Meet fellow Clean Indie Reads author Dana K. Ray – with a New Release

Today I’d like to introduce you to my fellow CIR author, Dana K. Ray.

Dana K. Ray is always watching “movies” in her head. They are real, vivid and colorful. She is able to change them around and when she gets the chance, she writes them down. A full time Children’s Minister, she lives in the Midwest along with her somewhat neglected husband and four kids due to her writing. She loves to connect with her readers!

Now that we know a little about you Dana, I’ll get you to answer a few questions, then tell everyone how to find you and your books at the end.

So, tell us, what inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always wanted to write. Stories have played like movies in my head since as far back as I can remember. I won my first poetry contest in fifth grade. A simple poem I wrote in 1976, the theme: The Bicentennial.

One of our famous presidents was Lincoln,

He did us lots of good thinkin’

All though he was tall,

He was loved by all and

He kept the southern states from leavin’!

Wow, and I won first place. Amazing, huh? My prize…a book about boys track. Yes, the ultimate punishment, they thought Dana was a boy. Ugh. Not the first time someone thought I was a boy, but I graciously accepted my book, taped my poem in it and have cherished it since. Occasionally I pull it from the shelf, look at it and am reminded of my call to write.

Jump ahead to the 1990’s when computers came out. That’s when I got to finally start putting my stories down on paper. Twenty years later, they have become published books. My first two books are published by a traditional publisher. My last two, and newest, There’s No Reasoning with Love, are self-published. I love the freedom self-publishing gives! No more arguing about a cover design.

Thanks for that. I can definitely relate to the desire to be indie-published, along with all the control you have! Now tell me, do you read reviews that others leave for your books?

I really try not to, but occasionally get sucked in. When they love my books, it’s like floating on a cloud. When they don’t care for my books it can be like a dagger in your heart. So to keep it balanced, I constantly remind myself that not everyone will like what I write and that’s okay. That’s why there are so many authors, books and genres.

I do hate the reviewer who has to be downright mean. I haven’t experience one like this, but my author friends have. There’s no reason to be nasty if you don’t like a book.

Being considerate in a review is appreciated, because writing a book is exposing a part of your life to the public that is very personal. The novel and characters become part of you.

Yes, wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone could just be nice?  But we can still learn from the harsh reviews even so. And lastly, how much time per week do you spend writing? Or are you a full-time writer?

I have a full time day job as a Children’s Minister. I write to keep my sanity. It truly is my stress release and my outlet. I love working with kids all day, but I need my adult conversation which is usually with my characters.

Absolution, The first book in The Luciano Series got me through the times I stayed home with my own children as preschoolers. Which is actually kinda funny. When my kids took naps I wrote a mystery with a murder or two.

A Second Chance was my first romance novel, written when the kids were in school. Both were published over twenty years later, beginning in 2016.

My newest release, There’s No Reasoning with Love I started writing last year. I have no set time to write or couldn’t even tell you how many hours a week I spend writing. My laptop goes almost everywhere with me and I write whenever I can.

A couple months ago I took my first writing retreat. Well, it was two days and one night at a condo on the lake. By myself with no Internet. I did finish the cover to There’s No Reasoning with Love and I finished writing Everlasting, book 3 in The Luciano Series.

If you always wanted to write a book, do it! There’s nothing more rewarding than holding your finished, published book in your hand!

Thanks so much for joining me here today, and taking time from what sounds like quite a busy schedule!  So … you’ve got us all interested about your new book. Where can we find it and keep in contact with you?

You can find me and all my books on my own website.

Or you can visit me on my Amazon author page.

Or I’d love to see you on Facebook too.

Thanks for having me here today!

Dana 🙂