Q&A with Harper Impulse Author Romy Sommer

I am so thrilled to be chatting again with my friend Romy Sommer, who just released her first book WAKING UP IN VEGAS through Harper Impulse. Romy's been quite busy over the past year, and we're delighted to have her back today to discuss her latest book. 

What happens in Vegas…

Waking up to the bright lights of Vegas in an unfamiliar penthouse suite, cocktail waitress Phoenix Montgomery finds she’s covered from head to foot in gold glitter and not alone – aside from the empty bottle of champagne, there’s a mystery man in the shower and a huge sparkly ring on her finger!

Stays in Vegas?

There’s no denying Max Waldburg’s demi-god sex appeal but commitment-phobic Phoenix doesn’t do relationships. Only it seems her new husband (agh!) has other ideas…he’s trying to keep that ring on her finger and his wife firmly back in his bed. The only question on her lips is – why? Or maybe, why not?

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Congratulations on your deal with Harper Impulse! Can you tell us a little about Waking Up in Vegas?

What happens when a restless cocktail waitress with no strings wakes up married to a man who believes in fairy tales and happy endings - and who doesn't believe in divorce? Worst of all, he comes with more strings than a marionette. The result is Waking up in Vegas.
 

The journey toward publication is usually filled with ups and downs. Can you describe the path that led you to this moment?

Phoenix and Max have been with me for a very long time, and just wouldn't leave. When I finally wrote their story, thanks along the way to a little inspiration from Katy Perry, the story practically wrote itself. I loved writing this book and really believed it was going places, so when I received rejections from the only two publishers I deemed 'worthy' of this story, I didn't let it get me down. I knew Phoenix and Max had a future in more ways than one, so I prepared to self-publish.

Then I spotted a tweet that changed everything: the announcement of a new imprint from Harper Collins.

Harper Impulse is a digital first romance imprint led by Kimberley Young, who I'd met at the RNA conference last year. And this was Harper Collins!! I decided to delay self publishing to give them a chance to reject me first - and instead I got The Call.

My full call story is up on my blog here and here.

Everyone loves a Call Story. Details, please!

Oops, already answered that. Getting the call was scary, nerve-wracking, thrilling and wonderful. And none of those words truly encompasses the amazing feeling when you receive The Call.
 

What inspired you to write this book?

It all started with a dream I had one night in 2009. I wouldn't be surprised if I had it after watching the Julia Stiles movie The Prince and Me. I dreamed of a coronation scene followed by the newly crowned prince making a speech on the steps of a cathedral and calling the love of his life out of the watching crowd.

I wrote the book during Nanowrimo of that year, but it was a very rough draft that never went anywhere. I set it aside and gave it no more thought. Until 2012, when I was listening to the Katy Perry song Waking up in Vegas and thought "Wow, that would suit those characters". I rewrote their story from scratch during Nanowrimo that year (incidentally, those are the only two years I've succeeded at Nano!)

You'll have to read the book to see if the scene I dreamed made it into the final draft!

Do you have a favorite scene or character in this book?

I love the scene in which Max and Phoenix ride motor bikes through the Westerwald countryside. There's nothing like the rush of a bike ride!

I loved all the characters in this book, but there are a few supporting characters who have a special place in my heart. Khara gets her name from the Savvy Authors group I did last year's Nanowrimo challenge with (thanks for keeping me going, Team Khara!) and Rebekah and Claus owe their existence to The Vampire Diaries. Since my dear friend Maya Blake included references to our favourite show in her novel The Price of Success, I thought I'd do the same!

Waking up in Vegas is the first in a planned three-book series. Any hints about what's in store for the next two books?

Rik's story is up next and I'm not giving away any secrets except to say that he's very different from his brother Max. He's dark and brooding and angry.
Book three ... well, if you've read Waking up in Vegas, you might remember the third ring, the missing ring ... that's book three.

You have a full-time job and two children. How do you work your writing into your daily routine?

I don't sleep. No seriously. I've learned to cope on six hours a night, occasionally less, and though I'm grumpy a lot of the time because of it, I figure that won't be the case forever. Roll on the day I can quit the day job and catch up on all the missed sleep!

I've definitely found that I have to keep the momentum going and write every day (even if just for half an hour). If my head is in the story all day, every day, then writing is much easier and the words flow quicker.

You also write historical romance under the name Rae Summers. How do you balance your time or shift gears between the two?

Rae Summers will be taking a little break for the next few months, though she still has stories to tell. I'm a Gemini, so multiple personalities come easy to me. Rae has a lyrical voice and her stories and far more sensual, whereas Romy has a sense of humour, and a fun, flirty, far more contemporary tone.

Can you tell us what you're working on at the moment and what readers can expect next?  

I'm working on Rik's story, so watch this space...

 

Thank you so much for hosting me!

Thank you so much for stopping by, Romy! To learn more about Romy Sommer and her new release, please visit her at www.romysommer.com