My first introduction to Eden Knox was in the Love Sick Charity Anthology. I was lucky enough to read this as an ARC and I fell in love with her story, ‘On the Power Play.’ I am the absolute biggest sucker for a sports romance, and then you throw hot guys with sinful accents at me and I’m a goner. Jean-Luc Robicheaux and Alexandr Kozlov were so well-written, and I loved how strong Bridgette was as a female lead!
I, of course, immediately went to buy her full-length, Tripping for Number 68, but I’m determined to hold out on reading it until April when the next book in the Sin Bin series, Fighting for Number 57, is released. Whether or not that happens is anyone’s guess, but in the meantime, I was able to chat with Eden and get her thoughts on what it’s like to be an author!
Q: Who has been your biggest supporter(s) throughout your writing career?
A: My friends and family have been around since the beginning! When 12-year-old me told everyone she would be Anne Rice one day, they were there. When Tripping for Number 68 went live, even my parents figured out how to use the Kindle app so they could get a copy; they apparently read every word, even the spicy parts. The day it was available for paperback, my scout sister went to the local indie bookstore and ordered 10 copies, right off the bat.
And my husband is 100% in my corner, that man puts up with all of my writer shenanigans. My laptop dies, and he’s immediately ordering a replacement from Best Buy. Deadline approaching? He encourages me to lock myself in our room with my laptop like the book goblin I am. He’s not so sure about the book signings and all of that, but he’s a solid behind-the-scenes figure. I couldn’t do this without his support.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from in your work?
A: The Sin Bin series takes place in and around a professional hockey team. Hockey has been a constant in my life since I was a kid. Like, some girls had NKOTB on their walls, and I had Jaromir Jagr. Some of my best writing has happened with a game on in the background!
Hockey aspect aside, I love “love”, or that exhilarating rush that first-moment characters fall. Of course, I’m going to write all about that! Even my antagonists get a little bit of a redemption arc so they can have something like a happily ever after.
Q: What does it mean to you to be an author?
A: To me, an author is someone who has their writing out in the wild. Being an author is a lifelong dream come true for me. There was a huge difference for me between writing for fun, and then putting my words out there for someone to find. The Eden who had a few files on her hard drive was a writer. The Eden who set up a website and started buying ISBNs, that one is an author.
Q: What is your writing process like? Do you listen to certain music, snack, make loads of phone notes when inspiration randomly strikes, etc.?
A: I’m such an agent of chaos when it comes to this. I have Spotify playlists set up for my books and different moods, depending on the scenes. I have a series of files for a variety of plot bunnies that will eventually turn into something big. There’s a tiny notebook in my purse for when I can’t type, usually a handful of post-it notes in my pocket.
Oh, and apps? So many apps to keep track of things. I even set up a Google phone number so I could text myself while I’m driving. I’ll throw down words in an email and send it to myself if I need to. Yeah, it’s like that.
I would like to say I’m a plotter with a set work area and a dry erase board of storyboarding, but I’m not. Someday, I want to be.
Q: Is there a genre or subgenre that you want to explore that you haven’t yet? Conversely, are there any that you’ll never write?
A: I want to dig into the paranormal. I have a couple of early starts that I haven’t focused on lately, with vampires and thriller vibes. I don’t see myself getting into sci-fi, though. I have never been able to wrap my head around that particular genre.
Q: What has been the hardest part of your career as an author so far?
A: The marketing. As an indie author without a PA, I wear all the hats myself. Working full-time, attending grad school, and marketing writing at the same time? There are simply not enough hours in the day sometimes to complete all of the things. Someday, I hope to find an author/work/life balance.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness as an author?
A: My strength is writing strong female characters that don’t take crap from their male counterparts. My weakness is letting the conflict marinate. I want to get to the happily ever after so bad!
Q: Who is on your radar as someone you’d love to work with?
A: Oh wow. I have a wish list a mile long of people, from PAs and PR teams to other authors. I’m part of a Discord channel called The Romance Riot, and I would love to tag-team with more of them! My cover artist and formatter, Rose, is in the Riot and the networking has been phenomenal.
Big name I’d love to work with? Katee Robert. Her energy is infectious and the constant tornado of activity around her when she’s writing or touring; I love it. I want to be her when I grow up, of course.
Q: At some point in our lives, we’ve all heard the negative comments: “You’re not good enough.” “You’ll never make it.” “This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.” “You don’t belong.” How do you move forward when faced with negativity?
A: So, my “day job” is in a library, and if I’ve learned nothing else, it’s that not every book is for everybody. Not everyone is going to love my book, or love indie authors, or hockey romance. That’s fine. They can stay over there in their area, and it’s fine. The people who love my book appreciate what I have out there. Find your cheerleaders; they’re out there. Don’t let the negativity get you down!
Q: What advice would you give to women who are wanting to write, especially if it’s something others might perceive as “outside of the norm”?
A: Do it! Is it scary? Sure, but do it anyway! Find your people as well. The Romance Riot and Hype Girls are some of my favorite cheerleaders. They cheer me on, I cheer them on, and the support we give each other is epic. I mean, add me on the socials!
If you can forgive Eden for being a Penguins fan (the jury is still out on that one!), check out her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram! Maybe drop her a line about how we need more Jean-Luc, Alexandr, and Bridgette!
You can also give a read to her recent faves: The Getaway by Lamar Giles, which Eden describes as “if Jordan Peele took elements of 1984 and put it in a Disneyland setting after worldwide famine”, and her husband’s choice, the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. Her honourable mentions include Shon, Emily McIntire, Golden Angel, and the authors at the Romance Riot!
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