Interview with CC Monroe

1. Can you describe Loving Ben Cooper in three emojis?  

   😭 🔥 ❤️‍🩹

2. For those readers who aren't aware, this novel was originally self-published. Can you tell us a few ways the two versions are different? And how has the process from self pubbed to traditional been so far? Anything unexpected? 

The first version holds a lot of naivety and not in the way I wanted to. But I was a new author so I didn't really know how to properly convey the message. This one still shows the naivety of young, toxic, and reckless love, but there is more emotional understanding and a level of deeper longing there than the first one. There are more scenes and some more spice! Oh yeah! Lots of fun times :D The things that were different to me between trad and indie is the rounds of edits and shifting from the indie market to the trad market. And knowing I'll be in stores. Holy shit. That's just. Wow. 

3. What initially inspired you to become a writer? Was there an author, book, or just spark that you felt and thought, "I need to do this"? 

Feeling. I always had a deep emotional range growing up and felt the weight of worlds on me at times, and to escape that I often laid it on the characters I wrote. I wanted to tell stories, all while giving myself the chance to explore my art. Telling stories has always been in my heart. It runs in the family too. Mother Swift said it best "I hate it here so I will go to secret gardens in my mind..." Icon.  

4. Given the plot (spoiler free) we assume you have a playlist for Loving Ben Cooper?! What's your favorite song from it? 

I sure do and I created a public playlist on Spotify! It is linked in all my social media bios. This is hard because there are two that really show the mind of both characters. Time by NF is definitely my favorite for Ben and You're Losing Me by Taylor Swift is perfect for Sadie. 

5. What does a typical writing day look like for you?

I unfortunately do not get the luxury of writing full time, so I do have to sneak it in as often as I can. Often after the kids go to bed, or on the weekend mornings before they wake up. Being a mom, full time employee, and an author is hard, but so f--king worth it. I didn't know if I was allowed to cuss? Can I say bad words here? But when I do, I am typing faster than my brain can keep up lol. 

6. What literary couple is your ultimate ship? 

Gideon and Eva from The Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day. Period. Next question! Ahh! Go read it, come back and thank me after :D 

7. If there was one book you could erase from memory and re-read for the first time again, what would it be?

I would say the very first book of mine that I ever wrote. I know that sounds probably stuck up, but really, I remember going back and reading it after I finished it. It was so warm and special to me. Reading it made me feel at home because there was so much to the story that had parts of my personal life.  

8. What did you find surprising or the most challenging in making the switch from self-pub to traditional? 

Luckily, I still get to do both, but they both come with a set of challenges. The hardest part of diving into the traditional world was the amount of editing and the amount of people that had a say in what I wrote. It wasn't a bad thing, but it definitely was hard to let others add input and release the reins a bit. 

9. Let's talk about tropes! Loving Ben Cooper is full of some of our favesss. Which trope gets you every single time? And are there any that you're tired of reading or writing? 

I LOVE friends to lovers and enemies to lovers. BUT I AM A SUCKER FOR INSTA LOVE AND LUST! I said it! Oh and the preggo trope! I'm sorry! I know! But those get me every time. Thankfully, I write what I want and I get to switch it up, so I haven't grown tired of any yet. I get to write mid to plus size goddesses in all tropes and I f--ing love it. I say fuck alot, I know. Sorry mom. 

10. No pressure, but can you give us a little information about what's next for you? 

Honestly, I am in limbo. I have three books that are weighing on my heart strings at the moment and I bounce back and forth. I am a mood writer and a pantster. THE WORST COMBO. But I have works coming out later this year and I am attending more signings at the end of this year and next year. So I plan to have more face to face interactions with my beautiful readers! Check out my website to see all my signings :D Linked in all my social media bios!