Everything about this trip is going wrong, so why does being stuck with a stranger feel so right?

When Stella Chen got the call to interview for her dream job, she knew her life was about to become a lot more exciting. Getting stranded in the airport definitely wasn’t the adventure she had planned for… and neither was the gorgeous grump with the key to her making it there on time.
Theo Martin spent years making it a personal mission to keep everyone at a distance. Safe to say, road tripping to a friend’s wedding with a beautiful stranger wasn’t on his to do list.

Let’s talk writing… 

What comes first, the plot or characters?

HM: Plot is first. 

Where is your favorite place to write?

HM: I have a designated office, but this summer I have enjoyed writing at the beach.

Do you prefer writing in silence or to music?

HM: Depends. This new book I did with music

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

HM: Usually a line from the story, itself. Unless it’s a Beaumont book – those I have a long list of word combos. 

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

HM: Oh gosh, I think there are over 50, but this includes novellas. My favorite is a tie between Liam Page and Harrison James.

You’ve written in multiple romance subgenres. Do you have a preference?

HM: Definitely second chance & secret pregnancy.

If you were to genre-hop, which genre would you most like to try?

HM: Young Adult PNR

If you had to recommend one of your books to a new reader, which would you recommend?

HM: FOREVER MY GIRL 

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

HM: Heidimclaughlin.com 

Can you share something about your current book that isn’t in the blurb?

HM: This new one deals with cancer

Are there any secrets from the book, you can share with readers?

HM: Not really, but I will say, one of the characters makes a statement that will shock readers

What was the inspiration for the story?

HM: Life, in general. I try to make these character as true to life as possible. If I treat them like normal people, normal things happen to them.

Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?

HM: Taylor Swift on repeat, her entire collection (the one she’s remastered)

What is the future of the characters? Will there be a sequel?

HM: This series is so intertwined, they’re not going anywhere

If you had to describe the main character in THREE words, what would those three words be?

HM: Determined, selfless, flawed

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

HM: Oh goodness, I am currently obsessed with Purple Hearts on Netflix, and I think Sofia Carson is gorgeous, and since my lead female is in the music industry, it has to be Sofia. Nicholas Galitzine definitely has to be my male lead! 

Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

Spiders

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

Endless summer 

Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

Early! 

Toilet Paper: Over or Under

over 

Morning Person or Night Owl

night owl

Instagram or Facebook or TikTok

ugh, neither 

Let’s talk writing… 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

SR: I realized I wanted to be a writer when I started writing spoken word and poetry when I was in high school, and I started to have dreams of characters in my head.

What comes first, the plot or characters?

SR: For me, the characters come first because they can come to my mind at the most random times. Lol 

Do you prefer writing in silence or to music?

SR: I love writing to music because many of the songs give me scenes.

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

SR: Not as much, but I do like to have the town name, the major locations I plan to write about, and who are the owners of the locations. 

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? 

SR: I have written three books thus far and I’ll say my favorite thus far would have to be my latest release, titled Sweet & Sour. It’s my favorite because it’s my first ever erotica and it was a challenge to write the book. However, once the book was released it hit the top five on the Black and African America Erotica list on Amazon which was huge for me. 

You’ve written in the YA, NA, and contemporary romance genres. Do you have a preference?

SR: NA would have to be my favorite because I can write some of my personal experiences in my life since I’m in the NA age range in real life. Lol 

If you were to genre-hop, which genre would you most like to try?

SR: I would love to try paranormal or fantasy since I love reading them by black authors. 

Which of your books was most enjoyable to write?

SR: For me, it would be the short story I wrote in the Santa Sing Me A Christmas Coral: A Holiday Anthology. The title is the name I’ll Be Home For Christmas. It was such a fun and sweet story to write because it gave me all the feel of a Hallmark movie! 

If you had to recommend one of your books to a new reader, which would you recommend?

