1--What is the title of your latest release?
PAINTED MELODIES, which is Book 2 in my Lost Creek Texas Hill Country small-town contemporary series. Each book in the series reads as a standalone, but if you start from the beginning, you’ll run into familiar characters throughout the series.
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Will an artist leave everything behind—including her budding romance with a divorced coffeehouse owner new to town—to pursue a painting career beyond Lost Creek?
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’m a native Texan, and my publisher, Tanya Anne Crosby, liked that I set my previous small-town series, Sugar Springs, in East Texas. She asked for me to bring readers back to Texas with my 2024 series.
I decided I would head to the Texas Hill Country, which is considered the border between the American Southeast and Southwest. It’s known for its rugged hills, plains, and valleys—as well as numerous wineries—and I thought it would make for a scenic and interesting setting for a small town, with the action revolving around a family winery.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
AB-solutely! When I write a romance, I’m with my hero and heroine, day and night, as they bang around inside my head. I come to know (and enjoy) the leads of Painted Melodies quite a bit. Dax is open and easy to be around, and he’s a very talented musician. Ivy is loyal, quiet, and creative. I would love to sit in her studio and watch her paint or have her walk me through a winetasting at Lost Creek Vineyards. Dax runs the local coffeehouse on the town square, and I’d have a blast drinking coffee or tea, listening to local talent perform.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Smart, charming, and witty
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
All kinds of things! I researched different types of coffees and teas so that Dax was knowledgeable and could make recommendations to his customers. While I write (and used to play the piano), I can’t even draw a decent stick figure, so I had to learn from scratch about paints and canvasses.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
My typical pattern is to write 3-5 chapters and then read through them, cleaning them up, adding in missing research or descriptions, tightening dialogue, correcting typos. The exception is the book I just finished writing. I wrote it straight through because I’m keeping my two adorable grands (2 & 4) next week while my daughter and SIL take a much-needed adult vacation. I wanted to have the entire story down because NO writing is going to take place during that week! This way, I have the writing done, and I can go back and tweak as much as I can. I say that and laugh, knowing I’ll be worn out each night and probably won’t even look at my manuscript.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Dark chocolate and seafood
9--Describe your writing space/office!
My office has a desk, lots of bookshelves, printer, and file cabinet. It also has an extremely comfortable La-Z-Boy reclining rocker—and that is where all the magic happens. I kick back, laptop in my lap, and off I go, writing my romances. I hardly ever sit at my desk.
10--Who is an author you admire?
So many to choose from, but I will say Stephen King. Not only has he had a prolific career over decades, but each of his books reels a reader in. His novels are about ordinary people who wind up in extraordinary circumstances.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The first romance I ever read was Victoria Holt’s Mistress of Mellyn. I had never read a romance, and it took me to another time and place. The heroine was relatable and sympathetic. The hero was tall, dark, and handsome—and he had secrets. So did the old house, where the heroine comes to live as a governess to the hero’s young daughter. I loved the Gothic elements. The mystery. The romance. The entire “Calgon, take me away” of it!
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I met my first publisher at a conference in Houston. We talked one-on-one, and we just clicked. She asked for the entire manuscript, and usually editors at a conference back then only asked for three chapters if they were interested (five if they were REALLY interested). Within two weeks, I had an offer on the table, which started my writing career.
I have since left that publishing house. My contemporary romances are published by Oliver-Heber Books, and my historical romances are published by Dragonblade Publishing.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Besides romance? I would go with thrillers. I love a ticking time bomb plot, where something terrible is going to happen, and the protagonist needs to save the day.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Pretty Woman. It’s the ultimate fantasy (especially for a short gal like me who would love to have Julia Robert’s long legs and get to wear that tan and white polka dot dress with matching hat!).
15--What is your favorite season?
Autumn. I love the cooler weather, the changing of leaves, and football season. I am retired from teaching and write fulltime now, and fall has also become a time I like to travel. With kids in school, it’s easier to get a flight booked, and places aren’t so crowded. The weather is also kinder.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is Halloween! Now that I have grandkids, Mr. Aston & I go to their house and see them in costume. Last year, Sunshine was Elsa from Frozen, while Buddy was Spiderman.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
For TV, I would go with The Gentlemen (THEO JAMES!)
Movie, I enjoyed Hit Man with Glen Powell
Book would be Toxic Prey by John Sandford (Love Lucas Davenport, and this features his daughter working with him on a case which threatens the entire world’s well-being)
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love my seafood. If you can combine it with enchiladas, I’m sold!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I don’t have a lot of it because I do write fulltime, and that keeps me extremely busy. This year, I’m releasing this Lost Creek Texas series, which has 5 romances, and a 7-book Regency series, along with a Regency novella. When I do have time to myself, I enjoy traveling, reading, binge-watching, and spending time with the grands.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I have 3 more Lost Creeks to go: Script of Love (July 16), Love in Every Bite (August 13), and Whispered Melodies (September 17). All of these are on preorder now.
I will release 3 more in my Regency the Strongs of Shadowcrest series this year: Courtship at Shadowcrest (July 24), The Marquess’ Quest for Love (September 6), and The Duke’s Guide to Winning a Lady (October 18). I’ll also be featured in an anthology, Hot Duke Summer (August 24).
THE MARQUESS’ QUEST FOR LOVE will be my 100th published novel/novella. Look for a contest I’ll be running then to celebrate this milestone in my career!
Lost Creek, Texas Hill Country #2
Welcome to Lost Creek Texas, a small town deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where people come seeking new opportunities and a chance to reinvent themselves—and maybe even find love.
A divorced man seeking a new beginning. A woman driven by her art. A new beginning which brings them together…
Dax Tennyson was a Dallas accountant, eager to start a family with his wife. When he learns she’s lied about everything, he ditches both his wife and the conventional lifestyle he’d adopted for her. Following his heart, Dax opens a coffeehouse on the square in Lost Creek, a small town in the Texas Hill Country, and is ready to start a band, hoping they can play weekend gigs.
Ivy Hart’s passion is painting. To pay the bills, though, she takes a position as the assistant manager of Houston art gallery, soon finding she does all her boss’ work and her own for less than half his salary. Tired of having no free time to pursue her own art, Ivy quits and returns home to Lost Creek. She becomes head of the tasting room at Lost Creek Winery, her family’s successful business.
Finding inspiration in the surrounding landscape, Ivy volunteers to paint a mural on a wall of the town square, hoping to showcase her talent. While painting it, she meets Dax, who is determined to discover more about the enigmatic artist behind the mural. The couple bonds over their shared pursuit of artistic dreams, even more so after Dax surprises Ivy by arranging a live music and art fusion event at his coffeehouse. Local musicians and artists are invited to exhibit their talents, and the joint venture becomes a popular affair in the community, mixing the magic of music with art as Dax takes to the stage, singing original songs he has written.
Ivy incorporates elements of the Hill Country and nature into her paintings, capturing the essence of the region. As her reputation grows, an offer to exhibit her work in a larger venue causes her to face a decision regarding her career and her relationship with Dax.
Will Ivy leave everything behind— including her budding romance with Dax— to pursue an art career beyond Lost Creek?
Romance Small Town | Romance Contemporary [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: June 25, 2024, 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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