Interview with author R.S. Grey

1 – Have you always wanted to be a writer?

No, actually, in college I changed my major a handful of times. I loved reading while growing up, but I thought of authors as rock stars. To me, it didn’t feel like an attainable career, so I tried to work in other fields first and only started writing at night after college.

2 – When you start a series of books – do you know in advance who the couples who will appear in the following books will be? Do you know what the plot will be?

I don’t actually do many series, but in the few I’ve done, it’s been completely organic. I don’t know who the next couples will be ahead of time. They sort of take on a life of their own during the writing process.

3 – Did you write a book and decide not to publish it?

Yes, I have a few books that are unpublished, especially when I was first starting out and cultivating my distinct voice. I have a YA dystopian book that will never see the light of day, hah.

4 – Is there a topic you will never write about? If so, what is it?

Never say never! I would never want to limit myself by marking certain subjects as out of bounds.

5 – By what do you choose a cover for a book?

I design my own covers and usually they’re inspired by the photos I find for the main characters.

6 – Where did you get the inspiration for the stories?

I get inspiration everywhere, but mainly from creative content: songs, stories, TV shows. I’ll consider a certain lyric from a song that resonates with me and try to expand on it.

7 – Who is your favorite couple you wrote about?

I have a soft spot for Gianluca and Georgia from A PLACE IN THE SUN. To me, they’re just the perfect pairing of grumpy and sunshine characters.

8 – How long does it take you to write one book?

It changes with every project. I’ve written a book in two weeks and I’ve written a book over a year. Sometimes inspiration strikes and I can’t keep the words off the page.

9 – What is your favorite genre to read?

I love reading romance, but I love listening to psychological thrillers on Audible. I always have something playing while I do housework or take walks.

10 – Who are your favorite writers?

This answer changes all the time, but for right now, I love Kristin Hannah, Gillian Flynn, and Judith McNaught.

11- If you could turn one of your books into a movie – which book would you choose?

I would choose A PLACE IN THE SUN because of the characters and the setting. It would be such a happy, feel-good movie. The whole thing would be bathed in sunset colors and in every other scene, the characters would be sunbathing and eating gelato on the coast of Italy. It doesn’t get better than that!