Interview – His Leading Man Author Ashlyn Kane

Author: Ashlyn Kane
Title: His Leading Man
Published On: June 5 2018
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genres: Contemporary Romance, M/M
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SYNOPSIS

He wrote a comedy. Fate directed a romance.

Drew Beaumont is bored of the same old roles: action hero, supervillain, romantic lead. He’s not going to let a fresh gay buddy comedy languish just because they can’t find him the right costar. No, Drew bats his eyelashes and convinces everyone that the movie’s writer should play Drew’s not-so-straight man.

Aspiring writer Steve Sopol has never had a screenplay optioned. Now one of Hollywood’s hottest properties wants to be in a movie Steve hasn’t finished writing— and he wants Steve as his costar. Turns out the chemistry between them is undeniable—on and off-screen.

Drew swore off dating in the biz, but Steve is the whole package: sharp, funny, humble, and cute. For Steve, though, giving in to the movie magic means the end of the privacy he cherishes. Will the credits roll before their ride into the sunset?

Why did you decide to become a writer?
I’ve always written—it was never a conscious decision. But if the question were “why did you decide to try to publish a book?” the answer is “to see if I could.” Or maybe to prove I could.

Who/what are your writing inspirations?
I really love Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. It’s a fantasy universe where they somehow invent magical things that functionally mimic things we have in our world, and the social problems are often mirrored as well. But it’s a little zany, a little silly, a little punny. It’s social commentary that
doesn’t take itself too seriously. Immersive enjoyment and escapism. I don’t write a lot of fantasy/magical realism, but even in my contemporary books, I try to convey that silliness, that zaniness, that love of playful language.

What are your favorite genres to read?
Fantasy/magical realism, for sure!

Favorite writing food / snack?
Costco brand trail mix, probably! I can pretend it’s healthy because of the dried fruit and nuts! But also, chocolate.

What do you hope readers take away most from your writing?
I hope they laugh, squeal, shout at the characters a little, and at the end, I hope I leave them with a smile.

Who’s the favorite character of yours that you’ve written and why?
This changes almost every book, but I have an enduring fondness for Cole from Hex and Candy. He’s a little more insecure than I generally write—maybe more me than most characters—and I think he’s relatable, with the sweet tooth and the silly pun T-shirts. He’s content with his small-town life;
he doesn’t need to be the world’s most powerful witch to be happy. Dolly Parton said “Find out who you are and do it on purpose,” and that’s very Cole.

What is your writing style? Outliner/Planner or Seat of the Pantser?
I’m an OG Pantser unless I’m co-writing. I know where I’m going, but I have no idea how I’m getting there. Bus? Plane? Rickshaw? Hitchhiking? I’ll make it eventually.

If someone wanted to become a writer, what tips would you give to them?
Don’t quit your day job! Writers can and should expect to be paid fairly for their work, but it often takes a long time (or, you know, never) to get to a sum that you can support yourself on. Do it anyway—do it for the love of the craft. If you can’t do it for that… you might be happier as a CPA. For
some people, making writing into a for-profit activity ruins the joy of it. If that’s the case for you, there’s nothing wrong with not publishing. It doesn’t make you less of a writer.

Have you ever purchased something from a late-night infomercial? If so, what?
Not personally, but I own two Snuggies and those Curtis Stone meat-shredding claw things!

If you could collaborate with any other author (living, dead, or undead) who would that be and why?
Hmm… maybe Shakespeare could teach me the art of the perfect dick joke?

If you weren’t a writer, what would you do?
Edit… which is my real day job…. Teach… which used to be my day job…. Or you know, just sleep more and actually spend time with my husband!

Coke, Pepsi, or?
Coke, but never after 2PM. Otherwise, tea (decaf only; if you feed me caffeine after 2 I’ll be up til 3AM cleaning my basement).

What’s one thing people should know and/or don’t know about you?
I am a fair-to-decent amateur carpenter/renovator/furniture modifier/restorer. Sometimes I need to just… build stuff to feel productive. Or take stuff apart. You know, whichever.

Is there a character that has the most “You” in them? Or the opposite of you?
Rylan Williams from Hard Feelings is like… the anti-me. He’s very much an introvert and an overthinker.

If we lived in a Fahrenheit 451 culture, which book would you want to memorize?
Good Omens.

Has anyone written a fan fiction based on your work?
They have! I don’t think it’s posted online anywhere, though. I thought it was the coolest thing. I thought, “Wow, now I’ve really made it!”

*Is Ashlyn Kane a pen name? If so, why did you pick it?
It is! I picked it because it’s got similar letters and syllables to my real first name and I figured there was half a snowball’s chance in hell of me actually remembering to look over if someone called me that in public.

Have you used Beta Readers? If so, what did you think of your experience and would you recommend it to
other authors?
I basically write every book to a small audience of beta readers in real time. It’s so helpful to me; I can’t write in a vacuum. I’d never get anything finished without my team! Everyone should have them. But not mine! You can’t have them.