and friends. Relatively speaking, it's a small street team – under 60 people. But I know everyone's name, I ask after their kids and husbands. We've become quite close over the course of the last year, and I am EXTREMELY grateful for them. I also have some author friends who I rely on for encouragement (and commiseration!) I have a few girls who beta read for me (when I complete a big project like “The Vixen and the Vet.”) But mostly I'm a pretty introverted, solo writer, and work in a pretty solitary environment.
[LG] What's next for you? What do you enjoy most about the writing process and getting your work out there?
[KR] I'd like to make a list (USA Today or New York Times) at some point in 2014-16. We'll see! I'm hoping that readers really like The English Brothers, because I'd like to make that a big series, like Bella Andre's Sullivan's. What I enjoy the most is writing the first draft of a story. I love my readers too. I also love cover-building. I guess I like almost everything except editing.
[LG] What is your favorite dog breed?
[KR] I have a collie mix named Dagmar. She was a Katrina rescue dog and I absolutely adore her.
KATY REGNERY, award-winning romance novelist, has always loved telling a good story and credits her mother with making funny, heartwarming tales come alive throughout her childhood. A lifelong devotee of all romance writing from Edwardian to present-day, it was just a matter of time before Katy tried her hand at writing a love story of her own.
As it turned out, one love story turned into a series of five Heart of Montana romances, following the love lives of the Yellowstone-based Lindstrom siblings, their friends and family. Katy is also the author of the Enchanted Places series, launching in January 2014 with Playing for Love at Deep Haven, which will be followed by an additional seven books throughout 2014-2016.
Katy lives in the relative-wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut where her writing room looks out at the woods. And she’s delighted to share that her husband, two young children and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories of all are the messy and unexpected ones.
Find and connect with Katy here: