Author Chat with Andy - Guest Author, Beth Bolden

Welcome to another Author Chat with Andy. If you’re a foodie in any way at all, this week’s guest, Beth Bolden, is the author for you. Not only is Beth an author, but she is quite the cook. Her current best selling series is the Food Truck Warriors. Even if you’re not a foodie, I recommend you pick one up and start the adventure.

With that, let’s chat with Beth.

ACwA Guest: Beth Bolden

How did the first story you ever wrote influence your career as an author and how do you feel about that story now?

I think my first gay romance, The Rainbow Clause, is, in a lot of ways, me laying out exactly the kind of romance I like to write. It has a bisexual hero, there is that glorious forced proximity, and throughout the story, a theme of loyalty and acceptance and support. Is it a book I’m 100% happy with? Of course not. But I think it’s stood the course of time, because Colin and Nick like to show up in all my other books, even when the books are not about them. The fact that four years later, their love story still resonates with me (and my readers) is amazing, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Which of your characters is most like you (or someone close to you.)

Chase Riley in Hit the Brakes (and several of my other books as a side character, including Rough Contact). Chase suffers from anxiety and from something I like to call emotional overwhelm, where his emotions overtake his logic and his intelligence and he occasionally will do and say things he regrets. This is something that I’ve struggled with my whole life, and it was really satisfying to write a hero who also has the same issues, and works to overcome them, the way I have. I got so much positive feedback on his portrayal and also on my emphasis that there is nothing wrong with accepting help, and was truly wonderful to hear, because I felt such a strong connection to Chase.

What is your favorite trope and why?

I love writing enemies to lovers. There are other tropes I enjoy digging into (bisexual awakening, fake boyfriend, forced proximity) but there is something about enemies to lovers that keeps me coming back for more, even though I think it is one of the toughest tropes to write well. I’ve done it four times now, and I feel like every single time I write an enemies to lovers story, I get a better handle on how to do it well. I think the reason that I enjoy enemies to lovers so much is that it’s a true test of character arc and characterization. Can you take two people who have a good reason not to like each other at all and not only change their minds, but make them fall in love? It’s such a challenge. Also, I personally love writing snarky, closed off characters and not really changing them but showing readers another side to them, and those are perfect for enemies to lovers stories.

How many half-written stories are on your hard-drive and what do you plan to do with them?

Shockingly, not that many? I have a lot of plot bunnies. I always have a ton of those, but I rarely will actually work on a story and then never go further on it. But something that I’ve been kicking around in my brain for a long time is the sequel to my romantic fantasy, Yours Forever After, and I’m really excited that I’ll be starting that in a few months.
What are you working on next?

Right now I’m working on The Red Zone, the third book of my loose Riptide series, which follows the players of the Los Angeles Riptide football team. Alec is an agent, and he’s appeared in several different books so far, and the other MC is Spencer Evans, who’s been out of the closet for nine years, but as I like to refer to him as, he’s the most closeted “out” guy in the world. But all of that is going to change as he and Alec connect to help him be traded to the Riptide, who actually admires and respects their queer players.

And of course, the two of them can’t keep it only professional . . .because this is a Beth Bolden book 😊

Beth Bolden’s Newest Release

Lennox’s favorite escape is the Food Truck Warriors . . . until it needs his protection.

Ash isn’t running from his past—he’s already left it way behind. He’s built a business from scratch, using all the lessons that his father taught him, and every day at his food truck is a challenge he was born to tackle.

But when a stalker appears, hinting that he knows the secrets Ash has tried so hard to bury, he needs more help than his food truck friends can provide. He needs a professional.

Lennox is a mystery. He’s been coming around the Food Truck Warriors for months now, and nobody knows if that’s even his real name. But Ash is fascinated by the man, and the feeling seems to be mutual.

When the threat to Ash becomes a little too real, Lennox intervenes, and finally, the electricity between them transforms into something very much like love. But now their safety—and their hearts—are on the line.

Buy Links

| Full Speed Ahead | Food Truck Warriors Series | Riptide Series |

Free Book!

Opening Day: A Bonus Short Story by Beth Bolden

Click the image above, or click here to sign up for Beth Bolden’s newsletter and receive a free copy of Opening Day: A Food Truck Warriors Bonus Short Story.

Giveaway!

Comment on this post or on the accompanying post in Andy’s Facebook Group, Gallorious Readers, for your chance to win an ebook of your choice from Beth Bolden’s backlist!

About Beth Bolden

A lifelong Oregonian, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband and their sweet kitten, Earl Grey. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published twenty novels and six novellas.

Where to Find Beth Bolden

Author Chat With Andy: Guest Author, Beth Bolden