RomanceLahoma Speaker Interview: Ginny Myers Sain
- oklahomaromancewri
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Ginny Myers Sain is a traditionally published author of paranormal thrillers, including “Dark and Shallow Lies.” Her debut novel is a New York Times bestseller, an Indie Bookstore Bestseller, a Barnes & Noble YA Pick of the Month, an Amazon Editor's Pick, and a 2022 CRYSTAL KITE award winner from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Ginny's books are available world-wide in ten countries and counting!
Her books are dark, twisty, atmospheric mysteries or thrillers with a hint of the magical or paranormal. They are technically young adult books, but at least 60% of her readers that she meets at book signings, book festivals, and cons are adults. They aren't romances, strictly speaking, but they do all have a strong romantic element to them!
You can meet Ginny at RomanceLahoma 2025. Check the schedule to see when Ginny will be speaking.
Ariel, Editor: Let's start with something fun. Tell us one unique thing about yourself that we might not know.
Ginny Myers Sain: "I am obsessed with alligators. I love the idea of them being basically unchanged for millions of years. They are like living dinosaurs. I didn't move to Florida to be closer to them, but it's definitely a perk! I get the biggest kick out of spotting them out in the wild! If you follow me on social media, you'll see lots of gator pics! You've been warned."
Can you tell me a little about your background?
Ginny: "Although I come from a family of writers—my dad was a poet, my mother, Anna Myers, is the author of 19 novels mostly for middle grade readers, and my brother was the poet laureate of the state of Oklahoma a few years ago—my first love has always been the theatre. I have a degree in theatre, and I've spent most of my life acting, directing, and teaching theatre with high school and college students."
You have quite the creative family! How did you make the transition from theatre to writing novels?
Ginny: "I'd always written some off and on. I wrote in high school and attended the Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain for writing. But I didn't start writing seriously until I moved back to Oklahoma after living in Arkansas for about 20 years… I'd worked so long with young adults in the theatre, I just felt like those were the voices I heard in my head. Then I started to get really great feedback from other members, and from agents and editors at conferences, and I started to realize I could actually do this!"
Are there any particular authors who influenced your writing style?
Ginny: "I've always loved spooky, dark stories. Rebecca was probably my favorite novel of all time. As a kid, I read a ton of Lois Duncan, too. Anything supernatural or creepy! I've always been heavily influenced by playwrights, coming from the world of the theatre. Tennessee Williams and, more contemporarily, Sarah Ruhl are huge influences of mine. Erica Waters is a contemporary young adult author I absolutely love."
Many writers struggle with creative blocks or imposter syndrome. How do you deal with those challenges?
Ginny: "Honestly, I find the best way to deal with any kind of block is to be on a deadline. Lol. There's no time for writer's block or imposter syndrome when your editor is waiting on a draft or a revision, and the clock is ticking. As for getting stuck, whenever I have experienced writer's block, it's usually because there is something I haven't figured out yet. There's something that's in my way, and once I sit down and untangle that problem, I can go on writing."
Do you have a specific writing space or routine?
Ginny: "I don't have any set routine or time. I wanted my life to be flexible. That's one of the main things that drew me to writing in the first place. I do have a 'haunted writing room' at my house just outside Orlando. It's not really haunted, just decorated with lots of fun, creepy stuff that helps put me in the mood to write my paranormal thrillers. There's a skeleton who sits on my purple couch."
I break the rules and edit word by word and line by line as I go. I don't do messy first drafts.
I love the idea of a haunted writing room! What does your writing process look like?
Ginny: "I break the rules and edit word by word and line by line as I go. I don't do messy first drafts. So when I finish a draft, it's more like a fourth draft, pretty clean and ready to be sent off to my agent or editor. As for research and that kind of thing, I just stop and research as needed."
Let's talk about your publishing journey. How did you get published, and how many books have you published so far?
Ginny: "I landed a stellar agent (Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary in NYC) in the summer of 2020 with a cold slush-pile query for the book that would become Dark and Shadow Lies. I actually ended up having about seven agents offer me representation for that book, and I got to talk to them all and chose the one I thought would be best….It was on sub less than 48 hours before we had a pre-empt offer from a major publisher. We turned that down (which was the most hair-raising part of the process!) and the book ended up selling in a six-way auction after about a week on sub. It was on the shelves in August of 2021, so just over a year after getting my agent, which is insanely FAST for the world of traditional publishing. That deal landed me a two-book contract. I completed that contract … and then I was able to get a second two-book contract based on a proposal for my third book. My fourth book, When the Bones Sing, which came out in March, is the final book of that contract. So now, I'm working on another proposal. We'll see where it goes from here!"
What are you currently reading, and what are your favorite romance sub-genres you enjoy?
Ginny: "Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew.
Paranormal romance and romantic suspense are favorites. I think those are hold-overs from my days being obsessed with gothic stories as a teen. I don't have a particular author. I just keep my eyes open for anything that sounds interesting!"
Why do you think romance has become so popular on social media platforms like TikTok?
Ginny: "I think people are desperate for escape. The world has been rough the past four or five years. A global pandemic. Tons of strife and unrest. Lots to worry about. Romance offers something fun and interesting to so many people who are just so tired of bad news."
Settle in for the long haul, make friends with rejection, and don't get distracted!
To wrap up, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Ginny: "If anyone out there is wanting to pursue traditional publication by going the route of getting agented and all that, just know that it's probably going to be a slow path. Settle in for the long haul, make friends with rejection, and don't get distracted! It isn't a fast track, by any means, but it's been such an exciting journey, and it's opened up so many doors and possibilities for me."
For more information about her books and upcoming releases, follow her on your favorite platform!
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