Indie Support Sunday: Rebecca Chase
- Mar 1
- 7 min read
I think I came across Rebecca Chase and her books when I was falling down a rugby romance hole! While her Bulls Rugby series is complete, that’s not the only sports romance series she’s worked on. You’ve definitely seen the gorgeous covers for her Coulter Racing Team series—the second (Spun Out) releases March 6th and is available for preorder right now! And if sports are not your thing, worry not, she’s got so much more to offer. Including Regally Binding, a really fun and spicy bodyguard romance!
For Rebecca, writing these stories was her way of having control in a world where she often felt powerless. Giving her characters their happily ever afters and finding joy and comfort with the good guys is always a good reason to write these books. Even though she grew up where sex wasn’t talked about, Rebecca has found her way to writing spicy stories while also learning, healing and seeing how life-changing it can be.
Whether you’re looking for sports, small town, bodyguard or something more, Rebecca’s books would be perfect for you. They’re available in Kindle Unlimited too!
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
Writing was initially my way of having power in a world where I was powerless. I couldn’t always express my emotions about situations, but I could write them down and create worlds where the “good guys” got their happily ever after and those who caused harm and hurt got their comeuppance. But I also found that reading helped me with my own anxiety, whereas writing gave me escapism beyond anything I’d known before.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
The best part is writing to your own schedule and making decisions about your work, though sometimes my ADHD takes over, whispering in my ear that I should start a new series before finishing an old one!
The worst part is that it can be lonely, and at times I’d benefit from the knowledge of more experienced people in the industry, people to daily share ideas with and those who can help me make my books as close to perfect as possible. I have a couple of author friends for this, but it would be nice to have additional people.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
Like many authors, I considered a traditional route and even queried my first book, but after speaking with authors who were hybrid or who had once been traditional, I learned that the positives didn’t outweigh the negatives.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
I make beaded book-lover bracelets, create social media posts, bake cakes, and, through my day job, organise activities to support people's mental health. I also do things that help my creative juices, even though the activity itself isn’t creative, e.g. walking the dog, spending time with friends and family and sitting in boring meetings 😂
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
I love romance books, especially those with twists or intrigue, like Karen Rose's books, any sports romance, and thrillers like those by Jeffery Deaver.
I also love books by Kathryn Kincaid, Sarah Smith, Elizabeth Holland, Elsie Silver, Liz Tomforde, Tessa Bailey, and many others.
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Find your habits and use them across many aspects of your writing. I struggled to edit in the early days. I couldn’t focus, and I hated this part of the process. But I knew where I wrote best (in the pub/cafe in the morning), so I decided to try that for editing as well. Even when I didn’t want to do it, I’d take myself to the pub, and it became the process to just get on with it while I was there.
Chat with other authors. This is great for knowledge sharing, encouragement, confidence building, and even for laughing about the ridiculousness of this industry.
Don’t try to copy someone else’s route. You can do similar things, but your voice, stories and what you bring to the writing world will be unlike anyone else’s. Find your own path while learning from other people’s.
It’s okay if your plans change. Everything on social media makes you feel you need to have a fixed genre, sub-genre, type of story, and particular list of tropes. But some of your most creative moments will come when you don’t stick to a set way of writing. For example, I can’t just write F1 romance. I need to embrace other sub-genres, and while that isn’t the best way to grow a brand, it’s who I am. If I had to fit in just one sub-genre, I’d stop writing, so diversifying works for me. I also know that with every book I write, I improve what I’m doing and reach someone new, so even if it’s not the recommended way to grow a brand, I’m still writing what I love.
Marketing is exhausting, but it can work. Find the best way to market your books in a way that works for you and what you have in your life. A lot changed for me when I learned the best ways to market my books, but it meant sacrifice in other areas. It is a tricky balancing act, and I haven’t always done it well.
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
Due to my medical conditions and life experiences, life hasn’t always been happy or predictable, but romance has shown me that everyone can be loved and that people can have a happy ever after, too.
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
Crime. I grew up watching a lot of detective television shows, from the cosy to the brutal, and I’d love to write something incorporating these one day.
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
My favourites are forced proximity, found family and undercover cinnamon roll.
My least favourite is cheating.
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
Marriage of convenience and ex’s dad.
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
Disability romance, especially in terms of the less common disabilities and how that impacts sexual experiences.
I’d like to see more spicy romances with MCs both aged 40+. There are a growing number of stories with characters this age, but I’d like to see even more.
If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?
Sex wasn’t talked about a lot in my family, and as a teenage loner attending a small church, it wasn’t talked about much there either, so I learned about it through books and television. Since then, hearing people’s experiences and meeting psychologists specialising in sex, I’ve learned how healing, affirming and life-changing sex can be. So much of it was taboo when I was growing up. I want to give space to others who might be experiencing something similar, so they can learn, too. Open door can be a great way for my characters to express the things in their lives and learn about themselves while also having a lot of fun!
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
My books are often a mishmash of real-life experiences, things I’ve heard, men I wish existed and random ideas I mull over for weeks, sometimes years. Some of the ideas come to me when I’m watching sports or hearing something in the media. Others have sat with me for years, and I just need to find the right way to tell that story.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
I write contemporary romance. This includes:
Coulter Racing Team series with strong female leads and ride or die MMCs.
The Bulls Rugby series, an angsty series of books featuring characters with painful life experiences.
Cloud Family series is a romcom small town (ish) romance series set in a cookery school in the Cotswolds.
Closest Protection is a bodyguard romance series.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
It was Bear, the bodyguard, from Regally Binding, my The Bodyguard meets The Princess Diaries romance book. However, I’m editing the second book in my small town (ish) series, and the MMC is getting close to overtaking him as my favourite character.
If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Spun Out is my next book. It’s an F1 romance, and it’s out March 6th. If I were to cast actors in the lead roles, the MMC (Niki Coulter) would be played by Joe Cole, and the FMC (Rosie Denham) by Mia McKenna-Bruce.
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
It depends on the characters, their experiences and personality types. The more I write, the less of me appears in the story. That said, I’m currently writing a neurodivergent FMC, and I can see aspects of me in that character, but she still has her own voice, motivations and experiences.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
I’m tempted to let my feral author side free and write a dark romance or two. I’m on the cusp of planning it, but we’ll see.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
Banter and angst.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
I’m preparing to release Spun Out, my second F1 romance on March 6th.
My second and last bodyguard book will hopefully be released in July 2026, and if everything goes to plan, my second Cloud Family romance book, which is kind of an English small town romcom series, should be released by the end of October 2026.
I want to finish that series in 2027 and continue releasing an F1 book every year for some time.
There are lots of other things tempting me, but I have to finish a couple of series before I start new ones… maybe 😂
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
Happy, sometimes sad, amused, seen, hot under the collar, and giddy. If they’re not squealing or kicking their heels, I need to work on my books 😂
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
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing—headphones in, sometimes with music, sometimes with nothing playing
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?—Diet coke!
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?—But that’s because the location I write in is quieter in the morning
Illustrated or photo cover?—I don’t mind; it depends on the book
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