Christine Miles - Brains, Quips, and a Fair Amount of Brawn

Christine Miles is a full-time writer living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. An avid reader and writer since elementary school, her passion for literature inspired her to pursue a BA in English and an MA in Creative Writing. She writes YA and Adult Contemporary Romances with sassy, independent heroines and swoony heroes who love them for their strength. When not writing romances, she loves traveling, binge-watching shows on streaming apps, reading mysteries and thrillers, listening to music, and spending quality time with her family, friends, and dog. As our Author of the Day, she tells us about her book, Off-the-Charts Chemistry.

Please give us a short introduction to what Off-the-Charts Chemistry is about.

It's the first book in my current series titled Smart is Seriously Sexy. Stacey, a high school chemistry teacher, has been unlucky in love and never expects to connect with Reece, the school's sexy new head football coach. Sports are not her thing, either, and he doesn't need any distractions with his new job on the line. But their instant chemistry is undeniable!

What inspired you to write this series? Was there anything in particular that made you want to tackle this?

I'm a former middle school teacher. Though I taught language arts, I thought it would be fun to create a series where the heroines (who are also good friends and colleagues) were science and math teachers which were never my favorite subjects in school. But I wanted to challenge myself. I never thought of the women being STEM teachers, but that's how the books are being described by readers who are loving the intellectual and science aspects.

Tell us more about Stacey Kinsella. What makes her tick?

Stacey is a self-proclaimed science nerd and proud of it. She loves chemistry and teaching. She especially loves making sure her students connect with the material since it can be challenging. I would definitely call her adorkable. Creating formulas for things is how her brain works which is something Reece (the hero) finds unique and intriguing about her.

What makes Reece Caldwell such an appealing love interest?

I like to think of Reece (all of my heroes, for that matter) as the kind of man most women would want to have in their life. He's successful, independent, loyal, funny, and most importantly has a healthy respect for women. He wants a woman who's smart and independent; a true partner in life.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

It's not a secret skill, but more of a secret quirk. As much as I love writing romance and the HEAs, I can binge watch true crime documentaries. I also love reading mysteries and thrillers when I'm not writing. I think it's true everyone does have a bit of a dark side.

What did you have the most fun with when writing this book?

Stacey's adorkable quirks and Reece's ability to keep up with them while also finding them charming.

You included a lot of humor in the story. Why did you take this approach?

My first adult contemporary romance series is more romantic dramedy than comedy. I wanted to do something more fun and lighthearted with this second ACR series.

When starting on a new book, what is the first thing you do?

I spend time in the MCs heads, getting to know them and what makes them who they are, by doing some journaling from their perspectives. Then I start to plan the major plot points. I'm what you would call a "planster."

What are you working on right now?

I'm currently at work on the third book in this series. Book two, Passion Under the Microscope, was released in March.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I'm on Facebook and Instagram. Signing up for my monthly newsletter is a great way for readers to stay informed on what's happening. Plus, they'll get a free novella which is a bonus story from the Smart is Seriously Sexy Series!