Welcome contemporary romance author Jordana Ryan, to Love Romances & More. We are excited to have the opportunity to speak with you and learn more about your work. 

First off, this reader has to know what is your show on BlogTalk all about?   

My show on Blogtalk radio is dedicated to providing a forum to discuss all things publishing. I am interviewing authors, requesting readings, I will be discussing vital topics in the writing world. It is my hope to provide a great show for both readers and industry professionals to not only get to know authors, but learn about issues that effect authors and publishing. 

Can you give us a quick bio about yourself?  

I’m a 31 year single mom, to a beautiful little girl. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri with my mom and brother. When it was time for college, I moved around quite a bit looking for the perfect school for my area of interest. That school ended up being the University of Tennessee Chattanooga where I graduated in December 1998. Much of my life since then has been spent working with offenders both adult and juvenile as well as the mentally ill and dually diagnosed clients. When an injury had me out of work for 6 months, I decided to follow my long time dream of writing and here I am, still doing it. 

How did you come to work with the Mentally Ill and Dually diagnosed and adult Federal inmates and juvenile violent offenders?  

As a psychology/criminal justice major, I had to do an internship and one of my professors referred me to a federal sanction program which is basically a work release program for people that are coming out of the federal penitentiary. I was 19 years old and I found that I loved it. I loved working with the offenders, doing the life coaching that I did, and helping people to get back out into the community. From there I went on to get my masters, but stopped when I had my daughter. I ended up doing a lot of work with mentally ill clients, keeping them out in the community, making sure they went shopping, to the doctor, took meds things like that. Dually diagnosed clients are clients that have drug problems that go along with mental health issues. What I found was that I very much enjoyed the substance abuse counseling aspect, and it allowed me to combine both areas of expertise in my work.  I got into working with juveniles by accident. I applied for a job not realizing what it really was, and I got it. I spent 2 and ½ years with the kids and it was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. It gave me an opportunity to give back to those who helped me make it through my adolescence. People say that people who study psych do so to understand themselves. It’s funny but it’s true. I originally got into psychology because I wanted to understand more about myself. I found that I loved it. Specializing in the area of criminal Justice came from a love of the law and believing in reform. J 

How long have you been writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?  

I have been writing since I was a child. Mostly I stuck with poetry that I never showed much of anyone. As time went by I’d write little short stories and skits and stuff but I didn’t start taking my writing seriously until a couple of years ago. Again focusing mainly on poetry. But it was a surgery and an accident coupled with determination not to be unproductive that had me writing that first novel. I worked in a profession where I was busy every day, each day was different, and I wasn’t used to having nothing to do, so I solved that problem with writing. It still amazes me that I’ve gotten where I am in the writing field.

NO MATTER WHAT sounds fascinating! Can you tell us a little about it? 

No Matter What is a story of love and forgiveness. Cassandra has made some pretty bad choices that she has to live with. Realizing that she can’t move on until she goes back to make things right, she vows to do just that. Now, Brenden never stopped loving Cass. No Matter What she had done, Cassandra was the love of his life. Although he tried to move on, it was done in anger and bitterness and he doesn’t really realize that until he comes face to face with the girl who rocked his world. From there they go on a journey of forgiveness of themselves and each other as they search for a way back to each other. 

How did you come up with the storyline for NO MATTER WHAT?  

Sitting on a beach in Daytona, Florida, the idea hit me and I hand wrote the first chapter. When I got home, I transcribed it to my computer and kept working. A lot of people encouraged me in this one. It was the response of people who read it who pushed me on and encouraged me to finish the book. J 

What influenced you to get published? How long did it take you to get your first book published?  

It was my friend J.R Mitchell who first told me that I was good enough to be published. We talked about it, and joked about it but when the book was actually done, it came down to actually doing it. J.R helped me by finding publishers the story would fit with and eventually referred me to Amira Press. I submitted it, and I think they were the 4^th or 5^th publisher I had submitted to. At the time Amira was new and accepted the story rather quickly. 

Often a writer’s first book is the toughest to write. Was this true for you? If so, what helped you get through it? If it wasn’t the first, which one was the most difficult to write? The easiest? 

No Matter What was easy for me to write because I felt strongly in tune with my characters and had a lot of feedback. Never one to disappoint others, I pushed myself on and finished the novel. The hardest to write was my second novel which I am currently seeking a home for. It is called Perfect Game. It was tough because I wanted to make it as good as No Matter What if not better, and being my own worst critic I had a lot of stops and starts on that one. The easiest was Sweet Dreams coming out from BookStrand in 2008. This was easy because it’s not contemporary, it is Romantic Suspense. It was a way for me to combine my love and passion for what I did prior to fully engrossing myself for a passion for writing. 