SR: It would be either I’ll Be Home For Christmas or The One: A Jones Hills Novelette

Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

Spiders

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

Endless Summer 

Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

Always be an Hour Early 

Tea or Coffee

Coffee

Movie or Book

Book

Coke or Pepsi

Neither. Don’t drink soda. lol

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CL: I’ve always used writing to process through my emotions. Then, I started writing when things got hard in my life, and I turned writing into a way to escape my reality instead of processing through it. I never saw writing as a career though, until I let a friend of mine read one of my stories and they declared, “You’re a writer.” I’ve never felt so fulfilled in any profession I’ve ever had as I do sharing my stories with others.

How do you handle writer’s block?

CL: Take a hot shower. It works EVERY SINGLE TIME. I always get my best ideas in the shower, so anytime I’m at a standstill in a story, I will take a long hot shower and by the time I get out I usually have a ton of ideas.

What comes first, the plot or characters?

CL: It depends on the story, but I want to say it’s almost always the plot. In Caging Grace, Grace for sure came first. I have dreams about her, and saw her in everything I did for a few months before the story slowly unfolded. But usually the story always comes first and the Characters just unfold when they need to.

Where is your favorite place to write?

CL: Out in nature. The balcony of a cabin, a park, the beach. I do my best writing when I’m alone and surrounded by nature. I’m not a sit in a coffee shop or at my desk type of author.

Do you prefer writing in silence or to music?

CL: I need silence for sure. If a scene has music in it, or is inspired by music, I’ll play that song to get motivated, but then go back to silence, otherwise I’m easily distracted.

How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?

CL: Almost all of it. I do a ton of prep before I start writing. I will map out each chapter, and research and build each chapter in my mind, using my notes feature on my phone, several note books etc. When I have a chunk of time to writing, I just sit down and bang out all the words since everything is pretty much already been created in my mind and researched.

How do you deal with emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?

CL: I feel everything I’m writing, which is why I like to do so in solitude. If I tried to write in public people would think I was insane, laughing and crying in public.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

CL: Weird fact about me is I can’t start writing until I have a title. I come up with the concept first, title and then characters. If I don’t have a title, I don’t write.

Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or to write the subsequent novels?

CL: Subsequent novels are never as easy as the first, for me.

Who is your favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them special?

CL: My favorite character hasn’t been released yet. Trinity from my book, Forgive me Father was such a complex and hard to write character. But her character challenged me more than any in my writing career, and I felt more accomplishment at the end of that book than I ever have with any others I’ve written.

Which of your books was most enjoyable to write?

CL: I just really enjoy writing, but some books have for sure been easier than others. I think Caging Grace was a very easy book to write, so I got a lot of enjoyment out of it because it all flowed so naturally. I wasn’t hung up on any part of the story and I found the research really interesting for that book.

Where do you get your inspiration?

CL: I’m a bit of a hippie, so I find inspiration from all around me. I love trying new foods, going to new places and taking in how I feel and turning them into stories and ideas. A lot of my book ideas have come from world events, or random articles that sparked an idea.

If you had to recommend one of your books to a new reader, which would you recommend?

CL: Bound By Grace is the prequel to Caging Grace, and it’s a nice quick read. It will show you my writing style, and get you ready for Caging Grace once its out. You can get it for free here: https://BookHip.com/XPWQDRK

With a sick, illegal immigrant mother, a dead father, and a younger sister to provide for, struggle has become second nature to Grace. What she doesn’t know how to do, is hope or dream. Those are two things you don’t have the luxury of doing when you work three jobs to support your family.

This isn’t your average love story. Sometimes, the princess saves the prince. And sometimes, the best person to choose to love, is yourself. 

Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

Spiders hands down! I hate snakes!

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter?

Oh that’s hard…I’m a spring person, but I guess Winter because I like using my oven.

Would you rather always be an hour early or be constantly twenty minutes late?

I’m always early.

Morning Person or Night Owl?

Night Owl all the way

City or Country?

Country

Paperback or E-Book?

Both! Paperback for my library and leisure reading, E-Books for night reading.