I had the pleasure of meeting Beth several years ago at GRL, and let me just say, the drinks and the conversation flowed easily. She is so down to earth and such an amazing Author. Keep on reading and get to know this Author a bit better with a fun Q&A, Author links and giveaway details to follow. Be sure to check back throughout the month for reviews of some of Cat's favorite Beth Bolden reads.
Where are you from, and where do you call home?
I’m originally from Portland, Oregon, but about four years ago, Mr. B and I made the long trek across country to live in Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s not quite as weird as Portland, but we really love it here!
What inspired you to start writing?
There wasn’t ever a time where I wasn’t writing. My mom found this book I wrote when I was four, called Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, and I also illustrated it. The bear’s earrings went all the way to the ground! However, when I hit college, I became convinced that I couldn’t write fiction, only non-fiction. It was only after I graduated, and ended up in fanfiction communities that I re-discovered my love for writing fiction.
How long have you been writing?
I published my first book in spring 2014, it was an MF sports romantic comedy. I published two more of those books, and in 2017, I switched to MM, writing The Rainbow Clause, and haven’t ever looked back!
What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Just write. Forget what people say you should be writing, or what’s selling in the market, and write what you want to read. When it comes time to sell the book, then you can worry about how you’re going to market it. But when you’re writing it? Don’t forget about the pure joy of creation.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
Not really in the traditional sense? I know, everyone’s imagining throwing rotten fruit at me. Sometimes scenes are hard to write, but most of the time, I remind myself to just keep pushing forward, and that usually helps to break through any difficulties I’m having. I will say, I can get totally burned out on promotion. I released three books in three months once, and by the end, I didn’t want to people with anyone ever again LOL.
What Author’s in the genre do you read?
I’m a very idiosyncratic reader. I like to read things totally different than what I write. Not just because I worry about accidentally copying something without meaning to (though I do worry about that!), but because reading MM contemporary feels like work, still, and when I’m reading, I want to get lost in the story. I end up reading a lot of MM paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi. I really loved Tavia Lark’s newest, as well as her Radiance series. My favorite trilogy of all time is C.S. Pacat’s Captive Prince series. I love Aimee Nicole Walker’s mysteries. If I do reach for a contemporary it will often be one by DJ Jamison—I really love the way she develops characters, and I’m often lucky enough to get an early copy of one of hers—or May Archer, who creates worlds I want to live in.
What comes first, the plot or characters?
Characters, always.
Occasionally I will think, I want to write X trope, and I’ll build a book around that, but most of the time now I’m writing in-series and that means I know who I’m going to write about, and I’ve been thinking about those characters for at least one book now, if not more, and it’s more a matter of finding a plot that fits who they are as people.
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to tell us about?
I’ve just finished working on book #3 of my Miami Piranhas series, Playing by the Rules. It’s about Paxton, who is the quarterback of the Piranhas, trying to find his footing in year two, after a disastrous rookie season, and Davis, who is currently Pax’s quarterbacks coach, but is actually still trying to make it as a quarterback himself. Their fascination with each other is very much not okay by team dynamics, and it was so fun to figure out a way to make that relationship not just work, but thrive. Also, it was the perfect opportunity for a ton of pining, which is basically my favorite thing to write (and to read!).
I’ve just started working on Coach’s book—AKA Coach Asa Dawson, who is the head coach of the Piranhas. I was not going to give him a book. My obsession with him, and everyone else’s obsession with him kind of took me by surprise, but now I couldn’t do anything else but write him an epic, amazing HEA.
Describe the perfect writing space.
Quiet, except for the music playing through my noise-canceling headphones. It definitely entails not being bothered, and definitely being alone in my office—though sometimes my cat Earl will come and hang out with me.
Do you do research for your books? If so, what does that entail?
The football books require a ton of research. And not just research in the traditional sense, like what is this rule or I need watch this YouTube video to better describe the action that’s happening on field (though I do that, sometimes), but more like, I like to gather little tidbits of real life football trivia and situations and figure out how to use them for my books.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
A lot LOL. Thirty plus full length novels, plus I think at least ten novellas. I lose count. As for a favorite, that’s really hard. It’s like trying to choose a favorite child. I will say the easiest book I ever wrote was the fourth Kitchen Gods book, Indulge Me. I had had Kian and Bastian knocking around in my head for three books at that point, and I knew exactly how I wanted their story to unfold. Certainty, especially in this business, can be a very beautiful thing.
Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
I absolutely love hearing from my readers. They are so supportive and amazing and even more than that, I really appreciate that they trust me to tell stories I want to write, and also to take care of their favorite characters.
One of my favorite ways to connect with my readers is through my live cooking shows, Cooking with Beth, which I air in my Facebook Reader’s Group, Beth’s Boldest. I try to do one every month, and I love doing them. In fact, I love doing them so much I’m going to be collecting all the recipes from past Cooking with Beth lives, and all the recipes from my food-themed books as well as a lot of other recipes I love to make and creating a cookbook either late this winter or in early spring.
Beth Bolden is originally from the Pacific Northwest, and she’s been writing since her mom stuck a pencil in her hand the first time. She particularly enjoys writing sports romance and romance with food-related themes. The author of thirty-two novels and nine novellas, Beth enjoys hanging out with her husband and their cat, Earl Grey. For more information on her published works, see www.bethbolden.com.
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