1--What is the title of your latest release?
LEARNING TO TRUST AGAIN, Book 2 in my small-town contemporary romance series Sugar Springs.
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Will Walker and Rory begin life in wedded bliss—or will someone from Rory’s past spell doom for their relationship?
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’m a native Dallasite and have many relatives from East Texas. I set my first contemporary romance series (Hollywood Name Game) in Hollywood because I’m a movie buff. I was inspired by a trip to the Oregon coast to set my second contemporary series there (Maple Cove).
For this new series, I created the small town of Sugar Springs. It was a delight to add a Texan flair to my writing as I built this small town from scratch, adding friends and couples. Each of my contemporary series is about creating a chosen family from a group of friends. I think Sugar Springs captures the essence of that idea, along with what life in a small town in East Texas is like.
4--Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Definitely! Rory is a high school history teacher—the same as I was before I began my romance writing career. Naturally, we would talk shop, but she’s just an interesting, caring woman. A former Olympian, she’s on the verge of designing her own figure skating costume line. I think we’d have great conversations about that, as well as enjoy a glass of wine and a few brownies as we hung out together!
5--What are three words that describe your hero?
Methodical. Intense. Hot! He’s got that lean, athletic frame I like, and his melted chocolate eyes would be easy to get lost in.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I delved into what it took to become an Olympic ice skater. I always watch the Winter Olympics, and figure skating is a favorite of mine (arm-chair judge here!).
My research helped me understand more about the practice time, scoring, travel, and relationships between fellow skaters.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
My usual pattern is to write 3-5 chapters. I then go back and read them, editing as I go along. That includes inserting research needed, tweaking the prose, adding more descriptions, and correcting typos. I continue that process until the book is completed. Then I let it sit as I go on to the next book in the series. When the entire series is completed, I go back and read every book, in order, back-to-back. I tweak as I go, back sprinkle if needed, and make certain characters remain consistent from one book to the next because characters in the first book are always popping up throughout the series.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Dark chocolate. I cannot get through a day without a piece after lunch and dinner! I pop my bag of Dove chocolates into the freezer and then nibble. It last longer that way!
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have an office with a desk, but I rarely sit at it. Most of my writing takes place in the La-Z-Boy recliner in my office. I have bad knees, so I’m more comfortable with my feet propped up, laptop in my lap, sitting by the window as I type away.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Stephen King. He is immensely talented and prolific. Dedicated to his craft. Most people think of him as a horror writer, but he has written so many other types of work (if you’ve seen the movies The Green Mile or The Shawshank Redemption, those are based on his work).
He crafts a plot and characters like no other author. I enjoy how he can take ordinary people and put them in extraordinary situations.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt. It was the first romance I read when I was young. When I finished it, I knew that I wanted to write romance and entertain readers exactly how Holt had. I gobbled up everything she wrote.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
I had gone to a writing conference in Houston and pitched a medieval romance to a publisher/editor. Usually, if they are interested in your work, they’ll ask for the first 3 chapters or the first 50 pages. She asked for the ENTIRE manuscript! I left the conference already on Cloud 9. Sure enough, she contacted me and offered me a contract. That was in 2013. At the end of 2023, I will have had 89 romances published—medievals, westerns, Regencies, and contemporaries.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I adore reading romances, but I try not to very often so that I won’t be influenced by other authors’ work. I do love to sink my teeth into a good thriller. Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, Steve Berry, Lee Child, Linwood Barclay, Harlen Coben—those are all some favorite authors to read. I love a ticking bomb type of plot, where there is pressure for the hero to act by a certain deadline.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
I have so many I enjoy! Rom-coms, action-adventure, biopics.
15--What is your favorite season?
