Romance Weekly

Love romance? Me, too. I love experiencing romance, reading about someone else's romance, and, most importantly, I adore writing about hot, steamy romances. Each week, I'll be bringing you the Romance Weekly chat, where romance writers answer all sorts of questions. At the end of my post, I'll link to the next author on the list, who will answer the questions and link to the next writer, and so on. You'll know you've finished the blog tour when you wind up right back here on my blog.

So let's dig in. This week's questions come from author Nina Mason. When you're done with the blog tour, be sure to hit Amazon and pick up Nina's debut novel, The Queen of Swords: A Paranormal Tale of Undying Love.

How does your writing impact your inner life?
Writing has always been a creative outlet for me to explore and deal with my feelings and overactive imagination. As a child, making up my own stories and songs was a good way to overcome my fears. As an adult, I get to enjoy falling in love over and over again each time I start a new story. When I write, I sprinkle bits of myself in each character and storyline. For example, Maya, from Redemption For Liars, is a roller skating waitress because I used to competitively roller skate. Jack's mom, from Assassin P.I., has suffered a stroke, just like my father. Through these characters, I can deal with complex emotions. Think of it as my version of free counseling.

How do you hope your books affect your readers?
Honestly, I just want to entertain people. When you turn that last page and put down my book, I hope you've enjoyed spending time in the towns I've created, with the crazy people who've occupied my mind for so long. I want people to be surprised at each plot twist, laugh out loud at the inappropriate things my characters tend to blurt out, and root for the happy ending that is just out of reach.

Has anyone ever told you your book changed their life? If so, how?
Haha. No. Nor should it. But when my mother died last year, I found out that my poem, Walk Amongst Angels, is our local funeral home's second most popular poem. On a whim, I'd given permission to add my poem to their selection nearly twenty years ago. Periodically, someone will return from a funeral, memorial booklet in hand, and ask if the poem inscribed there is mine. I love knowing that a poem I wrote when I was eighteen has the power to give someone comfort in their time of grief. According to my students, I'm popular with dead people.

Next up on this week's blog tour, Nina Mason. Click on over to her website and show her some love!   Don't forget to pick up her new release, The Queen of Swords: A Paranormal Tale of Undying Love.

See y'all next week!