Indie Support Sunday: A.A. Fairview

A.A. Fairview got their start—like a lot of us—writing fanfiction and the rest, as they say, is history. Because since then, they’ve written quite a few books with such intriguing premises that I want to inject them all into my veins. Arin’s books are a mix of some really good things, but mostly they write the kind of books they’d like to read; monsternormative worlds and sapphic fairytales are just some of what you can experience with their stories.

Whether you’re an established author or someone starting out, Arin’s five pieces of advice are really great. They’ve put into simple words what so many of us struggle with and talk about quite often. Including my favourite point: get weirder!

You can find Arin’s books on Amazon; some are available in Kindle Unlimited! You can also preorder their upcoming minotaur sports romance, Edge Jump, that releases in May.

BEING AN AUTHOR

Who or what inspired you to write?

I’ve always loved storytelling and characters. I started writing seriously in middle school (as seriously as one can write fanfiction) and decided then I wanted to write forever. I like to write things that I don’t expect anyone else to write and things that make me happy.

What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author? 

The best part is being your own boss and the worst part is being my own boss. I get to make every final decision and never have to compromise. But there also isn’t anyone else to do the work! I do all my own marketing, formatting, and everything else that goes into book publishing. It’s a lot but the creative control is fantastic.  

Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?

Trad pub seemed like a lot of work with no promise of a reward. I know so many people who were in the querying trenches for years without finding success. I also know people who have been picked up by trad and did not enjoy their experience. That isn’t to say there aren’t positives to trad publishing. 

I would encourage folks to do their own research, ask questions, and find what works best for them. I knew I had enough skills and disposable income to self-publish but everyone’s situation is different. 

When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?

Tabletop games are great for getting creative (Dungeons and Dragons, Monster Hearts, and Masks are some of my favs). I love having dice decide what happens as it makes me think on my feet and get creative. I’ve got a great group of friends who keep things fun and challenge me as a storyteller. 

I also love music and really enjoy creating playlists for characters and projects. Sometimes I create playlists that are just vibes or songs I think go together well. 

If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?

Oh boy, I always forget every book I’ve ever read when people ask for recs! I’ll start with some recent favorites, Love is a War Song by Danica Nava and August Lane by Regina Black, two excellent contemporary romances with musician leads. Now some indie faves that inspire me, In the Garden of Echo by H.S. Wolfe, Never Met a Devil Like You by Magnus Thorne, and Price on Her Head by Suzanne Clay. All short but impactful reads!

What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?

1. Writing and publishing is a marathon, not a sprint: find sustainable writing practices and stick to them. 

2. Write what you love, not what’s trending: If these two things happen to overlap, congrats! But don’t force yourself to follow what’s trendy. 

3. You're only in competition with yourself: Don’t compare yourself to other authors. It’s easy to see other’s success and get jealous or feel you’ll never have that level of success. While those feelings are natural, they’re not helpful! Use what you’ve learned and do better than your previous self.

4. Never spend money you can’t afford to lose: I see so many authors worried about finances when they’ve put so much money in front of a project. I understand the urge to buy art, fund your own special edition, make a fancy PR package, ect, but none of those things guarantee success. Ask yourself “am I okay with not making this money back” before making big book purchases.

5. Get weirder: Seriously, my most popular books are out there. You’ll see a lot of naysayers, people who say “I hate X and Y trope” or “those gooner books are so gross.” Ignore them. That’s not your audience. Your audience is out there and they are craving whatever you’ve got cooking. Don’t be afraid to be a little (or very) weird!

ROMANCE AS A GENRE

Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?

I’ve always felt the best romances are good character studies. I love writing and discovering new characters. Romance tends to put characters in a vulnerable position and so it’s interesting and very fulfilling to see these characters in their most vulnerable states, then watch them be built back up by their love interest(s).  

If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?

I would probably write some sort of urban fantasy mysteries or thrillers. My paranormal romance series already taps into this and I just love writing about the mysterious magical world that exists alongside ours.

What are your most and least favorite tropes?

I’m a big fan of forced proximity and use it a lot. I also love anything that leads to good banter, hate to love or they both have feelings and refuse to admit it. Least favorite is hard, because if I say it on the record, eventually I will write it and look like a huge hypocrite! But for now, we’ll say I’m not a huge fan of bully romance. Unless they’re both bullying each other. See? Huge hypocrite here!

