GAYLE M . IRWIN INTERVIEW
GAYLE M . IRWIN INTERVIEW
MFRW : Why did you decide to write romance novels ?
JLP : I enjoy Hallmark and Great American Family / Pure Flix movies , and during the 2017-2019 time frame , Hallmark launched several movies featuring pets and pet adoption . I am a pet rescue and adoption advocate , and I decided to write love stories that subtly weave those elements into romance stories . I also enjoy America ’ s national parks , and therefore , most of my romance books are set near such areas , like Yellowstone and Glacier .
MFRW : Would you like to write a different genre or sub-genre than you do now ?
JLP : I am looking into writing cozy mysteries with a romantic element . I ’ d like to write such stories with national park settings , and so I ’ ve started to research old hotels such as Lake Hotel in Yellowstone and I ’ ve also purchased several mystery books set in national parks to learn how other authors weave such settings into their mystery stories .
MFRW : Tell us about your latest book . What motivated the story ? Where did the idea come from ? Where do your story ideas usually come from ?
JLP : My new book is a Christian Christmas , secondchance romance . I began contributing to an annual charity anthology last year ; the anthology goes on sale for a limited time ( usually 3 months ), and thereafter , all authors receive their rights back . The Christmas book I ’ ve released , Tails of the Heart , is from the 2023 anthology with some updates and changes . It ’ s set outside a small Wyoming town and is about a woman who has started an animal rescue and adoption program . Her former boyfriend , who has come to the area for a ski vacation , doesn ’ t know she is the founder , and he brings in a stray dog . It ’ s the first time they ’ ve seen each other in 10 years . The story is about love , forgiveness , and grace and weaves in
5 the beauty of the holiday season … bringing together people and animals through love and compassion . My story ideas come from my love for animals and to see pet adoptions increase and for my enjoyment of America ’ s national parks ( although “ Tails of the Heart ” isn ’ t set near a national park , the beauty of Wyoming ’ s mountains is highlighted ). MFRW : What can we expect from you in the future ? JLP : In addition to the cozy mystery / romance , I ’ m also planning to write a billionaire romance during National Novel Writing Month . I envisioned the story earlier this year , but I have another I started that I want to complete this year , another Christian romance titled “ Rescuing Sarah .” Both the “ Sarah ” book and the billionaire romance weave in elements of pet rescue and adoption . I see the billionaire romance having touches of humor as a famous actor seeks sanctuary for himself in a mountain setting not fully realizing how much of an “ animal rescue sanctuary ” across the road will get under his skin … as does the woman running it . There ’ s a secret plot amid the community leaders to shut down the rescue operation , and the billionaire also doesn ’ t realize he ’ s a pawn in the scheme , so there will be drama as well . So there are more stories coming , both this year and into 2025 !
MFRW : Which comes first , the story , the characters , or the setting ? JLP : For me , the story comes first . I have the idea for ‘ the what ,’ ( usually animal rescue ) and ‘ the how ’ ( how will the animal be rescued ?) then ‘ the who ’ ( the characters – who is doing the rescue ?). I also have a ‘ why ?’ – why is the animal rescued and how does that apply to the story ? So far , my settings are all small-town / rural because that is what I know and I know well , having lived in Wyoming , Idaho , Montana , and Iowa .