For my latest Author Spotlight I’m joined by the amazing A. E. Madsen. We talked about writing in the moment, their latest release, and what video game their currently playing!

Over to you…

First things first, please introduce yourself!
I’m A.E. Madsen. I’ve been writing gay romance for around ten years, and recently decided to publish my work. I published my first book on Amazon in January of 2022.

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
Most of the time I don’t really plot my books. I like to write what comes to me in the moment. I love writing about different gender identities and sexualities. 

Describe your books in only three words.
Unconventional, Found Family, Acceptance

Can you tell us a little about your latest release?
My latest release is Sugar Cookie. It’s a part of a multi-author series called Merry Elfmas. Each book is a different mall elf of a group of friends that work together. My book is a dad’s best friend trope. This was my first time writing that trope and I had a lot of fun with it. 

Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of my book Reimagine. It’s the fourth book in my Blue Mountain University series and it features a main character that is nonbinary and asexual. It was really hard for me to write because the character is just so complex and so similar to how I identify. It felt very personal to put so much of my own identity into that book.

What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
I think the thing that has influenced me the most has been the freedom to just write what I want to see in a book. Letting myself write the first draft for me. 

What inspired you to start writing?
I started writing when I was in high-school. First on fanfiction sites, then that turned into original stories. I think a large part of what inspired me was that I was unsure about my gender identity at the time and writing from the point of view of a male character gave me a safe way to explore my gender identity. 

What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
Most days I don’t get a chance to write until the evening. I do most of my writing in bed while listening to music. I like using the website 4thewords because beating monsters by writing helps me hit my word count. 

What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Usually it’s the plot that comes first to me. Typically I start with a trope or a scene in my head and work the rest out from there. 

What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
It’s not really my genre, but The Chronicles of Narnia. It was one of my favorite books as a child. I loved all the idea of a magical world hidden within the real one.

If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Probably fake dating. I just love having characters fight their obvious attraction to each other while being in awkward situations that force them to act like a couple. 

What would be your three desert island books?
Unconventional Hearts by Emmy Sanders.
Rescue by Mx. Alex.
Charisma Check by Alex Silver.

If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
I’d probably choose Under the Mistletoe. I just think it would be a great holiday movie because there’s great rom com moments. I’m not sure about cast, I’m not great with keeping up with actors.

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?
I like to read or play video games. Lately I’ve been playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
The plesiosaurus because it’s the Loch Ness Monster.

A. E. MADSEN (He/They) lives in California with their wife and three children. A. is currently a returning college student working on a degree in English. They started writing in an attempt to better understand their gender identity and sexual orientation as a teenager, and it grew as a hobby from there. A. spends most of their time working and going to school, but they’d rather be writing and reading stories about queer love. They also have ADHD and are easily distracted by social media and various topics of research that often have little relevance.

For more information on A. E. and their work you can sign up for his newsletter, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.