Stacy Wray Interview Published on: 12, Jul 2019
Where did you spend most of your childhood? Did you always want to be an author?
My childhood was spent growing up in Indiana. I always loved to read and had a vivid imagination but being an author never crossed my mind.
Did your parents ever read you bedtime stories? If so, which one was your favourite?I don’t remember my parents reading to me. But I dearly loved all Winnie the Pooh stories.
What first got you into reading and writing? What was the first story you ever wrote?Aside from writing in school and for the high school newspaper, I didn’t really write otherwise. It wasn’t until my kids left for college that I devoured books and thought about writing one myself.
Why do you write romance? What do you believe is so special about the contemporary romance genre?I love romance because of the newness of a relationship – the meeting, the angst, the intrigue and excitement. You can change out the characters, the setting, and the circumstances but the development of love and bonding between two people never gets old for me.
What does your writing schedule look like during a normal day?I never have a schedule – the impulse has to come to me. Sometimes I go weeks without writing. I don’t like it but it happens.
How do you create characters that are so life like but also memorable? How important is a character's physical appearance as opposed to their characteristics?I’m not big on detailing a character’s physical attributes – I want the reader to form their own image in their head. As far as life like, I imagine them in my head as if I’m seeing them in a movie and act out their conversations, mannerisms, what they see and feel.
Hidden in a Small Town is an interesting and unique suspense with a touch of romance. How do you create the balance between two elements in a story?I really wanted Hidden in a Small Town to focus on the suspense aspect – the romance was secondary. I originally never anticipated a romantic element at all but what can I say? My character’s chemistry demanded it.
What would you say characterises your writing? In what ways do you try and stand out from the ever growing community of romance writers?My stories are real. My characters could be your next door neighbor, someone you grew up with. You won’t find anything unbelievable in my stories – a situation that may cause you to roll your eyes in disbelief. I want my readers to truly identify with them.
What makes your characters real to you? Do you ever find yourself forgetting sometimes that they aren't real people?My characters are very REAL in my head and I try to pass that along to the reader. I just put myself in their shoes and ask myself, “How would most people react to this? Say about this?”
Who inspired the character of Taylor Carpenter in "Good Girl Gone?" Do you relate to her in any way?Taylor was inspired by myself – I was Taylor growing up. Always doing the right thing, following all the rules. I wanted to create a character that threw all caution to the wind and live life a little on the edge because I certainly never did.
How did you successfully engage the readers so well in ‘The Reason’?Lily and her family are, once again, real people with real family troubles. A crumbling marriage, raising two teenagers and what goes with that, the meeting of a young man that turns her head. She fights it as best she can but in the end she puts her happiness above what society thinks she should do.
What inspired the plot of ‘Finding Karma’? How was the idea born?My daughter had a relationship in high school and her boyfriend tended to want her to conform to what he thought she should be. I could see it happening and that’s how the idea originated. I wanted to write a story about where the girl didn’t cave for the guy – she had dreams and put herself first.
How do you take the good and the bad reviews that come your way?I honestly don’t mind bad reviews. I know art is subjective. Do I like every book I read? No. You can’t please everyone and that’s okay.
What book ideas are you currently working on?I’m working on a women’s fiction that tell the story of a woman who has lived through a tragic event and the process she takes to come out on the other side. A survival story of some sort.
Lastly, how would you rate your experience with AllAuthor so far? Could you pinpoint some things you really like or dislike?Love the tweets they send out and love the marketing photos they send me. The website is very user friendly and that’s important to me.
