Awesome Romance Author Delsora Lowe
My awesome romance author this week is Delsora Lowe! Delsora writes small town contemporary romances set in Maine and contemporary westerns featuring cowboys and ranchers. In her interview, Delsora shares how her jobs, travels, and the views from her windows influence her writing, and tells us about her experiences with self-publishing and working on the new anthology Welcome to Serenity Harbor.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a mom of two grown children and a gramma (my favorite role in life) of three boys. I live and work in Maine, but grew up in Washington, DC as well as internationally, until I went to college in rural Vermont, before I married and transferred to college in Maine. I’ve held various non-profit jobs over the years including working as a counselor for sexual assault services, a lobbyist for women’s issues, an alumni relations director in three schools and colleges, and most recently as a visit and event coordinator in an environmental college admissions office. Soon I will write full-time—a new phase in my work life and I am thrilled to start this adventure after almost 12 years of writing part-time.
What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?
I told you about my jobs already. Living in so many different types of communities and in different countries has given me the opportunity to experience a diversity in food, culture, and friendship. It has broadened my horizons and made me more open and empathetic. Because of my upbringing and subsequent careers, I seem to always root for the underdog and celebrate the incredible strength and resiliency in people. Although I think I have a good sense of humor and look at life from that vantage point, when I write I always seem to mire my characters in their deep-seated internal problems resulting from the things life throws at them. I’ve had to totally rewrite so many stories that start out (in my head) as humorous and light-hearted, but never seem to end up that way in the first draft. There has to be some connection to my work that makes me push stories in that direction. Until I tell myself (or my critique partners tell me) to lighten up. I do try to infuse humor in my work. Right now I am writing a fun and flirty trilogy, which hopefully will have very few dark moments (after all, you do need some on the journey to that happily-ever-after).
What was the most interesting place you ever visited?
I can think of several stories from childhood. I was on the first jet to ever land in Taipei, Taiwan, when I was in third grade. They rolled out the red carpet across the tarmac and we walked to the terminal to cheers. We vacationed in Hong Kong, where a Chinese man who spoke no English taught me to use chopsticks—I think I was nine or ten. On the way back to the states after living in Taipei for several years, we visited Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Algiers, Morocco, several cities in Spain, Gibraltar, Pompeii and Rome, Italy, and Portugal. We took ships through the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea, and across the Atlantic. Since then, life has been rather routine—but living in one small town for a long period of time has been such fun. I had always moved from place-to-place, having to make new friends along the way.
Where is your favorite place to write?
Anywhere I have a view. At home I sit at my kitchen table and watch the squirrels and birds, but at my daughter’s house in the mountains of Colorado I used to sit at her dining room table facing snow covered mountains. She has since moved to Denver, so I haven’t yet seen her new view. At my son’s Maine house, I can see the bay that leads out to the ocean. In the Adirondack cabin owned by my parents, I look over a lake and mountains. Those views always relax me, and inspire my writing and subject matter. Hence my website tag line about my favorite places to write: Cabins to Cottages; Keep the Home Fires Burning.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
I received the call last summer. What a thrill! In the end, as I decided to retire and devote my time to writing, I decided to self-publish. I have written about twenty stories (full novels and some novellas.) I did publish a short romance in Woman’s World a few years back, and hope to submit some more soon. As part of the production team on the anthology, Welcome to Serenity Harbor, released on November 10, 2016, I had the opportunity to work with some well-known authors to publish this book. What a great learning experience…and incredibly hard work, working on lay-out with a formatter, working with a professional editor for the first time, book cover artist promotion, etc. Now I know I am up for the challenge I face in 2017 to get my other books out for all to see.
Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?
As you might have guessed, I write contemporary. I’ve begun the process of professionally editing and working on cover art for my Colorado rancher’s series, The Cowboys of Mineral Springs. The first book, The Prince’s Son will be released in early spring 2017, followed by the Rancher Needs a Wife and several others over the next year plus. The first two books each won several contests, so I am excited to finally publish them. I’ve also begun the sequel to my novella, The Legacy of Parkers Point, featured in our newly released anthology Welcome to Serenity Harbor. Come Dance With Me will feature my current hero’s best friend. I have also written the first, and plotted book two and three, for a new small-town trilogy, which are light-hearted, humorous stories about three shop owners in the coastal Maine town of Galway Cove.
