Interview with Samantha Grace

Book-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Samatha Grace to the blog.  

1.  Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

Samantha:  I’m married to a child psychologist. We have two kids, a dog, and a cat. I think we’ve done a fairly good job of raising our kids so far, but the dog and cat are definitely going to need therapy. I would love to be a health food nut and marathon runner, but I’ll settle for eating mostly healthy and maybe running a 5K this coming November. That would involve me actually putting on my running shoes and heading out the door, however, and I just haven’t gotten that far yet.

2. Have you always wanted to be an author?

Samantha: I’ve dreamed of becoming an author since fourth grade, and I took creative writing classes all through high school. Yet, when it came time to go to college, I felt steered toward majoring in something “practical”. I needed to make a living to support myself, so I tried journalism. I quickly found out this wasn’t the type of writing I wanted to do. I switched my major to psychology with the thought it would help me with character development. Later I went back for my master’s degree and studied social work. I don’t regret the path I followed even though it feels like I took a big detour. I’ve learned a lot about life over the years, and it’s nice to have a steady income while I wait for my writing career to take off.  

3. Who are some of your favorite writers?

Samantha:  I enjoy Amanda Quick, Lauren Willig, Jodi Picoult, Sherry Thomas, Wally Lamb… The list could go on and on. There are so many talented writers. I just wish I had more time to read.

4. Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Samantha:  The ladies in my critique group have had the most direct influence on my writing. Aside from these marvelous women, I would add Larry Brooks for his book Story Engineering and Donald Maas for Fire In Fiction, particularly the chapter on using description. Dr. Irvin Yalom also deserves a shout out for his book Love’s Executioner. He wrote about his experiences in providing therapy to patients, but their stories are told with such heart and humility. It changed the way I think about others. I love that book.

5. How did you get into writing in this specific genre?

Samantha:  It was accidental in a way. I hadn’t read romance in probably fifteen years when I rediscovered Johanna Lindsey at the library. I recalled liking her stories a lot in my younger years and picked up a book I hadn’t ever read. After I devoured the rest of her stories, I wanted more, but instead of looking for other authors who wrote historical romance, I thought, “Hey! I can write a romance, too.”

6. Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?

Samantha:  I thought about it when I first began writing romance, but for now, I’m content. I’ve always been drawn to the developing romantic relationships in stories, but other genres don’t usually explore this element in enough depth for me. If I did write in another genre, it would probably be mystery.

7. What are some of your writing rituals?

Samantha:  I need my hair up, quiet, and my glasses. Make that clean glasses. It drives me insane to have even the hint of a fingerprint on my lenses, so I always need a microfiber cloth at hand. Quiet isn’t always possible, so I like to listen to Pandora radio with my headphones, but it has to either be instrumental or in another language besides English. I love the exotic sounds of the Karsh Kale station. It’s very sensual music.

8. Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

Samantha: Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half is the second book in my Regency historical series. It’s basically a “second chance at love” story about two people who should have been together a long time ago, but there were too many obstacles that stood in their way. Now they have another chance to get it right. It’s also a story about longing for someone out of reach and the lasting power of true love. I tend to write a little humorous, and I think there are some funny moments in this book, but this book is from my heart. I hope others find it touching and romantic as well. Here is the summary from the back of the book:

Jake broke her heart by leaving for the country after sharing a passionate kiss.

Lady Amelia broke his by marrying his best friend.

When she returns to town a widow – pursued by an infamous rake, Jake’s debauched brother, and just maybe by Jake himself – Lady Amelia will have a mess and a half on her hands.

A sparkling romp through the ton, Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half delivers a witty Regency romance in which misunderstandings abound, reputations are put on the line, and the only thing more exciting than scandal is true love.

9. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

Samantha:  This is a difficult question to answer. Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half basically evolved from two characters that appeared in my first book Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel. From the start, Jake was hostile toward Lord Andrew and I didn’t know the reason. It wasn’t until close to the end of writing the first draft of my first book that I realized he was heartbroken over losing his one true love, Amelia. Amelia was a big surprise to me when she first appeared. I thought she was “the other woman”, but she didn’t fit any of the clichés. She was kindhearted, sensitive, and genuinely concerned about Lana Hillary’s welfare. By the time I started revisions on my first book, I knew Jake and Amelia had a story to tell, so I let them tell it.

10. Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

Samantha:  I’m reviewing the galleys for book three Miss Lavigne’s Little White Lie to be released in October. The story is about a ship’s captain, Daniel Hillary, who agrees to carry a lovely Creole lady, her cousin, and her peculiar younger brother to England after she approaches him in a tavern. His rule has always been no women on ship, but Lisette Lavigne’s devotion to her family convinces him to change his mind. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful and could be good company for him during the long voyage. What Lisette doesn’t tell Daniel is they are fleeing from her criminal fiancé, because he wants to place her brother in an insane asylum to gain full control of his fortune. Unfortunately, her fiancé has much more at stake than losing access to the Lavigne family fortune, and he begins pursuing her across the sea, eventually placing everyone Lisette loves in danger, including Daniel.

I’m currently writing the fourth book in my series, which is yet to be titled. It’s about the oldest Forest brother, Luke, who has inherited a dukedom and a surprise marital agreement his father had negotiated on his behalf days before his death. At first Luke tries to talk Lady Vivian into speaking with her brother about dissolving the agreement, because Luke has a lot of stuff going on internally, not to mention a dangerous voyage planned in a few months. Lady Vivian is a big surprise to Luke, and he soon learns she is too stubborn for her own good. She refuses to talk to her brother, but she has several good reasons for not cooperating with Luke. One of those being she’ll be sent to a convent in Scotland if she messes up her betrothal. Luke actually grows fond of Vivian in a short time and proposes an alternate plan he thinks she can’t refuse. He’ll take her to his mother’s house party and help her find a replacement husband. She pretends to agree to his scheme, but all along she plans to win his heart before they reach the house party. It has been a fun book to write.

11. What would you be if you were not an author?

Samantha:  Well, if I could go back and do everything over again, I’d become the bad girl of ballroom dancing. Why not? I already went the practical route by becoming a social worker. J

12. What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

Samantha:  I really can’t wait to get my copy of Erin Knightely’s debut book More Than a Stranger. That’s the one I’m most looking forward to reading.

BnK: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Samantha: It has been my pleasure. Thanks so much for having me as a guest at Books-n-Kisses. May I ask your readers the same question you asked me? What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for? No extra points given for saying my book. <wink>

Want to learn more about Samantha?   You can find her here:

Website |  Blog  | Twitter  | Facebook

Oh Paul is looking good on this cover…. Don’t you think SG?

Lady Amelia’s Mess and a Half
by Samantha Grace
Release day June 1, 2012
Amazon| B&N

Lady Amelia Audley and Jake Hillary have been in love with each other for years; unfortunately, a cruel set of circumstances and misunderstandings tore them apart.  When Amelia marries Jake’s best friend, he vows to forget his love for her.  But when she returns to town newly widowed, Jake must decide whether or not to let the beautiful lady back into his heart before fate intervenes and tears them apart forever.