Please
tell my readers a little bit about your book.
In
order to save the man she loves from being executed for treason and prevent
being married off to another, Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, must make a crucial
decision. Dare she rely on her knight, Lord Alex Stelton, to find a way to save
them both or does she trust her magic and risk exposure as a witch?
I also write heroines who use magic and potions for good. Describe
the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?
This
book takes place on the English/Scottish border in 1290. It is a historic
fantasy. I am undeniably a romantic and find the medieval and Renaissance
periods my favorite. I am totally taken with knights and chivalry. My first
book, Knight of Runes, was also a historic fantasy with a time travel element.
Time Travel & Scottish historicals are my favorite things to read & write. When did you first consider yourself a writer,
and when
did you start writing toward publication?
 |
| Author Ruth A. Casie |
Sounds like you jump-started your career the correct way. We all need help at one point. It is okay to ask for it! What inspired you to write your first book?
Ah, this is an interesting story. I was watching a program on
television, Who Do You Think You Are. It’s about the journey a celebrity takes
in finding their ancestry. It really started me thinking. Women today are
independent, self-supporting, and accomplished. They run the board room and are
good in the bed room. How would they be viewed by their ancestors? So I took a
very alpha female who does ordinary things well and dropped her back in time
(to the 17th century) and had her find the love of her life. How
they deal with each other and grow is what Knight of Runes, my first book, is
all about.
I LOVE strong heroines! How did you get into romance writing?
I’m very involved as a
volunteer in our county’s women’s shelter for victims of domestic
violence. I’m on the executive board. At
an executive meeting, the board secretary, who was a former client, told me she
was writing a book. I thought it was about her experience. She laughed and said
no one wants to hear about that. No, she was writing a romance novel. I’ve
always had stories in my head and offered to beta read or be a critique partner
if she’d like. We traded story ideas. The following week at the regular board
meeting she said she had been thinking about us both writing stories and
possibly putting them together as a set. To make a long story short. We
outlined our stories and started writing but she had other pressing issues.
While I am a sedentary empty nester, she was training for the New York Marathon
and touring colleges with her daughter. She stopped writing and I continued on
my own.
Why
have you become a published author?
I
really didn’t plan to be a published author. I was a vice president at a large
financial institution and doing well. I was in product management and did a lot
of work in communication and marketing. When my friend and I started writing
though, I found a new creative outlet. Once I wrote the book the next step was
to get it published. Then I faced a decision. Was it the challenge of getting
published that I wanted? Or, did I want a new career? I found my writing
friends sparked my creativity. You can’t get too creative with a wire transfer.
And I wasn’t willing to quiet the voices in my head. I loved the creative
process and even working with my editor. That was like a private tutor! Once my
publisher encouraged another book I ran with it.
Okay, how about the flip-side? Do
you have any rejection stories to share?
I
had sent my first book out to this one editor and got a rejection. It wasn’t a
form letter but rather a detailed response why it was not accepted. I went to
my NJ chapter meeting. We give out Hershey hugs for bad news and Hershey kisses
for good new. For the bad news I announced the rejection. For the good news I
announced it wasn’t my book. I had gotten someone else’s rejection. The editor
later sent me my real rejection letter but that first one still makes me smile.
I am passing along the chocolate idea to my local chapter!What
is your writing routine like?
If
you asked me before June 1, I would have said I write after dinner and on
weekends. But, I retired from my day job on June 1 and now I’m in the process
of developing a routine. I’ve spent the last month ramping up for the release
of my new book, The Guardian’s Witch, this past July 1. So I am still trying to
develop a routine. Please. Let me know if you have any ideas.
I retired to write full-time in 2007...still figuring it all out! Having
achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
The
most rewarding thing was to see the number of books that I sold and realize
neither I (nor my family) had bought them all. Other people were buying and
reading my stories! That is still amazing to me.
My family supports each book I publish, but it is the strangers out there that make our careers. What do you see ahead in
your writing career?
