Q&A with Emma Chase
Posted by Goodreads on October 17, 2016
There's being screwed—and then there's being royally screwed. In Emma Chase's hot contemporary romance, we get a whole lot of both. When waitress Olivia runs into Nicholas, Crowned Prince of Wessco ("His Royal Hotness"), she's less than intimidated by his dashing good looks and bad-boy arrogance. Instead of bending the knee, she throws one of her homemade pies in his face. Love at first sight? For this cocky prince, it's love at first taste. But even after Nicholas sweeps his sassy commoner off her feet, the couple has a kingdom full of crazy paparazzi and disapproving monarchs to dodge. Royally Screwed is the first in a new series about the too-sexy-for-their-own-good Wessco princes. Chase, who made readers swoon in her Tangled and The Legal Briefs series, will return to the irresistible—and, sadly, fictional—world of Wessco next year with The Bachelor-inspired Royally Matched.
Chase answers your questions about finding inspiration from her "insane" family, drinking on the job (mostly black coffee but occasionally wine), tackling a new adult horror story, and more!
Martha: Ooo, I'm so excited! I need to tell you: I have adored all your books—they're the best. I was wondering, How do you write such (seemingly) effortless male POV? Who inspires you?
Emma Chase: Thank you, Martha—it's a joy to know you've enjoyed my stories! Once I have an idea for a story and a character's personality, it's almost like I can hear how they sound in my head—their thoughts and opinions and voice. After that, it's pretty easy (and a lot of fun) for me to slip into that mind-set and write from their perspective. It also helps that growing up, my closest friends were guys. Glimpses of my friends and my husband always seem to make their way into my male POVs.
Richelle: If you could step into the shoes of any of your book characters for one day, who would it be and why?
EC: Kate Brooks [Tangled] or Sofia Santos [Overruled]. They're both power women: intelligent, fun, successful, and happy going toe-to-toe with their guys in the office or the bedroom. Also, they both have terrific fashion sense—I've always found accessorizing to be a challenge.
Ramona: The books you write are full of humor. At some parts I laugh so hard, I cry! You could have easily just written enough to bring a smile, but somehow you were inspired to make your readers laugh—hard! Where does your awesome sense of humor come from?
EC: Thank you so much! Some of the best lines I've written have just sort of popped into my head—and they make me laugh out loud, too! I think, for me, it's all about my characters—they're much funnier than I am. By writing in their voice and through their perspective, it allows me to really let go, to be irreverent and bold—and have them think or say hilarious things that I never would in real life. (Also, my family is insane. That probably helps, too!)
Melanie: What do you do to overcome writer's block?
EC: Writer's block is frustrating and a little scary. It happens to every writer at some point. When I'm struggling with it, sometimes I'll take a break from writing for a few days and instead hang out with my family and friends, go outside, do something fun, or catch up on chores. Other times, I'll move to a different part in a manuscript and work on that—even if it's the epilogue. Also, if I'm stuck on a particular scene, sometimes I'll try beginning the scene from a different character's perspective or from a different starting point.
Verna: What was your favorite thing about writing Royally Screwed?
EC: The characters. I just love all the characters so much! From Nicholas and Olivia to the Queen and Henry, down to Fergus the Butler and Bridget the assistant, these characters made me smile the entire time I wrote Royally Screwed. It was like spending time with wonderful, dear friends.
I also enjoyed the different themes in the book. While romance is the heart of the story, it was amazing to explore sibling relationships, the difficulties of celebrity, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love.
Luisa: Hello from Portugal! I would love to know how you choose your characters' names. Do you "create" a character and then pick a name? Do you try to match a name to a personality? Basically, what comes first: the character or the name? (Thank you for sharing your talent with us!)
EC: Hi, Luisa! For me, the characters come first, and then I try to find a name that reflects their personality and background. For example, to me, "Drew" sounded like a fun, flirty, wealthy, and spoiled kind of guy. "Jake Becker" sounded direct, sharp, and straightforward. Usually I brainstorm a list of first and last names until one stands out to me as the right fit for a character.
Anisha: What's the most difficult book you've written?
EC: Overruled. It was the first book I wrote that wasn't part of the Tangled series, and I was nervous about whether I could tell a funny and entertaining story that was set outside that world. Also, Overruled had more emotional layers than my previous books. In the end, I was thrilled with how the story turned out.
Jackie: I am a huge fan! You have an amazing gift for dialogue. So my question is, How do you do it? Do you talk to yourself out loud to feel out the dialogue? I crack up so many times when I read the conversations you write. Keep up the great work, Emma!
EC: Hi, Jackie! Thank you so much! The answer is yes, I talk to myself all the time: in my office, around the house, and especially in the car. (I get some of my best ideas while driving!) I'm sure I look crazy to the people driving next to me! When a fun snippet of dialogue pops into my head, I write it down as soon as I can (not when I'm actually driving), so I don't forget it. Sometimes I've written whole scenes around just a few lines from a character. Dialogue is my favorite thing to write and read.
Tania: Are you a snacker when you write? If so, what is your snack vice?
EC: I'm a drinker when I write. (It's not as bad as it sounds!) I drink mostly black coffee, often water, sometimes an energy drink or tea, rarely wine—I may fall asleep at my desk. But in any case, I have to have a mug/bottle/can/cup/glass of something next to me or the words will not come.
Beth: You are such a ridiculously talented writer! I'd read anything you wrote. Do you have any crazy, "out there" ideas for stories that you'd like to tackle? New genres or time periods?
