Interview with Author Penny Fox

Author of LGBTQ+ Romance and Contemporary Romance

AUTHOR INTERVIEWLGBTQ+ ROMANCEMM ROMANCECONTEMPORARY ROMANCESTEAMY

Kaleidoscope Romance

1/4/20263 min read

Describe yourself in three words.

Introvert. Creative. Sarcastic.

What are three facts about you?

I love animals—all of them!
I work full time in a group home.
I love listening to loud music.

What is your favorite book from childhood?

Tuck Everlasting

When you read, which authors are your go-to authors?

CP Harris and JT Geissinger are one-clicks for me.

What book has made the biggest impact on your life?

The Veil Diaries—they triggered something in my to start writing.

Do you have any book related tattoos?

Not yet but I do have multiple tattoos that I’ve gotten when traveling for book signings.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

Titanic

What subject could you talk about all day?

Music, animals, or the craft of writing.

What is your dream vacation destination?

Right now my # 1 bucket list place to visit is Seattle.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t writing?

Coloring. Reading. Listening to music. Crocheting.

Are there any causes you support or which are important to you?

LGBTQ+ rights

How did you discover writing as a possible career?

From reading. It inspired ideas.

How did you choose your pen name?

Fox came from my other pen name (it just sounded good) and I wanted to keep these related enough that people would remember I’m the same person. Penny was my cat’s name.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere. Reading. Movies. Watching people interact with others. My mind wandering.

What is the weirdest fact you've found when researching for a book?

That back in the day people used olive oil for lube.

What trope is your favorite to write?

Age gap

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Just writing. Developing characters that leave an impression on me and readers. Being able to put pieces of me into them without anyone knowing.

What is your writing process?

I don’t plot much. I have snippets of scenes I want in the book. I just started writing until I’m done and don’t go back for any sort of edits until it’s complete. Then I go through and make sure everyone lines up. Send to alphas and betas. Then an editor.

What time of day are you most creative?

Either afternoon or evening. I am not a morning person.

What is your ideal writing environment?

Quiet. And I prefer being alone. I don’t like “feeling” other people in the house. Sometimes music or tv is good but nothing that will pull my attention.

As an author, what challenges do you face?

Making time to write with a full time job and three kids.

What is your least favorite part of being an author?

Marketing!!!

If there was one thing you could change about the writing/publishing industry, what would it be?

That there was an easier way to get our books in front of more readers.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Just do it. Write that book. Don’t let anyone stop you.

What is something you’d like to write, but haven’t yet?

A psychological thriller.

Which parts of yourself are reflected in your characters?

A lot of my trauma. I hadn’t realized I was doing it right away. And I don’t do it on purpose but I see it come out.

Which of your characters have special meaning to you?

A lot of my characters do. A lot of them are flawed and that comes from me.

How do you come up with character names?

Just whatever feels right for them. I have a list of names that I like. Sometimes I’ll search for stuff. Depending on the character, sometimes they need a name that has a certain meaning so I can reflect that in their personality.