Q&A

I’m not entirely sure where the year has gone, but here we are, just a few days from Christmas. We are hosting at our house this year and I am totally prepared (that is a complete lie—I’m a hot mess). Anyway, festivities aside, I have gathered together my most frequently asked questions and bundled them into a pre-launch Q&A. Here we go…

Q — I cannot get Aldara and Tyron out of my head. How did you come up with these characters?

A — It was more a case of I couldn’t get rid of them. I had a dream when I was pregnant with my second son about a man and woman fighting. I knew they were in love, and I knew they were in pain. They later became Aldara and Tyron, and eventually, I had to tell their story. The dream I had is actually one of the final scenes in the The Royal Companion where Tyron is pushing Aldara away and she refuses to leave him.

Q — Where and when do you write?

A — I would love to give you an answer about a quiet veranda overlooking a lake where I await my muse. The truth is, I write at my dining table—usually with the TV on and kids screaming my name because they want to tell me something really important, like they have a sharp toenail, they got a high score on a game, or they can’t find their drink bottles (directly in front of you). Sometimes my three-year-old sits on me, literally pressing keys and laughing hysterically. I used to write during nap time but now that my cherubs are done with naps, I write whenever I can. I don’t write at night because my brain has usually given up by then.

Q — Are there going to be more books in The Companion series?

Yes. I have at least two more planned at this stage. I get a lot of readers telling me they are in love with Leksi (what’s not to love?), so I will be playing matchmaker in the second half of 2018. I can’t talk about book five at this stage because it will completely spoil book three (that would be pretty mean of me).

Q — Do you have any other series planned?

A — I sure do. I’m currently working on book one in my Roman Hearts series. It’s a historical action romance set in, wait for it, ancient Rome. I’m having a lot of fun getting to know these new characters, but I’m also putting a huge amount of pressure on myself to bring them to life. They have big medieval shoes to fill 😉

Q — Do you plan on putting your books into Kindle Unlimited?

Not at this stage. If Amazon removed their exclusivity clause I would be all over it. Though never say never!

Q — What do you do in your free time?

A — Hilarious. Next question.

Q — What genres do you read?

A — I obviously read widely in the romance genre, but I also enjoy historical, fantasy and (occasionally) literary fiction, as well as some non-fiction (mostly writing and history related). For some reason I can’t figure out, I don’t read biographies. I have never picked up a mystery book that I’m aware of.

Q — Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

A — I would have to say Paullina Simons has been the biggest influence. The woman can write. I would also add Kim Kelly, Belinda Alexandra, and more recently, Hannah Kent and Colleen Hoover.

Q — Why do you hold back on your sex scenes?

A — Ah, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked this question…

There are a few reasons. Firstly, I’m not a fan of graphic sex scenes in romance novels. I enjoy the tension, the build-up between the protagonists. You can still bring some heat without pointing out every body part, action and sensation. I write what I like to read. Secondly, I have three young boys, and I don’t write under a pen name. Much less embarrassing for them later on in life 😉

Q — What did you do before you wrote romance?

A — I had a lot of babies. Well, three. Feels like seven some days. I actually worked in media for six years and then decided to return to study with the goal of freelance writing. I began taking on copywriting work while writing fiction on the side. The fiction has grown into something I could not have fathomed a year ago, so I recently took the plunge and gave up all freelancing work to focus solely on fiction. So if you see “freelance writer” pop up in my title again, you’ll know it all went to sh*t.

Thank you for your questions. Some could not be included due to spoilers and some I may have missed because, well, xmas, shiny things everywhere I look. Thanks for taking a chance on an unknown author. I am incredibly grateful for your support.