Author Spotlight: An Interview with Rebecca Royce

Rebecca Royce Author’s Bio:

As a teenager, I would hide in my room to read my favorite romance novels when I was supposed to be doing my homework. I hope, these days, that my parents think it was worth it.

I am the mother of three adorable boys and I am fortunate to be married to my best friend. I live in Austin Texas where I am determined to eat all the barbecue in town.

I am in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and try to use all of these elements in my writing. I’ve been told I’m a little bloodthirsty so I hope that when you read my work you’ll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. I love to write series because I love to see characters develop over time and it always makes me happy to see my favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

In my world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

I’d love to hear from you!
Cheers!!

Over the years, I’ve read quite a few of Rebecca Royce’s series, although not all. I’ve loved every one of them. Slowly but surely I’m making my way through those that I’ve missed. I think the Westervelt Wolves were my introduction to Rebecca’s blend of werewolf. I do believe I read them back to back until I bemoaned that the series ended. Since then I’ve read the beginning of The Outsiders, all but the latest in the Dragon Wars, and all of the Fallen Alphas. Needless to say I can’t wait to read the latest in the Dragon Wars and I’m impatient to read the latest in the Fallen Alpha series, Alpha Enticing. When Rebecca offered us her Warrior series for review I was ecstatic. Then Deb beat me to the punch by reading and reviewing the first in the series. You can bet that won’t stop me from reading it myself or the rest of the series. So you can expect to see a number of Rebecca’s books reviewed on this site… Just giving you all fair warning 🙂

Considering her re-release of the Warriors and her upcoming release of Alpha Enticing WE had just a few questions for Rebecca. Note that we did ya? Yeah, Deb and I each had questions, so Rebecca got double slammed with our inquisitiveness…

Deb:

Rebecca, your Young Adult series, The Warrior, began with Initiation, which was released in 2011. Did you have any idea when you started writing the series that it would consist of five books?

Rebecca Royce:

I’m a bit of a pantser. When I started book 1, I didn’t know what would happen to it at all. I’d rewritten a million times. Traditionally, I am an adult writer. So, it started out as I begin all of my books, 3rd person, erotic romance. But that just didn’t work. I’d stare at the page and just know it was wrong. So I changed it to first-person and I liked it better but it still wasn’t right. Then, I woke up in the middle of the night and I just knew. The book was wrong because it wasn’t an adult erotic romance, it was a young adult urban fantasy story. I wrote book 1 and it was like WOAH, yes this is. By the end of 1 I knew it would be 5 books. It would take that long to see her complete journey.

Deb:

Throughout Sept. and Oct. of this year, you re-released each book in the series. I understand Initiation, book 1, was extensively re-edited. Why? Were any of the other books re-edited? Why Young Adult? Would you delve into the genre again?

Rebecca Royce:

All five books were extensively re-edited. Why? Well, when they first came out they just didn’t feel right to me. There was one editor for the first three books and then she left the publishing house and I had two different ones for four and five. That was frustrating. When I get the books back, I sent them to the editor I am lucky enough to be working with on all my Indie books now and she did all five. That was hugely helpful. One set of eyes on all of them to see what I was seeing.

The books just called for YA. I went where it took me. I would love to do it again. I have this idea brewing right now as a matter of fact…

Deb:

What kind of things generate ideas for your paranormal books? Why are so many centered around werewolves?

Rebecca Royce:

I love werewolves. Don’t you? They’re dangerous to everyone except their mates. They’d kill the world for them. Le…sigh. My ideas came from everywhere. I had a whole idea for a series I’m still panning to write at the deli once.

Jean:

You have the fifth book in the Fallen Alpha series coming out on November 17th, all of which I have to say, I’ve enjoyed immensely. Can you tell us a little bit about the world the series inhabits and what ties these alpha’s together? Do they have a common history or enemies?

Rebecca Royce:

The world is very similar to the one that we live in only we are getting to see it from the perspective of the hidden Werewolf society. Humans don’t know about them, except for a small group of werewolf haters called the True Believers. The Alphas are all tied together in their fight to keep themselves hidden, to find their next Alpha Prime, and to discover what forces are at work that took their last one and are manipulating their lives now. Alliances are being formed and broken. Its all very exciting. And thank you so much for the compliment on the Alphas. I appreciate that very much.

Jean:

What characteristics would you say make your heroines stand out? Do you have a specific type for your heroines?

Rebecca Royce:

My heroines have their own stories and I just try to follow along. I think they’re all real in the sense that they’re flawed and they have the same internal demons as their male counterparts. There are no perfect heroines in my world.

Jean:

What can you tell us about Alpha Enticing?

Rebecca Royce:

Alpha Enticing is Savage’s book. He is the Alpha of San Francisco. We don’t know much about Savage up until this point except that he is Hayden’s brother and that he periodically shows up to save the day. He runs a club where they take care of the needs of females in need during heat. His mate, Sydney, is doomed to die, or so she has been told, at the hand of an ancient werewolf monster. When she comes into his club for one night of pleasure before her end, Savage knows instantly she is his. But, he has no intention whatsoever of losing her to a werewolf monster. He has to step up to save her and finally be the Alpha he was born to be. There’s lots more to this one, too. What exactly went wrong in the sibling relationship between Hayden and Savage and what is the line between traditional Werewolf values and the world we live in now? How do they confront bigotry and homophobia? I had a lot of ‘feels’ during the writing of this one. Lots of tears. Lots of love. I just adored it.