SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Alana Lorens!

Joining me today in The Loft is author Alana Lorens. Alana, who writes under a nom de plume, writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and suspense. The award-winning author of the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyer series, she has been a published writer for more than 40 years. A former attorney, journalist, editor, and professional pizza maker, Alana has proclaimed herself "an aging hippie." She currently lives Ashville, North Carolina with her daughter, the youngest of seven children, and is ruled by three crotchety old cats, and six kittens of various ages.

Author Alana Lorens

S: Welcome, Alana. Thanks for joining me today.

Let's start with the basics--Why write romance?

A: I believe the world needs the opportunity to experience happy endings, especially these days, when life has been really hard for a lot of people. Even if our characters have to overcome some obstacles, they can show their fortitude and lead the way for folks who may have lost their way.

S: As others have said, most romance stories offer hope.

Are there any characteristics your lead characters share?

A: Often my heroines are not socially popular, and a little awkward, especially in the dating world. My heroes tend to be broken in some way, or at least not super alpha male types. I want these characters to grow together.

S: Have you ever tried online dating?

A: I have tried several different services, one Trek- based, and one local to North Carolina, and mostly found spammy bots. I jumped in to eHarmony about 10 years ago, and even with their stringent questions and all, never connected with anyone. I’m afraid my romance will have to live through my characters.

S: As a writer, did the pandemic and the subsequent isolation work to your benefit or detriment?

A: It actually was a benefit for me. I had already retired from the law, and tend to be somewhat hermitty for other reasons. I was able to reconnect with my old Erie critique group at Fellowship of the Quill over ZOOM—they helped kick my faltering writing back on track, and I’ve completed four novels since then.

S: Wow. You've been really productive.

Complete this sentence: “When one of my books is released, I….”

A: Panic like hell. (Laughs.)

S: I think that's how many of us feel.

What inspired "Prophecies and Promises?"

A: I loved living in south Florida even during hurricane season, since I’ve always been a fan of big weather. The family often took weekend trips down the Keys, and I really found so much interesting history in all the places. Key West has a number of museums devoted to the maritime history of local waters. The Spanish-American War is also an era that hasn’t been written about very often, as well, so all the pieces came happily together.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Prophecies and Promises?"

A: I love this love story, at least as much because it is not a bare-breasted romp across the waves, as for its sweetness. Tamsyn begins as an innocent, and learns much through the tale, while Drake is a hero who is not out to conquer as many hearts as he can. Every once in a long while, one meets the person they are destined to meet—and how else can it end but happily ever after?

Here's the blurb--

Tamsyn McKiernan thinks her dreams have come true. She’s engaged to a dashing Key West bachelor and finally in her widowed father’s good graces. But in her heart, she knows something’s wrong. She loves the ocean and the quiet pleasures of nature—so what does the aristocratic life she’ll lead truly hold for her?

Mercenary captain Drake Ashton is neck deep in preparations for the Spanish-American War, running guns and other supplies to Cuban natives who want out from under their Spanish masters. He and his brother Freddie risk their lives daily, focused on saving his friends on the island. Nothing else matters but his mission.

A chance encounter with a spiny sea urchin brings the two together, and neither of their lives will ever be the same again.