Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is happy to shine our Friday spotlight on science fiction romance (yes, that is correct!) author Ruby Dixon. I asked her to tell us briefly a little about herself and her writing, and this was her response:
I am Ruby Dixon (she/her) and I write steamy sci-fi romance with a lot of babies and feel-good situations. I tend toward the fluffier side of things versus angst, though my books definitely tackle some more serious topics, but I hope in a way that is more entertaining than traumatic! As for myself, I am a truly boring sort. I am a workaholic, middle-aged, I have cats and a husband, and I read and write a lot. Really, that’s about it. 🙂
Ruby, where can people find your work? (Besides Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester–though they should totally check here first!)
All of my ebooks are exclusive with Kindle Unlimited, which means they are ONLY available on Amazon…but you can borrow as many of them as you want every month. If you are an audio listener, you can find me on Tantor, Audible, or anywhere Audio Books are sold. My print books are in the process of being printed by Berkley Publishing. The two first Ice Planet books are now available everywhere trade paperbacks are sold, and I hope to have more coming soon! (You can also order paperbacks via Amazon, naturally).
How can we follow your work and share your awesomeness?
You can find me on RubyDixon.com or on Instagram at @author.ruby.dixon . I also have a Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/RubyDixonBooks – and am very active there.
For readers unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe what you write? What can readers expect from your latest release?
I think I’d call mine “Cozy Alien Smut”. There are aliens! There are some issues! There’s spicy scenes aplenty! But overall I write books that are designed to give you warm fuzzies and a few hours of escapism.
What character did you love or hate the most while writing? And why?
I loved writing BOUND TO THE BATTLE GOD. Loved loved. That project was my baby. It was my ‘treat yoself’ project after a day of work, and I had it on my desk for years before I finished it. So I think really fondly of that one, still. It just made me happy.
There isn’t a particular character I hate more than others, but I will say that the Fireblood Dragon books are more difficult for me to write. This isn’t a bad thing, but they take a bit longer because it’s a bit of a grittier setting? And I find that the book I’m writing reflects my mood. This is why I don’t write tragedies! I’d just be sad all day long. But those have a somewhat darker setting and I find it affects my mood a bit more.
What question do you wish interviewers would ask you, and what would the answer be?
I get asked by readers a lot if I use ghostwriters and I want to shout it out to the world again. NO. NO I DO NOT. I do everything (except the covers and editing) myself because I’m a bit of a control freak. I like having my hand in all the things. I can’t pass off ANYTHING, much less an entire book.
Nor am I a fast writer. I’m really not. I am, however, a very PERSISTENT writer. Some people can get 2k an hour. It’ll probably take me 3-4 hours to get there…but if I work 8 hours a day, every day, it adds up. That’s the secret sauce. Not how fast you type, it’s how much time you put in
While you’re writing, do you prefer music, silence, other? Please elaborate!
I have to have complete silence or else it distracts me! I find myself thinking about the song lyrics or the mood of the music, and then I get all pants-on-head and can’t write.
Do you have any favorite foods or drinks that must be in the vicinity (or must be avoided) while you’re writing or editing a piece of work?
I’ve learned that the older I get, the more caffeinated I need to be in order to function. Coffee, coffee, coffee.
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned, thus far, in your writing career?
Don’t second guess yourself! All of the plot-lines or characters I’ve stressed and worried about have ended up being the ones that are the favorites or the ones that are talked about. YOU know how you want your book to go. Trust your gut. If you think that scene belongs there, it probably does. Will it please everyone? No. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write it.
I have had friends, editors, and other professional authors suggest that a scene or a character should be different. They’re allowed to think that, but at the end of the day, it’s my book and I have to be happy with it. Be confident in your shit!
Ruby, thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions! For those of you who aren’t familiar with her work, here are some of Ruby’s latest books we can get in paperback:
Annie's Book Stop of Worcester 