Hello, Liv! Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, we appreciate that! We’d like to start our conversation by knowing a little bit more about you. How would you introduce yourself to someone you just met?
I’m a romance author of the novella Law & Disorder, and the novels Etched in Stone and Stepping Stone as part of my Invested in You series.
But I have no ego. My Facebook cover photo is a landscape.
When we read your stories, we can see that you really love what you do and that’s such a beautiful thing. How did you discover that passion and get into writing?
I used to read Enid Blyton books to my two younger brothers at bedtime and then make up my own stories. While I was employed at a big bank, my parents encouraged me to do a short creative writing course outside of work hours. I loved connecting with like-minded people. Often, I’ll start a sentence and don’t know where it’ll go. I just hope I’ll find it along the way.
Where do you get your inspiration from when creating your stories and your characters?
In a world filled with ugg boots, goatees, and hipsters, I enjoy creating my own dream man. My dream man = someone so well hung I can hang a coat on it.
Is there any specific character you feel the closest to? Which one and why?
In my novel Etched in Stone, the main character Vanessa is awkward and got into a car accident when she was looking at a billboard of food. I did that. Also, she unintentionally walks into the men’s change room and sees a gorgeous, charming, and half-naked CEO. But with my luck, the man would be the complete opposite.
I see that you have struggled with anxiety in your life, that being the reason why part of your profits will go to related causes. Would you say your writing has helped you cope and deal with it?
Yes, some of the profits of my novel Stepping Stone is going to Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). The second chance romance is about a married couple finding their way back to each other because they both have their demons. Marco, the main male character, has PTSD from being in the war in Afghanistan. I used some of my anxiety symptoms to put into the character. Also, writing is an escape to take me to another world, concentrating on fictional characters and scenarios.
You got some really nice compliments from important authors, congratulations! How did it feel to get that kind of recognition?
Thank you. I was in disbelief that New York Times bestselling authors Meredith Wild, J. Kenner, and Cherry Adair will take the time to provide lovely cover quotes to someone they’ve never met. I’m a huge fan.
Other than a rising author, you’re also a sex expert on one of the world’s biggest magazines. How did you start in that position?
As a romance author, I’ve given sex position advice to Cosmopolitan. They named one position called The Swoon with the idea of having mind-blowing sex out of a steamy novel. Mind you, there’s some sex positions I’ve never heard of like The Leapfrog and The Pinball Wizard. Google was an eye-opener.
I can’t leave without talking about him: Groot. He's so cute! Have you ever created a dog character based on him?
Yes, in my novella Law & Disorder, there’s a cheeky dog named Teddy. The enemies-to-lovers story starts getting heated when Teddy escapes from the house and the main female character Juliet chases after him wearing nothing but a towel.
Do you have any new projects coming? What else can we expect to see from you and what are your ambitions now?
I’m writing my third book in my Invested in You series, No Stone Unturned. Each novel is a standalone and based on a different female character working in a Data Analytics team at an investment company. My next goal is to turn my novella, Olive Lim’s Series of Awkward Moments Between Drinks, into a screenplay. The story is about seniors finding love later in life and the main characters go on a mission to break a world record together.
Model / Author: Liv Arnold @liv_au