Author Interrupted welcomes Kate Aaron

Hi there Kate, please tell me a bit about yourself.

My name’s Kate Aaron, self-proclaimed indie author, queer theorist, sometime recluse and occasional binge drinker. I’ve been self-published for six months, and when I’m not writing fiction I write on queer theory, history and culture.

And how about your latest book?

My latest book, Four Chances: A Short Story Quartet, contains four tales, Lust, Love, Longing and Loss. I wanted to write something different to the usual m/m romance, and I think that being gay myself makes a big difference when writing in this genre. I don’t believe that every story can have a Happily Ever After, even in romance. I wanted to put my characters in real-life situations that anyone could find themselves in. Some end happily, some don’t. One might even break your heart.

Where can people get this book?

Four Chances is available from Amazon (and UK), iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Sony, Kobo and Smashwords.

Is it your first book?

Four Chances is actually my fifth book: it follows Blood & Ash and Fire & Ice, novels one and two of my Lost Realm series; Fenton: the Loneliest Vampire, a Lost Realm short story; and Danny’s Boy, a contemporary short story.

If not, how are you finding self-publishing  now you’ve published more than one book?

Self-publishing was the best thing I ever did. As a literature graduate I think everyone expects you to have a novel in you, and it’s something that everyone dreams of doing. Seeing my name on a book available on Amazon is still a thrill. The learning curve is pretty steep, but the rewards are worth the trauma. When I get an email from a fan, or a good review, it lights up my day.

Who is your favourite character?

From my own writing, it would have to be Fenton, my lonely vampire. He’s a divisive character who has got me more split reviews than anything else I’ve written. Fenton is asexual, he’s looking for love on his own terms, but such a thing might not even be possible. I’ve had people crying out for a HEA for him, but reconciling his personality with a traditional romantic ending is just impossible, and that’s why he’s so difficult. From literature in general it’s a toss-up between Heathcliff and James Bond.

What’s your favourite indie book that you’ve read in the past 12 months?

That’s a very difficult question! Benjamin Goshko’s Book of Nine Ides surprised me the most, because I had no idea what I was going to get, but it really is something special. Sophie Duncan’s Bonds of Fire also stood out, because I’m a sucker for baby dragons.

What’s your favourite book of all time?

Why do people always ask this question? As if I could just pick one! Renault’s The Charioteer has long been a favourite, as has Wuthering Heights. Suede’s Hot Head is also a desert island must-have, it’s far and away the best book I’ve read all year.

Do you use any groups or mailing lists?  Wanna tell us about them?

I network on goodreads, facebook and twitter, and maintain my own blog. If I did any more I think my head might explode, or I’d never have time to sleep!

Any advice for new writers?

I think the thing I wish someone had told me before I started is that writing the book is the easy bit! It’s the endless marketing that will grind you down. Sometimes it feels like an uphill struggle and you’re getting nowhere, but it’s worth it in the end. I’ve seen indies come from nothing and take off overnight, and it’s incredible to watch.

What’s next for you?

I’m half-way through a novel that began life as one of the stories from Four Chances. It grew and grew and soon became clear that it was going to be a book in its own right, so I cut five down to four and let this one take off. It’s the story of two business men who just can’t seem to get it right, and it started life as a response to some of the more trite HEAs that I’ve read. The novel opens with the end of a ‘perfect’ relationship, and questions how you find the strength to start over again when the fairytale fails you.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

I have a BA in English Language and Literature, a Masters in Gender, Sexuality and Culture, and I’m eternally cynical. I am the most unlikely romance author that you’re ever going to meet because (whisper it) I don’t believe in true love. At least not in the wishy-washy fashion of traditional romance anyway. If I’d been born a hundred and fifty years earlier, I’d have been the fourth Bronte. As it is, I like to think of myself as the Mary Renault of the 21^st Century.