Author Spotlight: Alexia Chase
May 2, 2022 • News
CJC: How did you get started as an author and what made you want to pursue that field?
AC: I wrote my first novel almost 20 years ago. It was horrible. After having a critique completed on it, I shoved it in a box and didn’t write again for a year. For several years, I tinkered with fiction, but wouldn’t ever publish anything. After some personal family issues, I began publishing non-fiction and eventually hit publish on that first fiction piece. It’s been non-stop since then. Writing is my stress reliever, and my joy. And….I love happily ever afters.
CJC: What do you find to be the most rewarding and challenging part of being an author and what hurdles have you overcome while striving towards your goals?
AC: The most rewarding part of being an author is connecting with other authors and readers. The most challenging part of being an author is learning everything and balancing writing with marketing. I don’t think there is any way to ever understand how much work it takes to write and promote the works you publish. Oh, and that small thing called imposter syndrome. That is a struggle every day. At least, it is for me. The worst is writing the first chapter of the next book. I’m positive I’ll never write again until the first paragraph is written.
CJC: Which novel has been your favorite to write and why?
AC: My favorite novel to write was Taming the Beast. It is a billionaire, romantic suspense novel. It was the first time I’d written a billionaire romance, and the idea of twisting the typical trope into a different format was a blast. The concept is 5 billionaire friends hiding in plain sight as everyday men – without using their money to get a woman. Another fun part of this book was I used the first 5k in a newsletter builder and left it on a hard cliffhanger. That was so much fun.
CJC: For first time readers of your work, which book would you recommend?
AC: The Bet would be the first book I would recommend. It’s the first book in the Sinfully Tempting Series. The heroine is a baker and the hero is a fireman. The book is a steamy, best friend’s brother, contemporary romance.
CJC: If one of your books were made into a movie, which would you select and who would you like to star in it?
AC: I’ve never thought about this before, so I’m not really sure. I would love to see my Sinfully Tempting Series made into a series of movies or seasons. But actors? I don’t know. I don’t watch enough television to pick those.
CJC: For those looking to become an author, what advice would you give them?
AC: Read, write, keep learning, and write some more. Find good editors and proofreaders. Discover your weaknesses and improve on them. And if you read your reviews, learn from them. But don’t get swept up by them, because they can get you in your feelings and lead you away from what you want to write. Stretching your writing skills can help your career. As long as you don’t end up writing things you hate.
CJC: If you could co-write a book with any author, who would it be and why?
AC: Chelle Bliss – hands down. Until I accidentally read one of her books, I’d only read in third person. My four-year-old daughter poked on Throttle Me and auto-bought the book. I decided, what the h*ll. let’s give it a shot. City will always be my favorite dirty-talkin’, pierced, tattooed, sexy AF book boyfriend.
CJC: Favorite motto?
AC: Keep f*cking going.
CJC: What do you do to overcome writer’s block?
AC: If I have writer’s block, I head over to Amazon and read blurbs. If that doesn’t help, I go through my stacks of story ideas and pick one or two to write. Then, I imagine the story, and write what happens.
CJC: In one word, how would you describe your writing style?
AC: Visual.
CJC: Which do you find harder to do… writing the blurb for your story or selecting the cover?
AC: I love looking at photos, so that is not hard. Writing a blurb is the hardest part of writing. Hands down. I hate writing blurbs.
CJC: Do you have authors who inspire you? And if so, who and why?
AC: There are hundreds of authors that inspire me. The entire romance author community amazes me with their determination to write stories that entertain and make people feel something. Real life is a struggle, and we need something to help us escape. Shout out to all the awesome indie-romance authors!
CJC: What is your writing process like?
AC: I crazily handwrite everything I publish. When I put pen to paper, it flows. Mostly effortlessly. Unless I’m trying to write a trope I don’t normally write. Those stories can be a struggle.
CJC: What new projects are you currently working on and what are your goals for the remainder of the year?
AC: I have two sport’s contemporary romances coming out this summer, and two billionaire romantic suspense novels coming out later this year.
CJC: Any final thoughts you would like to share with the CJC Photography readers?
AC: Thank you for letting me share a part of my story with your readers.
CJC: “The Redemption” featuring Nick and Anthony is now available!
Stay up to date with all of Alexia’s latest releases here.
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