The Writer's Block- Interview with fellow indie author, Nicole Rodrigues

3/5/2019

Nicole Rodrigues is the author of the Double Play Series, Pinky Promise and Always in Your Corner. She's also a busy wife and mother of three.

I recently "sat down with her" after reading her latest novel, Going, Going, Goner and asked her some questions about her latest book and upcoming new release.

Here's what she had to say:

Me:   Hi Nicole, tell me a little about yourself? When did you know you were going to be a writer?

Nicole: Hi Shanna!! So I loved to write in high school and in college. I would plot out different stories and didn’t really do anywhere with them because I was a little self conscious about them. My freshman year in college I took an English class and my professor asked me why I was a Math major instead of an English one! I started writing more and more throughout college, taking a lot of different fiction classes but put it on the back burner to become a High School English teacher. Moving down to Tennessee, I became a stay at home mom and my husband pushed me to publish now that I had so much more time to focus on it and it was the best thing I’ve ever done!! (Aside from marrying him and having our three kiddos of course ;) )

Me: Haha, exactly! So, what inspired you to write the Double Play Series?

Nicole: I love sports, I’m a huge sports fan and baseball has always been my favorite. I had the idea for such a long time and it actually was a slightly different version I started to write out. I sometimes verbally plot out loud to my husband and he told me to see what would happen if I changed it to the version it became and I think it made it so much better!! I don’t want to give too much away but let’s say I originally had only one curveball but then changed it to two ;)

Me: Wow! And what a great idea it was! Love it! (You'll have to read Curveball to know what she's talking about, wink wink) Which character of the series is your favorite? Why?

Nicole: Right now I’m halfway done with the last book and it’s so hard to choose!! Charlotte and Gabriel will always have a special place in my heart because they were my first. They each have their own amazing quality. My most loving and resilient would have to be Savannah, my sassiest Lacey. My fiercest and most good hearted would be Charlotte and lastly but certainly not least my absolute warrior would be Normani! The men, forget it!! Gabriel is my alpha a-hole with an amazingly loving heart! Jackson is just the absolute perfect doting book boyfriend. Damon is definitely my sexy, dirty man. Devin is the broken, hot headed, secret ball of mush! And lastly Nico, the persistent Hulk that brings the Queen of sass to her knees!

Me:   Such great characters, Nic! Did anyone in real life inspire your character, Jackson? Savannah?

Nicole: I think bits and pieces of each character I take from real life, but for the most part their interactions and their characters are just thoughts I’ve had in my head.

Me:   Well, you did a great job. They are amazing. What are you working on now?

Nicole: I am currently finishing editing Book 4, Devin’s book, Changeup and also halfway done with the last book in the series, Lacey’s, Walk-Off.

Me: Ooh! Can't wait!! How many books are there going to be in the Double Play Series?

Nicole: There are going to be five books!

Me:   What are you planning for after this series is complete?

Nicole: I said I wouldn’t write another series so soon after this one but I actually have another series literally all plotted out already! I swear I just get an idea in my head and it just develops into this crazy idea that will now follow a new family. I can say that I am super excited about this one because each book is super different. I am breaking away from the sports romance for a little while and it will follow a man and his three younger sisters. Each book, a different sibling! I am soooooooo excited about it and probably will go right into writing after I’m done with book 5 in Double Play!

Me: Haha! I love when those random ideas pop up! It sounds great! Now, as a wife and mother of three children, how do you get any writing done? LOL!

Nicole: Haha good question! I write during down time, really early in the morning when everyone is still sleeping and late into the night when everyone goes to bed! I also write when my kids are in school which makes it easier. I usually barricade a little section off so the baby can crawl around and I sit with my laptop! Anyway I can! LOL

Me: Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, right? So, tell us a little about Ballers with Benefits, the next book of the series! When is its debut!

Nicole: So Ballers With Benefits releases March 22nd. It is Bella’s book, (Charlotte & Gabriel’s daughter) and it picks up three years after book 2 finishes. Her one night stand with Damon Johnson (who we meet briefly in book 2) turns into an addiction and they try to navigate their relationship without falling for one another. We all know how that goes ;). The whole gang is back and we also get introduced to Normani (Devin’s love interest in book 4) and we see the start of Lacey and Nico’s relationship (Book 5)!

Me:   Squee, I can't wait!! So exciting!! What drew you to the romance genre?

Nicole: Honestly, I loved reading happily ever after books, romance has always been my go to genre, my go to movie choice, my go to everything. I LOVE love and I love writing about people getting their happily ever after!

Me: Nice! Everyone deserves a happily ever after! Who are your favorite authors/books?

Nicole: I have sooooo many but I guess Emily Goodwin, Tia Louise, Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland, Lauren Landish, Adriana Locke, Lauren Layne, Helen Hardt...so many more! There are so many amazing authors out there!

Me: I know, SO many. It's hard to list them all! What do you love about writing?

Nicole: I love the end product, obviously! LOL I love when people read my books and message me how much they loved it, and how much they loved a certain scene, how something made them cry (yes I like making people cry ;) ) I also love just the writing part. I like kind of black out as I write so it’s fun to go back and read what I wrote afterwards. Sometimes I read it over and I’m like, “Wait, I wrote this?!” LOL

Me: I know! It's like you get lost in your own world then when you read back through. You gotta give yourself a pat on the back for how awesome it came out :-) So, what are you looking forward to in 2019?

Nicole: I’m looking forward to everyone reading the entire Double Play Series because I know a lot of people are waiting until book 5 is out! I also am super excited to start writing my next series. I am NOT looking forward to saying goodbye to my Gavinwood’s and Turners though. I will cry like a baby when it’s over! LOL

The lovely Nicole Rodrigues was born in Queens, NY and later grew up in Long Island, NY. She went to Adelphi University and majored in English Education with a Creative Writing minor. She taught High School English throughout Long Island and Brooklyn, NY until relocating to the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee where she currently resides with her husband, two daughters and son. She is the author of the Double Play Series, Pinky Promise and Always in Your Corner. You can visit her website and purchase her books below. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

VISIT NICOLE'S WEBSITE HERE

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