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If Katy Regnery’s path to becoming a best-selling author was a plot point in a novel, readers might feel it was too serendipitous. In 2012, Regnery was, as she puts it “coming out of at-home momminess,” and looking for something to occupy her time, so she picked up Ridgefield’s Continuing Education brochure. The only class that fit her school pick up schedule was a creative writing class taught by Ridgefield author Chris Beldon. Regnery hadn’t ever really written before, but something clicked during that class. She ended up writing a novel-length romance story which was accepted by a publisher.
That first acceptance turned into a six-book deal. Since then, Regnery has published over 44 books – mainly romance – which have been translated into eight languages and featured on both the USA Today and NY Times bestseller lists. “Actually, I’m not a super romantic person – my husband and I don’t even really celebrate Valentine’s Day. For me crafting romance stories is like a math problem: I have these two pieces (characters) and I need to figure out how to fit them together and then let them have some fun on the way,” says Regnery.
Regnery’s latest book, Unloved, while categorized as a love story, is more suspenseful than romantic. She continues to write because for her, story inspiration can come from anywhere. “I can see someone running through an airport and immediately I’m creating a story in my head about who they are rushing to meet,” she says. With one of her stories currently being optioned for a screenplay, it’s safe to say, readers everywhere are thrilled that Regnery took a creative writing class instead of flower arranging. For more information, visit www.katyregnery.com •