Do you usually outline your stories before you write, or do you "go with the flow"?  

You got me with my own article there LOL. I actually am a go with the flow writer. I don’t outline or pre plot. I let the story take me where it wants to go. I find that when I do have a preconceived idea of where I want something to go, it never works out, so I listen to my characters. The greatest example of this is in Sweet Dreams. My readers kept telling me I know who did it, and I would say no you don’t, I don’t even know. When I decided who was the criminal in that book, it was very much at the moment. I wrote a sentence, read it back and thought Aha! Read it again and thought Oh Yeah! LOL. I have fun discovering each characters story as I write. 

Most authors are also avid readers. Is this the case with you? If so, who are some of your favorites? Have any influenced your writing?    

I am very much an avid reader. I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Roseanne Bittner, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Rachel Gibson, Tami Hoag and Johanna Lindsey. If there is one author that influenced me most it is Roseanne Bittner. I have spent many hours lost in her books, and I couldn’t help but hope that someday I could provide as good of a read as she does. Although we write different genre’s, someday I’ll write my native historical, and I hope I can do the Native people justice in the same way she has. 

If you could write and be guaranteed publication of any genre of book, what would it be?  

 I have to stick with romance here, but guaranteed, I’d have to say romantic suspense because that is what I’m having such fun with right now. 

What do you think readers would be surprised to discover about you?  

I am a perfectionist by nature. I don’t tend to write in drafts, I tend to write in chunks and edit those chunks to perfection before I feel I can move on.  

If you could go anywhere to write your next book, where would it be?  

I’d rent a cabin on the beach in Florida and write to the sound of the waves and the smell of the salt in the air. 

Can you tell us a little about A GENTLEMAN’S DARE? When will it be released?   

A Gentleman’s Dare should be released from Mystic Moon Press this month. It’ s a short story, that really is just a glimpse into a night where a woman dares to fulfill her most secret desire. 

Are you working on anything right now? Can you tell us a teaser about these projects?   

Yes I am working on two things, a Romantic Comedy called Simply Irresistable. It’s funny, it’s light hearted, but still meaningful! It’s been a blast to write and I’ve really discovered how great having a sense of humor can be. Just a little snippet of it, I’ll put here: 

The second it registered that her dog was attacking a man, okay, not just a man, a lawyer, she rushed into action. “Wanker, stop that!” Chloe shouted. “Wanker, I didn’t say kill, Stop it Wanker!” 

Frantically she tried to pull the dog off his leg, and as luck had it, she got tangled up in the dog’s leash and landed on her ass in a heap at his feet. 

Wanker jumped into her arms and she cradled him close. The silence was painful as she sat there, too afraid to look up. Suddenly a hand reached down and grasped her own, pulling her to her feet. When she finally dared to meet his gaze, she didn’t see the fury she’d expected. Instead, she saw pure fascination. 

“What are you staring at?” She asked irritably. 

“Did you call your dog—“ he paused dramatically, “Wanker?” 

“So what about it?” 

The jackass then had the audacity to laugh. And it wasn’t just any laugh, it was a hearty, gut busting, full out, knee-slapping laugh. 

“Wait!” He called after her in between chuckles. “What about that phone?” 

Secondly I am working on a Romantic Suspense, unnamed at the moment and still in its beginning stages. Here is a little teaser J

“Barlow, where are you?” Sergeant Kinsella called over the two-way. 

“The strip mall where the last email came from, no sign of break in at any of these stores.” 

“Listen, he’s toying with you. His most recent letter says, round and round you go, did you look right under your nose? Three hours left, but the detectives inept, and it shows. Watch the kid as he blows! Tick-tock-tick-tock, time is drawing near. He’s somewhere we’ve already been, Aiden.” 

Aiden pounded his fist against the nearby wall, heat rising in his neck, a slow and steady tick pounding in his left temple. “Bastard!” 

“Calm down, Barlow. Let’s start at the beginning.” Aiden breathed deeply for control. Focus! Damn you. He cursed himself as he listened to his superior’s instructions. Hearing his team rustle around behind him, doubling back the way they came, Aiden snapped out of the haze of rage and once again narrowed his vision on the task at hand—finding Jeremy Meyer. 

Any final advice to aspiring authors?

Definitely, most important don’t lose sight of your dream. Never give up, and stay true to who you are! 

Thank you so much for spending time with us at Love Romances & More. We wish you the greatest success in all of your future endeavors.  

 Thanks so much for having me. Great questions!