Watershed Voice reached out to Ty Kovac, a local romance novelist who writes as Tylor Paige, and who recently published a new book called The Seven Little Deaths. She will be hosting a book signing at Healing Worlds in downtown Three Rivers on Saturday, May 28. Watershed Voice is also giving away her book Missing You, Missing Me as part of this month’s subscription contest.
Tell us about the books you’ve written so far. What do you write about? What are some common themes?
I have published eight books to date. Seven of them are rock star romances, between two series, and the newest one is a paranormal vampire romance. I write all kinds of romance. I’ve written male/female couples, male/male couples, and who knows what I’ll choose to do next! I also have written various heat levels, ranging from sweet romance to very spicy, although these days, I am enjoying the spice. I think the most common thing I have in all of my books is that I like both people in the relationship to feel like they are on equal ground. They can stand on their own if need be, and don’t need that other person to live a happy life. While the ‘Happily Ever After’ is required for romance novels, I like to think that it’s just an added bonus, rather than a necessity for my characters.
Your newest publication is the first in a new series. What is this new book about, and how is it different from your previous books?
My newest novel, The Seven Little Deaths, is a paranormal vampire romance. The book features Scout and Desiderio, two vampires cursed to walk the earth with the knowledge that their soul mate is out there, but they’ll never remember them until they break their individual curses. When they are both finally close to breaking them, they meet each other, fall in love, and start to wonder if they are the key to breaking their curses, or if it’s even worth it at all.
This book is different from my other novels for a few reasons; the first being that I have invested a lot of time and effort into this one, more than I have for any of my other books. I actually hired a model to be on the cover. He did a whole custom photoshoot just for my character! I also chose to shift my focus from contemporary romance to paranormal. So now my characters are otherworldly and the storylines feature more fantastical things. Lastly, I think the other major shift I did for this book was ramp up the heat levels. I won’t get too into it here, but this book is very hot.
How long have you been writing novels, and how did you get started?
I started publishing in 2018, with my novel Missing You, Missing Me. I originally had no idea what to do after I had written that first draft in late 2017. In the spring of that year, the Three Rivers Public Library had held an event where about a half dozen romance authors came to visit. Well, I missed it due to family obligations, but I rushed over just as they were packing up and they gave me the best advice I could have asked for: “If you’re serious about this, join the RWA.”
The RWA is the Romance Writers of America. They are a national organization with tons of local chapters (including a mid-Michigan one) with nothing but other like-minded writers.
So, I did. In January of 2018, I joined the RWA, and discovered so many romance authors in our area and they began to help me choose what I wanted to do with my career. By May, I had decided I wanted to try independently publishing, and in November, I did just that.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a novelist?
Find your writer tribe. If you write romance, look for an RWA chapter near you or just a romance group. (I have tons of resources for these so email me if you have questions.)
This doesn’t apply just to romance: there are tons of other groups just for writers. Some are large, like RWA or the Science Fiction writers, or some are much smaller, like the Grand Rapids Regional Writers Group. But these are YOUR people. They share your passion and they will help you get you to where you need to be to either traditionally publish or independently publish. If you see any events around your area locally, go! If you’re shy, don’t worry because as writers, almost always, we are too. Once you put your toes in the water and start meeting real people who love what you do, you’ll be on the right track.
Deborah Haak-Frost is the Caretaker for Community Engagement at GilChrist Retreat Center in Three Rivers, and volunteers with *culture is not optional, a Three Rivers-based community development organization.
