HVDB BOOK LIFE

Anna B. Doe (Weekly Author Spotlight 28 June 2021)

AUTHOR BIO

Anna B. Doe is a young adult and new adult contemporary romance author. She writes real-life romance that is equal parts sweet and sexy. She’s a coffee and chocolate addict. Like her characters, she loves those two things dark, sweet and with little extra spice.

When she’s not working for a living or writing her newest book you can find her reading books or binge-watching TV shows. Originally from Croatia, she is always planning her next trip because wanderlust is in her blood.

She is currently working on various projects. Some more secret than others.

QUICK INTERVIEW

Where are you from?
“I’m from Croatia.”

What is your favorite genre to read/write?
“All of my stories are young adult/new adult sports romances. There’s a variety of sports included from football and hockey, to figure skating and surfing. I love to write real life romance, stories that touch on different subjects that are relatable to my readers with diverse characters you’ll be able to connect to easily.
When it comes to reading, I’m a mood reader. I can read anything from contemporary and YA/NA romance, to historical romance, fantasy, thrillers or woman’s fiction.”

When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
“When I was eleven years old and I got into reading I started getting all these ideas about different stories and voices in my head, and like they say, the rest is history.”

Who/What inspired you to write the Blairwood University Series?
“After I wrote Underwater, my modern fairytale retelling, my readers have been asking me for more similar stories, and I had this idea of “retelling” (in a way) Beauty and the Beast. The original title of Kiss To Conquer was actually supposed to be His Beast, Her Beauty, but once I started writing and all the side characters got their own voices, it was hard to stop just at one book, so I decided to expand the book into a series, and change the title to something more fitting to college sports romance genre.”

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
“I’m currently writing my fifteenth book. Each of these books is special in a way. Some because I feel really passionate about the topic I’m talking about, others because it’s so easy to connect with the characters, and some because they came to me in the moment I needed them the most without even realizing it. But I do have a soft spot for Habits. There’s something about Jeanette and Andrew that just spoke to me. I love their strength and their vulnerability and the fact that they found their perfect match in one another.”

Tell us about your first published book? What was the journey like?
“Intense. When I was younger, I wrote in Croatian, but I quickly understood if I want to make a name for myself, I have to think bigger, so I switched to writing in English. The process was long, but from that Lost & Found was born. It’s a book about a Croatian au pair that goes to the United States to work for a year while she tries to figure out what to do with her future, but she ends up falling in love with an American football player. The book was written on my own personal experience since I worked as an au pair in Spain for two summers during my college years. I loved the experience and all the people I met, and they were actually the reason why I switched to writing in English in first place.
Back then, I didn’t know anything about publishing, I just knew I have this story that was rejected by so many publishers, and I wanted to get it out into the world. So, I did. I’ve learned so much since then, but I’ll never regret the path I took since it brought me all it did.”

How do you select the names of your characters?
“It really depends. Some characters I know from the very beginning what they’re going to be called, others I have to research. I love a page called babynames.com since I can find names by origin or meaning. And sometimes I even ask in my reader’s group and use one of their suggestions.”

Can we expect any new releases in 2021 and share details?
“I have two more stories in Blairwood University coming this year. Kiss To Defy my multicultural sports romance featuring a professional figure skater and a broody hockey player is coming on July 9th. Then in fall of 2021, you can expect a release of Kiss To Remember and prequel to the story Kiss Before Midnight which will follow Grace Shelton’s story that links my debut series with the world of Blairwood University.”

What do you think makes a great story?
“I think that’s pretty individual for each and every reader, but also for the genre. I have different expectations from different authors based on the genre they write in and books I read in the past.
Personally, I’m character driven. I love to see them evolve and grow. I love to see all their dimensions and secrets they’re hiding, but some unexpected twist to the story is always welcome too.”

What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out?
“Don’t rush. Writing is a marathon not a race. It’s something an author told me, and those words resonated with me, and I repeat them whenever things get tough.
Being an author is all about the long game. Keep reading. Keep writing. Wait until you have at least three books written before publishing the first book so you have some time to relax and enjoy the process instead of worrying about writing the next book so you can keep the momentum going. Make real connections in the book world with both authors and bloggers, and make sure to remember to have fun while you write the stories you love.”