Welcome to our first Saturday Specials post featuring New and/or Less Familiar Authors of LGTBQ+ Books. We are excited to present our first author and a giveaway:
Zoe Piper
Tell us a bit about yourself, please
Thanks for inviting me along to take part in the Saturday Specials.
I am English, born and raised in the West Midlands, however, I have lived in New Zealand for all of my adult life, which is *gulp* now over thirty years. As a result, I consider myself to be more of a New Zealander, or a Kiwi as we call ourselves, than English. All of my family, except for my father, live in the UK, so my ties there are still pretty strong.
What got you into writing?
I have always been a voracious reader. I don’t think there’s ever been a time in my life that I haven’t read since I was a small child and I’ve read romance, mystery, suspense, thriller, and fantasy. Many people have said over the years that I should write my own, but it wasn’t until three years ago that I got the nerve to take the plunge. An online friend who I met through an Outlander fan group, wrote her first novella and I was so inspired by her and her bravery to write that I figured that maybe I could do it too.
What book(s) have you written?
I have a three-book series plus a short story spin off which is contemporary MM romance, and a novella, all of which are based here in New Zealand. My first book is called Winning Love’s Lottery.
What genre do you write in?
My stories are all low(ish) angst, but still sexy with heat contemporary MM romances. I have always loved paranormal / urban fantasy though and have a couple of plot bunnies sitting happily in the corner, and I will write something along those lines one day.
What drew you to the that genre?
I chose to write MM romance as I fell in love with the genre about six or seven years ago. The same friend who inspired me to write, recommended Ella Frank’s Try to me after I had read JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Lover at Last. She said I might enjoy it. Biggest understatement of the year! I wanted more and fell down the MM rabbit hole. I rarely read anything that is not MM these days. I’m not really sure what drew me to the genre, whether it was just because it was so different to most of what I’ve read in over 40 years and I found it refreshing, for want of a better word.
Do you have prefered tropes?
My series is called the Kiwi Guys and centres around a group of friends as they find their HEA’s. It is a mix of tropes, from secret millionaire and boss; rock star and regular guy; best friends to lovers / bi-awakening. My novella is based on the reality tv show, Married at First Sight, where the grooms meet for the first time at the altar.
A book that changed you…
I can’t think of a book that changed me. So many books have an impact for so many different reasons. I know there are a lot of books that make me wish I’d written them, either because of the storyline or just the way they are written.
What do you read for fun?
Most of my reading is for fun and relaxation and I’m always looking for new to me authors to try.
What are your pet peeves (in books or otherwise)?
One of my biggest pet peeves is continuity and time lines and I have Excel spreadsheet calendars for all of my books and series to make sure that I keep everything where it should be, but even then, I worry that something is going to be wrong.
Do you have a secret (or not so secret) talent?
I don’t have a secret talent, but I don’t mind public speaking, but hate one on one interviews!
What is the first LGBTQIA+ book you read?
I can’t remember the first LGBTQIA+ book I read, but an early one I read before I fell down the MM rabbit hole, was one of Suzanne Brockmann’s, from her Troubleshooter series, about FBI agent Jules and his actor husband, Robin. I loved these guys and always hoped she’d write more. It never occured to me at the time to look and see if there were other MM books out there.
What are your thoughts on audiobooks?
I would love to put my books into audio format, however, due to the costs, I doubt it will actually happen for a long time. Sadly, I can’t listen to audio books. When I’m working at my muggle job, or writing, I need white noise and for years have used a radio. It means though, that when I listen to an audiobook, my brain doesn’t actively listen and I end up losing the story.
Do you have a favorite place for reading?
I can read most places, except in the car, and I have a lovely sunny spot in our family room with a comfy couch. Also, in bed is one of my favourite places.
This makes me smile…
Having a reader recommend one of my books, or even drop me a message. The buzz you get is out of this world.
Thank you for the opportunity to share a little about myself, and I’d love to offer a copy of my first book, Winning Love’s Lottery, in mobi format direct to Kindle, to one member of the group.
I can be found at the following places:
Great interview, Zoe! It’s so nice to discover an author I’m not familiar with. Thanks!
Just like you, I only read MM books now and love meeting new authors. I’ve added all your books to my TBR stack! Currently I’m committed to reading and reviewing 19 books for MM authors. Having time to read self selections sometimes takes a backseat to declines but I’m certainly not complaining. There are so many great stories to experience!