Today my Author Spotlight guest is the lovely Drea Roman who’s here to chat about her brand new holiday romance, what’s coming next and how publishing her first novel proved to her that she could do it.
Take it away Drea…
First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hi! I’m Drea Roman. I’m still a newbie-ish writer of contemporary and omegaverse paranormal LGBTQ romance. So far, I have two series, Hearts Intertwined and Waves of Fate as well as several books in the shared magical universe of Vale Valley. My fifth book just published and I have another due in January.
Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
I have a PhD in literature and I am sure I am influenced by the people I read as well as academic writing rules. It is hard to use contractions, lol, but I’m learning. Emotional and funny – at least I hope so.
Describe your books in only three words.
Emotional, funny, romantic.
Can you tell us a little about your latest release and what you’re working on now?
2020 has been a horrible year and so I started the holiday season early! In October 2020, I published Santa’s Right-Hand Delivery Man as book 2 in the final season of Vale Valley! Santa falls for his tiny delivery elf — it is sweet and super fluffy. It picks up with characters from my VV from last year, His Christmas Magic. In January, I will publish my final VV, Trio: Friend, Lover, Mate, which picks up with characters I set up as mates at the end of HCM. It is the book gift that keeps on giving, lol.
Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
Loving Him is my first book. I love the characters. Publishing that proved to me that I could do it. Plus, Aubrey and Black are one of my favorite couples. Their story was so emotional for me. It seemed readers really liked Black, the brooding artist, but Aubrey, the sun-shiny park planner, was my favorite. He is just so giving, but even he has a limit.
What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
I read a ton of romance growing up. As a writer of shifters, I am influenced by Nalini Singh, who writes MF paranormal romance. Her shifters are very in touch with their animals and that is the way I imagine them in my stories. In recent years, I have been influenced by Maxine Hong Kingston, whose work was the focus of my dissertation. In LGBTQ romance, I would say Piper Scott, Susi Hawke, and Sloane Kennedy have been influences for various reasons — creativity, world building, humor, and emotions.
What inspired you to start writing?
I always wanted to write romance. I was teaching high school and we had a speaker who was inspiring and gave out bracelets saying “I believe in myself.” I decided I was going to write that romance novel I wanted to write. I thought I would write MF, but ended up with a MM plot bunny and the rest is history.
What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
Ugh, I work too much. So I frequently write in the evenings or on days that I clear for all day writing. I write a lot of notes on my phone in between. I write on my couch or in my bedroom or at the kitchen table. A lot of Loving Him was written on my phone in messages to my email. I still do that a lot. There is no typical writing day, but I wish there were.
What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
A scenario, often with particular characters. A selkie who drops his magical coat in front of his fated mate or a guy tracking down his love, but he is waiting not so patiently in the lobby because he needs to pee or a Christmas elf who gets amnesia while flying to a magical town to track down his fated mate.
What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
None. I appreciate other people’s books, but I don’t want to have written them. Writing and reading are different enjoyments for me. I adore The Forbidden Desires series by Scott and Kelly, but I just want to live in it. 🙂
If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Hurt/comfort. 🙂 I swear it makes its way into almost every single story I write anyway.
What would be your three desert island books?
Peppermint Spiced Omega by Susi Hawke; The Fifth Book of Peace by Maxine Hong Kingston; an anthology of British Romantic Poetry from college. I’m cheating and adding Bond by Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly (Lynn Van Dorn).
If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
I think my Vale Valley stories would make a fun mini-series. I have no idea who I would cast, probably new, up-and-comers who look like I imagine the characters in my head.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have a secret passion or hobby that we don’t know about?
Ballroom dancing– I did it for years and have fallen out of the habit in the past few. I miss it and the people. I plan to start up again when Covid is finally handled.
Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Brontosaurus~ it is a real dinosaur! 😉 I co-own a science and tech store with my fiancé. We have lots of dinosaurs, science toys and kits, and 3D printing services.
DREA ROMAN is an overeducated lady with cats, a ferret, lizards, a fiancé, a sister, and a wonderful village of likeminded friends, authors, and artists. All of this coupled with too many day jobs makes Drea a ridiculously busy woman. She has one contemporary series, Hearts Intertwined; one paranormal omegaverse series, Waves of Fate; and is a frequent contributor to the shared universe series, Vale Valley.
Drea can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Bookbub, Amazon and Instagram. You can also join her Facebook reader group, Drea’s Dirty Divas, for special stories and reading opportunities, and sign up for her newsletter.
