Welcome to another week of Author Chat with me. Today’s guest author is an MM romance author who is under constant siege from plot bunnies. adores steamy, funny, swoony romances where couples are allowed to just be happy. She writes low angst stories full of heat, humor, and heart. But sometimes she’s in the mood for something with a bit more angst and drama. Happy to have Ariella Zoelle with us here today.
Now, let’s chat with Ariella!
ACwA Guest: Ariella Zoelle
How did the first story you ever wrote influence your career as an author and how do you feel about that story now?
Ariella: I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid, but I didn’t write my first MM romance until 2005. It was a story that was buried so deep in my heart, I didn’t even realize it was there. I was really sick and woke up one day to discover 15,000 words about Iason and Orion that I wrote in a fever-state with zero memory of it. It was the first romance and MM story I ever wrote, even though I had been reading Japanese BL/yaoi for almost a decade by that point. But most importantly, it was the first thing I had ever written that I liked. I was so critical of everything I wrote back then, so that was huge. But I wasn’t a good enough writer back then to do the story justice. It languished for a really long time, but it’s finally going to come out in April 2022 as Playing It by Heart, the first book in my Harmony of Hearts series about musicians. I can’t wait to share it with everyone and let the guys have their well-deserved moment in the sun.
Which of your characters is most like you (or someone close to you.)
Ariella: All of my characters have pieces of me in them to make them feel more real and believable. I write about a lot of grad students since I was one before I left academia, so the things my characters study are all things I’ve majored in and researched extensively. It makes it more fun that way.
What is your favorite trope and why?
Ariella: My favorite trope is friends to lovers. There’s a special kind of banter between close friends that is so much fun to write. It’s also a relationship built on an existing love, so watching that turn into a romantic one is something really sweet. It showcases in a lot of my books, especially in my Good Bad Idea series: https://readerlinks.com/l/2104908
How many half-written stories are on your hard-drive and what do you plan to do with them?
Ariella: I currently have 28 books in various stages of completion. Most of them are eventually going to be incorporated into my Sunnyside series, but I also have a few fantasy books planned that I hope everyone will love. I’m really excited for my Wonderland Ever After trilogy that will start with Alistair in Wonderland, a low angst retelling of Alice in Wonderland with a male lead. Natasha Snow has done the first cover and trust me when I say it is so gorgeous, you’ll want to one-click the book when it comes out!
What are you working on next?
Ariella: Gaycation in Paradise is currently with my editor, which focuses on Aldo’s romance with his celebrity crush, Rook Warrick. It’s a fun and sassy story featuring a celebrity/regular guy, insta love, age gap, forced proximity, opposites attract, gay romance. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/2104875
I’m already hard at work on the sequel, Honeymoon Ever After. Rory goes on a solo honeymoon after dumping his fiancée, where he meets Kieran Aiello and finds out what happily ever after really means. It’s a bi awakening, insta love, celebrity/regular guy, age gap, opposites attract, gay romance that will make everyone laugh, swoon, and fan themselves from the heat! The pre-order will be going up very soon, so please keep an eye out for it!
Ariella Zoelle’s Newest Release
BLURB
Luca Revello
As someone who grew up in the city, I experience some culture shock when I travel to the picturesque, small town of Wintervale to help an older couple launch their new ski resort. While almost everyone warmly welcomes me, I seem to rub the owners’ son the wrong way. While Albie seems determined to chase me away, his feisty nature makes him irresistible to me, despite our fifteen year age difference.
It may not be love at first sight, but by the fourth time we meet, I feel like I’m starring in my very own romantic comedy with Albie. Can the magic of a small town bring us a happily ever after worthy of the best schmoopy movies?
Albie Farnese
I want to hate Luca with everything I have. An outsider like him should have no business telling my family how to run our business. But instead of the stuffy, obnoxious know-it-all I expect to show up, Luca has the audacity to be charming, handsome, hilarious, and ridiculously perfect, making it impossible to hate him. Ugh, he’s such a jerk.
If I can’t hate him, I guess that means I have to love him for being the living embodiment of my dream boyfriend. The man even bakes like a master pastry chef! Who could resist a baking god? Certainly not me. Honestly, his only flaw is not being a permanent resident of Wintervale. But I can be very persuasive when it comes to getting what I want, so why should I let that pesky little detail stop us from being together?
Love at Fourth Sight is the third book in the Suite Dreams series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a small-town, insta love, age gap, opposites attract, gay romance. If you love cute sweetness, sexy fun, and no angst stories that will make you laugh and swoon, you’ll enjoy this satisfying HEA without cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Buy Links
Sign up for my newsletter by downloading Gamble on Love, a swapped POV preview reader magnet for Bet on Love, the first book in my Good Bad Idea series: https://readerlinks.com/l/2104836
About Ariella Zoelle
Ariella Zoelle adores steamy, funny, swoony romances where couples are allowed to just be happy. That means she writes low angst stories full of heat, humor, and heart. But sometimes she’s in the mood for something with a bit more angst and drama. If you are too, check out her A.F. Zoelle books.
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