Holiday Romance Author Erin McLellan

 Erin and I are both Alaskan authors. I had the pleasure of interviewing her recently—enjoy!

Lynn Lovegreen 

What do you write, and what do you enjoy about it?

 

I write queer contemporary romance. Some of my work is angsty and some is really fluffy and light. All of it is very sexy. I enjoy writing contemporary romance because I like exploring slice-of-life scenarios in locales that are interesting to me. In particular, it’s important to me to write queer characters living, loving, and thriving in flyover states.

 

What is your writing process (panster or plotter)?

 

I’m very much a pantser. Normally, I have a seed of an idea for a book. It might be a particular trope or a scene or a character. That seed gets me started, and everything will develop from there. Usually, I’ll have one of my main characters figured out, and I’ll craft their partner to be a good foil for them in some way. Sometimes, especially if I’m strapped for time, I’ll plot out the whole story, but I don’t feel as comfortable writing that way.

 

This month's theme is holiday reads. Please tell us about yours. 

 

I have a series of holiday erotic romance novellas called the So Over the Holidays series. The first book in the series is a Christmas story called Stocking Stuffers with a queer heroine who sells sex toys. She gets snowed in at a B&B with the hero. She’s a bit of a grinch, and he loves Christmas. When I started writing that book, my goal was to write a story with all the heart and kitsch of a Hallmark Christmas movie but to make it very naughty.

 

The next books in the series are Candy Hearts, which is a secret relationship m/m Valentine’s Day story, and Bottle Rocket, which is a second chances m/f Independence Day novella with a queer hero. 

 

All of the books can be read as standalones, and they’re all short, fluffy, sexy, and fun!

 

What part of the books were most fun to write?

 

One of the reasons I love writing holiday books is because it’s fun to twist holiday traditions and tropes. All the books in the So Over the Holidays series have fun queer casts and found families. I like to play with the themes of family, independence, coming of age, and self-actualization, and those themes work perfectly when paired with holidays. Holidays can highlight changes that a person needs or wants to make in their life. They can function as catalysts for transformation, which is a great jumping off point for a story.

 

What's next for you?

 

My next book is the fourth book in the So Over the Holidays series, Party Favors. It’s a f/f New Year’s Eve romance between two online best friends who meet in person for the first time. It was a ton of fun to write and will be released on Dec. 1^st.

 

Blurb for Party Favors:

 

Three…

Amanda Ellis knows three things: she’s tired of doing what’s expected of her, she hates her job at her family’s business, and the last thing she wants to do is attend her parents’ boring New Year’s Eve ball with a date her mother picked. A few days of fun with her online best friend is exactly what she needs to ring in the New Year on her own terms.

 

Two…

Wren Rebello is impulsive and always ready for fun. A last-minute girls’ getaway sounds like the perfect way to spend New Year’s. But even Wren isn’t prepared for the spark of attraction she feels when she meets Amanda in person for the first time. Good thing Wren loves popping Amanda’s cork.

 

One…

After days spent sharing end-of-year resolutions and the one bed in their cottage, the clock strikes midnight and the ball drops on their time together. As Amanda and Wren go their separate ways, they leave new resolutions unfulfilled. Is there enough New Year’s magic left to turn their online friendship into real-life love?

Here is the preorder link for Party Favors: https://smarturl.it/partyfavorskindle

More Author Info:

 

Erin McLellan is the author of the Farm College, So Over the Holidays, and Storm Chasers series. She enjoys writing happily ever afters that are earthy, emotional, quirky, humorous, and very sexy. Originally from Oklahoma, she currently lives in Alaska and spends her time dreaming up queer contemporary romances. She is a lover of chocolate, college sports, antiquing, gardening, Dr Pepper, and binge-worthy TV shows.

 

 

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