Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Grace Willows is the writing team of Robin Woods and Julie Brookshier. Grace Willows is our alter ego. It lets us write stories filled with passion, romance, and paranormal mystery We have been writing together for 5 years.
Julie: I wrote my first full length novel at age 7, but I first started getting story ideas for books when I was 3. I can not remember a day when I did not have at least two plots for books running through my head simultaneously. I usually begin our story lines since I always have plots running through my head. I can see each story idea unfold like a movie. I send the ideas to Robin and she picks out one she really likes. I will then write the plot with the characters as the “movie” plays in the back of my head. I have to get the material down before it “vanishes.” Robin then fills in all the details and then works her magic, I am very lucky, because my writing partner is my best friend. Robin is the heart of our team. She brings a never-ending desire for quality and an incomparable attention to detail. She is a fantastic writer, and I’m really proud of her.
Robin: I wrote my first novel in 2005 but have had stories running through my head since I was young. I add my own special twists into the book’s storylines and fill in the background. I too have movies running through my head but I have to let my stories stew until they’re done and then the plodding comes in. I have to try out each sentence two or three different ways until I get it just right.Julie is the engine that runs our team and I am very proud of her. She can create stories like crazy. She gets an idea in her head and lets it percolate for a couple days. The next thing you know, she’s up at oh-dark-thirty typing away, trying to keep up with the movie that’s running through her head. Nothing else matters but to get the words down on paper. We write romance novels and have an on-going series of short-story romances called Weekend Passions. Sometimes you meet someone and you can tell right away that they’re going to be your best friend. It happens to all of us whether it’s a friend we met as children or someone you work with. Well in the case of our stories, it’s not just a best friend but a lover. A man who catches your eye, gives you butterflies, makes you lie awake at night wishing he were with you now. We believe we have the best job in the world, we get to bring a happily ever after to our fans. You can’t ask for a better job than that.
Grace Willows currently has fourteen books available on Amazon, and we love to hear from our fans at graceluvs2write@comcast.net.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Legend of the Crescent Moon is our latest book. Robin and I were talking about urban legends and she told me I should come up with one of our own. So I did, the story just naturally sprung from the legend that popped in my head.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
We don’t really have any unusual writing habits. One of us will come up with the story idea and ask the other one to start thinking about book titles. For some reason we seem to need to have the title to ground the story before we get started. Then after the story is written, we both edit and add additional material to the story before its published.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Far too many to mention. 🙂 Robin and I are both voracious readers, who read everything we can get our hands on. Although lately we’ve been so busy writing, that our “to be read” book piles are growing.
What are you working on now?
We are going to releasing another historical western romance story ” Last Minute Bride ” soon. Imagine the madam of a bordello whose livelihood has just burned down and all she has is the money hidden in her bosom and the clothing on her back. Her best friend is the local town’s schoolmarm who through a series of events beyond her control has been promised in marriage to a wealthy rancher in a distant territory. Last Minute Bride is a fun filled historical romantic romp through the old west with a Madan that will remind you of Mae West!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We promote on Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, and also on our gracewillows.weebly.com and gracewillows.wix.com websites. Our fan base has also grown by word of mouth. We are very luck to have wonderful fans that love to tell others about us.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never stop writing, even if you don’t intend to publish your story. Finish it. It’s your story and no one else can write it like you can.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to push yourself beyond what you think you can do. It’s the only way you will grow as a writer.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading The Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I love to read the classics in winter.
What’s next for you as a writer?
We are finishing up on Last Minute Bride and then will start editing it. Once it has been published, we have 42 more books that have been written but are awaiting editing. I think we’re going to be a little busy for awhile. Ha
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Only 3 or 4? Oh my. Well in that case I would bring the Field Guide to Edible Plants, and as a couple of books from the Foxfire series,
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