An Interview with author Brooke Moss!!

I’m happy to once again, welcome the very talented Brooke Moss. This time, she has agreed to answer a few burning questions I know you all have! 

So tell us, Brooke, what inspired you to write your first book?

I wanted to see if I could do it! A lot of people were telling me that writing a book is “way more difficult” than I realized, and that I should set a goal that wasn’t as hard to achieve. All it took was one person telling me that I wouldn’t be able to get published…and the rest was history.

How did you come up with the title?

I tend to give my books very simple names. I chose The Carny because Vincent Youngblood is working as a carny when the book begins. Sometimes the simplest titles are the most interesting…

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes! Absolutely. My heroine, Charlotte, and my hero, Vin, are experiencing a lot of subtle racism as their relationship progresses. Not so much the blatant racism that a lot of American history exhibits, but the subtle, cutting remarks that some people can make about dating someone of a different ethnicity. Sometimes those back-biting comments and back-handed compliments can be every bit as damaging as blatant racism. I was hoping to make my readers think about their own tolerance and behavior, and hopefully encourage them to be more accepting and loving towards everyone.

Are any of the experiences in your novel based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

My brother and his wife of 20 years are an interracial couple. They’ve seen their share of subtle racism over the years, and I wanted to honor them with this story. It isn’t necessarily based on their life at all, but the undertones in Charlotte and Vin’s story certainly are.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I am absolutely awestruck when it comes to contemporary romance author, Kristan Higgins. Her voice is impeccable, and they way she balances humor with emotion…perfect! I met her this past spring, and was a complete bonehead. I could barely form sentences, I was so star struck!

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Absolutely! I just read On The Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves. It. Was. Ah. Mazing. Literally…go buy this book now, and you can thank me later.

What are your current projects?

I have a few agents reading my first Fantasy YA, which is book 1 in a trilogy, and I’m waiting to hear their response. I am super psyched to share this story with the world. Think the movie Splash meets Twilight. I know, right??

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

If anything, I would have given more confirmation between Charlotte’s father, McIntyre, and Vin. I feel like I didn’t really give them a grandiose ending to their conflict…though I did that on purpose. With racism, not everyone can kiss and make up. Sometimes healing, and becoming more tolerant, takes time. Lots of time. And that was what I was trying to express…I hope I pulled it off.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Staying off of the damned internet!!

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

No…I usually write about towns where I’ve either lived (I attended college in Astoria, Oregon, where The Carny was set) or visited a lot.

What is your favorite type of food?

Cheese. I am a pescetarian, and so I don’t eat meat…but I eat fish, shellfish, dairy and eggs. I would rather die than stop eating cheese. Like, literally…

Who is your favorite book boyfriend?

Oh, that’s a good one…I would have to say Maloner The Loner from Kristan Higgins’ Catch of the Day. So rugged and sexy…*shudder.

Do you have a song that you'd consider the theme for your novel?

Yes! Mindy Gledhill’s song, Circus Girl. Google it….it absolutely expresses the feel of Charlotte and Vin’s love story.

Well, Thank you Brooke, for stopping by!

And don't forget, you can purchase your copy of
"The Carny" at InkSpell Publishing, Amazon and Barnes and Noble...