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Happy Monday to you all. It's a chilly day in New Jersey but I've lit the fire so it's toasty warm. Thank you for joining me and today's special guest who is also from the Garden State. Ruth is a best selling author and her latest book releases November 16th. Yep, tomorrow! So grab a cuppa and join the conversation. ![]() Hi, Ruth. Thank you for joining me today at the fire. Let's get right to it. Who you are other than your bio? I am the proud mother of three wonderful children. I have written that sentence at least three times. Children. They are all have children of their own. Our older daughter is a pre-k teacher who did an awesome job with remoting teaching. She has a daughter who is 16 and a son 13. Our younger daughter has just started her own cottage baking cookie business. She made cookies for Anna St. Claire and I with our signature and book covers for the reader’s event we went to Romancing the Gold Coast. She and her husband have a daughter who is 4. Our son is the youngest is a cyber security engineer and if I knew what he did he’d have to kill me. His ring on my phone is Secret Agent Man. He and his wife have a new baby who turned 3 months last week. So you have a full house at times. I wish I had someone to make special cookies for me. Sigh, no that wouldn't work. I'd eat them. So hold the cookies and tell me, what interests besides writing do you enjoy? I am working on a new Regency series, so a lot of my recent reading is research driven. Today it was Napoleon’s escape from Elba Island. I enjoy doing count-cross stitch, I’ve started a new project for the upcoming holiday. A gift for the new baby. I am also taking a class on paper craft. It’s always difficult to find just the right ‘thing’ to give away at a conference or in a giveaway. In this class we are learning to make projects that are useable, pretty, and can be branded. I'm no crafty, but making paper crafts sounds interesting. Who is your network or support system? This is tough question. There are so many people who have and still do contribute to my career. My first critique partners Emma Kaye, Nicole S. Patrick, and Lita Harris. The writing groups I belong to New Jersey Romance Writers, Hudson Valley Romance Writers, Washington Romance Writers DC, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Regency Fiction Writers (aka Beau Monde) My publishing twin, Julie Rowe. Our first novels were published by Carina Press and were released on the same day. We have stayed very close friends. Eliza Knight who was my mentor. Kathryn LeVeque my editor and role model. There are my readers, librarians, friends, and family. I don’t think anyone does it alone. Wow that's an impressive list and you're right, I couldn't imagine doing this alone. Okay, Jersey Girl, tell us about your neighborhood? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them special? I live in Teaneck, a northern New Jersey town about five miles outside of New York City. We are a town of roughly 40K people. The township was created in 1895, but the first buildings date back to 1704. Our area was prominent during the Revolutionary War with George Washington and his troops passing through Teaneck on their hasty retreat from the British. Cedar Lane is our main street in town and the crowning shop is Bischoff’s Confectionery. It is an old-fashioned ice cream soda fountain experience complete with red leather spinning stools. I LOVE the cherry vanilla ice cream. Bischoff's sounds wonderful. I love treasures we can find close to home. Have you had any adventures lately? Conferences, conventions, vacations? Tell us a bit about what made it special to you. While I have been to Zoom conference this past October I went to my first in person event in 18 months, Romancing the Gold Coast in Glen Cove Long Island. This was a two-day reader’s event with games and crafts, an elegant tea and delicious ball. Many of us were in costumes which made the event even more special. I met fans I only knew by name and saw authors and librarians I hadn’t seen in a long time. Those virtual events were great, but there's nothing like meeting and greeting in person. I mentioned treasures above, do you have a particular object like a piece of jewelry or a keepsake of some sort? Can you tell us what makes it special to you? I have a pin that is very special to me. My grandmother gave it to me when I graduated from college. I had never seen it before. It’s a beautiful diamond and platinum antique pin. After all these years of not having anyplace to where it, I finally found the event and dress to wear it, on the Regency costume I wore to the Romancing the Gold Coast reader’s event this last October. That sounds lovely. I have my mom's sweet sixteen ring that I'm going to hand down to my granddaughter. What is your favorite mug or teacup if neither T-shirt with graphic or Meme. My most favorite mug is the one that says, Nana. It’s just the right size and it keeps my coffee hot. I bet drinking from it reminds you at every sip of those beautiful grands. What's you favorite childhood book? Or writing that inspired you to become an author. My favorite childhood author was Walter Farley and his Black Stallion series. I had read Nancy Drew. I didn’t really like the Hardy Boys. But there was something about this series that hooked me. It a triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. Alec is on ship and the stallion is being transported. There is a storm at sea. Alec saves the horse. They both make it to a deserted island where they have adventures and are eventually rescued. If you could eat anything in the world right now, what would it be? Easy answer… Cherry vanilla ice cream from Bischoff’s Worst household chore? The worst household chore ever is the laundry for one simple reason. I cannot reach the bottom of the washer to remove the clothes. Therefore, (*smiley face*) my husband does the wash. If you could time travel, where would you go and when? Why? I would love to travel to London in the Regency era about 1825. I am currently writing a Regency romance and I am immersed in the era down to the clothes. Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants? I would take unlimited international first-class tickets and travel, travel, travel. I want to see places I write about again and again Do you play board games? What games do you like? Sometimes I play Scrabble with the family or Chutes and Ladders with the grandchildren. I am currently learning Mahjong. It’s a board game without a board. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met and talked with? Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize for Economy 2001. Full disclosure. Joe is my sister-in-law’s brother. I cannot claim the gene pool. Joe and his wife Anya are gracious and wonderful, but I will admit to being a bit star struck. At a family gathering, he sat with me and asked about my writing, when my next book was being released, and he asked with interest not as a conversation filler. He found it mind boggling that I self-published several of my books. On the writing side, I had real fan-girl moments when I met Diana Gabaldon, before Outlander was on television. We didn’t talk for long, but she gave me words of advice. I had just read Tasha Alexander’s first book in Lady Emily Mysteries. I was the conference chair that year for the New Jersey Romance Writer’s and had to invite speakers. I loved her book so much, I contacted her and she attended. It was great. If someone came up to you and said, “Hey, do that thing you do!” what thing would pop into your head first? Make a brisket. How do you select the names of your characters? I start with names I like and many times, most times actually, as the story develops, their name changes. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones? I do read my reviews. The good and the bad ones. When my first book was published I read the reviews excited that someone actually read my book, Knight of Runes. One review threw me for a loop. It wasn’t about the story. I could understand not pleasing every reader, but this review was a personal attack. What was your hardest scene to write? I was writing the second book, Knight of Rapture, in my Druid Knight series. This is a time travel romance. In this story, the heroine has been tricked to go back to her time in the 20th century. The love of her life, our hero has to go find a way from the 17th century into the 20th century to save her. He finds her and tells her he will never leave her. The villain has been devious. If our hero stays in the 20th century, his estate will vanish and so will the heroine. The only way to save her is to return to the 17th century. But she cannot return. I cried when Arik realized that with all his magic there was nothing he could do. He had to leave her. I cried when I wrote that scene and I cried when he actually left her. I cheered because she was made of stronger stuff and found a way to follow him. I still cry when I reread those scenes. Ruth, this has been a great interview and so interesting. I do have one more favor, would you leave us a peek at your book and where to find out more about it and you? ![]() The Lady and Her Quill Her mind kept telling her to stop loving him, but her heart couldn’t let him go. Heat Rating PG Renowned author Lady Alicia Hartley has lost her muse after a bad review. She blames it all on the author JC Melrose. A chance encounter with a handsome, witty Justin Caulfield has her heart racing, and her muse seemingly back. Is he her savior or her worst nightmare? He didn’t see the turbulent ocean. He was too busy dealing with a different tempest. The recently retired Captain Justin Caulfield is facing his own demons. As gifted author JC Melrose, his stories honor men who died at the hand of one man. His only focus is to avenge their deaths, that is, until he meets and falls in love with Lady Alicia. The two authors take on a writing challenge based on a story of stolen gold taken from the newspaper headlines all to determine the better writer. While researching the story, Lady Alicia is captured by the thieves’ ringleader. Can Lady Alicia turn this mystery into an award-winning story? Can Justin save his real-life heroine? Can they both overcome their own challenges for a happily ever after? Amazon KU Reviews for The Lady and Her Quill 5 Stars – Goodreads – Petula – Very easy to get involved, excitement and adventure 4 Stars – Goodreads – C. Baker – Good Read 4 Stars – Goodreads – E’s Reading Corner – Entertaining first in new series 4 Stars – Goodreads – M. Whitworth – Very much enjoyed Author Biography RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author of historical swashbuckling action-adventures and contemporary romance with enough action to keep you turning pages and have earned her several coveted Crowned Heart Awards. She currently has three historical series, The Druid Knight, The Stelton Legacy, and her new Regency series, The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea. She also has a contemporary romantic suspense series, Havenport Romance. Her stories feature strong women and the men who deserve them, endearing flaws and all. She lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at an international bank where she was a product/ marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing romance. She hopes her stories become your favorite adventures. Social Media Links: Website: https://ruthacasie.com/ Ruth’s Newsletter Signup: http://ruthacasie.com/contact.html#newsletter http://bit.ly/RuthsNewsletterSignUp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthacasie/ Facebook private reader’s page, Casie Café: https://www.facebook.com/groups/963711677128537/ Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/RuthACasie/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuthACasie Email: mailto:[email protected] BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ruth-a-casie Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/ruthacasie Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4792909.Ruth_A_Casie Personal Blog: http://www.ruthacasie.blogspot.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ruth-seitelman/6/6b7/964 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ruthacasie/ YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube-RuthACasie AllAuthor: http://ruthacasie.allauthor.com 11/15/2021 10:15:15 am
Hi Ruth! So nice to see you here, and I love your answer to "Do that thing you do!" Best of luck with your books and hope to see you in person at a conference soon. 11/15/2021 01:26:28 pm
Thanks so much Jennifer. Yea, it's what the kids ALWAYS ask me to make for dinner, along with noodle pudding. Thanks for stopping by and for the good wishes.
Barbara Bettis
11/15/2021 10:30:49 am
Hi Ruth. What a great interview, ladies. Ruth I loved getting to know you better, although we've been medieval 'buddies' for a long time. You know I love all your books, and this new one sounds wonderful! I'm really looking forward to reading it. Wishing you all the best in the Regency world. Hugs!!! 11/15/2021 01:28:01 pm
Hi Barbara - Thank you so much for the good wishes. I love this story and the series. Ruth
Anna Taylor Sweringen
11/15/2021 12:11:23 pm
Loved learning so much more about you Ruth. Thanks for sharing. Happy sales. 11/15/2021 01:29:34 pm
HI Anna - It's so nice to be with you at the camp fire. Thank you so much for your good wishes. Oh, I'll get the marshmallows. Hugs, Ruth Comments are closed.
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Your Host D.V. StoneAward winning multi-genre author and blogger. Fantasy, romance, mid-grade. Nothing better than a campfire, book, and glass of wine. Okay maybe there is.📚 Follow Me!
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