Interview with Author Beck Grey

Romance Sub-genre(s): LGBTQ+ both Contemporary Romance and Romantasy

Steam Level: I write open door explicit romantic sex scenes. Some are spicier than others. It depends on the characters.

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Describe yourself in three words.

Empathetic, Softie, Scattered

What are three facts about you?

Although I'm no longer training, I did achieve my second degree blackbelt in Shotokan karate.

I've been playing D&D with the same group for the past eight years.

I don't mind baking but I detest cooking.

What is your favorite book from childhood?

The Mummy Market by Nancy Brelis

When you read, which authors are your go-to authors?

Lily Morton, Lucy Lennox, Bix Barrow

What book has made the biggest impact on your life?

I'm not sure it's made an impact I can point to, but I honestly think about this book several times a month and I read it years ago. It was that memorable. Evolved by N.R. Walker.

Do you have any book related tattoos?

All of my nine tattoos are book related.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

The Untamed

What subject could you talk about all day?

Indie publishing, trips to Disney

What is your dream vacation destination?

Spain, Greece, Italy, and if it's safe, Morocco. It would take weeks to do it properly, but it would be heaven.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t writing?

Play D&D

Are there any causes you support or which are important to you?

Absolutely. Anything LGBTQ+, but right now, especially because it's so needed, the Rainbow Railroad is my charity/cause of choice. They help LGBTQ+ people get out of dangerous situations and into safe places, even if that means moving them out of the country.

How did you discover writing as a possible career?

I found MM romance books on Amazon and a friend and I dared each other to write a book. From there we started investigating how to get published.

How did you choose your pen name?

It's my real name.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Real life. Real people. I need to feel a connection to the characters and stories before I can write them, so it's all about my life experiences, or friends/family experiences, and sometimes things I've read about in the news.

What is the weirdest fact you've found when researching for a book?

Chihuly glass can be found all over the world.

What trope is your favorite to write?

Fake dating

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Being creative and connecting with readers through my characters.

What is your writing process?

I sit down and brainstorm a story with author friends, semi outline the chapters, and then start writing.

What time of day are you most creative?

Evenings but I'm not sure if that's because it's after work and I'm relaxed so that's my best time, or if it's truly my most creative time.

What is your ideal writing environment?

My office where it's quiet, and comfortable, and I'm surrounded by all of my favorite nerd and queer art and figurines.

As an author, what challenges do you face?

I can't outline a story, or I get bored with it and don't feel like writing the book.

What is your least favorite part of being an author?

It's not an inexpensive endeavor.

If there was one thing you could change about the writing/publishing industry, what would it be?

I'd wish more respect for indie authors from the trad publishing world.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Just write the damned story. Don't worry about anything else.

What is something you’d like to write, but haven’t yet?

Sapphic romance, but it's up next!

Which parts of yourself are reflected in your characters?

All of them. There's a little bit of me in each of my characters.

Which of your characters have special meaning to you?

They all do, really, but I love Tadhg, my Deaf character, because his story really needed to be told. And I love Jules, my severely socially anxious character because he's such a sweetheart and needs to be loved and protected at all cost.

How do you come up with character names?

Agonizing over baby list names and seeing what's popular now and not picking those ones.

What is something you love to hear from your readers?

My story opened their eyes and made them think about certain things in a different way: Social anxiety, transness, being Deaf, etc.

Where can readers find you online?

All of my socials can be found in my Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/beck_grey

Do you have any current ARCs or free downloads readers might be interested in?

Not right now, but I will soon. And all of my ARC teams are built from people who are signed up for my newsletter. So if anyone is interested in getting an ARC, that's the way to do it. https://readerlinks.com/l/5030628 

What is your latest/upcoming release?

My latest release is The Great Maple Mistake which is a small town, contemporary, LGBTQ+ romance. https://readerlinks.com/l/5019184 

I do have an upcoming Romantasy which should be out before the end of the year (2025).

Closing thoughts...

If you love low-angst character driven stories that feel real, without the heavy trauma, you've found your place. Welcome.