Today I welcome R.L. Merrill to the blog to answer a few questions
for Author Interview³.
1) Tell us 3 fun facts about your writing history
- I never planned to be a writer, it just happened.
- I received a one star review on an early book because there was “too much swearing and sex” and it’s still one of my favorite reviews.
- My latest release is my 25th published work!
2) Describe your writing style in 3 words
Disturbed ants’ nest
3) Name 3 of your literary influences
Anne Rice
Stephen King
Colleen Hoover
4) Share your 3 favourite books
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
5) What are your 3 essential writing tools?
Diet Coke, Chocolate, my trusty MacBook Pro
6) Where are your 3 favourite places to write?
Old buildings: bars, restaurants, hotels
On my couch near the window so I can watch the birds
Anyplace with a steady flow of Diet Coke (do you see a pattern?)
7) Name 3 items on your writing wish list
To write a truly terrifying horror novel that Stephen King says scared the pants off of him haha
To have one of my books turned into a film/TV show (it would just be super fun)
To continue to have readers reach out and say that my books mean something to them
8) What are your top 3 tips for aspiring writers?
Have an ultimate goal: Are you writing to make money, or do you want to write the stories you want to write that make you happy? Both are perfectly fine, but knowing your ultimate goal will drive your business decisions.
Join an organization/writer’s group. RWA has been invaluable to me.
Network! Meet folks on social media, join groups, get to know other folks in your writing community. They’ll be there for you when you need to vent, celebrate, cry, or brainstorm.
9) Tell us 3 of your writing plans for the year ahead
Finish 4 novels between now and September (lofty and possibly unrealistic)
Attend Book Lovers Con in Nashville
Work more on showing, not telling in my stories.
10) Tell us about your latest release
Summer of Hush is a contemporary gay romance set during the last cross-country excursion of the Warped Tour in 2018. Hope, love, and rock ‘n’ roll are served up in heavy doses in this tale of a grieving metalcore frontman Silas Franklin and the brilliant music blogger he’s pined over for years.
R.L. Merrill
Dreamspinner Press
8 October 2019
74,000
Contemporary MM Romance
Heat Level: Moderate
Amazon / Dreamspinner Press
Hush is back… and it’s about to get loud.
After two years grieving the death of his best friend, Silas Franklin is back on the road with his metalcore band, Hush. With a new member, a brilliant new album, and a headlining spot on the last cross-country Warped Tour, life couldn’t be better—unless Silas could meet the intriguing music blogger known only as the Guru. Silas has followed his blog for years and feels the Guru might be the only person who “gets” him.
For years Krishnan Guruvayoor has reported on the metal scene as an anonymous blogger, and he’s just landed an internship on the Warped Tour as well as a potential position with a well-respected music magazine. His best friend arranges for him to meet singer Silas Franklin—but only as Krish the Intern. Their chemistry is instant, and Krish is thrilled to get to know the man behind the music.
The rock star and blogger quickly go from meet-cute to cuddle session, but secrets, overprotective bandmates, meddling media, and a terrible accident all conspire against them. Can their romance survive the summer of Hush?
Once upon a time... a teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock ’n’ roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real life and happily ever after, and she’ll keep writing love stories until she does. Both self-published and traditionally published with Dreamspinner Press, Ro writes romance in contemporary, paranormal, and horror settings inspired by love, hope, and rock ’n’ roll. Ro also loves connecting with other authors online, at conventions, and chapter meetings for the Romance Writers of America, of which she’s been a member since 2014.
A sucker for underdogs, Ro has adopted a wide variety of pets including cats, dogs, rats, snakes, a chameleon, and some fish. Her love of horror is evident the moment you walk in her door and find yourself surrounded by decorative skulls and quirky artwork from around the world. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, or else find her educating America’s youth, being a mom taxi to two busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or head-banging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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