From historical romance to children ’ s literature , author and Shaler native Gaelen Foley has done it all .
“ My earliest juvenilia was embarrassing poetry ,” laughs Foley as she recalls attending Shaler Area High School where her favorite subjects were English , history and various languages .
“ I was an eleventh-grader in Shaler High School sitting in Mr . Schrum ’ s A . P . English Class when I made up my mind to become an author ,” says Foley . “ He was very dear to me , even though I know I kind of annoyed him ,” she says , as she recalls that he came to her first book signing in the Waterworks Barnes & Noble back in 1998 , when her debut novel was released .
While at Shaler Area High School , Foley also played on the girls soccer team and was involved with the school newspaper and yearbook clubs . She graduated from Shaler Area in 1987 .
Foley went on to get a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from S . U . N . Y . Fredonia . In her free time during her studies , she continually practiced her writing and worked toward perfecting her craft .
In 1988 , Foley met her husband Eric during a college party at the University of Pittsburgh when they were both freshmen . “ It was literally love at first sight ! He ’ s MY romance hero .” Currently living in Washington County , the two have been inseparable since — so much so that Foley expanded her repertoire to children ’ s literature as she and Eric , a former middle school teacher , began co-writing middle school fantasy novels under the pen name E . G . Foley . “ It ’ s been such a fun change of pace for me creatively ,” says Foley . “ I ’ ve always loved the middle grade genre , as the ages 8 through 12 often become formative reading years in many people ’ s lives — including mine — and is often referred to as the ‘ golden age of reading .’ I can also now attest that there ’ s nothing cuter than a fan letter from a kid !” she adds .
But despite her recent work in children ’ s literature , Foley ’ s first love as a writer was historical romance with its gorgeous settings and poetic language . “ It brought together my two favorite things — a lush , vibrant happily-ever-after and the pageantry of historical settings ,” says the author , adding she loves that the genre is very much larger-thanlife . “ Where else in fiction can you write about a dashing pirate bent on revenge or a James Bond-esque ‘ gentleman spy for the Crown ’ who also happens to be a Jane Austen-era Duke ?” she laughs . “ That kind of sheer fun is just hard to beat !”
Foley is a New York Times , USA Today and Publisher ’ s Weekly bestselling author of 20 historical romance novels set in the glittering
Foley ’ s high school senior picture . Shaler Area Class of 1987 .
For more information on author Gaelen Foley , visit gaelenfoley . com .
world of Regency England . With over two million words in print , her books are available in 17 languages and have won numerous genre awards , such as the Bookseller ’ s Best , the NJRW Golden Leaf ( three times ), the CRW Award of Excellence , the National Reader ’ s Choice Award , the Beacon and the Holt Medallion .
“ To decide to become a historical writer is to make a serious commitment of time , study and resources to master your chosen period , especially when it ’ s the Regency period which has such a devoted following of knowledgeable readers ,” says Foley , who acknowledges the challenges in attention to detail within the genre , and credits her readers as being “ smart cookies who are very invested in getting Jane Austen ’ s era and world right .” She spends countless hours outlining , researching and world-building in advance of writing her novels and then generally completes three drafts .
“ As Nora Roberts says , ‘ My favorite book is always the one I ’ m working on now ,’” says Foley , who admits that if she doesn ’ t love a story , she simply doesn ’ t write it and is proud of all of her books for different reasons .
Foley enjoys writing in all of her genres and currently has four different series going . “ After doing only the historical romance genre for so many years , I now relish being able to , as it were , turn the dial on the radio station I ’ m tuning into each time I finish a book and listen to a different type of music — or dive into one of my other genres ,” she says .
Inspiration seems to find Foley on its own , as she constantly draws ideas while going through the little things that make up everyday life . “ I ’ ll be sitting there minding my own business , driving somewhere in my car , taking a hike or , most often , taking a shower and — boom — in rushes an idea ,” says the author . “ I have so many ideas nowadays that I almost cringe when I get a new one , because there ’ s no way I could write them all in one lifetime .” This July , Foley and her husband released their latest children ’ s novel titled “ Secrets of the Deep ” ( The Gryphon Chronicles , Book 5 ). Soon , she will journey back to Jane Austen ’ s era of Regency England for her next dramatic historical romance in her Moonlight Square series , in addition to preparing a new proposal for her New York publisher , HarperCollins . “ Though there ’ s a lot of opportunity right now for writers in indie publishing , I still think it ’ s valuable for an author to have a foot in both worlds — indie and traditional publishing .” ■
Continued on next page >
Shaler | Fall 2016 | icmags . com 17