In this interview we proudly present you Brooke Gillespie Trout. Brooke started her journey in the world of theater and was, as she says, “always intrigued with the Bad Boys”. During that period, she discovered her love for writing and made her dream come true as she published her first novel “Set It Free”.
Even though her books are, as she also confirms, not exactly in the Erotic Romance but more in the contemporary romance genre, they are so heavily steamy that they deserve 5 stars. And as we said different times: the pure sexual parts can also evolve in our imagination so beautifully and hot, that we should open our mind regarding erotica and enjoy also other steamy genres!
Therefore dive into the life of Brooke and read about her fascinating attitude towards writing and the life as published author!
What did motivate you to become an author?
I’ve always loved writing. Through elementary school and high school, I had dreams of becoming an actress. I worked in community theater. After high school, I worked in dinner theater and was able to break into some small film projects with local commercials, industrial films, and a few national commercials. Throughout that journey, I discovered a love of writing and knew one day I’d love to write a book. It would be years before I made that dream come true.
What was the most difficult part of becoming an author?
The most difficult part of all is following through and completing a project. There are other hurdles too… Getting people to read and review my books. Also, finding other writers to truly connect with. I follow, and I’m followed by, other writers in the industry on social media, but I’ve only really connected with a handful of people. I often feel like an outsider looking in. Marketing is another challenge. There is a lot of competition out there. It’s hard to find a way to stand out, make graphics eye catching, but still stay true to what you love. I’ve gotten flack for my book covers because they’re not sexy, or they don’t feature muscly men, or a couple in a steamy embrace. I’d rather have a unique work of art on my cover than come across another author who uses the same image for their cover. Staying unique is hard.
What do you think: in what stage of the process of an author are you right now?
I’m a published author. I have 5 books published, and several written, but not edited yet. I’m not sure what stage that is considered, but that’s where I am in my process right now.
What keeps you motivated to push forward each day as an author?
If I don’t write, or at least do one thing every day pertaining to writing, I don’t feel complete. At this point in my life, it’s in my blood and I have to engage with it every single day.
Do you have yourself favorite authors or books which deeply inspired you as a person and as an author?
I have three favorite authors I’ve been reading since I was a teenager, and I aspire to be like them. Nora Roberts, LaVyrle Spencer, and Jackie Collins. I’ve read Twice Loved by LaVyrle Spencer several times. It’s one of my favorite books. It takes place in Nantucket in the 1700s and it’s a frustrating love triangle that will make you swoon, cry, and throw the book against the wall. I’d love to move into fan fiction with that one and continue the story of Laura and Rye.
You co-authored with Trisha Harley McCarthy on “The Wish” a steamy Holiday Romance Story. Tell us how this partnership established and how it is to co-author a story. Is it easier to have two sources of creativity or does this make it even more difficult, as maybe both of you would have developed the story differently?
It was an interesting process to co-author a story. I think different sources of creativity can be good and keep the writers on their toes. Looking back on it, there are definitely changes I would have made and I would have developed the story differently. It was a good experience and I loved to see another writer’s process.
Please tell us a little more about your other books “Heart and Soul Series” and “The Art of Zen”. What are they about and who should read it?
The Heart & Soul series follows the lives of a rock star on the rise, and an aspiring actress. It’s a long series that not only focuses on their love story, but on their careers. It starts in the 80s, so anyone looking for a throwback will appreciate the rewind of time. In my opinion, the 80s had the best music and since this series follows a rock star, that era was the epitome of rock star.
The Art of Zen is an opposites attract love story that takes place in New York City. My books are for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in a love story, escape from the ordinary, and get lost in a fictional world.
So far you wrote more in the contemporary or “sweet” romance genre. Could you imagine to once also write a book in the steamy or even erotic romance genre?
I write contemporary romance. I don’t think my work falls into the “sweet” romance category, because when I think of “sweet” romance, I think clean and chaste. My books get into the hearts of the characters and their story with a heavy side of steam.
As far as writing in the erotic genre, I’d have to say probably not. Although, Amazon classifies my first book, Set It Free, as erotica. There are some intense moments with the characters, but it’s not erotica. Erotica is a great escape and I sometimes enjoy it, but I don’t see myself going in that direction.
We personally love to read steamy romance books. However, we do also read clean romance as sometimes, depending on the mood we are in, it is really beautiful to let the love and sensuality happen in you own imagination. But sometimes we are in a state of mind that we really want the sensual parts to be written out by the author. Do you know that too? How do you choose in your stories what to “write out” for the reader and which part to leave to the creativity of the reader?
I don’t feel like I choose which parts to write, I let the story and the characters decide that. I do think it’s important to include those sensual moments in a way that is descriptive but not too graphic. I love to read sex in stories, it’s why I started to read romance in the first place. I often joke that I never picked up a bodice ripper for a history lesson. While I enjoy those hot moments, I also want to fall in love with the characters and feel all of the emotions. For me, it’s about finding that balance to tell the story, but to also indulge in those gratuitous moments.
Where do you get your inspiration from? Are your characters solely based on your imagination or do you let inspire yourself by real people or stories?
It’s a little bit of both. Inspiration is everywhere. From a glance at a person walking down the street, to a conversation overheard at a party. Those random things are what usually trigger the spark of creativity, then I sprinkle in the real scenarios. I’ve definitely included my life experiences in my books and my characters, but unless you know me personally, you’ll never know what I’ve conjured up, or what I’ve experienced firsthand.
What do you want to achieve for yourself as an author?
To write full-time and to be able to make a lucrative income from writing.
What are your personal goals as an author? What’s your dream to achieve?
Bestseller status. To have my books become a Netflix series, or a major motion picture.
What do you want to give to your readers with your books?
The perfect escape and the thrill of falling in love.
Where and in which forms are your books available?
My books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, etc. I think most of my traffic comes through Amazon, so that’s usually where I direct people. My books are available in eBook and print. Audio is not currently available, but I would like to go in that direction soon! On what are you actually working? Are there additional books in the works?
I’m just wrapped up the second book in a new trilogy I’m working on. There are many more books in the Heart & Soul series and I’m hoping to publish book 4, Meant To Be, this summer.
We want to thank Brooke for the interview and her thoughtful insights. If you want to learn more about her and her steamy romance novels, visit Brookes pages and of course check out her books.
And If you are interested in the romance novel that Brooke influenced in her journey the most, check it out Twice Loved.