NATASHA: Hi Rowan! Thank you for the interview. Can you tell our readers about yourself and how long have you been a writer?
ROWAN: Hello everyone! I am an award-winning TV producer and also write contemporary fiction under a different author name. I started writing in 2016. The very first book I ever wrote will be book number three in The Hustlers trilogy.
I always knew I wanted two different author brands. I had so many stories in my brain—some wild and crazy, some more romantic. Romance is a very particular genre and once you start releasing romance novels there are expectations from readers for similar types of stories. I wanted to write deep, layered, up market fiction along with fun, sensual romance books.
Now I have the best of both worlds!
NATASHA: Can you tell our readers about your latest book? And how did you come up with the title?
ROWAN: The Cruiser is a heartfelt and spicy jet-set romp set against the backdrop of the European yacht show season. Vandana Hillman is the heroine who runs a public relations firm that caters to luxury brands. The day after her life blows up in a significant way, she meets with Morgan de Rohan-Chabot. He’s Monaco’s most notorious yacht designer—a talented and sexy player who comes with a boatload of attitude. He invites Vandana to Monaco to help him land a conservative Saudi Prince as a client and, well…nothing quite goes as planned!
NATASHA: Can you tell me about one of your favorite scenes from The Cruiser and why you count it as a favorite?
ROWAN: I love the dynamic between Vandana and her mother, Ivy. There are two critical scenes between them which are full of comedic moments, but also reveal the difficulty of mother-daughter relationships. We are all influenced by our parents and upbringing and these shackles are what Vandana has to free herself from.
NATASHA: If you could choose to be a character from The Cruiser, who would you be and why?
ROWAN: I would love to be Vandana. She’s complicated and empowered and has great hair. J She also embraces her sexuality and I believe that is a positive characteristic for women. I spent a lot of time in Europe until I was fifteen, and at the time, the Europeans were much more open about sex and sexuality than North Americans. Through osmosis I adopted that mentality and have never shied away from my own sexuality. One of the reasons why I wanted to write romance novels!
NATASHA: Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
ROWAN: This is hard for me because I am the biggest music fan! I usually write in silence or with instrumental music only. Lyrics distract me when I’m crafting my own words.
NATASHA: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
ROWAN: Believe in yourself, spend money on marketing and advertising, and don’t write in a vacuum. Seek out beta readers, strong editors and run your story ideas past friends and strangers. Also align yourself with other authors. They can be a great support network. I started with belief and reach out but didn’t spend enough money on marketing on my first book. Lessons learned!
NATASHA: What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from other genders?
ROWAN: This is an interesting question. The contemporary fiction novels I have written under a different author name are mostly from a male POV. I feel comfortable writing all genders to be honest. The Cruiser, and the next two books in The Hustlers Trilogy, are primarily narrated by the heroine, although every few chapters the POV flips to the man’s perspective. Since the books are written in first person, having the man’s voice was integral to fleshing out the stories. I also like to explore the sensual side of men…so often they are portrayed as one-button-only horn dogs, but they’re human too!
NATASHA: Can you share with our readers any future projects that you are working on?
ROWAN: I’m finishing up the next two books in The Hustlers trilogy (and their spin-offs), writing a couple of original scripts for TV, and deep into my next contemporary fiction novel.
NATASHA: How can our readers learn more about you and your books?
ROWAN: Social media is a great way to find me. Rowan Rossler on every platform.
My website is a great place for all the basics, including my newsletter subscription. www.rowanrossler.com
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59586710-the-cruiser
Purchase:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rSyZS8
AUTHOR BIO:
An award-winning storyteller whipping up contemporary romance tales.
Every writer sprinkles their own brand of DNA magic into stories and my ingredients are: glamorous destinations, brilliant, sexy minds, and juicy plots with just the right amount of spice stirred in to kick things up a notch.
If you like all of the above, it might be love at first bite!
Vancouver, Canada is my current home, although I consider myself a citizen of the world. Sharp-dressed men make my day, calla lilies are my favourite flower, and if you ever come to visit, there’s always champagne on ice.
Author links:
https://rowanrossler.com/
https://twitter.com/RosslerRowan
https://www.instagram.com/rowan.rossler.romance/
https://www.facebook.com/rowanrossler/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21989467.Rowan_Rossler
