Author Bio: Lindsey Gray spends her days and most of her nights creating characters, over thinking everything, and trying to remember all the things on her massive to-do list. One thing that is always at the top of her list is writing something she hopes others will enjoy. Her journey into authordom began when her first novel was published in 2010. Through trials, tribulations, and learning how to work well with others in the author sandbox, she has found a joy she never thought she would know. Her many lists also include mothering her two children, devoting time to her handsome hubby, formatting novels for other authors, and hosting her weekly radio show, Gray Matters, on TMV Cafe Internet Radio. Writes: Contemporary and Paranormal Romance Author of: Nerdy Girl Nation Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a busy gal. When I’m not writing, I’m taking care of my family, formatting books for my fellow authors, working on my weekly radio show, or reading a juicy romance. I seem to find time to post on social media occasionally and watch an episode or two of one of my favorite shows. Tell us about your latest release. My latest release is a short story, Gotcha, that was released as part of the What the Heart Wants: An Opposites Attract Anthology with my fellow Enchanted Publications Authors. Here is the summary! The Romance Reassignment Bureau puts right what Fate has wronged. Ben Rigby and his team are the best agents in the business. When they receive a double assignment for the same night, they are forced to examine their true purpose in the matters of love and fate. After the wrong halves of each couple meet by accident, can Ben, his team, or even Fate stop these opposites from attracting? What can readers expect from you in the rest of 2017? I’m planning *fingers crossed* that my second book in my Nerdy Girl series, Nerdy Girl Nell, will be ready for publication in early October. Have you got anything planned for 2018 (book releases, signings etc.)? I have plans for another short story for our second Enchanted Publications anthology and maybe getting the third book in the Nerdy Girl series, Nerdy Girl Nuptials, ready for release. What is your favourite genre to write? I’m really strange in that I love to write Contemporary Romance with just a hint of the paranormal. My first foray into the combination was Gotcha, but I hope to do much more in the future. Do you see yourself writing in any other genres in the future? I do see myself trying my hand at writing something in the mystery/thriller genre sometime. There would have to be an element of romance, because that is just how I am, but I would love to write a great “who done it” in the future. Which book was your favourite to write, and why? I loved writing Nerdy Girl Nation! It combines two of my favorite things, being a nerd and professional wrestling. Plus, it was interesting trying to figure out how to write about someone being filmed 24/7 for a reality show. My main character, Emma, had some pretty interesting conversations that went sideways while she was being filmed and I loved bringing out the humor in those situations. For those who are new to your work, which book would you recommend starting with? If you want a quick taste of me and my writing style, I would recommend my novella, Fireworks. It is a fun second chance romance set over the 4th of July holiday in a small midwest town. Another plus is it is permanently free on most online retailers! How do you find names for your characters? And can you write them until you’ve found the perfect one? A lot of my character names have special meanings for me. My main character from Nerdy Girl Nation is named Emma after my niece. The character Emma’s brother is named Harry after my love of all things Harry Potter. In one of my novels that is no longer available at the moment (sadness), I had a friend ask if I would name a character after her, so I did! The character’s first name is Marla after my friend and the last name starts with the same letter of Marla’s real last name. She was so excited when she found out that she made it into my novel. I always compile a list of character names before I even start writing. In Nerdy Girl Nation, I added a character at the last minute when I was doing some re-writes. I had a tough time coming up with his name because nothing seemed to fit. I ended up stealing a WWE wrestler’s name but changed the spelling. That is how Seamus came to be. Which of your characters would you want to be stranded on a desert island with, and why? I would loved to be stranded with Chance Robicheaux. He is a secondary character in Nerdy Girl Nation, but is one of the main characters in Nerdy Girl Nell. I pick him because he’s very tall and can reach high into the trees for food or limbs needed for shelter, he’s very strong, has an amazing sense of humor, and is not too bad to look at without his shirt on. Do you have a character you feel more connected to? I feel very connected to Sophie McKibben from Fireworks. She and I have similar backgrounds, have experienced extreme heartbreak, and come back to have an even better life than we could’ve imagined. Who are your must-read/one-click authors? I love everything that Julia Quinn writes! She is the reason I’m obsessed with Historical Romance. I also adore Kristan Higgins! Her Blue Herron series is one I read over and over again all the time. I literally jumped up and down when I got the email from NetGalley saying I was approved to review one of her books. When I’m looking for a kick ass teenage superhero, I read the Cassidy Jones Adventures series by Elise Stokes. There are five books so far and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for more. Were you an avid reader as a child? Weirdly enough, no, I wasn’t. The Harry Potter books didn’t come out until I was out of college, but I had to read them. Soon after, I got addicted to the Twilight series and that is when I decided it was time to write a novel of my own. I had different ideas about vampires and the world of the supernatural, so I wrote a novel called Redemption about the last remaining female vampire. It was released through a small publishing company, but I’ve since gotten my rights back. I’ve been toying with the idea of re-releasing it, but have no idea when that will be. Are any of your heroes based on real men in your life? Rob “Bobby” Breyer is based on a professional wrestler from WWE, but he is not someone I know personally. Mike “The Miz” Mizanin has been one of my favorite wrestlers for a long time. When I decided to write the Nerdy Girl series, he is the first one I imagined as Rob. Are any of the experiences in your books based on events that have happened to you/someone you know? An aspect of my novella, Holiday Cure for the Cursed, is based on a problem a friend of mine had. The male lead, Daniel, has a very large male appendage. A male friend of mine also has this problem and shared with me the struggles of finding a partner who wasn’t terrified once they saw said appendage. Are you a sporty or curl up with a good book type of person? I would curl up with a book before ever playing sport. What is the most romantic thing someone has ever done for you? When my hubby and I were dating, he knew I desperately wanted a Brett Farve Green Bay Packers jersey for Christmas. It was one of those things I didn’t need and would never buy for myself. We went to his family to exchange gifts, no jersey. We went to my family to exchange gifts, no jersey. We went back to my house and I saw a present under my tree that I didn’t put there. He gave me the gift and it was the jersey! I was so excited I almost missed the ring box that fell when I was grabbing the jersey from the box. He proposed right then! It was never how I imagined being proposed to but it was absolutely perfect for us. What is your drink of choice while writing? Good old Coca-Cola! What is your favourite writing snack? Strange as it may be, Honey Nut Cherrios. I feel like a toddler, but they are easy to put in a cup and munch on while I’m typing the night away. Do you have any pets? I have a two-year-old boxer named after the gladiator Maximus Aurelius. Are you a morning person? Not unless I’m forced to be, which is usually at least 6 days a week. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? To be able to fly. I’ve always have had dreams about floating or flying my entire life, so I think that it was meant to be for me to have the power of flight. What book are you reading now? I just finished reading Wicked Rivals by Lauren Smith. It is the fourth book in her League of Rogues series. It has a central villain throughout the series, but the series isn’t complete so he hasn’t gotten taken out yet. I know there will be at least two more books in the series and I can’t wait to see how she takes this villain down. Name 3 books everyone needs to read (excluding yours). I’d have to take a novel from each of my one-click authors. Historical Romance pick would be The Duke and I from Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons series. Contemporary Romance pick would be In Your Dreams from Kristan Higgins’ Blue Herron series. Last but not least, my Young Adult/Superhero pick would by Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula from Elise Stokes’ Cassidy Jones Adventure series.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
July 2017
Categories |