Please give a warm welcome to
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a self-published author who has been publishing since 2015. Lux Carmine is one of my many pen names and I write enjoy writing all types of romances. I live just outside of Richmond, Virginia with my two cats and my two daughters. We recently became obsessed with K-dramas and we watch them together on the weekends.
Have you always wanted to become an author?
No. In my “first life” I was actually a preschool teacher, then a middle school teacher. But I have been reading romance since I was 11 (I learned real quick that females should ALWAYS have orgasms) and I’ve been writing romances since I was 13. Going to age myself a little here but I was always in the AOL roleplaying chatrooms after school. I never did fight scenes, I was there for the romance. 🙂
What are you working on now?
I’m actually co-writing a book with a friend of mine, Riley Long. She writes M/M romance and I haven’t written one of those and I thought heck! Why not??
What was your inspiration for your current book?
I was flipping through Better Homes and Gardens or something like that this past summer and saw this article about these two men who were florists in upstate New York or something like that. I ripped the article out and gave it to my author friend, Riley, and I said “YOU MUST DO THIS!” And now I’m writing one in her series with her. It has a friends to lovers trope which I adore.
Do you have any quirks while working?
I must be facing a wall when I’m writing. If I can see anything at all it distracts me too much and pulls me out of my story. I wish I could be a coffee shop writer but that’s just not me.
What are your hopes for the future?
I hope that my books are discovered and loved by people who need them. My goal as an author is to entertain and to touch the hearts of my readers.
Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world
New authors — Keep writing! Keep trying! Don’t give up hope if your first book doesn’t make the NY Times Best Seller List. And don’t quit your day job maybe until you do. It’s a tough market and it’s getting tougher every day. Publishing is not a get rich quick scheme so make sure you have a different motivation to write other than money.
Do you have anything to say to your followers?
To my followers, I am so thankful for you. I know that if I’m having a really shitty day, a horrible incident or just read a bad review I can count on all of you to lift me back up. I hope my books are able to do the same for you. I love you all! ❤
Helle Gade 