1. What were you before you became an author? Did this influence your choices as a writer?
Before I became an author and began writing for Soul Mate Publishing, I spent most of my adult life as a journalist with the third largest award-winning weekly newspaper on the East Coast, Suffolk Life Newspapers in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. After moving to Mohawk Valley in Upstate New York in 2002, I took a position with the Richfield Springs Mercury as a reporter, and ended my time there as Managing Editor.
I went back to college and earned my degree in Human Services and now, when I’m not writing, I’m a crisis counselor/support group coordinator for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. I also work with offenders in a program I co-authored called Crossroads.
In my personal life, I am a 3rd Degree High Priestess and Founder of Willow Hill Circle, a Pagan/Wiccan tradition located in the Mohawk Valley. While I’ve secretly identified as a witch (and a writer) most of my life, I’ve only been “out of the broom closet” since 2005.
I find that my life experiences provide the garden from which I grow my characters and their situations.
2. Are you genre specific or general? I don’t mean major genres but subdivisions or romance, mystery or paranormal.
While I didn’t start out genre-specific, I am currently writing Contemporary Romance for Soul Mate Publishing (soulmatepublishing.com) with TEN BUCKS AND A WISH (2019) becoming my first published contemporary romance. However, I’ve written time-travel romance (a three book series with the first book completed, the second partially completed, and the third outlined), historical romance, and paranormal romance with the focus on reincarnation- all of which are on the back burner while I focus on my current trilogy for Soul Mate Publishing.
The current EARTH AND SKY SERIES I’m working on has a Pagan/Witch twist to it, but it’s not fantasy romance. These three books will actually be Contemporary Pagan Romance, without all the Hollywood Fantasy trappings that stereotype and misrepresent real witches.
3. What is your latest release?
My latest release -LOVE IN THE FOREST- is due out in June, 2021. It’s a story about a woman named Brooke who works at Earth and Sky Retreats and helps heal children who have lost loved ones by relaying messages from those who have passed on. She’s meets Josh Quinn (CEO of the worlds’ most popular dating site, Quirkyflirt.com, who lost his wife three years earlier. With the help of the deceased woman, Brooke and Josh find love.
The second book in the series, LIFE IS FOR LIVING, shares the story of Brooke’s co-worker, Barefoot Dan, who falls in love with Jayde, a local woman he’d met four years earlier at a Pagan event. He soon realizes his bachelor days are about to end when he discovers that this single mom’s toddler twins are his. LIFE IS FOR LIVING probably won’t be released until early 2022.
4. What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the character development of Jake and Liza, from the third book which doesn’t have a title yet. Jake is Pagan and a former performer in a group similar to STOMP who sustained a nearly fatal accident while performing. He is the owner of the shop mentioned in the two previous books and meets Liza, a new staff member at the Earth and Sky retreat where Brooke and Barefoot Dan worked, through Earth and Sky partnerships. That book will probably be released mid-2022.
5. Does your reading choices influence your choice of a writing career?
I enjoy reading non-fiction, which gives me a break from beta reading romance for fellow authors, or editing for Soul Mate when I’m not involved in my own writing projects. I do try to incorporate factual information into my stories that I glean from my non-fiction selections.
6. Where can we find you?
Most days you can find me at my desk either working my day job or writing. Online, you can find me at janinagrey.com, and on Facebook and Instagram (@janinagreyauthor), goodreads.com, bookbub.com. Ten Bucks and a Wish can be purchased in print or digital at soulmatepublishing.com, amazon.com (Kindle Unlimited), barnesandnoble.com, Walmart.com, and other random sites I just discovered while Googling myself!
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