Interview with paranormal romance author Zoe Allison

Today’s special guest to kick off a new week is novelist Zoe Allison. We’re chatting about her new paranormal romance, Impervious.

During her virtual book tour, Zoe will be giving away a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Zoe lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband and two children. A medic by day, she started writing in her spare time as a means to counter burn out and found that this was a balm for the soul.

She is a fan of the romantic genre and its ‘happy ever after’ ethos. A sharp contrast to what she can, at times, see in her day job. Zoe is keen for the female lead in romantic fiction to disabuse stereotypes and walk on an equal footing with her male counterparts. She prefers male leads

who do not display signs of toxic masculinity and believes that positive masculinity is much more attractive to women and healthier for men.

Welcome, Zoe. Please share a little bit about your current release.
Set in a world where vampires secretly exist as a subspecies of human, The Organization are a covert league of benevolent vampires who work tirelessly to keep malevolent vampires in check. Amber Ridley is the only human on the team. She is a rare being who possesses the power of immunity to vampire attack – an ‘Impervious’. Amber is partnered with her close friend Valentino on The Organization's most vital mission to date but finds out this also means working with Hayden Knight, Valentino’s estranged friend who abandoned both Valentino and The Organization in the past.

What inspired you to write this book?

One of my main inspirations was The Vampire Diaries, I was a big fan of the T.V series and original books by L.J Smith. The vampire theme evolved from this inspiration. In terms of the other themes in the book, I had an intense desire to write about a strong female character with power in her own right, and who has integrity in both life and love. I wanted male heroes who were strong without displaying signs of toxic masculinity and who were able to show genuine brotherly love toward each other. My characters evolved from there.


Excerpt from Impervious:Amber mirrored Vale’s posture. “Why is he here then? Why come back now?”

Just then, Hayden appeared from the doorway. “You could just ask me directly, you know.”

Amber turned to Hayden. He was dressed in tight-fitting black jeans and a black T-shirt. His muscular physique was very apparent, both from the look of his arms and also the ripples under his clothing. Amber could appreciate that he was extremely handsome, but there was a hardness to him that there wasn’t with Vale, along with an iciness to his blue eyes. Hayden had focused on Amber as he spoke, then he broke eye contact to move over to the coffee pot and pour himself a cup.

Amber still couldn’t muster any sympathy for him, and his aloof behavior did nothing to help. “Fine,” she said, watching him as he prepared his drink. “Why are you back with The Organization? What’s in it for you?”

Vale interjected, a warning tone in his voice. “Amber.”

Amber ignored him. “I want to know.”

Hayden brought his coffee over, not looking at either of them, and he took a seat at the other side of the table. He took a drink before finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. “I was promised something by Mr. X.”

“What?” Amber was quick to ask before Vale could stop her.

Hayden met Vale’s eyes. “I was promised a certain target.”

Amber scrutinized them both. A knowing look passed between the two men. Vale had realized who Hayden meant. Amber suspected she could also guess.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Currently I’m working on the sequel to Impervious, I’m trying to squeeze in time to work on it whenever I can! Though I’m not planning on any more books in this series after that. I also want to return to a previous manuscript which is a contemporary romance and see if I can polish that one up. In terms of new ideas, I would like to write a time travel romance and perhaps a medical romance.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

In the past I never considered myself a writer. Science was my strongest subject at school and I always had my sights set on a career in the sciences. However, I had enjoyed creative writing in the past and done well at this when younger. A few years ago, I had the desire to write after experiencing the process of creating some opinion pieces for a medical newsletter. I decided writing of a more creative nature would be a good outlet and so I started writing texts for children’s picture books, and then decided I would like to write some romance because I enjoyed reading these for the uplifting feel-good factor and I had various ideas I was keen to explore.

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?
My day job is as a doctor and it’s a very busy career, with my days being up to 12 hours long. I work four days a week on average. I use my day off and evenings for writing and it’s a challenge to fit in along with family life.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I write best when I’m alone in the house so that I can concentrate. I hate it when people come into the room I’m writing in in case they read my raw, unpolished work over my shoulder so I have to close my laptop until they vacate the area again!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
My best subjects at school were the sciences. Initially I wanted to be a vet, but after doing some work experience I decided I was probably more of a people person! I wanted a scientific career that involved my favourite science – biology. I also wanted something vocational and in the caring profession, so I decided to study Medicine.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
In the past I never believed in the power of creativity because I grew up believing that there was only value in logic and science. I now know that this isn’t necessarily the case. I still know the value in academia but creative outlets are vital for mental wellbeing and enriching the human experience. Express yourself in whichever way you are driven to, whether it be art, writing, singing, playing an instrument, or another outlet, and you will be all the better for it, both psychologically and spiritually.

Links:

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