Author Francis Ray

Author Francis Ray

Francis Ray is a native Texan and lives in Dallas. A graduate of Texas Woman's University, she is a School Nurse Practitioner with the Dallas Independent School District. In 1999 and 2000 she was nominated for Texas Woman's University Distinguished Alumni Award.

To check out the rest of Francis' bio, watch trailers, and enter contests head over to her website. You can find her web address at the end of the interview.

Tell us a little bit about you outside of being an author.

I'm a School Nurse Practitioner with a large independent school district in Texas. I have great satisfaction in what I do, but there are also times when situations occur that I wish I could do more in helping children. However, when I write I am the mistress of my universe and can punish evil and protect those unable to protect themselves. The good guys will always win and love will always triumph.

What is your earliest writing memory?

My earliest writing memory was a freshman paper. The teacher and my classmates couldn't say enough good things about my love story. Even then I always wanted happy endings. I guess because one of the books I read over and over was Grimm's Fairy Tales.

What feelings do you experience once you are satisfied with your completed

manuscript(s)?

My feelings once finished with the completed manuscript run the gamut from being thankful to God, grateful that I was able to do it again, to scared that readers will hate the book. Somehow I don't think my reactions will ever change.

In your upcoming release or newly released book, how did you come up with the idea of your main character(s)?

I write series in romance and mainstream so the characters are often taken from past books. In the romance series, Grayson Friends, Book One is THE WAY YOU LOVE ME. I wanted to explore what happens when a hard-edged man meets a vulnerable woman. In The Invincible Women series, my mainstreams, I wanted an older heroine. There has been so much on menopause and older women dating younger men that I knew I wanted to incorporate that in NOT EVEN IF YOU BEGGED.

Tell us a little bit about your work in progress and/or your upcoming release.

I recently finished AND MISTRESS MAKES THREE, my 5th book for the Invincible Women series. I'm taking a week off to get my office in order, read, and then its back to writing the next mainstream. August 2008 saw the release of THE WAY YOU LOVE ME, Book One of the new Grayson Friends series. November 4, 2008 is the reissue of UNTIL THERE WAS YOU, Book One of the Graysons of New Mexico series. Book Two of the Grayson Friends series, NOBODY BUT YOU, is due out March 2009.

I'm a big believer that word of mouth creates more sales than advertisements. Let's say I've never read any of your books before, how would you pitch the idea of your latest release to me?

A sexy, page turning romance. Shane Elliott, gorgeous and dangerous, has never met a woman he couldn't forget - until Paige Albright. Passion collides with duty when Shane is hired to protect the beautiful socialite in THE WAY YOU LOVE ME.

I consider myself a tough critic when reviewing books. What do or would you do when you receive a mediocre or less than average rating from a reviewer or reader?

Frankly, I'm not very good at shrugging off criticism, which is one reason I usually let my daughter read the reviews first. However, if it's constructive, I try to learn from it. Despite having written over 36 books I'm still learning and not ashamed to admit I can miss the mark. Good, caring readers and fans want you to write the stories that will entertain and enlighten. They want you to succeed. So, when it's constructive, I really look at the book again and try to see if the point was valid.

What authors influence your writing dreams, goals and aspirations?

Katherine Woodiwiss introduced me to romance and made me want to write romance. But it was Elizabeth Lowell and Nora Roberts who challenged me to write with passion and purpose. E. Lowell wrote fantastic hurting-healing romance books. N. Roberts has superb characters. They're two totally different writers, both successful, both caring and giving women. They taught me there is no one way to write a good book. The key is writing what you love. Don't compare yourself to anyone. A writer's life is a journey, some of us will reach our goals before others. The thing is to enjoy the journey.

What books would you recommend on writing?

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain, The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale, and What's What edited by Reginald Bragonier, Jr. and David Fisher.

If you could change one thing you did during your road to publication, what would it be and what would you have done different?

If I could change one thing it would be that I wouldn't have let rejections stop me from writing. I wasted so much time. Instead of it taking 5 years to publish that first short story, perhaps it would have taken only 3 or perhaps the 5 years is the way it was supposed to be.

What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Study the market, read in cross-genres, don't compare yourself to other writers, and always be gracious.

Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

Readers can visit my web site at www.francisray.com. To read the online only FREE story, DARE TO LOVE, that bridges the Graysons of New Mexico to Grayson Friends they can visit http://www.the-blackbox.com/authors/francis_ray.htm .

readersoffrancisray@yahoogroups.com

www.myspace.com/francisray

NOT EVEN IF YOU BEGGED - Jan 22, 2008 - Mainstream

THE WAY YOU LOVE ME - Shane's story - Grayson Friends -September 2008

UNTIL THERE WAS YOU - Book 1 - Reissue - A Grayson Romance - December 2008

NOBODY BUT YOU - Cameron's story - Grayson Friends - April 2009

Thank you Francis for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share with us.