CassAsks - Ruby Roe (Patreon)

Fun fact - When I'm in the headspace to read, I'm not really a reader of anything beyond contemporary romance. So, when I started seeing Ruby Roe's name pop up from authors I worked with on CassAsks, I was very intrigued to see what her books are about!

Question for my followers here: are you big into fantasy?

CassAsks - Ruby Roe

1. What was your first fandom you ever joined (if you were into a fandom). Did you read fic for it? Have you ever written fic? 

I’m not sure I’ve ever joined a fandom? That’s not to say I don’t adore particular books, I really do. But I don’t re-read so I only get one shot at falling in love with a series. 

The authors that I’m loving at the moment are Katee Robert and Sara Cate. I also love Alix E Harrow’s prose, it’s to die for and I’ve enjoyed a couple of Ana Huang books this year too. Oh and I will always love V.E. Schwab too, Vicious is one of my all time fave books.

2. Your Girl Games series is sapphic fantasy – what is it about fantasy writing that you enjoy? Is it also your favorite genre to read?

I absolutely love the idea that magic could be real. I’ve spent my whole life imagining what’s on the edge. Hoping the things in our periphery are real. Hoping our world will give us a little more. I want to believe magic is real. I think life is hard enough and I want to escape when I read (and write). I also love the fact that fantasy is limitless—and only limited by our imagination. How fun is that?

3. What have you learned about yourself through writing?

Weirdly, that I have high competition. I found Becca Syme’s Better Faster Academy and the Clifton strengths success coaching system. For those that don’t know, google http://gallup.com/

I took the test and discovered that my number one strength is competition, which isn’t quite the same as “competitiveness”. Though, I am competitive too. 

But I’d spent a long time denying the fact I was driven to win. And if you’ve ever done any kind of self-work you know that denying parts of yourself isn’t healthy and usually leads to an unhappy person. 

So now I write with a friend who writes FAST, in an online web room on ohwrite.co and we ‘sprint’ to 1000 words. Each sprint is a mini race or mini competition. They’re equally as competitive and the result was I literally went from writing 1700 words in a working day to being able to write 2500 words an hour!

4. Your series features different couples in each romance. Do you have a favorite couple and/or character to write? 

Brutal question! I don’t think I can pick, I have different elements of each that I love. Scarlett and Quinn were the first so they hold a special place in my heart. Morrigan and Stirling are just so cool, I want to have Stirling’s ego and Morrigan’s power—and as for the intensity of their love? Swoon. Remy is a little like me in that I’m fairly academic, I have three degrees (it wasn’t intentional), and Bella is just a chaos monkey who was fun to write. And as for Red and Octavia the spice was wild to write! How am I meant to choose?

5. What was the process like for world building?

A lot of visiting derelict buildings and British mansions and estates. Something will spark an idea, A lot of creating mood boards and images for inspiration. I’m quite visual so I genuinely have a murder board before I start writing. I have to have a picture of each character and major location. And I usually start a new series by drawing a map (I’m terrible and it looks like a four year old did it. But it works for me!) Then I go to work on the characters. Building their past and wounds.

6. What is your favorite meal/meal of the day?

Breakfast, because I’m a night owl and so I’m always groggy and ravenous in the mornings until I have breakfast and a million coffees.

7. If you could have dinner with one writer, dead or alive, who would it be?

Lady Whistledown ;p 

Haha, just kidding (defo not kidding).

8. Do you think you will ever write a contemporary romance? 

Possibly, I do have a YA contemporary that I’ve written called the Scent of Death. But it’s not quite right just yet. The more I wrote, the closer I got to the finish line, the more fantasy elements I added. So I need to make a decision about whether I’m going to age it up to adult to keep in the Ruby brand, remove the fantasy or keep it as YA.

9. What book got you into reading?

I’m not sure I recall a specific one. I was reading before I went to school so books have always been a part of my life.

10. What book got you into reading sapphic romance?

Queen Takes Rose by Katee Robert. This isn’t quite true, I read a bunch of YA ones that I’ve forgotten because once I found spice, I couldn’t go back to YA!

11. If you could pick one song to epitomize your characters, what would it be? One song each, for as many characters as you’d like to answer with.

Not sure, I tend to have playlist vibes but I don't think I attach specific songs to specific characters, more moods for the books.

Crimson Hearts

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1JrYARGP8JcNxKo1H8yjBD?si=a55f34a05c064d3e 

Crimson Kisses: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jazJa4sLVwRjfn4QPFW1k?si=80ee5fa46b194d80 

Hearts and Heists

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4agAGS6NpvZ2ZWxESnKVIP?si=2c9b593a25274114 

12. What is your favorite Taylor Swift song and/or lyric?

I am scared to answer this, as it feels like sacrilege, but I couldn’t name a single Taylor Swift song! I listen to a lot of classical music and movie scores.

13. Did you have your entire series already planned before you started writing it?

Not for the Girl Games series. I knew only book 1 and that if I were to continue book 2 would be Stirling and Morrigan. It kind of grew organically from there. But by the time I was writing Deceit and Desire, I intentionally put Red into the story knowing she would star in House of Crimson Hearts. And because I’m doing two series next, I’m intentionally weaving characters into books 2 and 3 for those series.

14. What movie would you recommend to everyone if they haven’t seen it (or, that you think everyone should watch again, even if they have seen it)?

The Matrix was always my fave growing up, and with the rate AI and tech is advancing it feels super relevant decades on.

15. Finally – where would you put these characters on this seating chart: 

Scarlett Grey from A Game of Hearts and Heists by youMalone from Queen Takes Rose by Katee RobertEvelyn Hugo from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidSylvie Campos from Guava Flavoured Lies by JJ Arias Viv from Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 

Explain your reasoning :)

1 Evelyn

2 Malone

3 Viv 

4 Sylvie 

5 Scarlett (who would swing around to Evelyn on the other side)

Evelyn would either be wooed by or put Malone in her place. Viv would keep control of Malone if necessary. But also be patient enough to deal with Sylvie’s chaos. Then I think if Evelyn didn’t like Malone, Scarlett is somewhat moody and silent at times so they’d be comfortable in silence next to each other if necessary.