SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author A. N. Verebes

Joining me today in The Loft is Australian author Anita (A. N.) Verebes. Anita writes sweet and steamy contemporary romance. As a civil marriage celebrant, Anita makes a living telling other people’s love stories and celebrating real romance. She lives directly between Queensland’s sunny Gold and Sunshine coasts in Australia, Anita spends her days exploring the Great South East with her husband and their two rambunctious sons. When at home, she’s also a slave to two cats and one very spoiled Great Dane.

Author A. N. Verebes

S: Welcome, Anita! Thanks for joining me today.

Do you write in genres other than romance?

A: No, but I do have another pen name I use in a different subgenre of romance. That one is focused on MM kink fiction.

S: What inspires your stories?

A: I’m inspired by a mix of mundane, random real-life experiences, and daydreams or almost silly little hypothetical fantasies. With my debut novel, it was more the latter. I created a main male character who was an amalgamation of my celebrity crushes and from there an entire cast of characters and their backstories just bloomed.

S: When a story comes easily, crafting it is such a joy.

What do you appreciate more--Brains or brawn/beauty?

A: I find brains and personality are what make a person beautiful. Similarly, someone who is considered absolutely gorgeous can immediately seem hideous if they’re willfully ignorant or arrogant or cruel. But when we’re talking about romance novels, my preference is a nice balance of both brains and beauty. It’s ultimately escapism and fantasy for me, so I’ll have my cake and eat it, too.

S: Why not? You hold the pen.

Do you remember your first kiss? What was memorable about it?

A: Oh. Ugh. Yes. It was actually at my fifteenth birthday party during a game of spin-the-bottle. I had self-esteem issues and was definitely a bit of a wallflower in comparison to the other girls. The kiss itself was clumsy and awkward, and I felt sorry for the poor boy for having to kiss me, the chunky, nerdy girl, in front of witnesses. But he was sweet about it, and we’re still friends now, more than 20 years later.

S: What a cute story. What attracted you to your current partner?

A: He’s just as socially awkward as I am. He understands my quirks and is quite supportive. When we met, he was open and honest about his baggage, and I appreciated that. We have as much in common as we do in contrast, and I enjoy the balance.

S: What inspired "You Can’t Hurry Love?"

A: It’s the second book in my debut series, and I wanted to show that Charlie--who didn’t really show himself in the best light in the first book--was actually redeemable and loveable, and that Sara had surprising depth and also deserved a happy ending.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "You Can’t Hurry Love?"

A: This was the first book I’ve written where I let the characters take over. I had a plot sketched out, but Sara and Charlie had other plans, and writing their story surprised me because they took me to places I hadn’t anticipated. I adored both these characters when I first created them, but they became like family to me over the course of writing their novel, and I loved being able to share a little sliver of my part of the world in it as well.

Here's the blurb--

Sometimes love is worth the wait.

Sara Carlisle and Charlie Rhodes are complete opposites. Oil and water. Chalk and cheese.

Before Sara even meets Charlie, she hates him. He's insulted her best friend -a woman Sara considers family- and that is unforgivable. In person he proves to be just as obnoxious and insufferable as she'd anticipated. And, as far as she's concerned, the fact that he's tall and muscular with an accent to die for is not enough to redeem him. Charlie Rhodes is an arrogant A--hole (with a capital A!) and that's all there is to it!

For his part, Charlie thinks Sara is a conceited pain in the arse. A prissy princess to the nth degree. It becomes his prerogative to get under her skin for the sheer pleasure of riling her up. He feels genuine enjoyment in the face of her frustration, and he makes no secret of it. Besides, she gives as good as she gets!

Fundamentally opposed in every way, it's obvious to those around them that they're not going to get along.

But unfortunately, thanks to their respective families, they are stuck in each other's lives for the foreseeable future. Being civil is as good as it is going to get...or is it?

When their relationship turns from reluctant acquaintances to red hot lovers, they find it's good.

Really good.

What could possibly go wrong?

In a slow-burn romance that follows hot on the heels of "Handle With Care," Sara and Charlie discover that you really can't rush romance.