Black & Romantic: Featured Author Kelly Violet

Aug 21

Favorite month of the year? Why?

That would have to be April. It's my birthday month. But it's also a time when we start climbing out of the miserable weather of winter. So, that's why springtime is hands down my favorite season.

Pen name or real name? Why?

I think this is one of the first extremely personal and important decisions to make as an author. Since I work in education, I decided to go with a pen name.

Which genre of books do you read the least? Why?

Nonfiction as a whole. I love the escapism of fiction, romance in particular. Because of that I tend to read exclusively romance and its many subgenres.

How do you work through writer's block?

I am building up my habits of working on more than one story at a time. When I am stuck on one then I move on to the next until the ideas start rolling in again. I have a few subgenres I'm currently dabbling in, so that process works for me really well.

Do you have a writing routine? If yes, what is it?

I have been reading books on craft and increasing my daily word count. One book in particular mentioned getting your writing out of the way at the start of your day. That way you feel productive right at the beginning and anything else is gravy. I try my best to follow this advice. Usually I'll spend the morning (1 hour) working on one story and then the evening working on another. I am still a night owl after all.

Which one of your characters do you most identify with?

There's something within all my characters that I identify with; however, I would have to say Rae from The Names You Call Me/The Love You Give Me. Throughout her life, she often feels like she doesn't belong, and it's one of the reasons she gravitated to literature and writing. I really enjoyed teasing out the facets of her personality.

Favorite distraction from writing?

I love watching movies and listening to music. My all-time favorite thing to do besides writing is reading. I love digging into a book and escaping for several hours.

Cliffhanger or happily ever after?

HEA, amiright?! But seriously, I love a satisfying happy ending. One that makes you feel hopeful and gooey inside.

Favorite romance trope?

One of my favorite tropes would have to be second chance. These stories appeal to me because they tend to have elements of the past weaved into how the present plays out. Do you forgive and forget? Do you let go of past mistakes (yours and theirs) and open yourself up to that person again? I love getting into the minds of both characters and see how they work through those questions.

What are you currently working on? What do you plan to do in the future?

My latest novel released on May 22; it's called Heal Me Gently (The Reawakening Series, Book 3). I am also working on a steamy contemporary novella to be included in an anthology. And this will be my first anthology, so I'm super excited about that. Lastly, I'll return to Book 4 of The Reawakening Series which I hope will have a late summer release.