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Besides the usual, butt in seat to write, write, write, my biggest advice is to become involved in the writing community. The best thing I ever did was reach out to the Maine Chapter of Romance Writers and go to conferences. I have made so many close writer friends, who have been incredibly generous in mentoring me and encouraging me and ensuring that I am not alone in this business. Day in and day out of writing in my kitchen can be lonely business. But all I have to do is reach out to my friends on several writer loops across the country and find the courage to keep going. Never mind the constant writing challenges issued. Those are enough to keep me writing, if not daily (as life gets in the way) but consistently, week after week. I credit all these wonderful romance writer friends for ensuring that most of my books actually got written—okay, a little needling and many challenges were involved, especially when I have to fess up and report word counts on a weekly basis.
And to readers, I so look forward to building a relationship with you. This is new territory for me, being on the author side of the equation. But as a reader, I constantly reach out to my favorite authors (through email, Facebook, and by writing reviews) to let them know how much I enjoy their work.
I hope you’ll visit my website at www.delsoralowe.com. You can also visit my Amazon author page And find out more about me and the other anthology authors on Facebook
Welcome to Serenity Harbor by Delsora Lowe and friends
Two lives, one legacy—the lure of Parkers Point in Serenity Harbor, Maine brings Grayson Mann and Lauralee Adler together
One runs from …
Inheriting his grandfather’s property on the rocky point in Serenity Harbor, Maine is the perfect escape from the biggest professional disaster of Grayson’s life. Will distance and space help Gray heal old family and professional wounds enough to open his heart to love?
One runs toward …
Lauralee struggles to save the family art gallery as she watches her aunt succumb to Alzheimer’s. Returning to Serenity Harbor is payment for the kindness that saved her life and soul. Now she’s on a quest to find her father. Will this trip home help her learn to trust and finally convince Lee she can truly belong for the first time in her life?
Buy Links
Welcome to Serenity Harbor can be found on all major sites, including Amazon, Kobo, BN, iBooks.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
If you have any questions or comments for Delsora Lowe,
please post them below, and she will get back to you.
I think all of us writers have traveled similar paths. Much luck on your career!
Thank you so much, Ilona. It’s wonderful to have support and good wishes from other writers who understand the work. I think that up and down, and all around path is what keeps being a writer so interesting and fresh–okay, and a bit scary too 🙂
What a great interview! It’s so much fun to learn little details about authors. I can’t wait to read your story! Congratulations on the anthology. Here’s hoping it goes out and gathers all kinds of new readers!
Thanks so much, Nina. The story was a blast to write, and putting together the book with the help from so many writer friends was an extraordinary experience. Who knew how challenging self-publication would be. I learned so much about the ins and outs, especially from Seaside Publications and Seductive Designs, all the professionals who helped the team put together this book. I am forever indebted to having such generous people help me through the learning process.
I loved your blog post! What a fascinating childhood. I definitely want to hear more about your adventures next time I see you! Looking forward to reading your story in the anthology. 🙂
Thanks Teri, I hope you enjoy the book. We’ll “tawk” next time we get together for writing with a view. And who knows, maybe we’ll start on the next anthology 🙂
Congratulations on your debut, Delsora! I loved learning more about your life. You have been to some very cool places. Your views sound wonderful! Just like E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View. 🙂 Best of luck with your cowboy books; they sound terrific.
Thanks so much, Nancy. It is all quite overwhelming, but exciting. I hope you enjoy our book. Some fun stories. I am excited to release the first cowboy book. It’s the one that won the NJ Put Your Heart in a Book award a few years ago.
As for views, when I dream of winning the lottery, the first thing I think about is what kind of view I will get with my Zillions 🙂 Ocean or lake, mountains or valleys, cityscape or remote and charming village…Or with zillions, I can have a view for each mood!
Thanks for stopping by tonight!
