Gabriel Hargrave interview

 AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hi! My name's Gabriel Hargrave, but I usually go by Gabe. I'm a 35-year-old trans man living in Rochester, NY, with my cat, Regina Dentata. I write queer erotic romance novels while I'm not reading, blogging, editing, or playing TTRPGs. 

When did your love of books begin?

The way my mother tells it, I asked her to read me the same books over and over again when I was two and three years old. She apparently used to read to me a lot in utero, so maybe it started all the way back then. I began reading at a really early age because I had memorized the words she'd read to me and started recognizing them in other books. 

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I started writing from about the time I was in kindergarten. My first "published" book was actually a short story I wrote in third grade that my teacher liked so much she had it sent to the school's bindery. I probably still have it somewhere. My dream for pretty much my entire life has been to be a published author. That I finally get to live out that dream is incredible.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I self-published, so my experience is different from authors who went the indie or trad-publishing route. The process of actually writing a novel is months and months of drafting and editing and working with critique partners and beta readers. All of that's pretty similar regardless of how you publish. But the self-publishing process was actually rather simple. It's the self-promotion and marketing that takes a lot of time and effort. 

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Do it! But don't just jump right in. Despite having been writing my whole life, I've only just now published a book. I spent a good 30 years coming up with stories, writing them down, typing them up. I have dozens of unfinished books sitting on my computer or in notebooks because I couldn't quite find my groove. It wasn't until last year that I found the story that I needed to tell, the one that wouldn't let go of me until I'd finished it and shared it with the world. In all that time, I'd been reading--other people's books, sure, but also about writing. And I'd been learning about grammar and syntax and structure, figuring out how best to create characters and plots, and a million other things. Writing takes time if you want to do it well.

Tell us about your book/books:

The Orchid and the Lion is the first book in a trilogy. It's a queer m/m erotic BDSM romance set on a space station 150 years in the future. It follows the star femme Dom at a famous brothel as he navigates training a trans man sub while also trying to investigate some troubling rumors about the paradise he's called home for almost a decade. When I started writing it, I had no real idea what was going to happen. I just knew that I wanted to write a BDSM story that was healthy, consensual, and character-focused. A lot of the depictions of kink/BDSM in erotica and romance novels are dangerously incorrect to the point that I can't bring myself to read them. My hope is that this book (and the other two in the trilogy) can help change that trend. I'm also hoping that it will help start a trend of positive representation for sex workers in fiction, something that is sorely lacking at the moment. 

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I've met so many wonderful, supportive people, including my critique partner and most of my betas, through the writing community. While there's often a lot of drama and writing discourse that floods Twitter on and off, the heart of the writing community is people who love telling stories and who want to share them with the world. And I think that's really beautiful.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

First of all, thank you! Everyone who's contacted me so far about my first novel has been so sweet and supportive. I love hearing how much y'all love Dorian, Laith, Kenny, Frank, and the rest of the characters I've created. I'm also really touched by how willing people are to help spread the word about this book. Between copies sold and pages read through Kindle Unlimited since the book came out three weeks ago, I've already reached a larger audience than I expected. Keep up the good work of spreading the word! And make sure to leave a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon.

Secondly, the sequel is coming (as are some short stories). I'm hoping to have the second book in the trilogy ready for publication sometime next year (possibly May or June, but don't quote me on that). 

Where can people connect with you?

You can find me on Twitter @GHargraveWrites, on Instagram @gabrielhargravewrites, on TikTok (I'll eventually be posting videos there) @gabrielhargravewrites, on Goodreads as Gabriel Hargrave, and at my website: gabrielhargravewrites.com.