Q&A Dec 2019

I get a lot of questions emailed to me, so I thought I would answer some of the more popular, interesting and funny ones, here on the blog. Let’s do this…

Will Primrose be getting her own book?

Best. Question. Ever. Not at this stage. I just don’t have a rooster worthy of her.

Who will be in the final Companion series book?

I’m still working on the first draft, so a lot will change between now and the final version. I tend to begin with way too many characters and end up cutting or combining them. If they’re not contributing to the plot in some way then they really shouldn’t be there. Having said that, I am partial to a good reunion epilogue 😉

I can confirm that Prince Tyron will be helping his sister out.

Have you ever thought about writing paranormal romance?

Quite a bit, actually. I have an idea for a standalone paranormal story set in Melbourne, but when I tell people about it, their smiles freeze up and they make strange noises before using words. “Oh. An Australian merman story? How… fun.”

I have some ideas for contemporary, new adult, and even MC romance, but unfortunately I don’t trust myself to hit the tropes correctly. When was the last time you read a clean MC book?

Will there be any more books in the Roman Hearts series?

This series is complete *sad face*. I absolutely adore these characters and could have easily written more books, but unfortunately it’s a rather small niche and quite difficult to market, so I had to make the decision to wrap it up.

What is your favourite book you have written so far?

It’s a bit like picking a favourite child—it changes day to day (joking). I love them all for different reasons. If I had to pick, I would say A Legate’s Pledge. Dark history, enemies to lovers trope, a fierce heroine, a big-hearted alpha who can handle weapons, and loads of action. I literally wrote my ideal book as a reader.

Is King Jayr in the final Companion series book? You keep calling it “Cora’s story”. You’re being very cagey.

I’m a pretty cagey person. Yes, he is. But as we all know, he is no hero. It’s time for our queen to have a proper chance at love. If you’ve read The Captain’s Prize, then you’ve already met the hero of book six. Brom will be stepping up in a big way.

When will your books be available in kindle unlimited?

When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Stole that from Game of Thrones. No plans to be in KU at this stage. The service requires authors to be exclusive to Amazon, and I have lots of readers on other platforms who (I hope) would be disappointed if I were to withdraw my books.

When will the next Companion series book be out?

No date set yet. The summer holidays are coming up, and I’m going to have the kids at home with me for five plus weeks (why is my eye twitching?). I’m not expecting to be overly productive during that time. As soon as I have a date locked in, I will make it available for pre-order.

Will the children get their own stories in the future? Their own romances?

I assume this question was for The Companion series. Nothing planned at this stage, but never say never.

Will Marcus from A Legate’s Pledge get his own story?

There are so many amazing side characters in that series who deserve to have their stories told, but unfortunately no. I am hoping to produce some bonus material (it’s on my very long to-do list).

When will The Captain’s Prize be out in audio?

It’s in production as we speak, narrated once again by Elizabeth Klett.

What is your favourite movie?

Pride and Prejudice (2005).

What book do you most recommend to people?

Depends on what genres they read. My tastes vary from very angsty romance to historical fiction. Some of my faves include The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons (though I wished she had stopped at book two), Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Some other go-to authors include L J Shen, Tessa Dare, Kim Kelly, Kate Quinn, Colleen Hoover and Elizabeth Hunter.

Do you have any plans to come to the US?

We’re planning a family vacay in two years. I may try to time it with some reader events if there’s interest.

What is the reading order for your books?

The Companions series:

The Royal Companion #1
The Mentor #1.5 (free short exclusive to subscribers)
The Common Girl #2
The Majestic Impostor #3
The Zoelin Queen #3.5 (free novella exclusive to subscribers)
The King’s Obsession #4
The Captain’s Prize #5

Roman Hearts series:

A Gladiator’s Oath #1
A Charioteer’s Promise #2
A Legate’s Pledge #3

Can you do some Facebook live events?

*laughs nervously* I might seem like an extrovert, but I’m not. It’s something I’m working though. I’ve actually agreed to co-host a Romance show on our local radio station, so I’m hoping that helps improve my public speaking skills.

Who is your favourite couple you’ve written so far?

Hmmm. Another tricky one. Aldara and Tyron were the first couple I ever wrote, so they’ll always be pretty special. But my fave couple of all time is actually Dulcia and Nero from A Charioteer’s Promise. They love so hard, and they’re just beautiful together.

How old are your children?

Nine, seven and five going on sixteen.

Can I be a beta reader?

I limit my beta readers to three. I know many authors have larger groups, but I honestly get overwhelmed by too much feedback. Over time I’ve found three people who bring very unique and honest perspectives, and this is working well for me at the moment.

I do have a much bigger ARC (advance reader copies) group who read my completed new releases two weeks before they are published and leave honest reviews on launch day. Anyone interested in joining can email me at tanya@tanyabird.com for details.

Have you replaced your broken oven yet?

Ha! If you’ve read my newsletters, then you’ll know why this question has popped up. I really want to say yes, but no. The grill setting seems to be miraculously working again, so there’s that.

What books are you releasing next year?

I have three planned. That seems to be my magic number. The first will be the final Companion series book, then (most likely) the first two books in a new series. More details to come in 2020.

Hopefully I didn’t miss any questions. Thanks for reading x