First of all, thank you Sandra, for having me! I’m so excited to reach out to more readers. In fact, my decision to go indie and make my books available for Kindle and Nook was born of a desire to please. Without readers, writers are working to an empty room. Why write if no one is going to read our stories?
Oh, yes, the other reason for writing--the voices in my head. If I don’t write, they never shut up. I have heard many writers say the same thing! At least I’m not alone. Ever. Not with stories and films running nonstop behind my eyeballs.
All through school, I wrote stories. I filled binders with my stories and shared them with friends at school. I lamented the fact that there was no creative writing degree at my college. I ended up studying (and teaching) foreign languages! Communication is very important to me, regardless of the language we’re speaking.
Over the years I have written eight novels. The first five were not ready for prime time. I keep them all, just to remind myself that no matter how good I think something is at the moment of creation, there is still a lot of room for improvement. The last three novels needed rewrites but they will all eventually see the light of day.
I chose to begin my indie journey by publishing North Rim Delight, a romantic suspense about Terri Baker who is dealing with the loss of her beloved German Shepherd and trying to shake off an abusive ex-boyfriend by taking a vacation to the Grand Canyon. Bounty hunter Russ Camino is tailing a hit man with a tragic connection to his family’s past. When he lays eyes on Terri, he falls head over heels in love, but refuses to admit it. Then he realizes that the hit man is following Terri, and he knows he must protect her at all costs.
And of course, there’s a happy ending!
Terri is a character I created in college. It’s so gratifying to tell her story at last. And because these characters live and breathe for me, I wanted to explore what happens after they returned from the Canyon. That’s why I wrote The Woof in the Wedding Plans. It’s a novella about their lives three months later as they deal with wedding plans, a new German Shepherd, a super-rich and overly involved future father-in-law, and the wedding planner from hell. It’s full of dogs, danger, laughs, and of course another happy ending.
I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy writing them!
I also write soft science fiction and quiet horror. What on earth does that mean? Well, my science fiction is more about people and relationships than it is about techno wars or star ships. I was (and am) a big Star Trek fan, and I loved Star Wars. But my stories have more affection and relationships in them. Hence, “soft” science fiction. The only definition of that sub genre I ever found said it deals with social issues instead of tech issues, and that is also true about my SF. My horror stories are psychological, not gory. I have published six of them in Trickster and Other Stories. With Halloween coming up, it seemed like the right thing to do!
When I am not writing, I am training and showing my own dogs. I have loved many breeds over the years, but my current pack consists of two Papillons (Buster and Darby) and a tiny rescued Shetland sheepdog (Gracie). I write about my dogs under the name Linda White. My training experience and show entries are under that name. Loving the Sensitive Dog is the story of my first Papillon, Buster the Wonder Dog. He’s still alive and well, and earning titles.
If all goes well, I’ll have two more titles coming out before the end of the year. One is a romantic comedy with loads of mystery and laughs and, of course, dogs. The other is about my second Papillon. So I am writing like crazy!
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If you'd like to learn more about Regina, her books and her dogs, visit one of her two websites...two since she writes under two different names.
Don't forget to drop back by on Saturday (Oct 29th) for the SATURDAY REVIEW when I'll be reviewing Regina's novella, The Woof In The Wedding Plans.
And thank you for joining us today!
North Rim Delight http://www.amzn.com/B0050Q57SY
The Woof in the Wedding Plans (novella)
Regina Duke & Linda White’s Trickster and Other Stories
I enjoyed reading this post. "The Woof in the Wedding Plans" sounds funny.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn Baron
Thank you, Marilyn! Good morning. It's 5:11 a.m. on the West Coast, so I hope you didn't wait too long for my reply. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
Great post, Regina! Good luck with the books!
ReplyDeleteLisa Mondello
http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com
Thanks, Lisa! Good to "see" you! :-) Thanks for dropping by!
ReplyDeleteYour books sound like a lot of fun. Did you visit the Grand Canyon for research for your books?
