In 2012, a 28-year old Torre self-published her first novel, Blindfolded Innocence, an erotic romance which quickly grew in popularity, landing at #1 in Erotica and remaining there for over two weeks. In less than three months, she was earning five figures monthly. This success attracted the interest of literary agent Maura Kye-Casella and major publishing houses.
Today, Torre has published nine novels, become an international bestselling author, has had numerous six-figure publishing contracts, and has attracted Hollywood interest in her erotic thriller The Girl in 6E.
Alessandra Torre is represented by Maura Kye-Casella of Don Congdon & Associates.
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About the Book
Cole Masten. Abandoned by his superstar wife, Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Watch out Los Angeles, there's a new bad boy in town. Summer Jenkins. That’s me, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year. We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But then Cole Masten read a book about my small town. And six months later, his jet landed on our dusty airstrip, and he brought Hollywood with him. From the start, I knew he was trouble. For our town. And for me. Sometimes, opposites just aren’t meant to attract.
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Keep reading for an interview with Alessandra:
Do you have a "day job"? If so, what do you do?
Writing is my full time job. I work roughly 50 hours a week and that is evenly divided between writing and marketing.
What genres do you write?
Contemporary Romance
Erotic Romance
Erotic Suspense
Is there a genre that you've been wanting to experiment with? If so, what is it and what attracts you to it?
I have two ideas in my head -- one is a time traveler book, the other has more of a paranormal aspect... both of those I have sort of set aside for now. I think they both deserve a series, and I'm not in a place in my writing calendar where I can commit to more than one book at a time. I'd also love to write YA -- there is something so exciting and innocent about that time in a person's life. But my brand is so adult... I need to figure out the right way to move into that genre and make sure that I have a book that is worth it.
What inspires you to write?
I have stories inside that are bursting to come out. I often get impatient with my current works-in-progress because I am so anxious to get to the next book in my head. If I am ever short of inspiration I do a lot of reading and watching tv. Naps and walks also help.
What authors/books have most influenced you?
On Writing by Stephen King is the book that made me first put on my writer's hat -- it broke down the process of writing a book and really made it seem like a manageable journey. I love to read Gillian Flynn, Lisa Gardner and Liane Moriarty.
If you could choose an author to be your mentor, who would it be?
Nora Roberts. She has managed, despite her huge catalogue to still be fresh and exciting. I'd love to learn from her. When did you first consider yourself an author?
Probably when I signed my first print deal. It was a two-book deal with Harlequin and really put me a position where I felt confident in my writing.
What made you decide to self-publish?
I never really considered any other option. I didn't have the confidence in my writing (or the patience) to query agents and publishers. I saw self-publishing as a great way to quietly put out my book and see what readers thought. I loved the freedom and independence of self-publishing. And now, after 5 traditionally published books, I'm not sure if I'll ever leave self-publishing again. I much prefer having 100% control and freedom with my books.
What fears do you have about writing and being an indie author? How do you cope with your fears?
At this point, with 12 published books, my fears are more on business related matters, rather than content. I worry about covers and formatting. I worry that there will be a glitch in a release, or that my preorders will disappear overnight. I have silly fears like dying while I am halfway through writing a book, and that that story will never be told. But I have grown confident enough in my writing that I don't worry about the reception. Which is good. One less thing to worry about. :)
Are you a pantser or outliner?
Pantser. Definitely. I've tried to write with an outline but it felt boring and contrived.
How long does it take you to write a book?
4-6 weeks to write the first draft. Then another month on rewrites and edits. Then I spend about a month promoting before release.
How do you come up with the titles for your books? Do you find it difficult?
Book titles either come very easily -- a word or phrase standing out during the writing process... or stumps me completely. With my most recent book, Love Chloe, I let the readers pick the title. That worked out well.
What are you working on now?
I'm finishing up the first draft of Love, Chloe. It releases on March 14th, so I need to hurry up and finish so that I can go through rewrites and polishes before release.
Do you have any advice for other authors?
Don't write to sell books. You will never be happy and it is so hard to succeed as a writer right now. You need to write because it makes you happy, and because you have a story in you that needs to be told. I have a lot of blog posts that new writers find helpful, you can see them on my website.
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