Thank
you so much for inviting me onto your blog.
Ruth, how long have you been writing
romance? Would you say it has always been your calling?
I’ve been
writing romance since 2010. I was an avid reader and hadn’t planned
to write a book. A friend was writing a romance and I asked to help
her. One thing led to another and we decided we would each write a
story and create a series. She was busy with college hunting with her
daughter and training for the NY marathon so writing went on the back
burner for her. I embraced it and continued. The book was published
in 2011.
Has writing
always been my calling? Not writing but storytelling. When I told my
older sister that I had written and published a book she said she
wasn’t surprised. I always had a story. She’s fifteen years older
than me. One time I got her to wear a cowboy hat and boots while I
played Dale Evans (I know, I’m really dating myself here) and
charged around on my tricycle.
Your Druid Knight series seems like
something any historical romance and paranormal romance lover will
enjoy. Can you tell us about it?
There are several
underlying themes in the stories: trust, family and acceptance. The
first two stories are about Rebeka and Arik.
In Knight
or Runes: Rebeka Tyler never thought
herself a warrior, renown authority on medieval and renaissance
studies, yes, a martial arts amateur, absolutely, a warrior,
definitely not. Tossed into the 17th century, she's plunged into the
midst of a struggle between two druid masters. While she tries to
decode the ancient runes and unearth a family secret in order to
return she physically fights for her life against the dark druid,
Bran, and struggles emotionally with the druid knight, Lord Arik, and
the truth about their past. Neither Rebeka nor Arik can succeed by
themselves they must partner in order to win. But it will cost her
dearly, her heart.
In Knight
of Rapture Rebeka is tricked to
return to the 21st
century: For months Lord Arik has been trying to find the precise
spell to rescue his wife, Rebeka, but the druid knight will soon
discover that reaching her four hundred years in the future is the
easiest part of his quest.
Bran, the dark
druid, follows Arik across the centuries, tireless in his quest for
revenge. He’ll force Arik to make a choice, return to save his
beloved family and home or stay in the 21st
century and save Rebeka. He can’t save them both.
Rebeka Tyler has
no recollection of where she’s been the past five months. On top of
that, ownership of her home, Fayne Manor, is called into question.
When accidents begin to happen it looks more and more like she is the
target. Further complicating things is the strange man who
conveniently appears wherever trouble brews—watching her, perhaps
even….protecting her? Or is he a deliberate attempt to distract
her? Rebeka can only be sure of one thing—her family name and manor
have survived for over eleven centuries. She won’t let them fall…
in any century.
As an added
treat, I wrote, The Druid Knights
Tale – a Short Story. Here you’ll
find out about Rebeka and Arik’s parents as well as some insight
into Arik and Bran going off to druid school.
Do you have a day job outside of
writing romance? If so, can you tell us about it?
I worked for
almost thirty years at JPMorgan in a variety of areas for their
global treasury products (checks and money transfers): product
management, project management, marketing and communication. I
retired two years ago. I was looking forward to writing full time and
I haven’t been disappointed.
I spend the day
writing, editing, researching, and/or promoting my books.
You’ve just won a free all-expenses
paid trip to anywhere in the world; where would you go and why?
I’ve been very
fortunate. I travelled around the world for the bank and have been in
many wonderful places. My dream is to follow my family roots back to
‘the old country,’ Russia and find out more about both my
mother’s and father’s families.
In your Druid Knight books, time travel
plays an important part in the plot. If you could time travel to
any-when or anywhere, when/where would you go? Why?
I’m in love
with medieval England and Scotland. I’ve researched and read about
the period and the places. My stories are set in Avebury and the
England-Scotland border. Today’s courting rituals are rooted in
medieval chivalry. This is the era where romance saw its rise in
literature and the stage.
Do you have any advice for romance
authors just starting out in the industry?
I think the best
advice I can give any author is the best way to promote your book is
to write the next one.