Getting SASSE with Author Harper Ashe

 

Hello SASSE Readers, let’s welcome Harper Ashe to our SASSE World. Pull up a chair and tell me if you prefer tea or coffee for our little chat.

Harper: Thanks for having me! Coffee would be great.

SASSE: Tell the readers a little about yourself. How did you get into writing? Have you always thought you would be a romance writer?

Harper: My dad is a writer, and I first realized I had inherited his writing talent when I landed a gig as co-author of my high school newspaper’s gossip column. Eventually, I settled into a career as a corporate copywriter, which allowed me to really hone my creative writing skills. Although I’ve dreamed of writing romantic fiction ever since I started reading it, working full-time while raising a family didn’t leave much time for that pursuit. But a couple years ago, when I saw some of my writing colleagues finding success with self-publishing, I began studying how to write and publish romance. That’s when I realized my dream might become a reality.

SASSE: What was the first romance book you ever read? What did you think? What was your first impression of the genre?

Harper: Even as a pre-teen, I was a voracious reader who devoured fiction. I was a huge fan of Judy Blume back I the day. (Yes, I really am THAT old.) But it wasn’t until my 20s, when a good friend loaned me a historical romance by Kathleen Woodiwiss, that I became hooked on the genre. I can’t remember the title of that book, but I can remember the feeling of being pulled into that exciting, romantic world and completely losing myself until I reached the very last page of the story. After that, reading romance became my obsession. I read historical and contemporary romance, chick-lit, and Harlequins by the armload.  

SASSE:  Can you explain to the readers about the Sweet Curves [P1] Series? How did you come up with this series, what it is about?

Harper: I was invited to contribute a story to a romantic comedy anthology that some of my writing colleagues were putting together, which is how the first book in the series, Sweet for You, came to be. My daughter is pretty curvy and has a great sense of humor, so I wanted to create a female character that was kind of like her: feisty, determined, and worthy of love, even though she isn’t a size 6. That’s how Abby came to life. When the story was well-received, I decided to write Abby’s sister’s story. With that second book, Sweet for Him, a BBW romance series was born.

SASSE: Are each one of the stories in the series a standalone? Or will reader need to start at the first one to understand what is going on?

Harper: Yes! Each novella in the Sweet Curves series is a complete, standalone story with a happy ending. While there is some character crossover and all the stories share the same world, they don’t need to be read in any particular order.

SASSE: Bring us into the world of your latest release Sweet for Him. Introduce the readers to Rob and Claire.

Harper: Sweet for Him is a feel-good story with a second chance romance theme. Our curvy heroine, Claire, is feeling kind of lost in life. When her sister Abby marries billionaire Stephen Blake and asks Claire to housesit during her honeymoon, she jumps at the chance to escape from her mundane life for a while. Claire plans to spend her month-long stay at the Blake mansion figuring out her future. What she doesn't expect is to come face-to-face with Rob, the high school hunk who broke her heart.
Our hero, Rob, is a high-end remodel contractor who caters to the rich and famous. He’s the kind of guy you can bring home to mom: smart, successful, and incredibly handsome. But Rob’s life is pretty much all work and no play. Until he starts a kitchen and bath remodel project at the Blake mansion. That's when he comes face-to-face with Claire, the curvy girl who got away.

Being under the same roof for an entire month won't be easy for Claire and Rob, especially since he still oozes charm and sex appeal and she's cuter and curvier than ever. When their memories of the past spark fireworks in the present, they will need to decide whether to risk everything for a second chance at love.

SASSE: What was the most emotional challenging scene to write in the book?  Do you normally find yourself getting emotional while you write; crying, screaming…sighing?

Harper: Since Sweet for Him is a light, sweet romance, my biggest challenge was adding emotional elements without making the story too heavy. I think the hardest scene to write was the skinny dipping encounter because I wanted to demonstrate the steamy chemistry between Claire and Rob without being overly explicit. Several readers have told me that it’s their favorite scene in the book, which makes me feel like I nailed it!

When writing, I’m definitely a crier. I keep a full box of tissues on my desk at all times because writing romance brings on the waterworks! When I’m in the writing zone, I feel every emotion that my characters experience. I smile at their revelations, cringe when they do something embarrassing, and get tingly all over when their passions are sparked. When writing the final scenes that lead my hero and heroine to their happy ending, I know I’m on track if I bawl like a baby.

SASSE: If you could write in any genre that you have never written in before what would it be?

Harper: Oh boy, that’s an easy one. I would love to write historical romance! Scottish, Regency, Old West, you name it. Someday, I hope I have the time to do the research needed to dip my pen in the past. For now, though, I’ve got half a dozen stories in my contemporary and paranormal pipelines, including the third book in my Sweet Curves series: Sweet for Her.

SASSE: Thank you Harper, this has been just delightful to sit back with you and learn a little more about you and your story.

Learn more about Ms. Ashe

Harper Ashe writes the kind of romance she loves to read: usually sweet, sometimes spicy, always delicious. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her handsome husband, almost-grown children, and a very naughty cat.

            Website: www.harperashe.com

            FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHarperAshe

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Other books in the Sweet Curves series.

 

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