1. Thank you for joining us. Please tell me a little about yourself.
My name is Victoria Denault and I’ve been published since 2015. I started off in M/F
sports and small-town romance and branched out into MM. But I have a long history with MM. I used to write Queer as Folk fan fiction way back in 2007. I’m Canadian but have lived all over the place including California for seven years and I’m currently in the southwest of France.
2. Could you let us in on what you’re working on now?
I’m polishing up a paranormal rom-com romance for my agent to shop. And then I’m diving into an MM F1 sports romance which is part of a multi-author series with Leslie McAdam, JE Birk and Regina Kyle.
3. Which of your stories is your favorite?
I really love Dauntless, which is a standalone MM book I wrote in the In Vino Veritas
multi-author world created by Sarina Bowen.
4. What’s your inspiration?
It depends on the book. I get inspired by all sorts of things, from places I’ve been to
snippets of conversations I’ve overheard to songs. My first book, One More Shot, was inspired by a song by the same name by a defunct group called Kane.
5. How and when did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing since I was a tween. My first “book” was a 67-page, hand written
sequel to The Outsiders. LOL. Then when computers and the internet became a thing I tried my hand at fan fiction, to see if anyone was interested in my writing. I majored in English in college and did a post-grad diploma in journalism and then went on to take all the post-graduate courses I could find in novel writing and screenplay writing. I was too scared to actually self-publish but I found an agent through a UCLA Extension course by sheer luck. And signed me and got ,e a three-book deal within 3 months.
6. What is one of your favorite books by another author?
I can’t pick just one, sorry! A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn is the only rom-com I’ve read that actually made me LOL. I Love You Both So Much by JE Birk, Leslie McAdam and Rachel Ember was a crazy premise/idea that they turned into an absolutely perfect romance novel. Turnabout by Laurel Greer OWNED me. The love story is so raw and lovely.
7. Have you considered writing in other genres?
Yes I want to write in women’s fic/chick lit. I’m also branching out into paranormal with a book on witches that I just finished. No pub date on that yet as I am giving it to my agent.
8. What is your writing process? Do you need silence or music?
I write in silence and edit with music or a favorite TV show in the background.
9. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
If I have a solid outline I can finish a book in six weeks. Dauntless was very well laid out and I finished it in 38 days. If I have a loose outline or none at all, or it’s a new genre like the witches book I just finished, it can take three or four months.
10. Have you ever had the dreaded Writer’s Block?
I wish I could say no to this, but when my dad died a few years ago and I moved to a new country in the same year I couldn’t finish a single thing. I had all the good ideas but my brain was weighed down with emotional baggage and I couldn’t bring any book to completion. I didn’t finish a book for two years. It was tough and it cost my career momentum-wise.
11. Do you have pets?
Yes! I have a 15.5 year old chihuahua named Gus. He currently has terminal cancer but don’t tell him that! He’s motoring on like nothing is wrong. The vet is amazed and we are eternally grateful. Our other chihuahua, Belle, died a couple of years ago at 17.5 years old. The two chihuahuas owned by Chloe in my book The Winter We Collided our based entirely on my Gus and Belle.
12. What is your favorite part of writing? Do you have favorite plots?
I am the weirdo that adores edits. The book is out and it’s just a matter of
improving/polishing it. The hard part is done. I am a sucker for a well done second
chance romance. I also adore a good fake dating/marriage book.
13. Anything new on the horizon?
Hopefully my paranormal rom-com about three sisters who find out they’re witches will sell. And then this year I’m also releasing that MM F1 sports romance in the shared world, an M/F sports romance (also F1) and a fake marriage romance set in Malibu.
14. Do you have anything that you absolutely need to have in order to write?
Coffee. All the coffee. And a clean space. If there is clutter in a room I can’t write in it. It distracts me.
15. Could you tell me the heat rating of your books out of 5 flames?
Most are a solid 4 flames.
16. Who is your main source of support for your writing?
Mine is my husband and children. One hundred percent my husband. He has been my biggest cheerleader and main support since I started. Sometimes he has more confidence in me than I do.
17. Is there anything you’d like to add?
Thanks for the interview.
Thank you for taking part in my Author Spotlight on my blog.
_____
Dauntless by Victoria Denault:
He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, at the worst possible moment.
One and done. That’s always been my motto when it comes to guys, because I’m not about to pull someone else into the closet my parents have locked me inside. I’ve been waiting years to claim my inheritance and live the life I want to live–out, free, and oh yeah, rich.
So why is the universe dropping the sexy farm boy with the lazy smile into my life right now? When Bowen Whitlock says he’ll join my band, and later my bed, I know one time won’t be enough.
But loving Bowen is dangerous for me. And he has his own struggles, like keeping his family afloat and trying not to get fired from his job at Vino and Veritas. But he lives his life with an authenticity that gives me a tantalizing taste of living my truth.
My secret relationship with Bowen is everything, until someone betrays us in the worst possible way…
______
Release News!
Also, I'm happy to tell you that the fifth book in my Fire Lake series is out!
Grab Gunner here, and spend time with the men of Fire Lake!