EC: Thank you so much, Beth! It means the world to me that you enjoy my stories. I have a few ideas that are very different from anything I've written before. Because I write light, sexy, funny romances, it can be refreshing to focus on stories that are deeper and darker. One idea I have is a kind of dystopian thriller with romantic elements, and another is a new adult-ish horror story. I'm not sure if these will ever be published, but they're really interesting to work on. They keep me invigorated to write hot and fun contemporary romances.
Chase answers your questions about finding inspiration from her "insane" family, drinking on the job (mostly black coffee but occasionally wine), tackling a new adult horror story, and more!
Emma Chase: Thank you, Martha—it's a joy to know you've enjoyed my stories! Once I have an idea for a story and a character's personality, it's almost like I can hear how they sound in my head—their thoughts and opinions and voice. After that, it's pretty easy (and a lot of fun) for me to slip into that mind-set and write from their perspective. It also helps that growing up, my closest friends were guys. Glimpses of my friends and my husband always seem to make their way into my male POVs.
Richelle: If you could step into the shoes of any of your book characters for one day, who would it be and why?
EC: Kate Brooks [Tangled] or Sofia Santos [Overruled]. They're both power women: intelligent, fun, successful, and happy going toe-to-toe with their guys in the office or the bedroom. Also, they both have terrific fashion sense—I've always found accessorizing to be a challenge.
Ramona: The books you write are full of humor. At some parts I laugh so hard, I cry! You could have easily just written enough to bring a smile, but somehow you were inspired to make your readers laugh—hard! Where does your awesome sense of humor come from?
EC: Thank you so much! Some of the best lines I've written have just sort of popped into my head—and they make me laugh out loud, too! I think, for me, it's all about my characters—they're much funnier than I am. By writing in their voice and through their perspective, it allows me to really let go, to be irreverent and bold—and have them think or say hilarious things that I never would in real life. (Also, my family is insane. That probably helps, too!)
Melanie: What do you do to overcome writer's block?
EC: Writer's block is frustrating and a little scary. It happens to every writer at some point. When I'm struggling with it, sometimes I'll take a break from writing for a few days and instead hang out with my family and friends, go outside, do something fun, or catch up on chores. Other times, I'll move to a different part in a manuscript and work on that—even if it's the epilogue. Also, if I'm stuck on a particular scene, sometimes I'll try beginning the scene from a different character's perspective or from a different starting point.
EC: The characters. I just love all the characters so much! From Nicholas and Olivia to the Queen and Henry, down to Fergus the Butler and Bridget the assistant, these characters made me smile the entire time I wrote Royally Screwed. It was like spending time with wonderful, dear friends.
I also enjoyed the different themes in the book. While romance is the heart of the story, it was amazing to explore sibling relationships, the difficulties of celebrity, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love.
Luisa: Hello from Portugal! I would love to know how you choose your characters' names. Do you "create" a character and then pick a name? Do you try to match a name to a personality? Basically, what comes first: the character or the name? (Thank you for sharing your talent with us!)
EC: Hi, Luisa! For me, the characters come first, and then I try to find a name that reflects their personality and background. For example, to me, "Drew" sounded like a fun, flirty, wealthy, and spoiled kind of guy. "Jake Becker" sounded direct, sharp, and straightforward. Usually I brainstorm a list of first and last names until one stands out to me as the right fit for a character.
Anisha: What's the most difficult book you've written?
EC: Overruled. It was the first book I wrote that wasn't part of the Tangled series, and I was nervous about whether I could tell a funny and entertaining story that was set outside that world. Also, Overruled had more emotional layers than my previous books. In the end, I was thrilled with how the story turned out.
Jackie: I am a huge fan! You have an amazing gift for dialogue. So my question is, How do you do it? Do you talk to yourself out loud to feel out the dialogue? I crack up so many times when I read the conversations you write. Keep up the great work, Emma!
EC: Hi, Jackie! Thank you so much! The answer is yes, I talk to myself all the time: in my office, around the house, and especially in the car. (I get some of my best ideas while driving!) I'm sure I look crazy to the people driving next to me! When a fun snippet of dialogue pops into my head, I write it down as soon as I can (not when I'm actually driving), so I don't forget it. Sometimes I've written whole scenes around just a few lines from a character. Dialogue is my favorite thing to write and read.
Tania: Are you a snacker when you write? If so, what is your snack vice?
EC: I'm a drinker when I write. (It's not as bad as it sounds!) I drink mostly black coffee, often water, sometimes an energy drink or tea, rarely wine—I may fall asleep at my desk. But in any case, I have to have a mug/bottle/can/cup/glass of something next to me or the words will not come.
Beth: You are such a ridiculously talented writer! I'd read anything you wrote. Do you have any crazy, "out there" ideas for stories that you'd like to tackle? New genres or time periods?
EC: Thank you so much, Beth! It means the world to me that you enjoy my stories. I have a few ideas that are very different from anything I've written before. Because I write light, sexy, funny romances, it can be refreshing to focus on stories that are deeper and darker. One idea I have is a kind of dystopian thriller with romantic elements, and another is a new adult-ish horror story. I'm not sure if these will ever be published, but they're really interesting to work on. They keep me invigorated to write hot and fun contemporary romances.
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Hi Emma, I have just finished reading Royally Screwed which I thoroughly enjoyed. There is just one question I have which was not answered in the book. We don't discover who leaked the news to the Daily Star of the pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage of Lucy's baby. I look forward to reading many more of your wonderful books. Thanks. Cheers, Julie. :)
Sounds like you havewonderful fun writing. Almost Juicy.
I would like to know where you got the surnames for Royal series. They are sometning else. Please please do tell.
