20 Fun Things about Me as an Indie Romance Author
Rapid-fire questions style
I realized the other day that I have a lot of new subscribers, and since my body is still recovering from the school year and I am also deep in the writing cave, I thought it might be fun to do some rapid-fire questions to re-introduce myself a bit. Alyssa did this at my signing at The Last Chapter a few weeks ago, and it was so fun! So…let’s do it.
(And you’ll want to make it to the Updates section this week because I have a fun sign up for readers at the end!)
But first…
Am I crazy to be still drinking hot coffee when I wake up in the morning? Look, I’ve said it a million times before that I love my iced coffee, but there’s just something comforting about a hot coffee. Plus, my collagen dissolves quicker in hot coffee. (I know some people say collagen is useless, but it makes me feel good, so whatever.)
And as far as what you can do to make a difference this week, I hope you are all attending some Pride events in your communities this month and donating to LGBTQIA+ organizations!
OK, let’s do some rapid-fire questions, shall we? And if this isn’t enough Allie for you this week, feel free to check out my YouTube where I gab all about my social media break and all the super interesting things I discovered about myself while I was taking it.
On to the questions!
Spicy or sweet romance? Honestly all of it? But I write spicy.
Do you design your own covers or hire it out? I hire people! (Y’all saw my bad art post last week, right?)
Plot first or characters first? Characters. I almost always flesh them out before anything else!
What’s your favorite part of the indie process? Cover design. It’s easy with people like Jillian Liota and Lorissa Padilla who make it so fun, but having the ability to pick my cover would be the hardest thing to give up if I ever went trad.
What trope do you secretly (or not-so-secretly) love? Workplace romance. Seriously, I cannot get enough.
How do you celebrate a book release? Depends on the book! For Not a Strong Enough Word, I’m still celebrating with all these upcoming book events, and I love how extended this feels! But sometimes I just go to work and live a normal life with one more book out in the world.
What’s a must-have in every romance you write? Consent.
What indie author inspires you right now? Ambar Cordova. She is working through some health issues, releasing a book, transitioning into full time writing…and she’s being vulnerable and transparent and also taking care of herself throughout it all. All while still attending reader events AND listening to me cry in her DMs. She’s amazing. (And she has a book coming out soon!)
Self-promo strategy: fun or terrifying? Both? Actually, I don’t ever think it’s terrifying. Sometimes I think it’s fun, but mostly I think promo is kind of boring and repetitive.
What’s the one thing you hope readers feel when they finish your book? Happier than when they started.
What's your go-to writing snack or drink? Sparkling water and air-popped popcorn, because I am a control freak and like to control the amount of butter and salt. (Which actually means I like MORE butter and salt than on microwave popcorn, don’t get it twisted.)
Do you write in silence or with a soundtrack? I need music. Otherwise my brain won’t turn off. But the music also has to fit the vibe.
What's a trope you’ll never get tired of writing? Workplace romance (hahaha). And probably second chance.
What book made you want to become a writer? Book Lovers made me want to write romance, but I don’t think I could pinpoint a specific book that made me want to become a writer. I have always just been one.
Do you plan everything or fly by the seat of your pants? I consider myself a plantser. I have an outline. I mostly follow the outline. But sometimes these characters do whatever they want anyway, and I go with it.
Which of your characters would you be friends with? Jenny, for sure. And Mac by extension, but I think Jenny and I would get along really well.
Early bird or night owl when it comes to writing? Night by necessity, but morning by desire.
What’s one thing readers always notice about your books? How I don’t shy away from difficult topics, even while keeping things lighthearted and fun.
If your writing style were a drink, what would it be? An espresso martini. Smooth, bold, unique, something to savor, sweet but a little boozy, and of course, coffee.
What's one non-writing thing that inspires your stories? My husband and my female friendships. They inform everything I do, and they consistently inspire me.
That was fun!! Thanks for playing!
I will be doing a Q&A (more in depth than this one) and signing at the Appleton Public Library in Appleton, WI TOMORROW! I’m so excited. You can still register and pre-order books if you’re in the area. I’d love to meet you!
Register here and Preorder books here
I’ll also be back at Our Town Books in Jacksonville, IL on June 28! Come stop by and get you books signed and chat with me for a while!
And the fun sign-up I promised: With the release of the Pumpkin to Talk About and the fact that the Leade Park series is no available on Audible Plus (meaning you can listen for free as part of your Audible subscription), I thought it would be cool to put together a team to specifically hype my audiobooks! If you have access to a US or UK Audible account and you want to snag some free audiobooks from me, fill out the form here by June 30!
I can’t gush about Ambar in the answers to my questions and not mention her new book coming out NEXT WEEK, now can I?
The Lies Always Told is an emotional, millionaire, secret relationship, small town romance with mental health and chronic illness. It is Baker Oaks #4 but it can be read as a stand alone.
My dad always said that tragedy strikes in threes and I never knew what he meant until now.
You see I never thought falling in love for Gus Zabana, millionaire and most eligible bachelor of our times, could happen or would be considered a tragedy but when he is 6’4’, perfect dark skin, handsome, and good in bed, there’s no much you can do. Did I mention our parents have been friends for forever and that he’s older than me? That’s the true tragedy.
But after one night of lingering hands and scorching hot touches, he kisses me—hard. He shows me what I’ve been missing for years and just as exhilarating as the high is, so is the crash. I’m trying to balance a new job, a new town, and my feelings for Gus, when my sister announces she’s dating his twin brother too. Cue tragedy number two.
We couldn’t possibly tell everyone now that we have been sneaking around for months, sharing beds, swimming without clothes, and traveling just the two of us. Even if he’s the funny guy who drives me wild behind closed doors making all of my wildest dreams come true (even the ones I didn’t know I wanted.)
He says he’s not good for me, until he is. He says he has mastered the art of serial dating but keeps calling me because he wants to see me. He says he’s too old, until he forgets how much older and even though he is gentle, he also has the roughest hands and uses them at the right time.
But when the third tragedy comes, this one out of my control, only the bond I share with Gus can pull me from going under the wave. I—Nellie Thompson— swore I would fight to stay afloat but wave after wave crashes becoming a flood of challenges and I really would like to avoid letting them take us adrift.
Could our bond be enough to survive the undertow? Or will it be swept away, leaving nothing but the wreckage behind?
Small town
Secret relationship
Mental health rep
Chronic illness rep
Millionaire
Multicultural
Care taking
This was fun! If there’s anything else you want to know, leave a comment with a question, and I’ll answer them next week!
Happy reading,
Allie