Sometimes It Just Takes Courage

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have author D.R. Grady sharing her writing journey and latest release, The Nerd Who Spied Me.

Here’s D.R. Grady!

I knew I wanted to be a writer from the first moment I learned that by combining words you got a sentence and sentences a paragraph and then – wow, a story! The story teller within me awoke—a magical moment in my young life.

However, I’m a practical person, and I knew becoming an author who could support herself with her art probably wasn’t in my immediate future. So I opted to study Biology at college and graduated with a B.S. in Biology. This led to a series of jobs after college, and I did manage to support myself with my lab skills.

I did not, however, write. The stories were there, piling on top of each other, but I didn’t have a computer at the time, and buying one wasn’t cheap then, so I worked and saved and ignored my muse.

Over the course of a few years, and after making rent, student loans, and a car payment, I finally had saved enough money to buy a computer. A massive desktop that I couldn’t believe I finally owned!

For the first year or so I used it to keep in touch with friends via email, and I started a file for all those books in my brain. Then I changed jobs and moved a couple of times and life got busy. I kept up with email, but no writing.

One day I mentioned to my boss at the time how I had this idea in my head that kept niggling. He encouraged me to start writing the story. And he and a work colleague both urged me to attend my first Romance Writers of America local chapter meeting.

That took more courage than I thought I had, because I had convinced myself all the writers there were multi-published senator’s wives who lived in their dream homes with dream careers and… I was daunted. After much support from my fabulous boss and colleague, I finally mustered the courage and attended my first meeting.

And found people just like me!

Not a senator’s wife in sight (who are probably lovely people, by the way). I instead met plenty of other authors who were just trying to build a career writing books they loved and that they hoped others would love too. I finished that first book and many more since.

Since then, I’ve just seen my twentieth book published, The Nerd Who Spied Me! I continue that idea file and have replaced that first computer several times. (: All it took was courage to take that first step!

Blurb

Cian Hunter is tasked with the impossible: find Verity Wellington and bring her home safely. His survival is not guaranteed.

Everyone in their business knows Verity is perfectly capable of getting herself home, since she’s the gut-them-first-and-ask-questions-later type of operative. She also has the advantage of knowing where she is, which would be helpful.

He accepts the assignment, aware two operatives are better than one when dealing with the nebulous factions who lurk in the shadows. Plus, the chance to get close to Verity to see if his attraction to her is more than a fleeting interest is too good to pass up. Provided she doesn’t gut him first.

Cian is confident in his secret operative abilities, despite wishing to leave them behind. However, his relationship goals leave something to be desired. If he can figure those out… he might stand a chance of getting them both home alive.

Pitch line: They’re confident in their secret operative abilities, but maybe not so much in their relationship goals.

Excerpt

“Thanks for playing nice with my family.” He whispered this to Verity as Chrissy flitted into the kitchen to get them both a beverage. Jay followed, to “help” her. Cian guessed.

Jay tagged along to steal a smooch or two.

“I have no reason not to.”

Her logic was faultless.

“I’m still thankful for the effort.”

She didn’t snort but did eye him as though sorting through the various means she had of offing someone—as though deciding which to use proved challenging.

It sent all of his blood fleeing from his brain. His eyes dipped to her lips.

“Don’t even think about it.” Her warning came a second too late.

“Sorry, already did.”

“You’re not sorry,” she scoffed. “I will eviscerate you in your sister’s living room.”

“That’s not nice.” More blood pumped from his brain. This was not going as well as could be expected. He couldn’t seem to drag his gaze from those pouty lips.

One side of those delectable treats rose in a snarl. “Don’t even think about kissing me, Hunter.”

He, in usual form, ignored her warning. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he yanked her against him. Then he melded their lips because he had to know.

“You are in such big trou—” Her words halted because his mouth blocked them and he ran his tongue over the seam of her lips. She gasped, and he pressed the advantage, using any and all available.

A groan escaped his throat and meshed with hers.

Buy Links

Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Smashwords |
Createspace – Coming Soon!

Bio

D.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and writing stories that resonate with others.

Where to find D. R. Grady…

Website | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Google+

Joanne here!

Thanks for sharing your inspiring journey. Best of luck with all your creative endeavors.


Spotlight on D.R. Grady

I’m happy to welcome multi-published author D.R. Grady. Today, she shares her writing journey and books.

Here’s D.R. Grady!

d-r-grady-photo-2I knew I wanted to be a writer from the moment we learned about words and placing them together to form a sentence. Those sentences then became a paragraph, and multiple paragraphs formed a story. The magic of writing dawned on me then, and the glow hasn’t left since.
Writing for me is more about me being nosy than anything. I want to know what happens to the characters, so I sit down and start typing. Eventually, I end up with a story.

The only downside to this is that writing is a solitary process. And what did I do with these finished books? I came into possession of a writing manual that listed an organization called Romance Writers of America.

