Lovesick Titans Interview

What made you want to write this book?

It’s the second book in a duology, so it completes the story, but the series itself was literally a prompt from a fan who wanted to see me write something where the hero got involved with the villain for no-strings-attached sex but had the cruel underlying motive of getting the villain to fall in love with them just so they could break their heart. The setup was so wonderful, knowing I had to have the hero in a dark place at the onset for this to even be something they’d consider, and the inherent role reversal that would lead to many interesting and also difficult to write moments. I don’t always run with fan-given prompts, but this one stuck with me and ended up being one of my favorite stories I’ve ever written.

Where do you get your storylines from?

So many places. In this case, a direct prompt. Sometimes I give MYSELF prompts, either by finding larger arching ones online, like when I recently did an Alternate Universe a Day Challenge for the month of July 2018. I took my favorite fandom, The Flash, and followed the thread of a different prompt each day to create completely varied potential storylines. Other times, I might be inspired by a moodboard, a dream, or occasionally I can’t even explain where an idea comes from, I just know what the muse wants and follow that trail.

Was this book easier to write than others?

I have to say yes, because the full two-book series was written in six months. I don’t think I’ve ever written so much in so short a time, because these are not your typical 50k novels, they’re each twice that length.

Why?

It just really flowed out of me. The editing process took longer to get it just right, but that initial draft was one of the easiest things I’ve ever written. This story possessed me and ended up tackling some deep-seated issues I hadn’t realized I needed to express through a character’s struggles. It was a very therapeutic experience.

Do you only write one genre?

Not anymore. I tend to focus on urban fantasy settings, whether that means paranormal like vampires or my Incubus Saga, magic of some sort, or superheroes, but I have dabbled now in contemporary romance as well. I do only write M/M and there is always an element of romance, yet even that isn’t entirely true, since I have a novelette, The Collector, that has no real romance to it, and is a straight up horror thriller.

Do you have a specific place or setting where you write?

Definitely not. I prefer to make up cities. I have written a few novels set in real places, a couple times in Minnesota even where I’m from, but I like the freedom of fictional cities and places.

Describe what made you want to be a writer?

When I was a young teenager first getting caught up in writing for others’ enjoyment, I had an experience of really reaching someone during a difficult time in their life. Nothing beats that feeling. Yes, writing puts you and your soul out there for other people to critique, but as difficult as a bad review might be, the joy of a good one, particularly one that expresses how you affected them deeply, maybe even changed them on some level, is incomparable.