Roxanne Rhoads: Interview and Giveaway with Solace Ames

What inspired you to become an author?

More than anything, a lifetime of reading.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I’ve written in several different kinds of styles, but I’ve come to realize that my basic style is economical when it comes to adjectives and very dialogue-driven. I aim hard for clarity, and I like to leave pauses where readers can fill in their own meaning.

How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

The original title for the book was “Love is a Stranger”, after the Eurythmics song, which was a huge influence on the story. I’m terrible at coming up with titles, so I usually resign myself to creating a working title that gets changed at the end to something a little more marketable.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Be good to other people. Listen to them. It sounds so simple and generic, but it’s true.

What book are you reading now?

Beyond Jealousy by Kit Rocha! I love it already. It should be out by the time this interview gets published.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Here’s the opening to LA Doms #3, tentatively entitled “The Constant Companion”.

I’m a star, bitches.

The guards at the gate didn’t recognize me. Not that I was surprised, because I’m not really a Hollywood star. It’s just a self-affirmation. I usually stick with fake it till you make it and you are enough, but tonight I needed something a little more heavy-duty. I put my hand on my hip, smiled patiently, and tried it again.

I’m a star, bitches.

“Wait a second, I recognize you,” said the thick-necked guard with the ponytail. “I saw you in, uh, uh…”

“You’re blushing,” I said. “That’s adorable.” I reached into my purse. “Here’s a card with a promo pass to the private section of my website.”

“Wow. Thanks.” He took it with both hands and actually stroked the embossed lettering.

The guard to his left didn’t look as impressed, but he didn’t block my way when I walked right through the gate and followed the winding trail of tiki lamps blazing dark perfumed smoke into a sky so polluted that the real stars were only a nostalgic memory.

Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

Not physically—I do research online—but in a broader sense, I feel like I travel all over the universe, all over time and space. The research is one of my favorite parts of being a writer. It gives me an excuse to constantly learn, learn, learn.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t pay for reviews on Amazon. If you pay for reviews on Amazon, I hope you get norovirus. Sorry, I’ve been kind of peeved about that recently :-( But for the majority of authors who do it for the love, keep on keeping on! Work hard, don’t stop, believe in yourself.

The Submission Gift

LA Doms

Book 2 (stand-alone)

Solace Ames

Genre: Erotic Romance, Ménage

Publisher: Carina Press

Date of Publication: March 24, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4268-9828-0.

ASIN: B00GKBIPLY

Number of pages: 254

Word Count: 100,000

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Book Description:

Newlyweds Jay and Adriana had a happy marriage and a spectacular sex life—until tragedy struck. Wounded in a car accident, Jay spent a year recuperating while Adriana worked overtime as a chef to pay their bills. Though he’s made nearly a full recovery, some aspects of their intimate play will never be the same. It’s a small price to pay, all things considered.

But when a long struggle with the insurance company results in an overdue payout, Jay has a plan. He’ll take some of it and hire a high-end rent boy who specializes in sexual dominance. Not for him, but as a gift for Adriana, for taking care of him for the past twelve months.

Paul is the handsome stranger they choose…and the one who changes everything. What starts out as a onetime session to fulfill a fantasy turns into something bigger than all of them. But when the money runs out and Paul’s dangerous past resurfaces, the sacrifices required to stay together may end up tearing them apart…

About the Author:

Solace Ames has roots in the Southeast US, although her heart lives somewhere along the Pacific coast of Mexico. She's worked in restaurants, strip clubs, academia and the corporate world and studied everything from the philosophy of science to queer theory to medieval Spanish literature. Rejecting neat categories, her writing sprawls across genres and genders and swings from high art to low art, marching with the erotic avant-garde, tongue sometimes in cheek and at other times... well. Along with writing, education and political activism are her passions. Family takes up most of her time, but she loves to keep learning.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/solacewrites

FB: http://www.facebook.com/solace.ames

Website and Blog: www.solaceames.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/solaceames