What? Had I fallen into some wonderfully mystical world?

rwa

Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers is based in Harrisburg, PA, close to me. I was certain this chapter sported lots of senator’s wives who oozed sophistication and elegance. So it took me over a year before I worked up the courage to attend my first meeting. I entered that room, and found, not one senator’s wife, but a group of women (and a few men) who were just like me.

These amazing people helped me to become a better writer, and figure out what to do with those stories. They have also become friends and a wonderful source of support. Here I am, years later, still pursuing a career in the most amazing of professions.

I’ve since self-published a couple of series and have published with Soul Mate Publishing, where I’ve met additional friends and supporters.

I love being a writer!

If you enjoy nerds (The Morrison Family Series), suspense (The Me Series), or dragons (The Dragon Chronicles), you might be interested in pursuing a relationship with my books.

Find out more here.

Blurb – The Trouble with Nerds – Coming Late March 2017

Odd things keep happening to Dr. Sara Newton. She’s a soon-to-be-unemployed pediatrician with an alleged stalker, a hot cop on her heels breathing dire warnings, and way too much student debt.

It doesn’t help that the hot cop is Clay Morrison, her best friend’s older brother. The man has made her heart pound and her palms sweaty since puberty. The trouble is, he only interacts with her when he’s expounding on new security measures. He sees threats everywhere.

Clay Morrison is frustrated. He hates his new job, misses his Army Ranger days, loves his well-meaning, pushy family—and when did sweet Sara Newton grow up? She won’t admit she has a stalker, and she won’t keep out of his thoughts. He can only protect someone in denial for so long. No matter how attractive she is…

Clay and Sara are circling each other, trying to meet in the middle. Then a brand new threat sends them in a completely different direction.

Bio and Links

D.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and writing stories that resonate with others.

Website | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Facebook Page | Google+


Why I Read Paranormal Romance

I’m happy to welcome Soul Mate author D.R. Grady. Today, she shares her reasons for reading and writing paranormal romance and her latest release, The Dragon Chronicles Book Three: Healing.

Here’s D.R.

D.R. Grady photo (2)We authors are first and foremost readers. I started reading category romances at the tender age of eleven, (I’m pretty certain my mom had no idea!) and progressed to romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and then I discovered paranormal romance.

The beauty of paranormal romance is the ability to escape from reality for a little while. Actually, that’s the beauty of romance in general, isn’t it? We can flee from the pressures of life and enter into a story we know will conclude with a happy ending. Paranormal romance simply takes this concept in a different direction.

When life starts throwing things at us that aren’t nice, (illness, death of a loved one, financial crisis), escaping into a world that’s utterly different is wonderful, and sometimes needed.

Paranormal romance is so far from reality that I know I’m not in my own life any longer, yet I’m safe. (Though the characters in the book probably aren’t!) I can live vicariously through them for however long the book lasts.

My reality is still there, waiting for me, but after seeing the characters’ strength their reaction to the pressures surrounding them, I’ve learned better how to cope with my own life, whether it’s in crisis mode or not at the moment. After finishing the book, I have more knowledge of grace, or resilience, maybe endurance, and many other characteristics that help me to endure whatever I’m experiencing.

The Dragon Chronicles series came about because I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness, and I needed to work through all those messy emotions. Writing kept me sane in a world that had suddenly gone insane. One that was fraught with uncertainty.

In came an elf who learns she’s a dragon. It’s her job to save the world from a nasty enemy they themselves created. With this unwanted ability, she also gains a bossy male who controls her unruly dragon and claims to be her mate. (The Dragon Chronicles Book 1: Learning)

In this final book, two powerful healers, Ewain and Marissa, set sparks off each other while trying to combat an enemy who has his sights set on destroying Marissa. Lindy and Alex, the dragon and her dragon controller, along with Ewain and Marissa, and their fellow Healer Keely and her alpha mate, Hugh, must defeat a force so negative it leaves a path of destruction akin to several natural disasters.

It’s hard to believe we’re on the final book in this series. The Dragon Chronicles Book 3: Healing concludes this series with plenty of paranormal creatures, angst, and provides a new opportunity to escape reality.<

Don’t miss this final story of The Dragon Chronicle series!

HEALING-Soulmate 805_805x1275 (2)

Blurb

Healers Ewain Douglass and Marissa Mays work and live in close confines. Too bad they set sparks off each other. They struggle to remain civil and professional, until the enemy targets Marissa.

Meanwhile, the dragon and her controller are still learning all can about their abilities. The dragon has called her allies together to face a war for their very lives. Ewain and Marissa don’t have time to declare war on each other.

Excerpt

Alex didn’t sound like he noticed the chill as he checked off another name. “No one has seen Ewain?”

“He wasn’t at the clinic when I left this evening,” Marissa said.

Lindy bit her lip. “Maybe I’d better go find him.”

Ewain trotted up to them before Lindy finished speaking.

Marissa’s heart skipped, then beat far too fast as she took in his attire, or lack thereof. His hair stood every which way and there was a sleepy air about him. The drowsiness did not detract from the gorgeous body barely concealed by the few articles of clothing he wore.

