Rae: Thank you for hanging out with me. First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking an spiced Latte with Coconut Milk with chocolate drizzle, what would you order?
Avery: I’m a black coffee girl. Give me the caffeine and nothing else!
Rae: You are currently serving on the Romance Writers of America Board of Directors in the position Director-at-Large. Has that changed how you view the industry?
Avery: Oh wow, being an RWA director is definitely eye opening. I am amazed by the dedication of the folks on the board.
Rae: What’s the best advice you can give to a newbie writer attending a chapter meeting or the Romance Writers of America annual conference in Denver?
Avery: As for advice, I say go for it, get to that meeting! You will never regret getting to hang out with and learn from some of the best in our profession.
Rae: Let’s talk books – first, congratulations on your upcoming release of The Schemer in your Harbor City Romance series. What was the inspiration for this series and will there be more mischief and shenanigans in the foreseeable future?
Avery: Mischief and shenanigans??? ALWAYS! 🙂 This series really was a brain child of Liz Pelletier and myself. We shot a ton of book ideas back and forth before hitting on the perfect idea with The Negotiator. And, of course, every good hero like Sawyer Carlyle in The Negotiator needs a hot brother with a secret like Hudson Carlyle in The Charmer. Plus, he needs a best friend turned enemy like Tyler Jacobson in The Schemer. I really love the Harbor City Romance series. It’s a series that makes you smile, tear up a bit and will really steam up your eReader.
Rae: Your backlist is extensive with multiple series and standalone reads. What can we expect in 2018? Will there be more books from current series, or new ones in the works? That being said, how do you keep all of your worlds and characters from crossing over?
Avery: I love world crossovers! These characters all live together in my head so why not on the page too? That’s exactly what happens in 2018 with my Hartigans series. If you’ve read The Charmer, you know the Hartigans are Felicia’s crazy Irish family from across the harbor in Waterbury. They’re just so much fun to write. You’ll get three Hartigans books in 2018 PLUS something totally new from me in the form of a super sexy hero who has to *am tackled by the good people at Entangled Publishing* … Sorry about that, but they won’t let me tell you more. What a bunch of meanies. 🙂
Rae: As a reader who appreciates a book where the cover just screams “read me” despite not reading the blurb, are you involved in any of the design process? FYI – your covers are super sexy and scream “one-click” so please let your team know.
Avery: Right? The folks at Entangled and the designers who work on my indie covers are AMAZING!!! I’m lucky and have input on my covers no matter who is punishing.
Rae: Writing all the words is a challenge, do you have a writing ritual or secret location to get the work done?
Avery: Sheer deadline panic? Stop laughing, that’s pretty much my go to.
Rae: How do you tackle plotting your series? Is it on a massive board, sheets of paper or just write as you go with a simple outline? A lot of authors use Pinterest and make awesome boards to tease readers, are you one of them?
Avery: I am a total plotter but mine is all words, no Pinterest for me.
Rae: When you are not busy writing, you keep readers updated on social media, what are your favorite types of posts, pics, or tweets?
Avery: I am a social media freak – probably a little too much unless I’m under deadline. Twitter is for the snark and fashion commentary. Instagram is pics of my pooches. Facebook is really my favorite place to chat with my fellow romance readers!
Rae: What can we expect to see on the bookshelves in the upcoming months?
Avery: You’ll get the first of the Hartigans books in April so be on the look out!
Rae: Where can readers find you in 2018?
Avery: I’ll be at Rebels Hit the Road in Annapolis, Barbara Vey, RT, RWA and more!
Rae: Thank you for hanging out in the cafe today.
Avery: Thank you so much for having me!
1. What is a must read book and why? Any book that catches your interest because that’s all that matters when it comes to picking a book.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? The Scotsbluff Monument is pretty cool.
3. Do you take-in or cook? If so, what is your “go-to” dish? OMG. I can make the absolute best reservations. *grin*
4. What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you? The Hallmark commercials around Mother’s Day gut me every single time.
5. Hard Rock or Classical? Favorite Band or Artist? I’m a late 80s/early 90s Alternative rock baby.
6. If you had an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world for research, where would you go? Australia!
7. What is your guilty pleasure? There are no guilty pleasures.
8. What are you afraid of? Horses and rats. Not necessarily in that order
9. Tats or No Tats? If tats, how many? Yes to tats and I have two.
10. Organized or Free Floating? Organization is the BEST!
11. Binge watcher or weekly viewer? Which show(s)? Total binger. Right now I’m watching The Crown
12. What’s on your playlist? I don’t have one. I’m old and uncool. LOL
13. What play or musical do you want to see next? I’d love to see Hamilton.
14. Are you a crafter? That’s a hard no.
15. What’s your favorite TV show and why? I love Game of Thrones for the pure drama of it.
16. If you could pick a book you’ve read and make it into a movie, which book would it be (besides yours 🙂 )? Kate Meader’s Hot in Chicago series.
17. What’s your favorite movie of all time? I’m gonna go with Heathers.
18. Would you rather see a movie in the theater or at home on DVD and why? Well, at home I don’t have to wear a bra and it’s hard to argue with that.
19. What is the one thing you can’t live without? Coffee
20. If you could invite 5 people to dinner (not friends and family – that’s too easy) who would be at your table? Where would you eat? Ohhhhhh that’s hard. I’m gonna go with Serena Williams, Roxanne Gay, Meryl Streep, JK Rowling and Nicki Minaj. We would eat wherever we wanted and for dessert we’d take over the world. Totally gonna happen. Mark your calendars.
21. If you could try any career for a day, what would it be? Interior designer
22. Person you admire and why? Anyone who is willing to tell truth to power.
Avery’s bio:
Avery Flynn is a USA Today bestselling romance author. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.She was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs. Find out more about Avery on her website (averyflynn.com), follow her on Twitter (@AveryFlynn) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/AveryFlynnBooks), and like her on her Facebook page (facebook.com/AveryFlynnAuthor). Join her street team, The Flynnbots, and receive special sneak peeks, prizes and early access to her latest releases!
