The Author

Award-winning author C. J. Barry, is an earthbound wife and mother of two who lives with her family and cat in a small town in Upstate New York.  While her imagination wanders far into the universe to conjure up wondrous worlds and miraculous gadgets, she is foremost a storyteller whose tales chart the infinitely fascinating workings of very human emotions and relationships.

 

She is a member of the Romance writers of America and the Kiss of Death chapter.

 

 

Meet Samantha Graves, my romantic suspense alter-ego

I am writing a contemporary romantic suspense series with Warner Books under the name, Samantha Graves.  Look for my signature action, adventure, humor and romance with a paranormal twist starting April 2007.  You can find more information on my new website.  

 

Awards

 

2006 Kiss of Death Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense Winner for Best Futuristic and Overall Winner (Unmasked)

2006 Prism winner for Best Futuristic (Unmasked)

2006 Winner in Reviewer's International Organization Award of Excellence (Unmasked)

2006 Finalist for Best Futuristic in Romantic Times magazine Reviewer's Choice (Unmasked)

2005 double Prism Winner for Best Futuristic and Best of the Best 

2005 RIO Award of Excellence Winner

2005 Finalist for Best Futuristic in Romantic Times magazine  Reviewer's Choice 

2004 Winner in the National Reader's Choice Award for Best Paranormal

2004 Windy City Choice Awards Winner

2004 Winner of Winter Rose Award of Excellence in Romantic Fiction (Overall)

2004 Winner in Reviewer's International Organization Award of Excellence (Unchained)

2004 HOLT Medallion Finalist  

2004 Winner in Paranormal Romance's PEARL Award for Best Science Fiction Romance

2004 RIO Award of Excellence Winner 

2004 Winner of Winter Rose Award of Excellence in Romantic Fiction (Paranormal)

2004 Finalist for Best Futuristic in Romantic Times magazine Reviewer's Choice 

003 Author of the Year from Fallen Angel Reviews

FAQs

• How did you get interested in writing and how did you get started?

  Like most writers, I started as an avid reader.  I read almost exclusively Science Fiction as I was growing up.  In High School, I took a Creative Writing class that I aced, much to my surprise.  I loved writing, creating these little worlds and putting them on paper, but I never really saw it as a career move.  It was 20 years later when I discovered romances, that I thought about writing again.  My first romance was Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz.  I was doomed!  <g>  So on June 8, 1998, I wrote my first scene for Unchained.  Of course, it was in the middle of the book, and I ended up having to completely rewrite it!  Still, it was a start, and today I'm not sure I could stop if I tried.  Writing is my great passion.  Maybe all writers are born, I don't know.  What I do know is that I'm never happier than when I'm creating.  Hopefully, that will be for a very, very long time.

   

• Have you ever been interested in writing books in another genre, such as the paranormal?

  Interesting question.  Actually, futuristics do fall under the very broad umbrella of Paranormals in the publishing world.  Also included are vampires, werewolves, fantasy, ghosts, time travels, and basically anything with paranormal elements.  So we are talking a lot of territory.  Futuristics will always be my first love, but I may explore other paranormal genres some day.