ReplyDeleteHi, Linda! Yes, I did spend time at the Canyon. The South Rim was very touristy and very hot. The North Rim was perfect for a story setting because of the cabins snugged amongst the trees, the lovely forested pathways, and the proximity to the rim of the Canyon itself. It was the best research ever. So much fun. :-) And something I had always wanted to do.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hike to the bottom, though. I was already too old to put my knees and hips through that. LOL
Hi Regina~
ReplyDeleteGreat post. It is interesting how our characters grab onto us and refused to let go. Case in point: your Terri Baker from college!
Best of luck with your continued writing and here's to many, many indie sales!
Hi, Lynda! So glad to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteYes, my characters pretty much rule my life. Even when I was unable to write much for a couple of years (after my mother passed), my characters were always there in the wings, pacing, waiting for me to sit down and get busy. :-) I think I'm trying to make up for lost time now.
Have a great day!
You've written mystery stories. Ever write any spy stories?
ReplyDeleteI "apprenticed" by writing fan fiction. I know a lot of writers have done this, and I think it's a great way to hone our skills. Of course, we do that for love and for free! My fan fiction was written as Linda White in Man from UNCLE. So yes, I have written spy stories. :-)
ReplyDeleteBut I haven't written any professionally. Just romance, mysteries, science fiction and horror. Funny, isn't it? Maybe I'm afraid my spy stories would sound too close for comfort. :-)
Yay, another papillion memoir! I enjoyed "Buster the Wonder Dog" so much; I'm really looking forward to this. -Vicky L
ReplyDeleteHi, Vicky! I'm so glad you enjoyed Buster's story! Darby is a papillon of a different personality. Not of a different color, though! :-)
ReplyDeleteIn Darby's memoir, he gets to comment on every chapter. His point of view is often different from mine! LOL
I hope to have it ready to go by the first week in December. (Hope I didn't jinx myself!)
The North Rim cover is really nice, but I really love the Woof and the Trickster covers. They make your books stand out. Do the concepts for the covers come from you?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elmey! I am very involved in the cover creation because I either take the photos or select them on-line (and buy them). But my cover artist Sandra Edwards is the truly talented one. I created one cover, Loving the Sensitive Dog. She used photos I selected and created the others. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments. I'm glad you love the Woof and Trickster covers both. :-)
Hi Regina, I'm absolutely thrilled to hear you're going to release a couple more books...soon! Woof in the Wedding Plans made me laugh a bit too hard (if you know what I mean-hee hee) and I really enjoyed North Rim Delight. I'm saving Tricksters for Holloween night :>) Great blog post!
ReplyDeleteCherri
Thank you, Cherri! I love to make people laugh. :-) I can't wait to hear your opinion of Tricksters. It's very different from my other books, but it was where I first began publishing fiction. Some of the stories appeared in very small semi-pro magazines back in the early 90s. Oops. I'm dating myself! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
This is so much fun! I have to take a break and walk the dogs. If you comment while I'm gone, I'll check in as soon as I return. Thanks for all the great comments so far! And thank you, Sandra, for letting me be your guest. :-)
ReplyDeleteRegina,
ReplyDeleteI've been away almost all day...I feel like I deserted you! Having you has been my pleasure...and I'm almost finished with The Woof In The Wedding Plans and I'm loving it. I hope everyone comes back to see the review on Saturday.
Did I tell you I moved to GA from California 6 years ago? I was out west and we never met...darn.
I'll check in later. Time to get supper....ah, you'd know it as dinner....on the table. (g)
Hi Regina,
ReplyDeleteWaving a big hello.
The nice thing about indie publishing is that it allows us to write what we love and it gives the readers more choices. We're not stuck in a box. Your books aren't stuck in boxes either. A little suspense, a little romance, and some smiles makes for delightful reading!
Best of luck with your upcoming release!
E.
I'm so glad I checked in today! Hello, E. :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's great to offer variety. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Let's hope the voices never leave you alone!
ReplyDeleteRegina,
ReplyDeleteIt has been my pleasure to have you as a guest on my blog.
I wish you every success and don't forget to drop back by to read the Saturday Review of The Woof In the Wedding Plans!
Sandy