GraveDiggers Brawl and Abigail Roux

Thanks for joining us on the Riptide Publishing First Anniversary Blog Hop Bash! All month long, we’re bringing you guest posts and interviews from your favorite authors, artists, and Riptide staff.

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Plus, check out our anniversary sale—All October long, backlist titles are 15%-50% off!

Today we have an interview with author Abigail Roux, author of Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6) and the upcoming release Gravedigger’s Brawl!

Hi, Abi! Tell us about yourself. What draws you to romance? M/M romance?

I’m drawn to romance mostly for the character dynamic. A romance can be anything. Mystery, historical, thriller, plotless wonder. The characters and the way they interact and play off each other are what truly make a romance shine. M/M romance especially draws me because there isn’t that added expectation of man and woman meet, then fall in love. The love and connecting and attraction can come as a surprise in the setting of the book. And M/M romance can play off relationships that M/F romance just can’t touch, like the unique bonds between teammates or brothers-in-arms.

Have you ever written outside the romance genre? If not, do you ever plan to?

No I haven’t, but I have had several readers tell me that what I thought was romance hadn’t actually been romance. I suppose it’s all subjective. I like to add action and heavy plot to my stories, so I suppose I could one day branch to another genre if it appealed to me.

Do you write het stories too?

I’ve never written a het story, but if I came across the perfect female character I could probably be convinced to do so.
What do you think is sexy?

I think competence is sexy. It’s the root characteristic for a lot of the other things I consider sexy. Intelligence, courage, skill, confidence. They all stem from a personality that is grounded in competence. And there is nothing I like more than someone who knows what they’re doing.

How do you make your characters so sexy?

I like to make sure my characters have a sense of humor. That, and give them at least one thing to excel at, to be very good at, to display a lot of confidence and ability.

What’s your own sexiest feature?

Well, that’s an awkward question. I’d like to think it’s my mind, but most people comment on how green my eyes are than anything else.
What’s your hidden talent?

I’m not sure I have a hidden talent. I guess technically writing was my hidden talent. I spent my formative years as an elite athlete, which is not a hidden talent at all. I was team captain and MVP and All-Region and so on, so people were often surprised to find that I could put words together and make sense.

We know you’re a romance writer. What’s your day job?

I’m a single mom. Until this past year, I coached high school volleyball. We made the state playoffs last year, and my club team won the state regionals. I was forced to quit because of injuries to my knee and shoulders, but I’m hoping to be able to go back to doing it.

What would you do if you weren’t an author?

I’d cry. I don’t know. I spent a week as a temporary professional organizer, and that was like a dream job for someone who’s just a touch OCD. I’d probably still be coaching even though my knee is ripping apart at its seams.

Do you write under a pen name? Why or why not? Will you tell us your real name?

I do, mainly to protect my baby girl, but also because my real last name is a.) ugly, b.) my ex-husband’s, and c.) hard to pronounce. I won’t tell my real name because there needs to be a buffer between my daughter and the world.

What was the very first romance novel you read?

I don’t remember the name of it, but it was a historical. It might even have been a Harlequin. There were two brothers running from the law, and one of them had to dress as a woman to stay in hiding, but he fell in love with the neighbor girl who was, needless to say, very confused. That’s the extent of what I remember.

What did you think?

I read it at the beach because it was free in the local used book store, and I quite enjoyed it.

Do you believe in Happily Ever After?

No, unfortunately. That might be divorce papers I just signed talking, but right now in this moment, I don’t. I used to, and I might again soon.

Who are your latest crushes (celebrity, book character, or otherwise)?

I have loved Karl Urban for years, and he’s gaining steam so that crush keeps regenerating itself. I used Tom Hardy as inspiration for a character recently, and accidentally fell for him as I was studying him. And I will forever love Sean Bean, no matter how many times he dies in horrible and odd ways.

Abigail Roux was born and raised in North Carolina. A past volleyball star who specializes in sarcasm and painful historical accuracy, she currently spends her time coaching high school volleyball and investigating the mysteries of single motherhood. Any spare time is spent living and dying with every Atlanta Braves and Carolina Panthers game of the year. Abigail has a daughter, Little Roux, who is the light of her life, a boxer, four rescued cats who play an ongoing live-action variation of Call of Duty throughout the house, a certifiable extended family down the road, and a cast of thousands in her head.

To learn more about Abigail, please visit http://www.abigailroux.com/.