What are some tropes you want to write in the future?

There are some I’ve already written I would love to write more; age gap, fem-dom, and class difference. I have a friends to lovers novella planned I can’t wait to get to. I also love celebrity romances and would love to write my own one day. 

What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?

One thing I love about romance is how it does touch on difficult topics like abuse, addiction, and being an outcast—all things I’ve explored in my writing. I’d love to see more romance tackle how society views kink and the misconceptions surrounding kink lifestyle. I’ll also always love any romance with ownvoices rep discussing the struggles of marginalization.  

If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?

I do write open door romances. I also write erotica! Character’s sexual preferences can tell us a lot about them, it’s fun character work. I often ask myself “what does this character need right now?” Or “What completely flips this character on their head?” A good example is the big scary monster who is actually a huge submissive. 

YOUR BOOKS

What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?

I started writing my first book in an attempt to get out of writing burn out. So I just threw in all the things I loved into one story—werewolves, magic, forced proximity, and found family. Nowadays I think about what books I would like to read, whether that’s our world where monsters are just a part of day or day life or sapphic fairytales. 

Can you briefly tell me about your books?

I’ve got three paranormal romances that all take place in the same universe, Teeth and Tarot, Crystals and Contracts, and Bark & Bite. Each book follows a different supernatural couple trying (and often failing) to better themselves. In Teeth and Tarot, Lance wants nothing to do with magic but gets dragged back into supernatural shenanigans thanks to a hookup gone wrong. Minnie from Crystals and Contracts, wants revenge but isn’t sure how to enact it–and the devil she summoned refuses to help her (revenge is so overdone and boring). Bark & Bite has two former werewolf pack mates getting kidnapped by a vampire, but the real meat of the story is both of them facing their pasts to create a brighter future. 

My most popular book is Mother of Pearl, which has a pretty simple premise: Lydia is a lifeguard who gets close to a single mom, Stephaine, who decides to spoil her for the summer. The world is “monster normative” and there are plenty of steamy scenes hotter than the dog days of summer.

I also released my first ever Christmas romance this past December! Aliens in My Stockings follows Temperance, an autistic woman who gets accidentally abducted by the alien duo Chyme and Ivx. Really it’s a book about three neurodivergent people creating their own holiday cheer with a bit of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy absurdism thrown in there. Also tentacles.  

Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?

My favorite character changes depending on the day because I love them all. I think I’ll go with Kas from my paranormal romance series. He’s a succubus who shows up to be mischievous and cause problems. He’s so fun to write. 

If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?

I actually do use actors as face inspiration! For my paranormal romances, I’d cast Michiel Huisman as Reagan, Antiona Thomas as Minnie, and Rooney Mara as Sara. Lydia from Mother of Pearl would be played by Hunter Schafer. Sometimes it’s hard to find a good actor stand-in for my characters because I do like to write body diversity, so a lot of my characters are fat. I think Chrissy Metz would make a great Temperance casting! 

How much of yourself do you put into these characters?

Oh very little. I don’t think I’m like any of my characters at all! It’s more fun to write characters who are different from myself.

What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?

I’ve been dying to write more sapphic fairy tales. I already have ideas for a Red Riding Hood and Swan Lake remix. Hopefully I can write those soon!

Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?

I would say all my books have a good sense of humor. I also write my books with the thesis “love is a powerful and infinite thing” so there is a lot of forgiveness, growth, and all types of love sprinkled throughout. 

What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?

I am working on a Sleeping Beauty remix for a secret anthology project. I also am working on another age gap monster romance. 

When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?

Can I say horny? Besides horny, I hope readers feel seen. There’s nothing better than a reader telling me they related to a character. 

AUTHOR’S CHOICE

• Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks

• Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense

• Single or Dual POV

• Standalones, series or standalones in a series—bonus points if there are cameos from the other couples

• Open door, ajar door or closed door romances

• Music or silence when writing 

• Plotter, pantser or plantser

• Water, tea, coffee or….wine? 

• Cold or warm weather

• Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?—but honestly anytime except the morning

• Illustrated or photo cover?

Arin can be found on Instagram, BlueSky and make sure to sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on future projects!