Talya Andor, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
your book, Surfeit for the Senses.
Genre: Contemporary gay romance
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Cover artist: Aisha Akeju
Length: 66,000
Heat level (based on movie ratings): R
Tagline: Where the recipe for love mixes up equal parts rivalry
and the determination to come out on top!
Blurb: With the buzz and drama of competition behind them, Alex
is determined to focus on the one thing that matters most: his budding relationship
with Nik. All the pieces seem to be finally falling into place, as he settles into
his new living arrangements and gets back into the rhythm of the kitchen, while
he and Nik spend all their precious free time together.
Life never stays smooth for long, however. The combined weight
of family tragedy, television fame, and new, unexpected responsibilities strain
the bonds of Alex and Nik’s partnership, and conflict between them demands they
settle the question of equality once and for all. Pulled in so many directions,
it may be more than a new relationship can take.
Buy links:
What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
Alex Koch is twenty-two, and a chef who has been graduated for
nearly a year from the Culinary Institute of America. Nik Schulze is the same age,
and also a chef.
Interview
How did you get your start in the industry?
Around the time my grandfather died, I made a blog entry about
how he had always, always encouraged me
in my writing, and every time he saw me he asked how that was coming and whether
he’d get to read something I’d published, and one of my regrets was not having gotten
to that point before he passed away. I was invited by Less Than Three Press to submit
manuscripts for their consideration—so I took the chance! I submitted three, and
happily they were accepted. I’m proud to say that one of my first novels was dedicated
to my grandfather and his memory.
What is the most important thing you do for your career now,
as compared to when you first started writing?
Put myself out there, really. Before, I was always afraid to
submit anything, because I feared rejection. Now, I think I could take that to move
forward and become stronger. I wrote several novel-length manuscripts before I ever
had the courage to send anything out for submission—about nine? Maybe more? The
most important thing was to stop holding onto those for “some day” and
make now that day. Finish, work with my own pre-readers to get them as polished
as possible, and submit for publisher consideration, then go from there.
What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?
I get really focused, sometimes to the point where my friends
will urge me to take things easy, take a day off once in a while. From my perspective,
I take too much time off—there’s so many projects, I want to write everything while
the ideas are fresh and flowing! I tend to shoot for a goal of 2,000 – 3,000 words
a day, putting it in consistently, and that gives me decent turnout without sacrificing
quality. That allows me to pace myself and still have good output. Even then, sometimes
I feel like I’m going too slow. It took me about three months to finish my latest
novel, and I feel like I should have had it done in a month and a half, tops. Sometimes,
I have to remind myself to relax and take things as they occur. I have burned out
before, overreaching myself.
How do you cope with stress as an author?
Sangria o’clock! Just kidding. Speaking candidly, I try to pace
myself. It’s important to strike a work/life balance. In my case, I basically have
two jobs: the day job, and the author job. I make sure to keep up with my hobbies
as well, and my exercise regimen, and that keeps me not only grounded, but prevents
me from sinking too far into one manuscript or another. It can get really hectic
at times—this week I had to put together a blog tour, I got a print copy to approve,
there was a daily word count to meet, I got feedback on a manuscript, and things
were super busy both at home and at work—but I also made time for down time. I watched
a couple of my favorite shows, exercised daily, and had date night on Friday. It’s
a juggling act! And I seize every moment of it.
Do things your family or friends do ever end up in a book?
I think it’s impossible not to be influenced by that, for sure,
but I don’t think my friends or family would recognize themselves in any of my characters.
I don’t build my characters with my own friends or family in mind, either—I construct
them to their own individual specifications.
Which of your books would you recommend to someone who doesn’t
normally read your genre, and why?
Appetite, for starters!
I know it may not necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea, with such an intense focus
on food and fine dining, but Alex goes through a character arc that I really enjoyed
constructing, and seeing Nik through his eyes was challenging and rewarding.
What kind of books do you read when taking a break from your
own writing?
M/m fiction primarily, though I currently have some books on
my pile by Brandon Sanderson and Melanie Rawn. I’m a bit eclectic, I read everything
from contemporary to high fantasy to sci fi, and I tend to follow writers across
genres. That reflects a bit in my own writing; I always love to try new things.
Imagine you get to go on a dream vacation, but you have only
one hour to pack and leave, and it starts as soon as you finish this interview.
What will you take with you and where will you go?
My dream vacation would be a tour through Europe, culminating
in a Mediterranean cruise, ideally with a flight to Japan
at the end that would give me some time in Tokyo before I returned to the States. I could
be ready to go in an hour! I’d throw a variety of clothes in a suitcase, stuff my
laptop in its case, and I’ve already got international calling enabled on my cell
phone and my passport in my purse. I’d take my Kindle and iPod for the airplane,
and bring it on.
What do you like to do when you’re bored?
This is a rare state for me! I am really busy on a fairly regular
basis, between writing projects, that work/life balance, and being as lazy as possible
at every possible opportunity. I keep myself so occupied I can’t remember the last
time I had leisure to be bored. I’ll bet I played Sudoku, or read a book, or started
up a video game I hadn’t played in a long time. Even now, I’m itching to finish
my second playthrough of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword but I haven’t had the time.
If your life became a movie, who would you want to play you?
Drew Barrymore, for sure. Because she’s wacky enough, but also
tough, smart, and all-around fun, yet she’s got a serious work ethic. She’s well-rounded
and (possibly only in my head) we bear a passing resemblance to one another.
Find Me Here
Talya Andor, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