I really enjoyed your blog post! You’ve traveled to some exotic places, for sure! I started “Welcome to Serenity Harbor” this morning. I’ll look for your western series when it comes out next year. I have a window to the right of my desk, I love it. I watch the birds land on the banister and the clouds flit across the sky. Without a window on the world, I don’t think I could sit at my desk as long as I do.
I totally agree, Diana. I moved my workspace from one room with a window that looked at a fence to the one that looks out at my maple and oak tree with birds and squirrels, and in the spring–the lilacs. Thanks for reading Welcome to Serenity Harbor. I hope you enjoy the variety of stories about the people of Serenity Harbor. It was fun to write and coordinate some of the characters and locations with the other authors.
Awesome post. You have led such an interesting life. I can’t imagine walking that red carpet as you did. Best of luck with your publishing. Welcome to Serenity Harbor should find plenty of readers!
I’m curious. If you could pick a location to write about that you haven’t done so far, where would it be? Love your story! Congrats!
Oh, boy – that is a tough question. I love the Chesapeake Bay – mid-Atlantic area. I have never written about that area. I did place one story and started another in the Adirondacks. Probably need to dredge that one up from my piles of manuscripts – I did love that story. Thinking overseas, probably Scotland – my heritage. But I would love to travel there to get the inspiration 🙂 Like I said above – great excuse to travel.
Thanks for reading my story. For any of you who haven’t picked up Welcome to Serenity Harbor, Teagan’s story is about two people who have always been meant for each other, only neither will admit it. Thanks to a “matchmaker” they get thrown together. The location of seacoast Maine and the people that work that seacoast adds to the ambiance of the story.
Hey, Delsora,
Sounds like you had a fascinating childhood. Was your father a diplomat? You didn’t say…or else I didn’t catch it.
Maine is as scenic and as get-away-from-it-all as some of the places you mentioned. Your Serenity Harbor story sounds fun. Good luck with the new gig (writing).
Thanks for checking in Susan – yes, my dad worked foreign service jobs for the state and commerce departments, and embassies, and other federal agencies. But Maine … I love it here. What a wonderful place to finally settle after all that travel. I hope you enjoy The Legacy of Parkers Point!
If I turn my head to the left as I sit at my desk, there’s the lake. If I had a straight-on view, I’d probably never write anything, LOL. It’s really hard in the summer not to be drawn out to the deck. I wish someone would invent a laptop that didn’t have so much glare on the screen, and then I could get the best of all worlds. So excited to be in this anthology with you!
Maggie – Since I’ve seen your view, I would probably never get anything done either. But staring off into space at beautiful views does trigger ideas…sometimes. 🙂 And don’t forget the call of the loons – hearing that sound and watching them fly down the length of a small lake in northern Minnesota morphed into a short story for me that I submitted to Woman’s World.
I’m too am excited to be in the anthology with you! Check out Maggie’s so-much-fun story – Love in the Library.
Delsora, thanks for letting us get to know you! I love the warmth of stories set in small communities, but I must admit the stories of traveling all over the world are interesting too. Do you think in the future you might write more exotic locations?
Evelyn – thanks for checking in. I may start to branch out into international worlds someday. Like I said to Judith, some of these memories were buried deep until I answered Zara’s questions. It is so easy to live (and write) in the small world we currently inhabit. Hmmmm, my wheels are turning, thinking of fun locations. It also means I might have to revisit these places to jog my memory. A good excuse, anyway!
Delsora, So glad you gave me the link to your blog post. I’m another author who writes better with a view although I have been known to get a few hundred words written at a write-in at Krispy Kreme – lol. You certainly have a plethora (love that word) of life experiences to add authenticity to every story you write! Congratulations to you and your Maine RWA Chapter mates for your Serenity Harbor anthology!
Thanks so much, Judith – I will let others know you send your congrats! One of these years we will get you to Maine! By the way – I am pretty sure Krispy Krene counts as a view 🙂 Answering Zara’s questions really brought back a ton of memories – so thanks, Zara, for giving me this opportunity. I hope you enjoy all the stories in Welcome to Serenity Harbor. Many different styles among us – I’ve had so much fun reading the anthology!
Hello, Zara,
Thanks so much for hosting me today. I can’t wait to speak with everyone.
Delsora