Writing Romance with a Kick
An Interview with Chloe Holiday
Chloe Holiday is a new author in the middle of publishing a series of romances. I’ve read and reviewed her work on Amazon and am a big fan so when the opportunity came up to interview Chloe, naturally I jumped at it.
BH: Hi, Chloe, thanks for taking the time to speak with me. I know things are pretty hectic now for you. So in one word or less, tell us about the Helios Series and the individual books. I’m joking, but can you introduce your novels to readers?
Chloe: The Helios Series is a contemporary romance with a kick: humor and suspense. I love to write about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, and characters who are different than the typical romance couple, while still hitting enough of the tropes to satisfy.
Finders, Keepers is a modern Cinderella story about missed connections, second chances, and the courage to find one’s own path.
In Helios, a young advertising agent yields to the temptation of a sexy Greek stranger on an overseas flight, unaware he’s the client she’s going to pitch. It’s got the wealthy alpha trope but some of the other tropes are turned on their heads.
New Heights features a young woman struggling to overcome a traumatic upbringing, and the abuses of power which can occur in a military hierarchy, and suspense.
Submerged Hopes is an enemies-to-lovers military romance, with a deaf archaeologist excavating an ancient shipwreck when she uncovers priceless artifacts, along with ghosts from her past.
Right now I’m working on the fifth book, which will be out this spring.
BH: How would you describe your work?
Chloe: I write novels for people who usually don’t read romance because they want a story with more depth. My characters face real-world problems that people can relate to, as opposed to a simpler, spun-sugar plot of “will they or won’t they?” I like to include humor and also bring the reader something new and unique that will leave them richer, whether that be rude hand gestures in Greece, an inside look at military culture, tidbits about ancient archaeology, reading tea leaves, getting the bends, or the world of a Deaf protagonist. It’s the same for the stories with sports elements — it’s not the same old ballplayers, but rather surfing, scuba diving, rock climbing, and adventure racing.
BH: What strikes me about this series is that it’s not just a standard romance. Is there a way you like to describe this series and what makes it different?
Chloe: A Chloe Holiday romance is first and foremost a rollicking, great escape. The books feature drama, humor, and vivid settings/unusual situations which are sometimes dangerous. The relationships explored are not only romance but those of family, whether close or estranged, as well as friendship. I’m fond of wordplay, and secondary characters who feel real. I sometimes put in short “excerpts” from a character’s reading, and those are over-the-top purple prose with titles such as Torrid in Topeka.
BH: These novels are kind of tied together but each one can be read as a standalone. Was that intentional?
Chloe: Absolutely. I hate reading a whole novel, only to have it end on a cliffhanger. It makes me feel ripped off, as if the author’s taken advantage of my time, only using the story to push me into buying the next novel. Also, at least for paperbacks, there could be a time when only one book might be available. This way, people can enter the series at any point, without feeling lost or being subjected to a huge infodump of backstory.
I do have some “Easter eggs” sprinkled in — situations or dialogue that will be an inside joke to readers of the previous books, and in fact, some of my readers who enter mid-series, go back and pick up the earlier stories, then re-read straight through and enjoy those little bits that were invisible the first time.
BH: How do you pull that off?
Chloe: I write the series, then go back and layer in the subplots, and references. It is a lot of work, but it’s important to me to deliver a great story.
BH: Your characters have wonderful chemistry together They get each other’s silly jokes and their banter flows naturally despite the fact that oftentimes they are from different backgrounds. How much of this is from personal experience and how much is imagined?
Chloe: Though I’ve been blessed with my spouse, my characters are not me, but rather an amalgam of my imagination blended together with tiny shreds of people I’ve met over my entire life, and the people I wish I’d met. I want to forge an irresistible connection between them that’s more than just lust.
BH: Speaking of lust, I understand sex scenes in Romance can range from “fade to black” to graphic and explicit. How would you describe your sex scenes?
Chloe: My goals are that they are unique, sensuous but not porny, and aren’t gratuitous, instead of advancing the story. They don’t feature abuse glorified as love, nor humiliation. It’s important to me to portray sex as a positive, non-shameful, healthy experience.
BH: Every writer hears, “Write what you know!” One of the things I really like about your novels is that you speak about different topics with what sounds like experience, if not expertise. In Helios, you describe the scenery, smells, and tastes of Greece. In Submerged Hopes, you went into scuba diving and archaeology, then rock climbing in New Heights. How much research do you put into writing these?
Chloe: A lot! I’m lucky to have had a tremendous variety of experiences, between my upbringing, military service, hobbies, travel, and medical background, so that helps with realism — my hope is to avoid the “gimme a break” moments that pull a reader out of a story. Beyond that, I do a huge amount of research, and I also have wonderful beta readers of all sorts (people who are straight, gay, and bisexual, who represent various races, nationalities, professions, and religions, and those with the experiences I portray, like my Deaf readers).
