The Author

Francis Ray is a native Texan and lives with her husband and daughter in Dallas. A graduate of Texas Woman's University, she is a School Nurse Practitioner with the Dallas Independent School District. In 1999 and 2000 she was nominated for Texas Woman's University's Distinguished Alumni Award. 

Ms. Ray's titles consistently make bestseller's list such as Blackboard and Essence Magazine. INCOGNITO, her sixth title, was the first made-for-TV movie for BET. She has written twelve single titles and seven anthologies. Two books and one anthology are scheduled for 2003. Awards include Romantic Times Career Achievement, EMMA, and the Golden Pen. 

THE TURNING POINT, her first mainstream, was a finalist for the prestigious HOLT Medallion Award. At the release event for THE TURNING POINT in May 2001, she established The Turning Point Legal Defense Fund to assist women of domestic violence to help restructure their lives. With the release of her second mainstream title, I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW, May 2002, Ms. Ray has pledged to continue that effort. I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW has made the best-selling list of The Dallas Morning News, Blackboard, Black Expressions Book Club, and Essence Magazine. I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW was one of five titles selected as Book Club Favorites for Black Issues Book Review Best of 2002.

Ms. Ray's next mainstream, SOMEBODY'S KNOCKING AT MY DOOR, has an early release date of March 2003. Fall of 2003 will see the reissue of her first book, FALLEN ANGEL, from St. Martin's Press. 

Check out Francis online!

The Synopsis

Kristen Wakefield grew up the privileged, beloved daughter and sister of a wealthy family. . . yet she felt eclipsed by the achievements of her older brother, Adam, a renowned neurosurgeon. In New Orleans, Kristen believes she now has the opportunity to prove herself and forget a rather disastrous past relationship. But life is much harder than she expected in the Big Easy. Then she meets a man from her past, Rafe Crawford . . . a man battling his own demons and keeping his own secrets.

The beautiful, but down-to-earth Angelique Fleming has always had to fight to get what she wanted in a world dominated by men and she has the chip on her shoulder to prove it. Which is why she takes great pleasure working at a local strip club, hoping to expose a few naughty little secrets of the community’s upstanding men. But before she gets all the dirt, she’s going to find out a few things about life, men, and forgiveness she thought she already knew. 

Claudette Thibodeaux Laurent comes from old New Orleans money and had always adhered to the family code: honor above all else. But she shocks polite society when she marries a man much younger than herself, a man everyone suspects is only after her money. Claudette has done her duty to her family and now she wants a little happiness for herself. And yet doubts eventually begin to creep in and she isn’t sure which Maurice loves more: her or her money, as his desire for the finer things in life become more and more lavish. Just exactly how much is her happiness is going to cost her?

Told with Francis Ray’s trademark emotion and passion, Somebody’s Knocking at My Door is a powerful story of betrayal and forgiveness, love and healing.

The Interview

The "writing" bug: When did you first get bitten by it? Was writing something you've always wanted to do?  =  The "writing" bug hit me after reading SHANNA by Katherine Woodiwiss in the early 1990s. Before that time, I never thought about writing. I just enjoyed reading. The book impressed me because the hero and heroine had numerous problems in their relationship, but they remained faithful while working through them. Love was more than a word, it was a commitment. I immediately went out and bought two of her other books. By the third book, I knew I wanted to write my own stories, but mine would have African-American men and women whose love for each other sustained them and made them better people.

Is there a process to your writing? Like, do you sketch out characters,
write an outline, and go chapter-by-chapter..., or do you venture out into
your writing and let the chips fall where they may?   =  My writing process varies. I usually start with character conflict which dovetails into their motivation. Once I have that clear in my mind, I try to flush out the character more and write an outline. For an anthology (25,000 words) the length can vary from a paragraph to a page. Book length fiction (90,000 - 100,000) outline varies from 7-15 pages, depending on the complexity of the story.

For those that don't know, tell us about SOMEBODY'S KNOCKING AT MY DOOR...   =  SOMEBODY'S KNOCKING AT MY DOOR is a novel set in New Orleans of three women, their unlikely friendship, and their unforgettable loves. Kristen is rich, but she has no self-confidence. Angelique has self-confidence, but a faulty opinion of men. Claudette has money and self-confidence, but she may lose a lot of both while married to a much younger husband. All three have life lessons to learn and hard choices to make before they discover what's truly important in life.

How did you come up with the premise for the novel?   =  I came up with the premise of the novel because I wanted to explore several areas: the myth that rich people are happy; the stereotype associated with people who work in certain jobs; the emotional and physical scars of an abused child that shapes an adult; the importance of family; and the overlooked contributions of artists of color in the nineteenth-century.

If there was one overriding message you'd like for readers to take from
SOMEBODY'S KNOCKING AT MY DOOR, what would that be?   =  The overriding message I'd like readers to take with them is that, yes, life sucks at times, but never give up on yourself or on your dreams. With faith, grit and determination anything is possible. Just believe and never doubt or look back.

What has been one of the most positive experiences you have had as a writer?  =  I think the most positive experience is the wonderful feedback from readers on how much they have enjoyed my books and how much the books have touched their lives. The most rewarding was being able to set up THE TURNING POINT Legal Defense fund to assist women in domestic violence situations.

You've written romance, mainstream...in future novels, do you plan to branch out into other genres?  =  I enjoy writing romance and mainstream and am very thankful to Monique Patterson, my wonderful editor at St. Martin's Press, who is allowing me to do both. I also want to do Christian fiction and may explore that further.

Picture this, you're about to sit down to write...describe the setting that creates the perfect mood conducive to great writing for you.  =  I'm laughing because there is no perfect setting for my writing. My 'office' is not the way I planned it. Although it has exercise equipment and my daughter's piano in it, it does have lots of windows that look out on my flower garden. The only thing I need in order to write, thank goodness, is to know my characters and their motivation.

A question to reflect on: why do you write?   =  I write for two reasons: first because I want to show that African-Americans have strong moral values, want the best for their family, and can live happily ever-after. The second reason is that in my profession as a School Nurse Practitioner I see many problems that break my heart but which I can do nothing about. However, when I write I can create a world where good triumphs and evil is punished.

What do YOU read? Who are the authors that line your bookshelves?   =  I read in all genres. Some of the books on my shelf now are AN ORDINARY WOMAN by Donna Hill, THE OTHER WOMAN by Eric Jerome Dickey, THE HATWEARER'S LESSON by Yolanda Joe, and A CHANGE IS GONNA COME by Jacquelin Thomas.

To aspiring writers, what tips or advice would you give?   =  The tip I would give aspiring writers is to study and read heavily in the genre in which you wish to write, then read outside it. Dissect the book, figure out why it works or doesn't work. I'd also highly recommend Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain. Finally, write daily and do it for the love of writing not for any other reason.

What projects are you working on now? Any conferences or book signings in the near future?  =  I'm working on my next mainstream novel tentatively titled THIS LIGHT OF MINE. Upcoming events are The Essence Festival in New Orleans, July 4-5; Dallas Expo, July 27; The G. R. I. T. S. Book Club Gathering in Dallas, August 01; Escapade Book Club Event in California, August 15-17; and The Baltimore Book Festival, September 19-20.