Q&A: Elliot Fletcher, Author of ‘Scotch On The Rocks’
We chat with author Elliot Fletcher about Scotch on the Rocks, which sees opposites attract in this sexy Scottish romance between a young woman and the man who is completely off-limits.
Hi, Elliot! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I live in Edinburgh Scotland, with my husband and our dog and cat. When I’m not busy writing you can find me browsing second hand bookshops down by the beach or rewatching the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, (Sorry to the Colin Firth lovers!)
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
So early! Probably like most writers, my love of storytelling really struck during my school years. One of my earliest memories of writing was when every child in my English class had been tasked to write a short story titled, ‘The Storm’, then later that evening my teacher phoned my parents so she could read it over the phone to them. It would still be many, many years until I believed I could write as a job, but looking back that really was a significant moment in my writing journey, so I owe a lot to that teacher.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
- The one that made you want to become an author: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Your latest novel, Scotch on the Rocks, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Angsty. Yearning. Romantic. Swoony. Hopeful.
What can readers expect?
This book is pure tension and yearning, if you can’t tell from the swoony cover. From the offset I really knew I wanted this book to tell a right person wrong time story. On the very first page, Callum meets Juniper on a train from Edinburgh to Glasgow and is instantly smitten with her sarcastic humour. Very quickly he finds out that Juniper already has a boyfriend, his younger brother. Flash forward five years and they are both living on the Isle of Skye, very much single and with years of unresolved tension to combat.
Where did the inspiration for Scotch on the Rocks come from?
Scotch on the Rocks is the second book in The Macabe Brother’s series, so the pieces for their story had already been placed by the time I came to write it. But as soon as Juniper walked on the page in Whisky Business, she was sharp tongued and closed off. I knew right away that she’d need a very determined man to win her heart.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really loved writing Juniper. I think in romance novels complicated women often get a hard time. So, all through the drafting writing period, I had that fact in mind and it really gave me the push to delve further into her emotional side to discover the reasons she’d become so closed off and make those aspects of her personality shine. She’s also the complete opposite to who I am as a person, so it was really fun to allow Juniper to voice the things I’d never dare say to someone.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Oh, definitely. My biggest challenge whilst writing is always overcoming my own self-doubt. The little voice in my head that tells me ‘this book isn’t good enough’, ‘everyone’s going to hate it,’. The only way I can overcome this is by trusting the process, because the first draft isn’t the only draft. And always trying to remember what a privilege it is that I get to share these stories with people.
What led you to the romance genre?
I think my love of romance is just fully ingrained into my personality, I’m a big romantic at heart. It was in the stories I gravitated to as a teenager and that followed me into adulthood. My friends and family make fun of me because if we’re watching a movie without a romantic subplot I start crafting my own and pairing different characters up.
What’s next for you?
I have so many exciting things coming up, a few I can’t talk about yet. But I’m currently working on edits for the third Macabe Brother’s book— One for the Road. I’m so excited for readers to get to know Alistair a little more and meet Isla, who’s new to the series for this book.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I haven’t read as much as I’d hoped so far this year, because I’ve been so busy writing. But a favourite of mine was The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone and I’m really looking forward to Game Point, a new tennis romance, by Meg Jones.