BH: Many of your characters are in the military, and I understand you have a military background as well. Can you tell me about that? How has it shaped your view of the world?
Chloe: I was in the Army for many years, lived in multiple states and overseas, and had all sorts of adventures. My spouse went to war. In the medical field, I worked with active-duty military members and veterans from every branch. Living in a foreign country was eye-opening, broadening my worldview while simultaneously making me very grateful for what we have in this country. It all helps lend realism to stories about military members.
BH: Many of us who write have difficulty judging how much knowledge of a subject to ascribe to our reader. How do you draw the line?
Chloe: I’ve heard advice that an author should simplify words and make sentences short, “because readers aren’t very sophisticated.” I couldn’t disagree more — my readers are smart and don’t need to be spoon-fed. I believe people read not only for a diversion and to feel something, but also to learn; my goal is to indulge that while making it fun. For example, I do include some foreign words and idioms in my novels, but they’re made clear by context.
BH: I think one of the really cool things you do in your books is you’ll have the narrative voice change noticeably when the character’s point of view changes.
Chloe: My goal is for the characters to feel real, so vivid that after a novel, a reader would be able to hear a line of dialogue and know who said it. People look at things differently and sound different, too, so why should that be different in a novel? Also, the “voice” needs to fit what the character would actually say. In my stories, you’ll never hear Marines call someone’s hair “her winsome tresses.”
BH: I notice your heroines vary widely, but are women with clear goals and a can-do attitude. Is that from your background?
Chloe: I think so. I grew up dirt-poor in a family of seven, and we all had to pitch in; that meant milking cows, hauling hay, cutting brush, you name it. In medicine, too, people depend on you — there’s no time to drag your feet and hope someone else will step up. I do like to portray women who — while they may have insecurities and vulnerabilities — are ultimately able to stand up and take charge of their own lives.
BH: How many drafts have you gone through for each of the novels?
Chloe: At least five. I write a rough draft, tweak it, and then get my early readers’ feedback. Then I revise, revise again, and post that “new and improved” version for my beta readers, after which I do a final polish. I’m fortunate to have such dedicated, wonderful readers on my Holiday Squad.
BH: What method did you use to release them?
Chloe: I first tested the water with a short story just to learn how to do the formatting, how to upload to Amazon, etc. That was a good idea because I botched it first thing, and had to re-publish minutes later with a new title, “Love is a Drug.” It would have been quite discouraging had it been a novel. I had five novels written before I published the first one so that I could weave the common threads seamlessly throughout them, and that way I could also have them all up in short order. I hoped that would help reassure readers that I wasn’t a “flash in the pan” author who’d only write one novel or would take years to complete another, and allow avid readers to rampage through the whole series if they were so inclined. It may be a “rapid release” schedule, but they weren’t written in eight weeks, by any means!
I’ve released the novels on Amazon only, simply because learning the platforms of multiple sites seemed like a lot for a debut novelist. My next challenge will be audiobooks, and following that, I might try going “wide” (making my work available through Kobo, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, etc.).
BH: How is your release going?
Chloe: I’m really pleased with the reception. The ratings have been great — that’s been wonderful to see. I’m learning a lot in terms of the business of being an author — there’s quite a learning curve. It’s been a “stealth launch,” by which I mean that I had no significant social media presence nor publishing company to hype my work, so it’s taking longer for readers to find my novels, but in some ways that’s good — my reviews are real, and my fans are, too.
BH: What is the biggest roadblock you’ve found to this release?
Chloe: A lack of visibility. I’m keeping my eye on the long game: I’m in this for the duration and have faith that over time, there will be enough word of mouth to pull readers in — I’m really grateful for those who do take the time to leave ratings and reviews. It helps so much with this!
BH: Are there any specific self-publishing tools that you recommend?
Chloe: I love Scribophile as a place to post works-in-progress for feedback; there are some terrific writers on the site and I’ve made some wonderful friends. Getting my work reviewed there has saved me time but also the costs of editor’s fees. I recommend StoryOrigin as “one-stop shopping” to help deliver reader magnets, ARCs, universal book links, and arrange newsletter swaps with other authors, to grow a mailing list. And I love BookBrush for covers and for graphics like banners for group promos, social media posts, etc. The platform is so easy to use; it’s worth every penny!
BH: What’s next for you, after Helios?
Chloe: I loved writing the Helios stories, and will be sad to leave them after this spring’s release, though I am exploring audiobooks for them now. While there’s a possibility there might be more Helios novels later, I don’t want to overstay my welcome. Next up will be a medical series, which will be right up my alley. Some will have a thriller, military, and sports elements as well as my trademark Smutty Novel Excerpts.
Ben, this was tremendous fun — thanks so much for the chance to chat!
More information on Chloe Holiday can be found on her website.
If you’d like to watch Chloe roll out her Helios series, check out her Amazon author site.
