AJ Alexander - Does the Dog Walker Get the Girl?

AJ Alexander is a wanna be psychologist, writer, and author of the Odd Jobs Series. AJ's passion is writing angst filled, happily ever afters that have to be earned by her characters. Women with no backbone need not apply. AJ uses sarcasm and an unlimited supply of song lyrics to bring her romance novels to life. AJ lives in the angst capital of the world, Seattle Washington with her own personal knight in shining armor and her two beautiful girls. As our Author of the Day, Alexander tells us about her book, Stay.

Please give us a short introduction to what Stay is about.

Cole is a cocky dog walker that believes he is god’s gift to women, until he meets the one woman who tells him no,Addison. Stay is about Cole and Addison finding their way through the journey of life that happens to lead them to each other.

What inspired you to make the hero in this story a dog walker?

Honestly, the idea came to me during the whole “cockygate” issue last year. A lot of authors were writing stories To help raise money for legal fees for the authors affected. The idea for Cole just popped into my head.

Tell us more about Cole. What makes him "tick"?

Cole wasn’t always this way, but when his heart was broken he decided to never let anyone in again. He’s gorgeous and always has a puppy with him, every woman’s desire. It was easy for him to get any woman he wanted, but deep down all he wanted was to be accepted for who he is.

Why is Addison such a great match for Cole?

Addison is a woman of her own right, which is great for Cole. She doesn’t need anything from him. Cole is used to getting anyone and everything he wanted, when Addison tells him no it’s a shock to the system. Now he has to work for what he wants, something he hasn’t had to do for a long time. Theses two have to determine the worth of each other during their back and forth in order to determine if their love is true.

How does your interest in psychology influence your writing?

I love to understand how people think and what motivates them to do things. I find that it’s makes things easier for me to understand how my characters get to their happily ever after, enabling the writing process to run smoother.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I wouldn’t call them secret, but I have OCD so I’m hyper organized. I have a very detailed daily schedule from the time that I wake up until I go to bed. I also make a mean baked ziti from scratch.

Both Cole and Addison have been betrayed in the past. Why did you create them this way?

I believe every good love story comes from heart break. Love at first sight happens, but it’s very rare. Addison and Cole’s love story is based on my husband and I. We both were hurt very badly before we met each other, so we both had to work through our own issues before we could find our happiness together.

Is there something that compels you to write? And do you find that writing helps you achieve a clarity about yourself or ideas you've been struggling with?

To be honest I never planned on being a writer, it happened one day by chance. I have been trying to find an outlet for at least ten years now, I found it when I began writing. I’m able to find a peace within myself when I am writing. When I don’t write I get wrestles and at times angry, so I keep going.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received?

Keep writing. Just keep going. You aren’t going to become famous over night, people are going to love you and some will hate you. As long as you love what you are writing that’s what matters.

Are any of the characters in the book based on real people?

Yup, all of them. They are combinations of people I’ve known through out my life or people directly involved in the particular storyline.

Who was the first character you ever created/invented?

Psycho/Elliot

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average working day like for you?

I have to skittles, they are my writing fuel. My usual day is I wake up at 6am and write until around 8am. I get my kids off to the bus and work on social media and answering emails until around 11am. Begin writing again until around 2pm. I take a nap, run errands, or self care until 4 pm. Then family time until I go to bed.

So boring!

What are you working on right now?

I’m getting ready to release the last book in the Odd Job series, Tidy Up. I’ve also started a new series I’m hoping to release starting in 2020.

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

I’m on Facebook and Instagram the most, but they can always shot me an email as well

Amazon: http://bit.ly/AJAlexanderAmazon

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/AJAlexanderBookBub

Facebook: http://bit.ly/AJAlexanderFacebook

Reader Group: http://bit.ly/AJsBarflies

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/AJAlexanderGoodreads

Instagram: http://bit.ly/AJAlexanderInsta

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/AlexanderNewsletter

Website: http://bit.ly/AJAlexanderWebsite