Meet Jana Richards

Joining me in My Writing Corner is Judy Reynolds, who writes as Jana Richards. Did you always want to be a writer?

A writer maybe, but I didn’t imagine being a writer of fiction when I was young. In fact, after taking a creative writing course in university, I decided that whatever it took to write fiction, I didn’t have it! I dreamt of journalism in high school and university, but journalism school was out of my reach at that time, so I put writing away, like all childhood things. Many years later, much to my surprise, I discovered that I did have what it took to write fiction. And I haven’t looked back since.

You write in a number of different genres. Do you find it difficult to keep them all straight? How do you manage it?

I don’t find it hard to keep the genres straight. Each one has their own tone, of course; characters in a WWII setting wouldn’t have the same kind of dialogue as contemporary characters. And the attitudes about sex and other social conditions wouldn’t be the same either. To me writing in different romance genres is a matter of interest. I love reading all the genres I write (and then some), so why wouldn’t I be interested in writing in those genres? 

One of your genres is WWII. Why did you choose that particular genre?

I’ve been interested in WWII for many years. My father served in the Canadian Army and participated in the D-Day invasion at Juno Beach. He was captured and spent the rest of the war in a German POW camp. I heard that information all my life, though my Dad never really talked about it much, or gave details of his experience. Unfortunately, he’s gone now and I can’t ask him those questions. But I can research WWII, which is something I do for him.

Tell us a little about your latest book, One More Second Chance.

It’s part of the Lobster Cove series from The Wild Rose Press. The Lobster Cove series is a multi-author, multi-romance genre series, so it’s a very unique kind of thing. Lobster Cove is a small (fictional) town in Maine, set on the ocean near the real town of Bar Harbor, Maine. My story tells the story of Julia Stewart, the high school principal, and Alex Campbell, a doctor who comes to Lobster Cove from San Diego on a temporary basis. Their first meeting doesn’t go well; when Julia brings her five year old daughter Ava to the hospital emergency room with a broken arm, Alex suspects the child has been abused and calls in the authorities.

Tell us more abut being part of the Lobster Cove series. What are the difficulties in writing as part of a group series?

I wouldn’t say difficulties; more like challenges. As you can imagine, there had to be continuity in the series. For example, the names of businesses in the town had to be the same from book to book. A main street in the town couldn’t be Elm Street in one book and Oak Street in another. There couldn’t be ten restaurants or six different high schools; this was a small town and it had to have some resemblance to reality. So if one writer was first to get ‘dibs’on a restaurant, the other writers had to incorporate her characters (along with her characters’ personalities) if they wanted to use that restaurant in their story. Keeping things consistent necessitated a lot of emails back and forth and even a map created by our senior editor.

What gave you the idea for this story?

I love romances set in small towns, and since Lobster Cove was a small town where most people knew each other, it was a perfect fit for me. I’ve lived in small towns and I think I ‘get’ them and understand what life is like in one. But I’ve also lived in a big city for a while now, so I have perspective on what it’s like to be from ‘away’.

What do you like best about your hero?

I like that Alex is a dedicated, compassionate doctor. Though he comes to Lobster Cove as a way to help pay off his medical school debt, he discovers the kind of medicine he was meant to practice and the place he wants to practice it in. He learns that belonging to a community and doing his best for his patients means more to him then making a lot of money. He’s also a loyal and loving son and grandson.

What about your heroine?

I like that Julia is tough when it comes to her work; she won’t back down when it comes to defending something, or someone, she believes in. Her family and friends mean everything to her, and she’ll whatever she can to help the people she loves.

What are you working on now?

I’m actually working on a few things right now. I’m in the process of developing is a series about the characters in a small North Dakota town. The first book in the series is called CHILD OF MINE. Lauren Walsh suddenly finds herself widowed and pregnant. But her late husband is not the father of her child. Will she have the courage to tell the people in her small town that the baby’s father is her late husband’s brother?

The next book in the series is Lauren’s brother Garrett’s story. Garrett returns from military service in Afghanistan not sure where he belongs. In book three, Garrett and Lauren’s sister Charlotte struggles to forget what happened to her in college.

Aside from that series, I’m also working on another series called “Love in the North Woods” about three sisters trying to bring their grandparents’ fishing lodge back to life, while figuring out what really caused the deaths of their parents. In the “Twice in a Lifetime” series, people travel back in time for a second chance at love.

Do you have any words of advice to beginning writers?

When it comes to writing, perseverance is the key. If writing is really what you want to do, don’t give up. Learn the craft, read the best writers in your genre, and keep writing and submitting. Don’t give up.

How about a blurb for One More Second Chance.

Dr. Alex Campbell has an agenda—finish his contract to provide medical services in Maine, pay off his medical school debt, and head back to his real life in San Diego. But when he meets Julia, all his carefully laid plans are put in jeopardy.

Julia Stewart, Lobster Cove’s high school principal, swears she’ll never let another man drag her away from the home she loves. Her aging parents need her, and the Cove is where she wants to raise her daughter. When her mother’s illness brings her and the big city doctor closer together, panic sets in. Her marriage taught her men don’t stay.

Can she put aside the heartaches of the past and trust Alex enough to accept the love he’s offering? Or will her fear of abandonment mean she’ll send him away forever?

How can readers reach you or find you online?

Website:  http://www.janarichards.com

Blog:  http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Newsletter Signup: http://www.eepurl.com/m3UnT
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards
Google+ Profile:  https://plus.google.com/100820406211390323245

Thank you so much for being my guest today and good luck with One More Second Chance.  Any questions or comments for Jana?