Author Jana Richards Visits the Blog with Her New Romantic Suspense

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length contemporary romance, paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.
When not writing up a storm or dealing with dust bunnies, Jana can be found pursuing hobbies such as golf (which she plays very badly) or reading (which she does much better).
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren and two senior cats named Layla and Leelou.

Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio:  “We recently adopted our thirteen-year-old cats, Layla and Leelou, when their original owner passed away. They were at risk of being surrendered to the Humane Society, and considering their age, we were afraid no one would adopt them together. Or at all.
When we took them to the vet to get some shots, we discovered that Leelou really, really doesn’t like going to the vet. My sweet, gentle senior citizen turned into a screaming, hissing Tasmanian devil. A tech had to be called in to hold the cat down while the vet tried to examine her. Leelou made some unearthly sounds that I didn’t know she, or any other cat, was capable of. Next time I have to take her to the vet, there’s going to be tranquilizers involved, for both of us!”

JR:  I’m a hybrid author, which means that I have self-published some books and have traditionally published others. Both methods of publishing have advantages and disadvantages. My plan for the future is to self-publish more books because I like the control I have over cover art, publishing dates and a host of other things. But it also means I’m responsible for everything, which is a daunting prospect!

Ally:  Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?

JR:  Yes, I belong to a small critique group and I find it invaluable. I’ve known most of the people in my small group for a long time and I trust them to be fair, but to tell me the truth. I find that looking at my work through another person’s eyes gives me perspective. My critique partners sometimes make suggestions I never considered. But they often are exactly what the story needs.

Ally:  Where do you go to find a new book to read? A friend, google search, browsing a brick-and-
mortar bookstore?

JR:  I often read a book based on a friend’s recommendation. Or sometimes a book’s blurb intrigues me, or a review will draw me in. Before the pandemic, browsing a bookstore was one of my favorite things to do. Nowadays, I’m more likely to browse Amazon or Audible for a book to read on my Kindle, or listen to as an audiobook.

Ally:   Do you read reviews of your own books? Do you respond to them? Are you affected by
them?

JR:  I do read reviews of my own books. For the most part, my reviews have been positive. I rarely respond to them, however. But every once in a while, a review isn’t as glowing as I’d hoped for. My books are like my children, so if a reader doesn’t “get” it, or calls one of my children ugly, I can’t help but be affected by it. But usually, when I step back and think about it, the reviewer has a point. I try to keep the reviewer’s point in mind when I write the next book.

Ally:   What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

JR:  My next writing project is a Christmas story. It’s book four in my self-published series, Love at Solace Lake. I loved a couple of the characters in the series so much that I wanted to give them their own book, and what better time to do it than at Christmas. CHRISTMAS AT SOLACE LAKE will be released in time for Christmas 2023. It was supposed have been ready for Christmas this year, but life intervened and I decided to give myself some grace and shoot for next year.

Charlotte Saunders has a full life—a rewarding career as a nurse, meaningful volunteer work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she adores. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event that’s haunted her for ten years.

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who have suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in Charlotte’s past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.

Excerpt:
He slowly lowered his head, his breath mingling with hers. But he held back, as if waiting for her permission.

Charlotte’s lips were mere inches from his. Her senses filled with him, with his scent, with the look in his eyes, and the sound of his ragged breathing. She trembled, but she wasn’t sure if it was with excitement or fear. Perhaps it was both.

All she knew was right now she wanted to kiss Damon Greyson more than she’d wanted her next breath. She stretched up on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his.

Damon’s arms came around her and crushed her against his broad chest. Somehow her arms wound themselves around his neck and hung on tight. Every part of his body seemed to fit perfectly with hers, as if they were puzzle pieces made only for each other.