Please give a warm welcome to author Tamsin Ley

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m Tamsin Ley, but most people call me Tam. I was born and raised in Alaska, and currently live here with my husband and five very noisy chickens. I enjoy adult coloring books, gardening, crocheting, cooking, and prepping for the zombie apocalypse. 😉

Have you always wanted to become an author?

I used to pretend to be a writer when I was a kid, but my love of science drew me toward biomedical engineering when I entered high school. I went on to university and discovered that many scientists spend tons of time in the lab, and I knew I didn’t want that sort of life, so I switched my major to English. My senior thesis was to write a novel – which, by the way, is not possible when your professors believe submitting five pages a week is a good pace. I aced the thesis, but didn’t complete the book until ten years later! Twelve years after that novel, I’d written six more manuscripts (five of which will remain in a drawer until I die) and finally entered the Indie publishing world with a post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel under another pen name. I now write steamy sci-fi with a pinch of pixie dust as Tamsin Ley.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

My most recent release is part of the Galactic Pirate Brides series, and was inspired by my love of science. An evil corporation destroyed an alien race’s females through genetic modification gone wrong. The aliens turned to piracy and are now looking for human mates, but they have to overcome a lot of obstacles to become compatible. But I have always been intrigued by mythology and monsters, too, and started out writing fantasy romance with mermen and centaurs in my Mates for Monsters series. I also have a steamy Alaskan shifter series with two of my closest author friends here in Alaska.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing the next shifter book, Wild Child. I’m still working out the details, but here is the premise: Pregnant and single, Melody Rush is hiding in Alaska from her family. They want her to marry the pack Alpha-hole who knocked her up. Melody would rather live on welfare than spend her life spreading her legs for a man she detests, even if it means she’ll never inherit the family fortune. But hiding from wolf shifters is far from easy, and Melody steps out of the pawn shop straight into the arms of a bounty hunter.
He’s huge, tatted, and flies a plane that looks like it will never make it off the ground. But once they’re in the air, he tell her he has no intention of returning her to her family.
He plans on keeping her for himself.

Do you have any quirks while working?

Not really. I stare into space a lot, lol!

What are your hopes for the future?

I really hope to be able to surpass my husband’s income so he can retire in a few years with confidence that we’ll be okay. He’s always been my rock, supported my dreams and my writing, and I’d like to be able to return the favor before he’s too old to enjoy life. I will probably keep writing books until the day I die because I will never be able to complete all the ideas already swimming around in my head!

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

First of all, I recommend self-publishing for anyone who wants to make money writing romance. (If money is not your goal, it is perfectly fine to pursue a traditional contract, but expect it to take years before your book is published.) Second bit of advice is to write in a series and complete writing at least three books before you put the first one up for sale. The non-writing side of Indie publishing can be a brain crusher and often make it hard to be creative while writing that second book. If you have several books already written, you can learn the business side without the pressure of needing to write at the same time.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

I want to give each and every one of you a hug! You allow me to live in my head and give me a reason to keep sharing my stories. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for enjoying my books and spreading the word to your friends.