Question 1

How do you come up with the ideas for your books?

Accepted Answer

I usually have a 'what-if' moment. I can get the ideas from anything—video games, books, shows, conversations, random weird shit that happens. I take an idea from that and go, 'but what if this other thing happened instead?' That gives me a tiny piece of the story, a vital moment inside of it that I then expand upon when I get to actually building a world and plot around the idea.However, the truth is that I have more ideas than I could ever use. I rarely write them down because I figure that if I forget them, that's okay. I rarely prize one idea over another because to me, ideas are a dime-a-dozen. There are so many of them and the thing that makes them good isn't the idea but the execution. It's how I use it that matters.

Question 2

Which is your favorite book you've written?

Accepted Answer

This is a hard one! I love them all for so many different reasons, but I'd say I have a special fondness for the Grave Concerns series. Ava and her men really represented the first time I moved to first person POV and wrote a series that revolved around a certain set of characters. This was different for me and more of the format I write in now, which makes me very fond of those books!

Question 3

Why do you write reverse harem romance?

Accepted Answer

I used to always read M/F romance, partly because it was all that was out there. I still have a fondness for the genre, and there are some great things in it. I've focused more on RH because I hated the love dreaded love triangle. It always made me wonder just why she had to choose. Why were we expected to find everything we wanted in a single person? We're allowed to love more than one person when it comes to family, so why is it that when it's romantic love, it's gatekept?When I read my first RH story (I can't even recall the name of it, now), I hadn't realized it was RH—or even what RH was—but it was like a breath of fresh air. I still will read the occasional M/F book, but my heart fully belongs to RH now. I've realized that sometimes one man just isn't enough.

Question 4

Are your characters based on people you know in real life?

Accepted Answer

Characters are rarely based on people I know. Occasionally a small aspect is, but not an entire character. I do this partly because I craft characters to fit into a story, and real people won't fit. Also, I dislike the idea because I worry I wouldn't use them appropriately if I had some special connection to them outside of the story. The only exception is for non-living things. Whalebert Von Bubbleton from The Devil's Luck series is totally based off a weighted whale stuffed animal I have.

Question 5

Do you have a favorite character from your books?

Accepted Answer

My favorite side character would be Gran from Grave Concerns. She was hilarious and powerful and gave no fucks and I adored that about her. For main characters, I would have to say Yazmor from The Devil's Luck was the most fun to write. He was a character who had no real connection to the real world, who played entirely by his own rules and saw the world in their own way. I think some of the funniest moments that I've written have happen with him. What can I say? I love weird little creatures who don't fit in.

Question 6

What's your favorite romance trope to write and why?

Accepted Answer

I am such a slut for one bed! I know going into a story what is going to happen. I know they are going to pretend like they can sleep side by side and nothing will happen. I giggle and smile like a fool and pretend like, sure, they’re going to be entirely platonic! When that doesn’t happen, I act shocked, but I love every moment of it.For me, tropes are fantastic. I adore them! They give me this happy little rush each time a fake romance grows feelings or when enemies become lovers or when a childhood friend admits they’ve loved the other person for years. Reading and using tropes gives me this safe feeling, where I know it’ll all work out, and I will never get tired of reading—or writing—them.

Question 7

How often do you write?

Accepted Answer

I write almost every day. I rarely take a day off. Even when I am actively editing or doing other projects, I still get some amount of word count for the day. Even on the weekends, I wake up around my normal time and write in the hours before the rest of the house wakes up, before we start our normal day.

Question 8

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

Accepted Answer

This really depends on a lot of things. Usually I can finish a full novel rough draft—meaning it is written start to ending but still requires my edits before it is ready for submission—in three weeks or so if I don't have anything else going on.Real life, family, kids, health and other things can drag that out, especially if I have to work on edits during that time for another book, but three weeks is a pretty fair number.

Question 9

Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?

Accepted Answer

Just do it! I often think about how many years I doubted myself. I sat back thinking I wasn't ready, that I needed to wait longer. The truth is, however, that as authors we are always growing, always getting better. I know I wasted many years because I was just afraid, so if you want to write, if you want to get your work out there, do it! Learn, grow, improve of course, but don't let that hold you back from pursuing your dream!

Question 10

What advice do you have for maintaining a successful writing routine?

Accepted Answer

For those who don't know, I am neurodivergent. This means routines are a huge thing for me! I am a big fan of created personal routines that help you to hit your goals, then following through.For example, I like to make my morning drink, go to my office, put on the music I always listen to, light a candle, then get to work. Having these steps prepares my squirrel brain to write. It tells it, 'we are going to write now, get ready!' By having those items as a routine, it guides the mind to where I need it to go, making it far easier to write than it is if I do random things without a routine.That isn't always possible, of course. I write in the car at times, in bed, in waiting rooms. However, I produce far less work when I do it that way than I do when I adhere to my routine.

Frequently Asked Questions