Emma Scott is an internationally bestselling author of emotional, character-driven romance.
Her latest book Someday, Someday released November 24, 2019.
Hello Emma! Let’s start by telling us a bit more about yourself, including something that is not public knowledge.
I was born in San Diego, lived in Los Angeles, then San Francisco, so basically I’ve covered the entire California coast. I can’t handle any weather that is colder than 75 degrees so until I move to Hawaii, I’ll always be a California girl. What might not be public knowledge, is that I can name all of the countries of the world in song. I used to do it for audition pieces in college and even sang it on National Public Radio
Have you always wanted to be an author? What did it feel like when you published your first ever book?
Yes, though when I was younger I never thought I could be one. It was strange to hold two diametrically opposing viewpoints at the same time= I am this and I might never be this. When I published Love Beyond Words on Amazon, I felt like that’s all I had to do. Hit “publish” and voila! That’s it. But nothing really happened. In actual fact, when I published my first serial fanfiction on ff.net several years before is when I first felt like a writer. I was putting my stuff out there and getting feedback and that did more for me to make me feel like I’d earned the right to call myself a writer than publishing that first book. It was the step necessary to publishing my first book and without it, I might never have found the courage.
You’ve been in the industry for a few years. At what point did you feel that you’ve made it? 
I guess it was after How to Save a Life was a pretty good hit. I had been a stay at home mom while our girls were little but it was getting to where I needed to re-enter the workforce. My husband and I talked about me substitute teaching on the side and writing at night, but then HTSAL was picked up by a big-time blogger who loved it and my hubs threw his support toward my writing full time and we haven’t looked back. I don’t know that I’ve “made it” per what I expect of myself, but I am able to be proud of the fact that I earn a living telling love stories.
If you could go back in time and change one thing on your writing career would you do it? If yes, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change anything. Everything happens for a reason and every step along the way is a lesson that helped me get to where I am. But I might change how much I stressed about things that I no longer stress about, but again, I think that’s all part of the process. You have to learn what needs your stress and what doesn’t and that only comes from experience.
Which book was the hardest to write? Was it worth it?
All In was still the hardest to write. I had to make readers fall in love with Theo without writing off Jonah and the sheer pressure of that was extremely stressful. In the end, it was completely worth it since the vast majority of readers feel I did Theo and Kacey’s story justice without sacrificing or diminishing Jonah and Kacey’s story. And Theo has become a personal fave of mine. It’s also worth it for the sheer volume of readers who message me (and still do) about how these books touched their lives, and as an author, there’s no better feeling. 
How do you choose a character’s name? Detailed analysis of his/her personality? Random name generator?
I only use a random name generator for minor characters who never speak. Secondary characters get a name that I feel suits them or is interesting, but the main characters will typically choose their own names. Kacey in FT and AI, for example, was supposed to be Keely. And I kept typing Keely and it kept coming out as Kacey until I finally gave up. Beckett from The Butterfly Project picked his own name, as did Sawyer from Forever Right Now. And I told him, you’re a lawyer, you can’t be named Sawyer the Lawyer and he assured me that that would become “a thing” and he was totally right.
Do you have time to read for pleasure? Which authors’ works do you admire the most?
Yes and no. When I’m writing, I have very little time. The time I read is before I write a book. Sort of like refueling the tank before driving. When I do read, it’s a lot of nonfiction, especially about spirituality, and for fiction, I read a lot of literary fiction. My faves are Donna Tartt and John Irving. In our romance community, it’s too hard to pick favorites among friends.
Your latest release Someday, Someday is an M/M Romance, which is your first. What made you venture into the genre? Were you worried about your fans’ acceptance?
I wrote an MM only because Max, a character from FRN, needed his story told. And I sort of always knew he would need that, and that’s how I base my decisions on what to write next–whatever story needs to be told. So the fact it was going to be MM because Max was gay didn’t really factor in. Yes, I was wondering how many readers of mine would take the plunge if they weren’t MM readers to begin with, but I wasn’t about to NOT write it. Plus, I didn’t approach it any differently than any other book. It’s a love story, first and foremost. So I wrote it that way, as I would any other book. But it’s also about members of a marginalized segment of society and it felt wrong to me to gloss over the pressures and struggles many LGBTQ people face. I wasn’t/aren’t worried about fan acceptance because if they don’t want to read it, they won’t, and if they do, awesome. But I have to say I am blown away and gratified by the number of my readers who said they’d never read MM before and are going to make Someday, Someday their first. That’s just very humbling. 
What are the challenges in writing this particular story?
Getting it right. Not being authentic to the characters and their experiences. I had a sensitivity reader to ensure I wasn’t screwing it up or being ignorant, and I did a lot of research first to that end. Writing a secondary character with Asperger’s was challenging. In every book in which i tackle heavier subjects (which is most, if not all of them) my primary focus is to make sure I take said subject matter seriously, honor the real people who live those experiences and do them justice.
What do you have in plan next?
I have a few ideas swirling around but nothing definite yet. My potential next book might feature a lottery ticket, a tour of Asia, and a character who is the brother of Hero in one of my previous books, but we’ll see. 🙂
Before we go, let’s do some random quick-fire questions:
Your height? Ok, this one not random because I really want to know based on your photos with other people lol! I’m 5’11” Most commonly heard at book signings while taking photos with readers: “OMG you’re so tall!”
Book cover: matt or glossy? Depends on the book and the cover image. Though I think most are glossy.
Your least favorite vegetable? Brussel sprouts. And anyone who tells me that I just need to sautee them in garlic and butter and I’ll love them is smoking crack. They are little green gag balls and that’s all there is to it.
Can you juggle? Yes! Actually, I can. Not great, but I can juggle.
Eat Chinese food with fork and spoon or chopsticks?CHOPSTICKS. Always. When Max says in Someday, Someday that it feels wrong to eat Asian food with a fork, he is speaking through me. LOL
Thank you for taking your time answering!
(By the way, I love Brussels sprouts lol!)
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Emma Scott is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today’s Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels.
Author logo and teaser graphics were taken from the author’s website/social media and used with permission.
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