Hello, Fellow book lovers! This week I will be featuring the first author for my Black Indie Author Highlight series here on this blog. These author highlights will feature Black Indie Authors, these are the only criteria to be featured. As Black Authors and Black Indie Authors especially, we do not always get the recognition we deserve. As such I will be highlighting Black Indie Authors.
My first author highlight will feature Ayla Cox, a size-inclusive steamy romance author. She recently published her first novella Tempted in October after fifteen years of writing for a corporation. As someone who did not feel like she was represented in books, being black and voluptuous, it is important to her to write something inclusive and give readers something she did not have as a reader.
I put together some questions for Ayla about her life as an author as well as her writing process and other author-related questions. Check out what she had to say below!
Q: How did you get started in writing, and what led you to pursue a career as an author?
A: My childhood was spent ear-hustling to get all of the tea and watching very age inappropriate films and TV shows. I spent a few years on fanfiction.net in my youth and that’s where I discovered my real love for imagining and writing fiction. Even so, I never thought it was something that could make me a living. It was only when I met my mentor in undergrad that I realized writing could be a career path for me. It wasn’t a straightforward path, heck, it still isn’t, but every single thing in my life really has led me to this moment in time and I’m grateful for it.
Q: Let's talk about your latest book. What inspired the story, and what themes does it explore?
A: Ooh. Okay! So, I’m a Corporate Baddie. And it’s an… interesting experience, to say the least, haha. I think there’s a lot that happens in the corporate world that’s borderline unhinged and I wanted to highlight some of that in my books. But I also wanted to kind of show that people of color can exist and excel in this world, even with the pressures to conform and code switch to fit into the mold.
For me, the Just a Taste series is all about reinvention, perseverance, and finding your tribe. We sometimes walk down a path on autopilot and when we turn around life has just been lifeing and leaving us behind. And, in those moments, we have to stop and say, this path isn’t serving me so what can I do to change that? Now, that doesn’t always mean getting off the path! Sometimes it means, stopping to smell the flowers or getting tied to a desk by your handsome colleague.
Q: Can you share a bit about the main characters in your book and what readers can expect from their journey?
A: Hugh and Denise, both have their blinders on as they scrape and claw to get up the corporate ladder. And, frankly, people of color have to work three times as hard to get a fraction of what others are given because they have the right last name or because they know someone who knows someone. But building a comfortable life doesn't have to come at the expense of relationships around us.
We all have our shit to carry, to push through, and to make sense of. Both Hugh and Denise have come from difficult backgrounds and they carry that pain with them every day. Readers can expect to see that while carrying something alone is manageable, carrying it with someone else can be healing.
Q: How does this book differ from your previous works, if at all?
A: I am a ride-or-die urban fantasy/sci-fi girly. As a matter of fact, the first two novels I ever wrote, which are still a work in progress, included vampires and fae and suspense and danger. The Just a Taste series kind of happened on BART while I was riding through Oakland one day. Writing about love was always secondary for me because I am passionate about building epic worlds and transporting my readers to different places. But, what I realized when I started Tempted was that this is a world that is super unfamiliar to anyone who hasn’t lived in it. I remember feeling like I had walked into some rich, white fever dream when I entered Corporate America and that’s when I realized I could still build worlds and suck in readers with contemporary romance just like I could with my urban fantasy.
Writing Process
Q: What is your typical writing routine or process like?
A: As a Corporate Saddie (LOL), I spend my weekdays working on content and copy, drowning in the UX needs of regular folks like you and me. I usually break for dinner and then switch over to my personal stuff. I always have my moon lamp on, a candle lit, and music playing. And, even if I spend the time fucking off, I sit at my desk with a document open and stare at it for at least an hour or two. Sometimes I can get a lot written and sometimes I spend the time organizing, singing, or interacting on social media, but my butt is in the seat waiting for the words to come. Weekends are the same. Butt in the seat, blanket in my lap, a cat or two yelling at me for one thing or another.
Q: Are you a meticulous planner, or do you let the story evolve organically as you write?
A: I actually love this question because, both Tempted and Addicted were very organic. But I also had very specific things that I wanted to do in each, whether that was scenes or lines of dialogue that had been living in my head for ages.
Usually, I have all of these things laid out on a whiteboard or a fancy Excel sheet. But, and that’s a very important but. I have recognized that there is a point when I have to let the outline go and just let the characters tell their own story. I mean, I love breaking things. But I also know that the story is going to form in the way it wants to, I’m just its conduit.
Q: How do you overcome writer's block or challenges during the writing process?
A: Butt in the seat. Even if I’m stuck and I know it’s a waste of time. I’ll have my Kindle at my desk, I’ll doom scroll, or even be on the phone with someone, but I’ll be right there because eventually something will come to me and lead to something else and eventually I’ll get on the right path.
Inspirations and Influences
Q: Who are some authors or books that have had a significant impact on your writing?
A: Okay, so this is gonna be a weird one but the first significant author for me was Clive Cussler. I was in maybe fourth grade and I picked up Atlantis Found in my school library and the second I opened it I was hit with the coolest description of Pangea being smacked with a meteor. That was all it took for me to become obsessed. I wrote him a letter once and he wrote me the sweetest, most encouraging reply, telling me maybe I could take my rough experiences and turn them into my own book.
