Welcome back to my Author Spotlight series, where I shine a bright light on the talented authors within the indie romance community. This series aims to celebrate authors who bring their unique voices to the romance genre, connecting them with readers who crave diverse and enthralling love stories.
Today, I have the delightful opportunity to introduce you to the USA Today bestselling author, Danika Bloom. Known for her rom-com series about bands of brothers, Danika’s writing showcases her love for vibrant characters, quirky humor, and irresistible chemistry. With her upcoming release, “The Billionaire’s Shrubbery,” she takes us on a journey that intertwines enemies-to-lovers, workplace dynamics, and the allure of a billionaire’s empire.
“The Billionaire’s Shrubbery” promises a delightful mix of steamy encounters, witty banter, and a dash of horticultural magic. It introduces us to Virginia Beach, whose superpower is her ability to communicate with plants, and the grumpy yet undeniably charming Will Power. Set against the backdrop of Virginia Beach itself, this enemies-to-lovers rom-com explores the challenges and unexpected sparks that arise when two captivating personalities clash.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey as an indie romance author and how you found your passion for writing in the genre?
I didnโt have a plan or burning desire to write romance until 2019. My background is as a technical ghost writer for progressive not-for-profits in Canada and although Iโd indie published a paranormal womenโs fiction novel (in which all the men die!) in 2016, my plan was to write a book in the style of AJ Jacobs and Mary Roachโa fact-based book with personal anecdotes. My working title was, โGirls Who Get Themselves in Trouble: The Untold Communion of Sex, Religion, and Politics.โ
After two years of research and working on the book, I realized that what I wanted to communicate would be so much more funโand palatableโto deliver in romance. In my mind, the romance genre is a gentle and yet subversive way to talk about and celebrate female pleasure and sexual autonomy. And thatโs how I started writing romance.
The synopsis of your upcoming release, The Billionaire’s Shrubbery, promises a quirky and fun enemies-to-lovers romance. What drew you to this particular trope, and how did you put your own unique spin on it?
Honestly, I donโt start with tropes. I meet characters and they drive my stories. Itโs their histories that determine whether their HEA will be with an enemy or best friend.
Will Power introduced himself to me while I was doing a program with a personal development guru, like a mini Tony Robbins. As I sat through about 15 hours listening to this guy, Will Power started to talk to me. Boy was he grumpy! And when I asked him what his issue was, he said he had killer insomnia. ๐คช
As a woman of a certain age, I am quite familiar with how hard it can be to be perky and fun when youโve only slept for four hours and thatโs been a pattern for weeks. I knew Will needed sunshineโliteral and figurative.
I love quirky heroines and always write women Iโd love to be friends with, so Virginia the plant-whisperer was born in my imagination!
In the book, the hero, Will Power, is described as both charming and grumpy. How did you develop his character to make him an intriguing match for Virginia Beach?
Knowing my husband wonโt be reading this, Iโll tell you the truthโthe charming grump is my husbandโthatโs how I figured out when Will would be grumpy, what heโd be grumpy about, and how heโd still be a man that Virginia would want to spend time with. Heโs never grumpy at Virginia, heโs grumpy about life, but when heโs with her, she helps him see how to look at life from a different perspective.
Humour plays a significant role in your rom-com series. How do you strike a balance between comedy and romance in your writing?
Honestly, it took me several books to really figure out how to strike that balance. My first series is tricky since it has lots of scenes youโd expect in a rom-com, but overall, theyโre more humorous romance than pure rom-coms.
I think what makes The Billionaireโs Shrubbery a real rom-com is in the set-upโhow Will and Virginia meetโand in the silliness of Willโs goal which is really to just be able to get a good nightโs sleep. And of course, the banter. In all my books, the heroines are quirky and the banter is witty and fun, even for serious conversations.
As an indie author, what challenges have you faced in the publishing industry, and how have you overcome them?
For the years before I indie published my first novel it was the isolation and feeling like I was on my ownโhad to learn 1001 things about the business of being an author without knowing where to look or whose opinions to trust. There is a lot of contradictory advice out there!
In 2021, I had the amazing fortune of being accepted into Skye Warrenโs Romance Author Mastermind, a three-day conference for romance authors whoโve published five or more titles. The friends Iโve made in the rom-com sub-genre are my lifeline. Iโm pretty sure Iโd have quit writing were it not for the support from that group of women.
How do you navigate the publishing process and market your books to reach a wide audience? Do you have any tips or strategies that have worked well for you?
Iโd say my strategy is pretty iterative and I think the most important tip for success is to keep trying new things, be open-minded, and treat your books like a businessโbe an authorpreneur.
I focus my ongoing marketing on building relationships with readers on my email list. I write (almost) weekly notes to them that get dozens replying, telling me their stories, related to whatever Iโve written about. And I reply to every single person who writes me back. Some weeks it takes a couple of hours. Iโm not sure if thatโs the best use of my marketing time, but for now, it feels right.
One tip I highly recommend is to find your sub-genre peers and develop real relationships with those authors. Iโve been meeting every Friday for over 18 months with a group of rom-com authors.ย Over time, real friendships develop. We truly want to see each other succeed. We share each otherโs new releases with our audiences, we read and review each otherโs books, and we share tips that have worked and places weโd avoid spending money.
What can readers expect from your writing style and storytelling in The Billionaire’s Shrubbery? And are there any hints you can give us about your future projects or upcoming releases?
In The Billionaireโs Shrubbery, readers can expect puns and play on words, cultural references, and characters who are masters of self-deprecation. The story is low angst and a great pallet cleanser after a hard read like one of Colleen Hooverโs amazing, gut-wrenching stories (I always need days to recover after reading CoHo!).
The next book in the series is Aidenโs story. Heโs the youngest of the four brothers and heโs been underestimated his whole life. Heโs got some proving to do! He is meeting his match in a young woman named Joan who was a friends-with-benefits pal in university until she pulled a prank that went too far and ended the friendship. Itโs a road trip romance and the working title is The Billionaireโs Bobblehead.
Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring indie romance authors who are looking to pursue their writing dreams and build a successful career in the genre?
It may sound a little self-promotion-y, since I host an online community for pre-published romance authors, called Author Ever After.
I started that community because of my deep belief that success in any venture is easiest when we have people who are experiencing what we are supporting us. Itโs hard to find non-romance writers who understand the emotional ups and downs of writing a novel; who know what to sayโand more importantly what not to say!โwhen our inner critic is kicking our ass; and who understand the business of launching a career as a romance writer.
There are a lot of invisible moving pieces at play and having people at your side to point out helpful next steps or productive ways to use your time when the writing muse is on holiday is invaluable.
Don’t miss out on the chance to discover the enchanting world crafted by Danika Bloom in “The Billionaire’s Shrubbery.” To stay updated on her releases, visit her author page on Amazon. For more about Danika and her other works, you can visit her website, follow her on Goodreads, and connect with her on BookBub.
You can also catch her on social media, where she shares insights, book updates, and engaging content. Follow Danika Bloom on Instagram and like her Facebook page. For a chance to connect with fellow readers and fans of Danika’s work, join her dedicated Facebook group.
If you’re an indie romance author seeking a spotlight for your own writing journey, I invite you to fill in the form found on my Author Spotlight page. I look forward to hearing from you and exploring the wonderful world of indie romance together.