SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Reggi Allder!

Joining me today in The Loft is author Reggi Allder. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance novels. Her characters must overcome obstacles. The males are strong, though they may be wounded. The women are determined to change their lives to manage their future. They each fight to discover hidden strengths and work toward lifelong goals. The author of The Sierra Creek Series, and The Dangerous Series. Reggi has also contributed to cookbooks and written children’s stories. She is a film buff and collects classic movies. Reggi is also an animal lover and has raised puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Author Reggi Allder

S: Welcome, Reggi! Thanks for joining me today.

Why write romance?

R: I write about life. Romance is an important part of it, whatever the story. Everyone wants someone to understand, care, and share with them.

S: That is so true.

How do you develop your characters? Do you use photos or a vision board?

R: I do not use storyboards, three-by-five cards, or other props. I sometimes write the character’s profession or goal, and let the story unfold.

S: Do you outline the plot for your stories before writing?

R: I’m a pantser, not a plotter. I don’t outline, though I often know the last scene and write toward it. I start and let the characters guide me.

S: I work in a similar way, though I know the beginning, never the end.

Do you write in other genres?

R: I write suspense, mystery, and contemporary novels. I have also written a historical novella. I like writing in different genres and wish I had more time for it.

S: If you had to do it over again would you still write books?

R: I would. If I’m going to think about them, I might as well put them on paper so others can read them.

S: What inspired "My Country Heart?"

R: I write romantic suspense so why did I want to write a small-town contemporary romance? A friend who is an author and one of my critique partners asked me that. Well, I do love a good romantic suspense novel. However, after writing a few, I realized I needed a break from spending so much time with evil characters who were determined to do bad things.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "My Country Heart?"

R: I’ve lived in large cities and small towns. When I was in L.A., many people talked about moving away from the noise, traffic, and crowds. I began to think of characters who might populate the imaginary town of Sierra Creek, a village nestled in California’s Sierra Nevada Foothills, with a population of five thousand. Soon ideas were flowing and Amy Long, a single mother who needed a home, and Champion Cowboy Wyatt Cameron, who was only concerned about his career, were born. They are introduced in Book One of the Sierra Creek Series. and readers may follow them and others in the town throughout four books. "My Country Heart" is the latest in the series.

Here's the blurb--

Sparks fly when opposites attract in the small town of Sierra Creek. “If you love small towns, second chances, and real-to-life characters, the Sierra Creek books are for you!”

Amy Long needs a forever home. Downsized, she lost her apartment in the city and returned to the small town of Sierra Creek to find a fresh start. Does she belong? Cowboy Wyatt Cameron doesn’t think so. She’s in the way of his plans and as executor of her grandmother’s estate, he has the power to send her packing.

What can she offer to change his mind?

When sparks fly will it break a heart?