But, I didn’t consider that this could be something I could do until I was sixteen and I read Fledgling and Kindred by Octavia Butler. Now, before you come for me, this was 2006. I know Fledgling is a bit problematic with today’s lens, but it really transported me to a new version of our world and I was taken someplace new. What I love about Butler’s style is her use of first person, her inclusion of a woman of color, the suspense and mystery, it was truly the first time that I was like, “Okay, I see myself in this. Maybe I can do this too.”
Q: Are there specific themes or topics that consistently inspire your work?
A: Inclusion. I want people to read my books and see themselves. Whether that’s their age, their race, their socioeconomic background, their sense of humor, or their personality. It’s important for me to be a part of the change that I want to see for people who feel underrepresented.
Q: Do real-life experiences influence the fictional worlds you create?
A: Oh, no doubt. One of my favorite things is to listen to the conversations around me or cruise through Reddit threads/TikToks to be inspired. I learned from an early age that just listening and taking things in is one of my superpowers.
Character Development
Q: How do you approach the creation of your characters? Do they evolve as you write, or do you have a clear vision from the start? Are any of your characters inspired by people you know or real-life experiences?
A: Character development usually happens as I write. I have a line or an event in mind, but these things tend to just come to me. Usually, it’s a kernel of something I see in myself or in someone I know and then I wrap layer after layer of character around them as I go. I try to avoid basing any character off any specific person, it never feels authentic to me and I want my characters to feel like they’re breathing down your neck as you read.
Book Marketing and Promotion
Q: How do you approach marketing and promoting your books? Any strategies that have worked particularly well for you?
A: One of my past lives was spent marketing and the biggest thing I learned was to lean into emotion. Whether that’s making someone laugh or saying something happy or sexy, that’s what resonates. Since I love to laugh and have my characters say bananas bonkers stuff, I love to use those as my go-to when I am marketing on social media.
Q: How important do you think social media and online platforms are for authors in today's publishing landscape?
A: I think one of the biggest things that authors can do is connect with their readers. When I connected with Clive Cussler at 12 it was like my world felt bigger. In this world of connectivity, it’s so much easier to feel a part of something. I think it’s my job as a writer to foster that environment because it’s truly a gift for me and for my tribe of readers.
Advice for Aspiring Writers
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers who are just starting their journey?
A: Keep going. I feel like starting is 20% of the battle, but finding the strength to keep sitting in front of the screen and keep typing and editing, even when things feel terrible, is the rest of the battle. Find what makes you feel most comfortable and keep pushing. I promise it’s worth it to be able to hold something that lived rent-free in your head in your grasp because it took everything to get there.
Q: Reflecting on your own experiences, is there anything you wish you had known when you were starting as an author?
A: Roll with the punches. When I first started I mapped things out and was incredibly specific with how I envisioned things in my head. And then I started writing and my characters were pulling me left and right and I was struggling to get them to take the path that I’d so lovingly crafted. And then, one day, I just chose to go left and right with them instead of trying to keep them on the straight and narrow. As much as it’s nice to see things follow the outline, know that the path outside of that outline is just as rich and engaging.
Favorite Moments and Achievements
Q: Can you share a favorite moment or achievement from your writing career so far?
A: My favorite moment so far was on TikTok. I was commenting on another writer’s content and one of my followers commented and asked me when the second book was coming. I was like, damn, can I liiiiive?! But, at the same time, I was like, wow, on someone else’s content a reader saw my name and made sure I knew they were waiting on me. It was kind of scary but also exciting and encouraging.
Q: Is there a particular reader response or review that has stood out to you?
A: I received my first one-star recently! This isn’t going to go where you think it is, I promise haha. I have been waiting for this moment. It's proof that my writing, my art is doing exactly what it should be, providing entertainment for the folks that need it. And not everyone needs it. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing from folks who see themselves in my art but it’s not meant to resonate with everyone and I’m beyond grateful when I hear that someone sees themselves in the worlds that I’m weaving and some don't. It means that it's reaching someone who needs it.
Future Projects
Q: Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or works in progress?
A: Yes, The Just a Taste Series is wrapping up, but it will fold into a new series that features two of the characters that folks have come to know in the series! Hugh and Denise will be around a bit in that! I also have a few more surprises in store for this year.
Q: Are there specific genres or themes you'd like to explore in your future writing?
A: I love building worlds. I love fantasy, blending the real with the fantastic. While those tend to take a little longer to create, they will always have my heart. You’ll see some of those soon.
Personal Insights
Q: When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
A: Binging TV shows. Chasing my cats. Mostly, I live with my head in the clouds, eavesdropping on conversations in the store and walking around, smelling the redwoods and peeking at what little bit of the bay I can see while dreaming of a cabin on a lake somewhere.
Q: How has being an author changed or influenced your perspective on life?
A: It's given me perspective. I've been writing for a very long time and it always felt like something huge and unobtainable and now it feels like something that I can do because I am doing it. It's hard work. A lot of hard work. But it's fun. And it feels like everything that I've done up to this point has prepared me for this. I'm where I'm supposed to be and writing is the invigoration I need to get through everything else.
I do hope that you enjoyed this author highlight and have found a new author to read and some books to add to your TBR. Ayla’s book catalogue consists of Tempted and Addicted which are part of her Just a Taste Series. Both can be found on Kindle Unlimted and Tempted can also be found on Audible. If you would like to connect with Ayla, she can be found on TikTok at AuthorAylaCox. If you have any Black Indie Authors you would like to see highlighted leave their names in the comments below.
Blissful Reading!
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