Q&A with Megan Ryder

Name one thing you won’t leave home without.

I never leave home without my ipad mini. I can write on that, take notes on it, and read on it. If I’m stuck in traffic, in a doctor’s office, waiting somewhere, I have something to do. I am not the most patient person but with my ipad, I can occupy myself for hours. I can actually leave my phone at home and be fine but if I leave my ipad, I get twitchy. 

What are some books that you enjoyed recently?

I adored Silver Silence by Nalini Singh. She is one of my go-to authors and I re-read her constantly.

I am in the middle of binge reading the Chicagoland vampire series by Chloe Neill and am loving them.

I just read an ARC of Jamie Beck’s new book Before I Knew, coming out in August. So good and emotional.

And I just read an ARC of Jamie K Schmidt’s Stud coming in July. Sexy and fun, but I loved the characters too.

What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

What are your favorite types of stories to read?

While I enjoy contemporary romance, my guilty pleasure and my go-to reading is paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I can’t get enough of those genres. I have so many authors that I love including Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Chloe Neill (a recent find), Patricia Briggs. Honestly, I could go on and on.

Tell us all about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a desert isle? ;)

Brigid is a type-A lawyer, determined to make partner at her law firm as soon as possible. The problem is – is it her dream or her parents’ dream? Brigid comes from a high-achieving family. She defines herself as the “boring piece of cheese in the center of a sandwich of brilliance” and she feels constantly inadequate. So she feels this constant need to prove herself to everyone around her. Grady is the one person she doesn’t have to do that with; he loves her for who she is, can see who she really is and accepts her. But she can’t accept him because he is not the type of person her family would expect. He’s not on her plan.

Grady is a contractor who rebuilt his father’s business after his father almost lost it due to an illness. He and his older brother, the groom Matthew, were very close until their parents divorced when Grady was young, with Grady staying with his father. He didn’t see Matthew or his mother again until Matthew reconnected when they were older. His mother had been focused on her status and appearances so when he met Brigid, he thought she was just his mother. He soon learned she wasn’t but her constant choices make him fear that he will always be second in her life, something he just can’t accept. But he keeps trying to get Brigid to pull her head out of her law books and see the world around her and the possibilities, especially him.

Since they’re both so different, Brigid would want her cell phone and a signal on a deserted island because she needs to stay connected at all times. What if the office needs her? Grady, on the other hand, is perfectly fine with a six-pack of beer and his tools to build something, shelter or something to mess around with. He’s not fussy.

Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

This book is part two in a series about a matchmaking bride and the bridesmaids who she is determined to bring together with the ones who got away. It came from thinking about weddings and thinking about blissfully happy brides and how often they want everyone around them to be as happy as they are. I also love reunion stories so I started thinking about wedding romances, bridesmaids and what would it be like to be in a wedding and have the bride decide to play matchmaker. Now, it’s pretty hard to have a full romance in a week but, if you have a bride determined to bring her friends all back together and match them again, well, then you have a series. Trying to write three books all over the same week was a bit of a challenge though. Trying to make each story unique and not repetitive. But each bridesmaid was a strong character and tough in their own right, so I think they’ll keep people reading.

How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?

I have been writing for more years than I can remember. I always write stories when I was a kid, usually about horses or dogs, then fan fiction when I was older, and then romance in college. I didn’t get serious until the late nineties when I joined Romance Writers of America and my local chapter, which was a God-send, because I met people like me and learned all about writing. I value my friendships that I’ve made as a writer and how I’ve grown as a person through those friendships. What I love about being a writer is the what-if aspect. I’ll hear a news story – any kind – and start spinning a tale off of it. Imagine if this happened, or what if this happened? Many of those ideas don’t go anywhere but sometimes, that little kernel blossoms into something else and you can’t get it out of your mind.

What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?

The best thing about being a writer is all of the great ideas out there. I love thinking of new ideas, the fodder for stories, and the possibilities that exist. I also love the people I’ve met as a writer, both other writers and readers. Seriously, romance readers and writers are the best people in the world. They are so welcoming and positive and supportive. Many of my closest friends I met through writing and I love it.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I love to knit, so that takes up a lot of time, however, I recently got a puppy, a rescue cocker spaniel. He was six months old when we got him and not training (not even potty trained) so that has been a challenge. So, much of my free time has been taken up training him and trying to convince him that outside is for potty, not inside. But he’s a sweet dog and I love him.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

After Something Borrowed, book 3 will be out – Something New. That will be Anna and Wyatt’s story.  Anna and Wyatt had a real volatile history, with Wyatt as the football star and Anna the wanna-be movie-star. Unfortunately, Wyatt had a career ending knee injury and couldn’t achieve his dreams while Anna went on for hers, leaving Wyatt behind. A lot of simmering resentment remains between them, along with guilt. Anna comes off as a real bitch in these books but she might surprise everyone in her story. I loved writing her book and hope readers like her as much as I did.