An Interview with Tina Murray
Or...The Dragon welcomes Tina to the site

First, today we welcome Romance Author Tina Murray, Naples, Fla., to The Dragon. Tina, we're conducting this interview today as if you were doing a book tour. Because you're a romance author, I'll ask a few questions about your romance novel A Chance to Say Yes, but first, I want to ask about your recently-launched Web site. Can you give the link to Dragon visitors?

Tina Murray: Thank you, Sandy, for allowing me to spend time with you and your readers today. Yes, I am very excited about my new website: www.tinamurrayauthor.com. My thanks to Rae Monet, who is developing the site. She has created, in my opinion, an outstanding design for me. Actually, I'm not calling myself a romance author these days. I have repositioned A Chance to Say Yes as romantic women's fiction. I have even thought about dropping the "women's" and just calling it contemporary romantic fiction. However, I have yet to speak to my publisher about doing so. I've discovered that men like the story, too, and I'm not convinced A Chance to Say Yes is a good fit for the "romance" genre. We'll see what happens in the future. Everything is ongoing. Being a new author is an adventure for me.

The Dragon: I see that folks can link directly to your publisher (ArcheBooks Publishing) to get a copy of your first novel A Chance to Say Yes from your new site. Did you choose to have folks connect to the publisher's site so they could get the publisher's discount instead of sending them to Amazon?

Tina Murray: Rae suggested I connect to my publisher's site, as I recall. She has developed numerous websites for authors. I would like to link every venue, but that might not work. I don't know yet. I'm learning. The site www.tinamurrayauthor.com is still very much a work-in-progress. It just went "live," as Rae puts it, a few days ago. It is only just now "up and running." Sort of like having a new puppy.

The Dragon: When was A Chance to Say Yes released?

Tina Murray: The book was released in the summer of 2008. That would be about nine months ago. It was released as both a hardcover book and an ebook. Both are avaliable for purchase from my website.

The Dragon: What can you tell visitors about how exciting the release of your first novel was?

Tina Murray: I'm still excited. I may never get over it! I've done book signings and given interviews. As I told one radio host, I'm "living the dream." Okay, well, not yet, but I will be soon, I hope. Recently, I hired a PR firm, Ascot Media, to promote A Chance to Say Yes. This has been a good move for me. The folks at Ascot are well-connected and hard-working. The press release they generated for A Chance to Say Yes has produced an exciting response from media outlets around the country. Basically, at this time, I'm in the seed-planting stage. I continue to visualize my efforts bearing fruit.

The Dragon: What is the most exciting part about having A Chance to Say Yes out where everyone can read it?

Tina Murray: The response from readers has been thrilling. They have written me spontaneous, unsolicited letters and emails in which they praise A Chance to Say Yes. A number of readers keep asking me for the sequel. Several have asked for the prequel--and, you know, I'll probably write one. Originally, I proposed three sequential novels, the first one being A Chance to Say Yes. Oh, and I keep hearing suggestions about who should play movie-star Heston Demming. He's the charismatic, drop-dead handsome male lead in A Chance to Say Yes. Hollywood calling!

The Dragon: I know we're taking up precious time from you right now because you're heading off to Hawaii to work on the sequel, so I won't keep you long. Have you already started writing the sequel, or are you still gathering ideas and information?

Tina Murray: I am writing the first sequel now. It is entitled A Wild Dream of Love. Essentially, what I am writing is a family saga, so the characters grow and develop. They expand and contract, breathing beings that they are--at least, in my head they are.

The Dragon: Be sure to keep us posted, Tina! In the meantime, folks can pick up a copy of A Chance to Say Yes at the publisher's site or Amazon easily.

Thank you for stopping by The Dragon!
"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."
Tags: Tina Murray, A Chance to Say Yes, romance