Angel Reads

07 Jan

Author Interview: Amy Craig | Romance Thursdays

Posted by angelreads Author Interviews, Romance Thursdays No Comments

First I would like to apologies for the lack of romance interviews the last month, however, with work being so busy I decided a break was in order. But now that the new year has started let’s get back into it.

This week on Romance Thursdays I had the lovely privilege of interviewing Amy Craig. I’m so excited to share this interview with you all and get back into this series. If you haven’t checked out the rest of my interviews in this series be sure to and see what other romance authors have to say.

Romance Thursdays is a feature that spotlights romance authors to highlight how amazing the romance writing community is. Each week I’m will be interviewing a different romance author from across subgenres as well as both traditionally and self-published. I want to share their experience writing romance and why they love it so much. While also focusing on their writing and books.

Amy Craig is the author of Sunset Dreams, Lost in L.A, A Corporate Courtship and more. You can check out her backlist of titles now. Let’s get into the interview!

Hi Amy, and welcome to Angel Reads. For those that haven’t read anything by you yet, tell us a little about yourself and your books?

Hi Readers! I write contemporary romances about hard-working men and women. Some of my characters are beautiful and rich, but most nights, they’re not tripping on yacht steps and drowning their sorrows in champagne.

I started writing sweet romances, like Corporate Courtship and Sunset Dreams, but I love the chemistry and misunderstandings of mainstream romances. Lost in LA (Jan 2021) channels warm breezes and twenty-something adults finding their footing with differing resources. A Winter Rose (2021) deals with second chances and two thirty-something adults picking up the pieces of their lives on a gorgeous Washington state flower farm.

Why did you start writing romance novels? Is there anything in particular that drew you to it over other genres?

It’s just so satisfying! I wrote a few women’s fiction novels with romantic elements, but they lacked the happy-ever-after ending that leaves a smile when a reader closes the book.

You write mainly contemporary romances. What is your favourite thing about writing in that genre of romance? Was there something that drew you to it over other sub-genres?

I love reading romance novels and imagining myself in the middle of the plot twists. Historical and paranormal romances are great forms of escapism, but something about the real-life issues of contemporary romances captures my attention. I doubt I’ll skip fangs and fur for the rest of my writing career. The banter of fated-mates appeals to me, but I’m having too much fun right now with contemporary romances.

What is your favourite thing about romance as a genre? Why do you like reading and writing it?

A writer told me she loves “torturing” her characters. I don’t go that far, but I enjoy forcing characters to make decisions and find their way to love. “Feel the burn” works well in an exercise class and romance novels.

What are some of your favourite tropes that you like reading and writing in the romance genre?

Lost in LA has a secret relationship and A Winter Rose focuses on second-chances and a cute kid. I have a few other books that lean toward romantic suspense, but I don’t think readers will see them until 2022.

Who are some of your favourite romance authors? Who inspired you to write?

I’ve read Indie novels for the last few years, but I confess I’m reading as a writer and picking apart the plot, dialogue, and construction. It’s diabolical. If readers like doing the same thing, they should get in touch with me on social media. I love beta readers and I have thick skin.

To avoid dodging the question, the last two traditionally published books I read were You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria and Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

What are some of the ways that you think we can start overcoming the stigma of romance novels?

I think the stigma is already fading. Clever paperback covers and complex plots blur the line between contemporary romances and women’s fiction. Read whatever you want to read!

Do you currently have any books in the works? Is there anything that you are looking forward to writing, but haven’t started yet? Is there something different that you want to try writing?

I already mentioned Lost in L.A. and A Winter Rose. The romantic suspense novels should arrive next year. They’re marinating on my computer, but the tentative titles are The Peninsula and The Crevasse. Set in northern California, their heroines embraced STEM, but modern, tech-savvy careers still come with complications like greed and competition. The best way to stay informed about my work is through social media or my newsletter sign-up on my website.

***

I hope you had a great time reading this interview with Amy Craig and maybe it has you wanting to pick up her books.

If there is an author that you would like to see featured here, please do let me know. And I will try my best. If you are a romance author and would like to be apart of Romance Thursdays, don’t hesitate to message me.

Have you read any Amy Craig books before? What did you think of them? Are you excited for more Romance Thursday posts? Let’s Chat!

About the Author

Amy Craig lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romances featuring intelligent heroines. She can’t always vouch for the men. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before pursuing writing, she worked as an engineer, project manager, and an incompetent waitress.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

05 Jan

Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021

Posted by angelreads Top Ten Tuesday 6 Comments

This week I’m sharing my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2021. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

2020 was a year and while I may have lacked on reading books from last year. I hope that I can do better in 2021. So today I’m sharing my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2021. I tried to do a mix of romance and YA. While I am mostly reading romance now, I still read a good chunk of young adult. And there are some great ones coming out this year. But enough of this let’s go. Like always these are in no order.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken: It should be no surprise that this has made it onto my list. As soon as I read the synopsis for this one I added it to my tbr. It Greek mythology with a twist. I mean it sounds fantastic and like something I won’t be able to put down. I’ve already been hearing great things about this one and I’m ready for some battles.

Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give #0) by Angie Thomas: You all know that I adored The Hate U Give and when I heard that this was going to be published, I was even more excited. This sounds like it’s going to be such an interesting story and I’m intrigued to see where it is taken. Plus I love Angie’s writing.

The Knockout by S.A. Patel: This is my type of YA book! I just love how this sounds and I can’t wait to read it. It’s a YA, diverse, sports romance, what could be better. I haven’t heard much about it yet but I am excited.

