Today I’d like to introduce you to my fellow CIR author, Wendy May Andrews. Welcome, Wendy. Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself, and your writing?

Thanks for having me, Sandy. I’ve been writing pretty much since I learned to read when I was five years old. Of course, those early efforts were basically only something a mother could love 🙂 I put writing aside after I left school and stuck with reading. I am an avid reader. I love words. I will read anything, even the cereal box, signs, posters, etc. But my true love is novels.

Almost ten years ago my husband dared me to write a book instead of always reading them. I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, but to my surprise I love writing. Those early efforts eventually became my first published book – Tempting the Earl (published by Avalon Books in 2010). There were some ups and downs in my publishing efforts. My first publisher was sold and I became an “orphan” author, back to the drawing board of trying to find a publishing house. It has been a thrilling adventure as I learned to navigate the world of publishing.

I believe firmly that everyone deserves a happily ever after. I want my readers to be able to escape from the everyday for a little while and feel upbeat and refreshed when they get to the end of my books.

When not reading or writing, I can be found traipsing around my neighborhood admiring the dogs and greenery or travelling the world with my favorite companion.

I agree wholeheartedly. I love for my readers to escape from the day to day world and I’m over the moon when I hear they’ve done just that.

Now, before we hear about your books, I’ve got three little questions for you. First, what was the inspiration for your latest book?

Friends of mine were adopting a little boy. They are a great match and I am thrilled for them. But I found the process heart breaking. There are so many children in need of good homes. I started researching the history of adoption. I came across the Orphan Trains and I just knew there were stories to tell.

Oh, that sounds wonderful. I’ll have to look at this series of yours, and I bet some of the readers of my blog will do the same! Now, next question, where are your books set? And have you been there, or spent significant time there?

I write Regency Romance and Western Historical Romance so my books are set in England and mid-west USA. I have traveled to several locations in England for research. It was wonderful. There is so much history in England, it’s around every corner. We’ve also traveled to some of the locations of my US set books, but not all of them – it’s a really big country 😉 Thankfully the internet has many resources like old maps and so much historical information. There are also some amazing museums. One really cool museum we visited to research my Orphan Train books was the Tenement Museum in New York City. They have some perfectly preserved tenement apartments from the 1800s. I loved those tours!

Wow, maybe I need to visit New York one day … as for England, Cornwall is one of my favourite places in the world! I’ve not set any books there, but how fun writing stories set in those beautiful places. Now, one last question. Are you indie published, traditionally published, or hybrid? And what are your thoughts on the whole indie vs. traditional topic?

I am a hybrid author. My first six books were traditionally published. It was a wonderful education. It really taught me all the steps that go into producing a good book. I think indie authors can produce as good or better books as traditionally published authors as long as they go through all the professional steps required. I love having the control as an indie author. I just don’t love having to do all the work 😀 But unfortunately, even traditionally published have to do more than just write, so I’ll take indie any day.

Interesting you say that … about the control. That’s what I love, not having to make changes unless you want to, and having full control over the end product. So, with all that said, let’s have a look at your books!

All of my books are Sweet/Clean Historical Romance. Half are set in Regency era England, the other half are Historical Westerns (circa 1855). There is zero violence or foul language on page. There is no sex in my books. All of my stories conclude with a sweet kiss and a happily ever after.

All of my books can be found online: Amazon

Orphan Train (4 book series)  

From Book 1: His pursuit of her threatens everything – except her heart:

Sophie Brooks has lived at the orphanage since she was ten years old. Now nineteen, she’s not only a resident, she works there as well. It’s the only true home she can remember and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep it safe.

When her budding relationship with the son of one of the orphanage’s benefactors threatens the charity’s funding, Sophie must choose between her loyalties and her heart.

The fourth book doesn’t show in the photo, so here is its cover:

Now, I’ve just noticed that the first book in this lovely series, Sophie, is just $.99 so grab a copy. I’ve read several of Wendy’s books, and I’ve never been disappointed!

Thanks again for coming here today, Wendy. I look forward to reading this series!