Hello Readers!

Today we’re excited to chat with Wendy Lindstrom to celebrate the releases of Until I Found You, the 10th book in the Grayson Family series, and Lost in Your Love, a special sweet edition of Until I Found You.

Welcome! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you into writing?

Unlike many authors, I wasn’t a reader until after I graduated high school. I spent my childhood in a rural part of western New York swimming in creeks, climbing trees, and playing in an old horse barn. My siblings and I were as wild and untended as the land around us, nurtured by nature and sunshine. Although I wasn’t reading books at that time, my imagination soared as I roamed the fields and forests creating exciting adventures. The setting of my New York Times bestselling Grayson Family series, set in 19th-century western New York state, echoes the sounds and smells of my childhood.

My first exposure to historical romance novels didn’t happen until my mid-twenties. One relentlessly hot and boring summer day I walked to our local library hoping to cool off and find something good to read. While browsing book carousels crammed full of mass market paperbacks, I noticed the novels with clinch covers and bent pages were the most worn, suggesting they were popular books. I’d never read a romance novel, but I decided to try them. My first three selections were The Tiger’s Woman by Celeste De Blasis, The Fulfillment by LaVyrle Spencer, and The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. Oh my gosh! I was hooked. I began devouring historical romance novels by Johanna Lindsey, Rosemary Rogers, Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux, Laura Kinsale, Loretta Chase, Julie Garwood, and many other fabulous authors.

What inspired The Grayson Family series?

It was LaVyrle Spencer’s swoon worthy tearjerker novels that moved me most deeply and inspired me to write my own stories. I savored the slow burn romance in her books and admired the way she portrayed her male characters because they were truly decent guys. The men in my Grayson series are honorable men with a fierce sense of integrity. Although they mess up and mishandle situations, they own up to their mistakes and put everything on the line for the heroine. To me, that’s the mark of a real hero.

What are some of your favorite tropes in Historical Romances? Are there any you don’t enjoy as much?

My favorite tropes are the ones I write about (Forbidden Love, Amnesia, Hidden Identity, Woman in Danger, Marriage of Convenience, Mail Order Bride, Protector). I don’t dislike any particular tropes but some are simply less interesting to me.

What do you enjoy most about writing Historical Romances, and what do you enjoy the least?

I write emotion-evoking, character-driven stories that explore what it means to be alive, to be in love, to risk the unknown. My characters are complicated, complex individuals on a journey of self-discovery. Readers say they feel as if they’ve lived in the pages of my books. Creating that level of emotional connection is hard work. To convey the breathless anticipation of a kiss, or a heart wrung with grief takes intense focus and forces an author to dig deep into each moment. But creating a genuine bond between the reader and my characters is vital to me. Books change lives and create a sense of community and connection, which is what I strive for in my books. For this reason, the drafting process is my most difficult and least favorite part of writing, but I love the revising, layering, and polishing that comes after that arduous task.

When writing a long series such as this one, how do you go about planning it? Did you have a set number of books in mind when you first began it?

St. Martin’s Press acquired my first book (Shades of Honor) in a two-book contract. They wanted the second book to be about the hero’s brother, which connected my first two books. Then Leisure Books wanted stories for the other two brothers. With four connected novels, and readers wanting more Grayson books, it made sense to continue writing about the Grayson family. Because I hadn’t planned to write a series, I had to go back through my books and create character bibles, timelines, and a family tree to avoid missteps in subsequent books. Having just finished book ten, I can tell you it is imperative to create reference material when planning or writing a series.

Can you tell us a little bit more about releasing sweet editions of this series?

For several years readers sent letters saying they loved the Grayson books but wished there were sweet editions they could share with their mothers and daughters. Although it was a huge undertaking to pluck out all the sensual threads, language, and open-door love scenes from my books, I knew the Grayson stories were perfect for readers who preferred clean and wholesome romance novels. The covers, titles, and series names of my Grayson sweet editions are intentionally different to help readers differentiate between the sweet and sensual editions.

What is your favorite part about the relationship between Sophia Flynn and Gray Sullivan?

When I first imagined this story, these two characters were a mystery to me (and to each other). So for me, seeing their level of trust evolve, their humor and playfulness develop, and their slow burn romance become an unrestrained blaze was wonderfully satisfying.

What can we readers expect next in the series?

The online reviews and letters from my readers usually let me know whose story they want next, so I’ll see what they think of Sophie and Gray’s story before I decide.

Wendy Lindstrom is the RITA award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of the Grayson family saga, a captivating series of unforgettable, heartwarming stories about enduring friendships, family bonds, and romantic relationships between strong, complex characters living in a charming small town in America.

Fans of uplifting, binge-worthy historical romance will love Ms. Lindstrom’s popular Grayson series, a #1 storewide bestseller on Barnes and Noble, and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling series. Romantic Times has dubbed her “one of romance’s finest writers,” and readers rave about her enthralling characters and the “awesome underlying emotional power” of her work. The Grayson series is a must-read for those who love feel-good stories that uplift and warm the heart. Her Second Chance Brides series is for the reader who prefers a sweet and clean read (same books as the Grayson series without the love scenes).

For more information about the author, her books, and to get the behind-the-scenes scoop at her Rustic Studio visit her website at WendyLindstrom.com and subscribe to her wonderfully engaging newsletter where she shares photos and personal stories about her beautiful water garden and the magnificent wildlife at her rustic studio, along with her insights on writing, her passion for great books, and other fun topics. She’s also on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and BookBub.