Without a doubt, fall! I live in Texas, and our summers can be brutally hot. I’m always ready for cooler weather and the changing of leaves. I put the flannel sheets back on the bed and enjoy sipping hot chocolate.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
It varies. My birthday is Halloween, so these days, I have to see what my grandkids dress up as. Sunshine will be 4 this coming September, and she is into Disney princesses. Little Aston will be 18 months this coming Halloween, and he’ll wear whatever his mom puts him in. He is very laidback!
This year, however, is one of those “big” birthdays, so we are thinking about taking a trip to celebrate it. Five years ago, Mr. Aston surprised me with a romantic trip to Kauai. We had never been to that particular island before, and it was beautiful and memorable. We haven’t decided where we are going yet. This question will help us get our rears in gear and make our plans!
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
We really enjoyed Ted Lasso. It’s such a feel-good show. It helped get us through the pandemic its first season, and we really hated to say goodbye to it when it wrapped recently.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I like just about any kind of fish. Salmon and sea bass are particular favorites, though I do like mahi-mahi in a taco and shrimp in an enchilada.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I was a reader before becoming a writer, and I will always be a reader! I also enjoy walking and a great TV binge (Severance and Shrinking were both recent ones).
We also enjoy travel and took a dream trip to the UK this past April. We saw castles and churches and drank in all that rich English history.
Most of all, Mr. Aston and I enjoy time with the grands. They only live 2 miles from us, so we’re fortunate that we can see them often.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m in the middle of publishing 2 series in 2023. All my romances may be read as standalones, but I think it’s fun to start them from the beginning. That way, when characters from previous books pop up, a reader is familiar with them. They are all available in Kindle Unlimited.
Sugar Springs is my contemporary romance series for this year. It is set in a fictional town in East Texas and includes:
Book 3 – A Perfect Match: A Small Town Romance – coming July 11
Book 4 – A Fresh Start: A Small Town Romance – coming August 22
Book 5 – Recipe for Love: A Small Town Romance – coming September 19
Suddenly a Duke is my Regency historical romance series and includes:
Book 5 – Fashioning the Duke – coming July 20
Book 6 – Love Blooms with the Duke – coming August 31
Book 7 – Training the Duke – coming October 12
Book 8 – Investigating the Duke – Jasper & Shelby – coming November 21
Sugar Springs #2
A Small Town Romance
Welcome to the new world from USA Today bestselling author Alexa Aston—Sugar Springs—a small town in East Texas where love has a way of turning up when you least expect it!
A woman smarting from the betrayal of her fiancé. A man changing directions in his career. A threat that will come between their new love . . .
Former Olympic gold medalist Rory Addison suffers a career-ending injury when she is shot by a stalker while competing on the ice. After a long rehab, Rory earns her college degree and begins a new career in education. Her world comes crashing down again when her fiancé is disgraced by a huge scandal. Painted by the brush of his misdeeds, she resigns her position and is hired to teach high school history in the small East Texas town of Sugar Springs.
Walker Cox remained in Dallas after graduating from law school, eventually making partner at a high-profile firm. He walks away to return to his hometown, where he takes over his retiring father’s law practice.
When Rory is reluctant to begin a relationship with Walker, her grandmother tells Rory not to let her past color her future and encourages her granddaughter to give the handsome attorney a chance. Things heat up quickly between the pair, and they make plans for a wedding, even as Rory considers a career beyond teaching.
Will Walker and Rory begin their future together as man and wife—or will someone from Rory’s past spell doom for their relationship?
Women's Fiction Contemporary [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: June 20, 2023, e-Book, / ]
Where Love and History Collide
Award-winning, internationally bestselling author Alexa Aston lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots out stories while she walks every morning. She loves reading, watching movies, and attending sporting events when she’s not watching Survivor, The Crown, or The Great British Baking Show.
A former history teacher, Alexa’s historical romances are set during the Regency, Medieval, and American Old West Eras—where she brings to life loveable rogues, dashing knights, and rugged cowboys and lawmen. She also writes contemporary romances which are light and flirty and sometimes contain a bit of suspense.
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