I’m planning on writing
two to three books a year as well as a short story to two. My friend gave me a
license plate cover that says, “NY Times Best Selling Author in Training”. I
would like make that more than a wish. I’d like to make that a reality.
Me too! Are
you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?
I
am a member of several RWA chapters. Each provides a wealth of information and
friendship. One of the most exciting things I’ve found about writers is their
willingness to help others and, as you do Nancy, pay-it-forward.
Interviewing authors is my way of helping, and I appreciate your thanks. Will
you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first
contract?
Don’t
be discouraged. I know rejection can be painful but it a gauntlet we all go through.
Never stop honing your craft. Read. Read. Read. And keep your critique partners
close.
Share
three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.
-
1)Paul and I
love to ballroom dance. We’ve done it in every room of the house.
3)One of my favorite places is a bench by the lighthouse at Pemaquid Point, ME
As a
former New Englander, mine is on the rocks by the ubble Lighthouse in York,
Maine. What’s next for you?For the immediate future I’ve also started a project with
my critique partners. We’re writing a short story Christmas anthology that we
will self-publish. I’m also working on follow up books to both Knight of Runes andThe Guardian’s Witch.
BOOK BLURB
England, 1290
Lord Alex Stelton
can't resist a challenge, especially one with a prize like this: protect a
castle on the Scottish border for a year, and it's his. Desperate for land of
his own, he'll do anything to win the estate—even enter a proxy marriage to
Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, the rumored witch who lives there.
Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she'd never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.
Despite his own vow never to fall in love, Alex can't get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they'll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.
Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she'd never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.
Despite his own vow never to fall in love, Alex can't get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they'll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.
Excerpt from The Guardian's Witch
His soft breath heated something
deep inside her when he brought his face closer to hers. Her heart thundered
with anticipation. His firm lips kissed her eyelids and advanced to her ear.
Mine, he whispered. A delicious shudder pulsed through her body. He marched on
to her lips and coaxed them open. His spicy scent swept over her. He captured
his prize and swept in with his tongue in victory. Forever echoed in her head.
She blinked and the haze vanished. A jumble of confused thoughts and feelings assaulted her. Once again she stared into his magnetic eyes. Her lips throbbed with hunger for his. She dropped her lashes to hide her confusion. A dream? A wish? She’d never had such visions. She gave herself a shake to rid herself of the final images.
A little bit about the author
She blinked and the haze vanished. A jumble of confused thoughts and feelings assaulted her. Once again she stared into his magnetic eyes. Her lips throbbed with hunger for his. She dropped her lashes to hide her confusion. A dream? A wish? She’d never had such visions. She gave herself a shake to rid herself of the final images.
A little bit about the author
Ruth A. Casie is a
seasoned professional with more than 25 years of writing experience, but not
necessarily writing romances. No, she’s been writing communication and
marketing documents for a large corporation. Not too long ago, encouraged by
her friends and family, she gave way to her inner muse, let her creative juices
flow, and began writing a series of historical time-travel and historical
fantasy romance novels. Her first release, KNIGHT OF RUNES finaled in NJRW’s
Golden Heart for Best First Book. Her latest story, THE GUARDIAN’S WITCH,
released July 1. Both books were published by Carina Press. When not writing
you can find her home in Teaneck, New Jersey, reading, cooking, doing Sudoku
and counted cross stitch. Together with
her husband Paul, they enjoy ballroom dancing and going to the theater. Ruth and Paul have three grown children and
two grandchildren. They all thrive on
spending time together. It’s certainly a
lively dinner table and they wouldn’t change it for the world. Ruth is President of the
Board of Trustees of Shelter Our Sister (SOS), Bergen County’s shelter for
victims of domestic violence.
How can my readers
buy your book?
Readers can find
Ruth’s books at:
Carina Press HERE
You can find more
information about me,
Ruth A. Casie, and my book,
The Guardian’s Witch at:
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