Interview with Aly Martinez, Author of Release

What can you tell us about your new release, Release?

Release is an emotional new standalone about second chances and love that can stand the test of time. After after spending twelve years in prison for killing the boy who assaulted Thea, Ramsey is finally coming home. Bitter and angry, he’s cornered by Thea—the one woman he claims to hate, even though she’s never stopped loving him.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

After my twins were born, I discovered a newfound love for reading romance. I devoured as many books as I could get my hands on from authors like Kristen Ashley and JR Ward. It wasn’t long before characters of my own started chattering in my head, leaving me no choice but to bring them to life on paper. Now, finding the courage to publish took me a little while longer. But 20+ novels later, here we are.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

Oh wow, this will be quite the eclectic list. Of course, I love Romance, so Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley, Look the Part by Jewel E Ann, Lover Awakened by JR Ward, and November 9 by Colleen Hoover are among my favorites, but I have to say, my favorite book of all time is A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius By Dave Eggers. In a lot of ways, the combination of humor and tragedy in that book molded my own take on what I like to call “catastrophic romance”.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Hands down, no questions asked, JR Ward would be my first guest. And I’d love to ask her how she is able to keep all of her many, many characters’ voices so distinct throughout the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

Starting a new book, when the ideas are so fresh and new. It’s truly one of the biggest thrills. Also, typing the “The End” after months of hard work. It’s bittersweet saying goodbye to the characters, but that’s a high like no other.

What is a typical day like for you?

I wake up at 5 AM and play mom, wrangling my four kids to school. By 8 AM, I’m thoroughly caffeinated and ready to roll. I’m not the fastest writer, so I work from 8-5 every day. My daily goal is 3,000 words and I’m very protective of my Monday-Friday workweek. But I don’t work weekends and I take a month off after every book so it all evens out.

What scene in Release was your favorite to write?

I loved writing the flashbacks to when they were kids. The love/hate relationship Ramsey and Thea had in the early years made me laugh so much.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

For my author life, my motto is just sit down and write. The words might suck and it might feel like pulling teeth, but eventually, I always catch a flow. For my personal life, my motto is: Everything is better with wine. 🙂

Aly Martinez is the author of the new book Release.

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