SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Gretchen Lovett!

Joining me today in The Loft is author Gretchen Lovett. Gretchen writes in a broad range of genres, including romance, as an author, freelance writer, and ghostwriter. Previously a secretary for a large nonprofit organization, after the COVID lockdowns Gretchen decided to stay home and write full-time. The author of seven contemporary romance novels, she has also ghostwritten 21 romance novels for other clients and six nonfiction titles on subjects ranging parenting to healthcare. She is the mother of two sons, both of whom are getting ready to leave the nest. She says they are not allowed to read her books, nor are they interested.

Author Gretchen Lovett

S: Good morning, Gretchen! Thanks for joining me today!

How has romance changed in your lifetime?

G: When I was a child, my mom and her sisters traded paperback romance novels every time they got together. When I was first introduced to the genre, I read historical romance, but now I only write contemporary romance. I am fascinated by the rise of the billionaire trope, but I think it’s almost exactly the same as the titled gentlemen in historical romance, only now we have businessmen instead of Dukes.

S: Similar plots, just different characters.

What do people get wrong about publishing a book?

G: I think a lot of people imagine that it’s a difficult process. It’s not. It’s fairly simple and I do believe anyone can do it.

S: Do you write in genres other than romance?

G: I actually have two collections of interviews published under a different name. I’m drawn to nonfiction because I like little stories. Even though a lot of novels focus on the rich and powerful, I prefer every day humans in my work.

S: Not everyone is destined to focus just on romance. There are so many genres out there. Why not explore other types of stories?

If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose to write books?

G: Yes!

S: What’s the best advice you have ever been given?

G: From a marketing perspective, the narrower you can get your targeted audience, the better. I attended one entrepreneurial workshop in which the presenter suggested identifying a single client. What is she looking for? How can you meet her needs? Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, focus on what you can do for a single customer, and surprisingly, more revenue will follow.

S: What inspired "Second Chance Louisiana?"

G: I was asked to write a sweet, small-town romance by my publisher.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Second Chance Louisiana?"

G: I cut my literary teeth as an action/adventure novelist, so some of that comes out in this book. While there are definitely romantic elements, there is also some heart-pounding action. It may not be the next Tom Clancy, but it won't disappoint!

Here's the blurb--

Tyler went to the bank to take out a loan. He was down to his last dollar, and his new wife and baby girl didn’t even know they were in financial trouble.

Fifteen years later, he is released from prison. Two masked men robbed the bank and framed Tyler for the crime. He missed his daughter’s entire childhood and hardly recognizes the woman he’s still married to.

As he and Misty attempt to reconnect, Tyler feels jumpy. It seems like someone’s watching him. He can’t be sure, but he thinks he recognizes the man in the feed store.

The progress they’ve made burying the hatchet is encouraging. But will there be time for a second honeymoon when the past is coming up behind them?