Wife and mother of four, I enjoy annoying my husband whenever the children give me a moment of peace. I spend entirely too much time dealing with ‘author stuff’ according to the family, but when I’m not I’m generally surfing Facebook or reading a book (Or trying to if I could get five minutes without someone yelling “Mommy!”).
I grew up on sci-fi and fantasy, though once I found PNR in 2013 I’ve stuck with romance. It’s rare for me to reread books because there are so many out there and so little time, but The Mating by Nicky Charles was what introduced me to the romance world and that series is one of the few I could read back to back on repeat and be happy.
Usually I spend my days chasing around these tiny terrorists who know too many bad words and don’t like bedtime. In the few minutes they’re distracted I get as much work done as possible until someone needs me for the thousandth time.
My oldest is the only boy and he’s now a teen. None of us may survive. Luckily he got my book-smarts and my love of reading, so he should at least make it to graduation if I manage not to strangle him first. I’ve found a new respect for parents of anyone over the age of ten. This is cruel and unusual punishment.
My oldest daughter is the easy one. My mini-me, except she’ll only read graphic novels. Too smart for her own good, she makes me hope she doesn’t make the same decisions I did when I was younger.
My third child was a changeling sent to test me. Her sleep mode was defective for her first three years of life, and I’m fairly sure her ADHD has ADHD. If she had been my first, I’d have never had more.
My oopsie I blame on writing Hired to Breed. Somehow, despite going through it three times already, I was having to look up when things happened during pregnancy, so I guess the universe decided I needed a reminder. Despite making life complicated with a list of food allergies that started before she was four months old, I needed her. Her smooshy little cheeks and sweet hugs remind me to pay attention to now.
I began writing because I had an idea for a story that kept plaguing me when I would lay down to sleep for months on end. I wanted to read the story and see what happened next, and even considered reaching out to some of my favorite authors to see if I could convince them to write it, but I was too shy. I had tried writing as a teen but never got more than a few pages in before I lost interest, but I decided to give it another chance.
I stared out on Wattpad, posting chapter by chapter. You have no idea the heart attacks it caused when each one went live and people began leaving comments! Luckily people were kind, and it encouraged me to keep going.
My New Year’s Resolution for 2019 was to finish the book, and I dedicated myself to writing every night once my toddler was in bed. I managed to finish the book fairly quickly after that and I liked one of the characters so much I decided to give him his own story.
That first book was The Omega Prize. The first story I ever finished, and the first one I published to Amazon on Feb 16, 2019.
Man that thing was a mess! I didn’t follow the advice to get an editor. I couldn’t afford it, couldn’t even afford a cover and made one myself using a photo of my sister-in-law. I changed tenses, it was repetitive, it made me cringe when I went back and reread it a few months later (and again a few years later…). The only bonus was that I could tell I’d grown as a writer and was able to clean it up.
That first book still did better than I’d ever dreamed it would. I honestly never expected to sell even 100 books.
Total.
Ever.
I took the money I made from it and reinvested it into that book and the following two. I got matching covers for the series, and continued learning and getting better from there.
I never really made the decision to become an author, it just happened. One book led to another, there were more ideas for new and different stories, and a growing drive to get better and really figure out what I was doing.
I appreciate everyone who has read my books. I sacrificed time with my family to be able to write and learn how to write better. I didn’t take a full day off from authoring those entire first two years, but I can’t say I regret it. I truly enjoy writing, and I’m so glad to see others enjoying my work as well.
My kids have even tried writing their own stories after seeing me, and I’ve promised if they finish them, I’ll get them published. I love that I get to share my joy in reading and writing with them, and my son shows a true talent for world-building, though his plots are convoluted and disjointed.
I’m glad you’ve taken the time to learn a bit about me, and I hope you find something you can enjoy the way I do writing. This ended up so much longer than it was meant to be, but what can I say? I’m an author!
If you’re interested in first chances, behind the scenes, and getting my new releases, check out my Ream at https://reamstories.com/leannryans