For me latest Author Spotlight, I’m joined by the amazing Linden Bell. We talked about starting with meet cutes, living vicariously through characters, found family, and having supportive readers.

Take it away Linden…

First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hello! Hello! I’m Linden Bell and I write low angst, feel-good contemporary MM romances. My first book came out in 2023 and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve got 8 books now and have plans for so many more! 😊

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
I’d say my writing is like spicy chocolate. Just the right blend of heat and sweet. My characters are adorable, precious, and endearing. You want to squeeze them in the tightest hug and protect them at all costs. But then the clothes come off, and whoa, the temperature goes through the roof!

My books don’t have much conflict between the two love interests and definitely no third act breakups. I’d rather they work together to overcome the challenges the world throws at them.

Found family is also a consistent theme through all my books. I love the idea of a group of friends who band together through thick and thin, who are unconditionally supportive, and sometimes also a pain in your behind. 😆

So if you want stories that make you go 🥹🥵😍, then my books are for you!

Describe your books in only three words.
Gah! This is so hard! I had to go ask my readers (see question 6). They conferred among themselves and came up with “emotionally intimate boners”. 😆😆😆 Omg, I love them so much.

What’s your next book about and when is it coming out?
My next book comes out August 13th (tomorrow!). Angel is the third book in The Camboy Network series, but can be read as a standalone.

Angel is an opposites attract, size difference, gay-awakening romance. Angel is quiet, blends into the background, and still lives at home with his mama. Rhys is flashy and flamboyant, always stands out in a crowd, and left home the second he turned 18.

When big, burly Angel signs up to be gay for pay with The Camboy Network, pole-dancing twink Rhys guides him through the process. The two couldn’t be more different on the outside, but the truth is, they’re a lot more alike than they think.

Angel is probably the most lovable character I’ve ever written. He is the epitome of a squishy teddy bear who must be protected at all costs. Rhys gently coaxes Angel out of his sheltered life and shows him everything he’s missing. Namely, his attraction to men, but more importantly, love! These two couldn’t be more perfect for each other, and I had such a good time writing their story.

Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
I’m proud of all of them! I know that’s a cop-out answer, but it’s true. I love writing, but it’s hard! Every time I finish a book, I’m surprised I made it through to the end.

If I had to pick, though, I’d say Under the Radar, because it’s so different from anything else I’ve written. It’s a romantic suspense (rather than straight up contemporary), and I had so many starts and stops with trying to craft a compelling and suspenseful external plot.

What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
My readers! I have some very supportive readers, without whom I would never have made it this far. I’m always thinking about them when I write. What will they think about this character? How will they react to this thing that happens?

I might write for myself, but I publish books for them, so their opinions factor a lot into my writing. They always have great suggestions, and they have the best taste in books. 😉

What inspired you to start writing?
I write to live vicariously through my characters. 😅 Seriously. If I could live in my books and be friends with my characters, I would. The found families they have are supportive and accepting. And the way they find someone to love them unconditionally is 100% #relationshipgoals. We need more of these types of relationships (platonic and romantic) in the world, so I feel like I’m doing my part by writing them into existence.

What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
My writing process starts with about an hour of social media and doom scrolling. 😅Kidding! (But not really.)

I try to write in the mornings, but it honestly varies from day to day. Sometimes the words flow and sometimes I have to pull out each letter, one at a time.

I’m not a very fast writer, and I tend to burn out quickly, so having a daily word count target is essential for me. It gives me an achievable goal to work toward, and also permission to stop when I hit it. Otherwise, I’ll be wracked with guilt for not writing more, writing faster, writing all the time.

What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Neither? Most of the time, I start with a meet cute scenario. I’m usually like, “Oh, that would be a cool/funny/sweet way for the characters to meet.” and then try to build out a story from there. It takes a while for a story and characters to form in my mind, so I often have story ideas marinating for months (or years!) before I manage to put it all together into a book.

What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
Red, White, and Royal Blue. I want to be Casey McQuiston when I grow. To be able to reach so many readers around the world and become a classic in the romance genre, that’s the dream. And I mean, the Amazon Prime movie deal doesn’t hurt!

If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Definitely opposites attract! I love the idea of two people who are so different from each other, but are perfectly complements. In fact, most of my books have opposites attract!

What would be your three desert island books?
I’m going to cheat and give 3 series rather than books. 😇

First is the Hell’s Bedroom series by Tanya Chris. Private detective goes undercover in a BDSM club to investigate a human trafficking ring.

Second is the Society of Gentleman series by KJ Charles, especially the second book, A Seditious Affair. Historical romance with British aristocracy falling for commoners.

And finally, the Perfect Pixie series by MJ May. Pixies and other paranormal creatures work together to defeat the big bad alpha wolf.

If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
Um, can I say all of them?! 😆 If I had to choose, I’d say the Mars Fitness series. The books revolve around the staff of a gym that caters to queer men. Not only are the characters quirky, funny, sweet, and loveable, there are plenty of opportunities for shenanigans (ahem, management stocks condoms and lube in the locker room, 😉).

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 love to knit and crochet. I may have crocheted some dick-shaped stress balls/keychains recently. 😆

Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Triceratops! Because of Cera from The Land before Time. She’s grumpy and prickly and the other dinosaurs don’t really like her. But it’s all a front because she wants to be loved so bad! She’s just afraid of getting hurt.

Linden Bell writes contemporary MM romances that heat you up and make you smile. Her books are low angst, feel-good reads, with no third-act breakups!

For more information on Linden and her work you can visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.