Interview with fantasy romance author Ronelle Antoinette

Author Ronelle Antoinette is here on a holiday to chat with me about her fantasy romance novel, Errant Spark (Elemental Trials, Book 1).

Welcome, Romelle. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in western Colorado with my husband, two cats, and one dog-who-believes-he's-a-person. While I'm a mother of none, I'm an auntie to what feels like a small army...our newest recruit joined us in April 2016. (I will neither confirm nor deny that I Facebook-stalk her mommy and daddy to see every picture of her little smiling face.)

I was born in Phoenix, AZ and raised in beautiful Colorado with my two younger brothers, who taught me to have a thick skin and a ready smile. They are at least half the reason I find inspiration the way I do and I love them for it. Despite my mother's best efforts, I am NOT an outdoorsy girl; I'd much rather curl up with a good book or play through my favorite video game. (Yup, nerd all the way, right here!)

​I'm a caffeine addict, chocoholic, and a hopeless romantic. I've carried on a passionate love affair with the genre of fantasy since I was old enough to read 'chapter books', but I developed a particular soft spot for romantic fantasy while in my teens. I find inspiration in hot showers, time with my nieces and nephews, and in random meanderings through mundane places.

​I dabbled in creative writing for many years and even considered it as my major in college. (I ended up getting a Bachelor's degree in Counseling Psychology.) The inspiration for the Elemental Trials series was born while I was in a high school creative writing class. It sat, unloved and forgotten, in a binder for years, only to be discovered while moving into my first apartment. The fire was rekindled and it grew from a single, sophomoric tale to a full-blown series over the next decade. I published the first installment in the series, Errant Spark, in July of 2016. Dream. Come. True.

​Please tell us about your current release.

Here’s the technical low-down first. Errant Spark is the first of what will likely by four books in the Elemental Trials series. It’s a fantasy romance that I self-published it in July of 2016. Now, the fun hook! They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but in Egalion’s Imperial court, you can't always tell one from the other...especially when loyalties change at the flip of a coin. Behind the luxury and splendor lies a realm of treachery where cloak-and-dagger political maneuvering threatens to destroy the peace of two thousand years.

Battlemage Jex Xander has a mouth that gets him into trouble; while Enari Namelum speaks not a word. Amidst the mounting chaos, passion and romance should be the last thing on their minds, but life and the Goddess seem to have other ideas.

Errant Spark is the hush before the storm, the last deep breath before the plunge. The flint has been struck and it’s possible the world might go up in flames.

What inspired you to write this book?

Errant Spark actually had its beginnings in my high school creative writing class—and that was 12 years ago—so I don’t remember what specifically what started it. The dream of becoming an author and falling in love with the story is what inspired me to continue!

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m tinkering with Child of Flame and Spirit (Elemental Trials, Book Two) right now. I’ve received some feedback from a potential literary agent that I’m pondering, so a rewrite may be in my future. I’m also trying to break onto the book blogging scene, which is harder than I thought!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Oooh, weeeell…I’ve always been a writer, but I hadn’t considered it as a serious career until just a few years ago.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I write almost full-time. I spend a lot of time babysitting my nieces and nephews, so I write in the evenings on those days. On my days off, I start writing as soon as I’ve made a cup of coffee. My life doesn’t run without caffeine!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I need to be slightly inebriated if I’m going to write a romance scene.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A unicorn, a fairy princess, and once I got old enough to realize that neither of those gigs paid very well and that adults need money for things, I thought I wanted to be a teacher.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’d simply like to thank everyone who has supported me, put up with my authorial sulks/pouts, and read my work!

Links:

Website | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Thanks for being here today, Ronelle! All the best with your writing.