What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Cheater?
I got hooked on the Turkish romantic comedy soap opera, Erkenci Kus (watching it with English subtitles) and I was gaga over how absolutely smitten the main male character was with the female lead. Everything about their interactions sucked me into a happy daze. The long looks, the electric eye contact, how he was so drawn into her orbit that he touched her at every opportunity. He was a gorgeous, swoony, lovesick puppy. And I had a book idea: what if we had a male lead this swoony but also more than a little unhinged? What if I wrote a book about a hot, rich guy becoming completely obsessed with making a girl’s dreams come true, but … making him unapologetic about removing obstacles, such as her existing fiancé? I typically avoid romances with any cheating between the main characters, so I created a hall pass scenario. What if she was already in an unhappy relationship but felt obligated to stay in it? What if our unhinged but swoony psycho found out her paraplegic fiancé gave her a hall pass she didn’t want to use? He’d find a way to get her to use it on him. I wanted him to want her so much that he’d do absolutely anything to have her, including blackmailing her to keep their affair going. I wanted the reader to root for him despite his unconventional ways (and psychological damage) while understanding her resistance. I wanted her to fight hard, rather than just giving in. Because then we’d get to see him work extra hard to have what he wants. And because the romantic Turkish soap I was hooked on was very chaste, my exploration of a story using that hunky star (Cam Yaman) as my muse could be as spicy as I wanted it to be. So, I made it very spicy. Very.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Cheater, what would they be?
I curate YouTube playlists for many of my books both for myself as well as my readers. Some of the songs on the playlist for Cheater are: "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims, "Only Girl in the World" by Rihanna, "Love Me Harder" by Ariana Grande, "Bent" by Matchbox 20, "Madness" by Muse, "Love Is A Bitch" by Two Feet. I tend to curate a playlist while writing a book and listen to it on a loop while writing.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love reading in multiple romance genres, so I also love writing in multiple romance genres. Many believe an author should pick a lane and stay in it, but I’m a mood reader so I’m also a mood writer. Spicy romances with dark and psychological themes really get my motor running both as a reader and as an author.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
What I generally do is decide on a read (or a few) while writing a book and give myself a reward read after I publish. I didn’t actually give myself a reward read after finishing Cheater. I jumped into another manuscript, Claimed – book four of my Savage Alpha Shifters wolf shifter series. I’ll be taking a break after Claimed and might sink into something I haven’t read yet from one of my favorites, such as Kristen Ashley or Lucy Score.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I had so much fun exploring how far Derek would go to have what he wants – Chloe’s love, devotion and happiness. But the first scene that pops in my mind – which I was looking forward to writing for hundreds of pages leading up to it – was when Chloe decided to turn the tables on Derek, who she believed forced her to ‘cheat’ on her fiancé. In this chapter, she’s beyond frustrated with how he’s bulldozed his way into her life and gotten what he wants through threats, so she decides to threaten him, too. She runs from him and contacts him with a threat to cheat on him (because he’s deemed himself her one and only, under threat of severe punishment) with a stranger she meets in a bar. Chloe standing up for herself and Derek’s subsequent reaction had me giddy as I wrote that scene. When they come face-to-face after she returns to him had my heart galloping in the best way.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I have a decade-old pink and black striped hoodie that I’ve dubbed my deadline hoodie. I generally pull it out of the back of the cupboard when I’m just about done writing a story. It’s a thin, oversized jersey hoodie with a big pouch pocket and I feel like I’m uber-productive when I wear it. It might have a little hole in the armpit and on a sleeve cuff so it’s definitely not something I wear outside. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve worn it leading up to writing The End over the course of twenty-six books so far, but I’ll probably keep putting it on when I’m nearing the home stretch as long as the thing manages to stay together.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
I do my best to treat others as I’d like to be treated. And I wholeheartedly believe in living with a mindset of gratitude.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I often tell readers how much it helps when reading, and enjoying, a book by an indie author to review and (if possible) recommend it. It’s a huge help to the author, like tipping your server after a great dining experience.