“Nice knees.” Keely’s voice held a lot of laughter.

“Nice short shorts.” Amusement lit Lindy’s comment as well.

Marissa didn’t offer up anything because her mouth suddenly went dry before flooding with far too much moisture. The man’s shorts were definitely on the skimpy side. They showcased the hard defined muscles of his thighs and calves. He’d paired them with an aging gray tank top. This garment did nothing to hide his perfectly muscled chest and arms. His feet were encased in a pair of grungy running shoes. She bet his feet were every bit as appealing as the rest of him.

“You’re lucky I’m in the habit of wearing clothes to bed. The siren woke me from a deep sleep.” Ewain ran a hand over his bed head and the curls sprang back as though they hadn’t been slept on. Marissa suppressed a heavy sigh.

Alex finished a note he scribbled at the bottom of his paper before he joined the conversation. “Underwear is not optional.” He sounded emphatic. Lindy and Keely laughed.

“Again, you’re lucky I grabbed these before I crawled into bed tonight.” Ewain waved at his running shorts.

“When do you wear those?” Lindy appeared fascinated.

“Only at night when I’m sleeping. So I don’t shock someone in need of medical help.” Ewain glanced down at himself. “I’d never wear these in public.”

Why couldn’t he have remembered that mandate before he left the apartment? Marissa swallowed some of the overflow in her mouth.

Keely glanced around at the crowd, her demeanor solemn. “You’d be sexually harassed if you wore those in daylight hours.”

“Why do you think I’m standing in the shadows?” A hint of impatience colored Ewain’s voice. “I’m not muted, either.”

“I can help.” Lindy tossed the muting spell over him.

“Thanks.” Ewain skulked further into the shadows, behind Marissa, but she still smelled him. His scent was every bit as delicious as the elf himself. She stepped away. In the next second, she was going to start drooling, and . . .

She slid to Alex’s other side. The wind buffeted her more here, but at least she couldn’t smell or see Ewain now. After Lindy’s muting spell, more darkness clung to him, but he was still there.

“Aren’t you freezing?” Lindy shivered and cuddled closer to Alex. But her eyes were on Ewain.

“I’m fine, other than being tired. These cushy hours are going to be a problem.”

“Cushy hours?” Keely cocked her head at him.

“I’m not used to getting so much sleep. Half a night of uninterrupted sleep and my body seems to demand it now.” He ended his disgruntled statement with a yawn.

Even this jaw-cracking action looked sexy on the man.

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Bio

D.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and writing stories that resonate with others.

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Facebook | Google+


Spotlight on Shifting

Book 2 Shifting_805x1275 (3)

Blurb

Dr. Keely Bennett, a healer at Paranym University, can’t shift.

Her mate, Hugh Blackwolfe doesn’t mind—but his pack sure does. Hugh is the strongest alpha on the east coast and the pack’s single females challenge Keely, forcing her to find a shifter willing to meet and win this challenge for her, so that she and Hugh can mate.

Keely’s dragon best friend, Lindy, with her controller and mate, Alex, also struggle with shifting. They must learn the nuances of how Lindy shifts, and soon.

After several random attacks, and with an unknown enemy gunning for all of them, time may be running out. As if Keely doesn’t already feel unworthy, the dragon appears to be calling everyone but her to her team of allies.

Excerpt

“We, the females of the Tri-City Pack issue a challenge to Keely Bennett, the supposed mate of our alpha male, Hugh Blackwolfe.”

Murmuring broke out around the room.

Keely raised a hand and it ceased. “According to shifter law, a mate who cannot shift is permitted to choose a willing shifter to accept an alpha challenge on her behalf.” She spouted the information as though it was common knowledge.

While he had been vaguely aware of the law, it was hazy at best. Keely didn’t stumble.

Heather and the females around her all blinked and a few took another step back, into the women behind them.

Uncharacteristically, Heather hesitated. “What does that mean?”

“It means I accept your challenge, and will formally announce your challenger at a later date. The rules state I must choose the person, who must be the same gender as me, and she must be a shifter.”

“So if this other shifter stands in for you, does it mean she is our new alpha female?” Cynthia, the mated female spoke, and she sounded distrustful.

“No. She shifts and fights in my stead. I will remain the alpha female. As I am a paranormal being, a healer, I am within my rights to claim my chosen mate. However due to circumstances beyond my control, and despite my own lineage, I do not shift. Therefore it is my right to name your challenger.” Keely’s voice pulsed with power.

Pride surged through him at her strength, but contemplating the defiant faces of the women facing off with Keely, his jaw tightened. He fought off the urge to unleash all of his power because Keely needed him to stand with her. Berating the doubtful in his pack would not help her. Right now she needed his silent support.

If there had been any doubt as to his rightful mate, she successfully chased them away with her knowledge and courage. No other woman would ever do for him.

This one.

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Bio

drgradyD.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and adores writing stories that resonate with others.

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Facebook | Google+