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Lexi Blake on what she loves most about writing romance + hiding her neurotic side

perfectly-pairedLexi Blake is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling hybrid author of titles including the “Masters & Mercenaries” series (Perfectly Paired arrives 11/29!), the “Thieves” series (Addict: Hunter), and The Perfect Gentleman series (Big Easy Temptation) with Shayla Blake, published by Berkley.

From a young age she has been writer at heart and enjoyed writing plays and journalism before developing her romance novels as an adult. A romantic at heart, she always believes in happy endings no matter what. Lexi lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and her rescue dog.

Lexie recently sat down (metaphorically) for an interview with IndieReader’s Rachel Moulden.

Rachel Moulden (RM): Tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something not many people know?

Lexi Blake (LB): I’m actually pretty private. I think I represent myself on social media fairly well, but try to hide my neurotic side. I can be a bit of a hypochondriac – but I also can’t stand doctors so I suffer my bouts of crazy tropical fevers I’ve read about recently in private. Seriously, I should not be allowed to use any of those symptom checkers because I become convinced I’m sick. I’m also a massive geek and have been for as long as I can remember. One of the first things I can remember writing is Doctor Who fan fiction.

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RM: You’ve had an interest in writing since a young age, what type of plays and journalism did you write when you were younger?

LB: I wrote a couple of plays that were produced. I had a comedy called Stagebound produced by a local theatrical group. My senior year of high school the drama club produced a one act play of mine called Common Ground. That one went on to also be produced in Canada. I tended toward darker subject matter in my youth. I was the editor of my high school newspaper. When I got to college I realized journalism wasn’t really for me so I turned more and more to fiction.

RM: If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?

LB: That’s a hard one. I know the book that really got me into reading was Charlotte’s Web by EB White. It’s such a loving and generous book about life and I think it’s likely inspired children to be readers and to be kinder human beings.

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RM: Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?

Submission is Not Enough (“Masters and Mercenaries”, Volume 12) is the culmination of a long term story line in this series. This is the couple I’ve been building up for two and a half years and over the course of four books. Submission is Not Enough is really two love stories in one. My hero no longer remembers his past life so my heroine tells him stories and has memories of how he won her over in the beginning. All the while she’s the one who has to find a way to win him over in the present. If you’re a fan, this is the one you’ve likely been waiting for. If you’re not, I would greatly suggest you go back to book one.

RM: If you could spend time with a character from any of your book series whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

LB: I live with Ian Taggart every day so I’m going to skip on spending more time with him. I’m going to spend the day with the women of McKay-Taggart. Charlotte and I can shop for shoes and handbags and enjoy stories of her Russian mob days over cocktails.

RM: Do you have a favorite series that you enjoy writing out of all five? What inspired that story?

LB: It’s hard to pick between your children, but I have to admit that “Thieves” – my urban fantasy series – is really the series of my heart. I love everything I write, but “Thieves” is how I got back into writing after a very long time off. The inspiration? I could and have written a lot about that. Long story short, I had a little brush with death that led to a complete change of life and from that change came Thieves.

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RM: What tactics do you have when writing? (For example: outline or just write) What strategies would you suggest to new writers?

LB: I don’t overly outline. I start with a concept. I like to figure out why these two people are right for each other and what spaces they fill in the other. Then I like to figure out the basic beginning, middle and end but other than that, I let the story flow. Sometimes that leads to a very different outcome than I expected, but that’s part of the joy I get from my job. I think every writer needs to find her natural rhythm. Figure out what brings you joy – building a plot and sticking to it or completely pansting the book or something in between. Don’t let others tell you there are hard and fast rules. It’s all about figuring out what works for you.

RM: Are there any concepts for future books (series or standalone) that you haven’t written yet, that you would like to try? If so, what are they?

LB: I have a million ideas. I have two spin offs I want to do from “Masters and Mercenaries”. I also want to do a small town series. I’ve got lots of concepts. It’s just about finding the time to start something new.

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RM: What things have you learned about the romance genre over time since you’ve become a writer?

LB: What I love about writing romance is the incredible community of women I am surrounded by. I love that this is a business by women, for women and about women. There is no more feminist a business than the world of romance writers. We support each other, share information, push each other to new heights. I love this industry and the women I work with and write for.

RM: You’ve collaborated with Shayla Black before numerous times, are there any other romance authors you’d like to collaborate with? If so, which author/s and why?

LB: There are so many great authors out there. I would love to work with them all!

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