Wild Rain (Women Who Dare #2) by Beverly Jenkins: This is the second book in the Women Who Dare series. I read Rebel last year and fell in love and this one sounds just as fantastic. It’s high on my most anticipated list that is for sure. I adore the characters that Jenkins writes and the stories that she explores and I can’t wait for more.

A Lady’s Formula for Love (The Secret Scientists of London #1) by Elizabeth Everett: As soon as I read the synopsis for this one I had to add it to my list. While I’m not a massive fan of Victorian historical romances this sounds fantastic. I love HR that really explore and create complex female characters that push boundaries.

Chain of Iron (The Last Hours #2) by Cassandra Clare: I mean there should be no surprise that this has made my list. It’s one of my most anticipated books for the whole year. It’s Cassandra Clare so I know I will be reading this the day it comes out for sure! I’m just so excited. I can’t wait to see what happens next and where the story is taken. Because I seriously never know.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell: This was crept up on me. I didn’t know that I needed it until I looked into it a little more. Science Fiction isn’t something that I read a lot, but this sounds just fantastic and I can’t resist. Also, there have been some great reviews so far.

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales: I adored Sophie’s debut last year and this one sounds just as fantastic. And I mean it’s #LoveOzYA so you know I want to read it even more. It just sounds like it’s going to be messy, interesting and addicting and I am ready.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston: Another one that no one should be surprised is on my list. I adored and I mean adored Red, White And Royal Blue. So you bet I’ll be getting this one as soon as possible. It just sounds so damn good and I’m not sure if I’m ready for it. But I will do it.

The Bride Bet (Girl Meets Duke #4) by Tessa Dare: I’ve been reading this series the last few months and I have fallen in love with all the characters and the world and I can’t wait to read more. I’m holding off reading book 3, so I can jump into this one as soon as possible. But I can’t wait.

***

And that is it for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday and the first one for 2021. What books can’t you wait to read in the next few months? Do we share any that is the same? Let’s chat!

03 Jan

A Slow End to the Year | December Wrap Up

Posted by angelreads Monthly Wrap Up No Comments

The last few months have been a little busier than usual for me. I started my full-time bookselling job late November/early December and blogging just pushed aside a little bit. That also means my reading has also slowed down.

I only managed to read 15 books this December. And that is maybe half of what I usually read in a month. In saying that. I did have a fantastic reading month and adored most of what I read. I did mostly read Naili Singh and Julia Quinn and I don’t care all too much. Because it was fantastic. Now let’s get into it.

Bridgertons #2 – #6 by Julia Quinn: I read The Duke and I a little while ago and then ended up buying the rest of the series. You can read my discussion with Ely and hear all our thoughts and feeling about it. I wanted to read the rest of the series before the show came out and December was a perfect time. While I didn’t finish the series, I read what I thought I had to. And I loved them all. I think book 2 has to be my favourite so far because of Anthony. I plan to finish the last two this month.

Psy-Changeling #7-#10 by Nalini Singh: I also contained my Psy-Changeling read in December and had such a fantastic time. They are brilliant and I can’t believe it took me this long to pick this series up. I can’t wait to read more. I also can’t wait to read more from Nalini and I hope that I can do that soon as well. And I finally read book 10, the one I have been waiting for the whole series – and it was fantastic. You can read my review of the first four books for more.

Truth or Dare by Danielle Allen: I picked this one up because so many people that I follow have loved it. And while I didn’t love it as much as other. I still really enjoyed it. The romance was sweet and sexy. The characters were fantastic and it was a great read. This was a great read for December.

Grading Curves by Naima Simone: I had seen this floating around in the romance community a little and when I saw that I could get it in KU, I picked it up. I normally don’t read many novellas and I think that was my issue with this whole book. While I enjoyed reading it at the time I did want more. I felt that I wasn’t able to see the connection between the characters and the romance. I was left hanging for me.

Loving Man by Bailey West: While I was hunting for some new books to read this one popped up and I had to give it a go. And I loved reading it. The romance was adorable and made me melt. I loved both of the protagonists and I just had a good time reading the book.

Dead Man Walking (The Fallen Men #6) by Giana Darling: I had been waiting for this since I finished the last book in the series and man I wasn’t ready for it. While the series started off somewhat light, as the books went on things got much darker. And Dead Man Walking is dark. Dead Man Walking explores the notion of darkness and light, of good and bad. And the grey in between. If you like you dark and even sadistic romances, then this one is for you. Full Review.

Sweetest Taboo #1-#2 by Naima Simone: This is another series that has been on my tbr for some time. I heard about it a few years ago and I hadn’t picked it up until recently. While I didn’t love these two books, I didn’t dislike them either. I think I was expecting something a little different. I wish there was more focus on the characters and their interactions together. There was a lot of time jumps. Even just a couple of weeks and I feel that we lost something. But I still enjoyed reading it.

And those were my reads in December. What did you read last month? Did we read anything the same? Have you read anything that I have? Let’s Chat!

Author Interview: Amy Craig | Romance Thursdays

Hi Amy, and welcome to Angel Reads. For those that haven’t read anything by you yet, tell us a little about yourself and your books?

Why did you start writing romance novels? Is there anything in particular that drew you to it over other genres?

You write mainly contemporary romances. What is your favourite thing about writing in that genre of romance? Was there something that drew you to it over other sub-genres?

What is your favourite thing about romance as a genre? Why do you like reading and writing it?

What are some of your favourite tropes that you like reading and writing in the romance genre?

Who are some of your favourite romance authors? Who inspired you to write?

What are some of the ways that you think we can start overcoming the stigma of romance novels?

Do you currently have any books in the works? Is there anything that you are looking forward to writing, but haven’t started yet? Is there something different that you want to try writing?

About the Author

Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021

A Slow End to the Year | December Wrap Up

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