Q&A with Author H.L. Brooks

I firmly believe there are people in your life you were 100% destined to meet and vibe with. H.L. Brooks is one of those people for me. We met through an event she runs with fellow author Cardyn Brooks—The Write Women Book Fest—and I immediately felt a genuine connection with both H.L. and Cardyn. After volunteering for their 2023 event, H.L. returned the favor and volunteered for Charm City Romanticon 2024. Between then, we chatted on-line, got together for lunch, and found ways to support each of our events through collaborations and cross-promotion.

What really drew me to H.L. is her joy for writing and making solid, valuable connections. Her smile is contagious, her humor is infectious, and her talking points are always engaging. She carries such an amazing wealth of knowledge and experience to every interaction, and besides being an amazing event organizer, she’s also a stellar human. 

When she wrote a novel inspired by her time at CCR2024 I did a legit happy girl squee and jumped for joy. Because how cool is that!?! And now she’s scheduled to be a signing author at CCR2025. I learned so much about her from this Q&A, and I can’t wait to dive into her latest romance novel and see where her journey takes her next.

How did you get started writing?

My first published piece of writing was a Fantasy of the Month in Playgirl magazine in the late 1990s. Fast forward about five years and I wrote my first murder mystery in 2002, but couldn’t find anybody interested in publishing it, got discouraged and didn’t write another book for over ten years and instead picked art back up, and then photography and went headlong into art season. Then in 2010 I had gotten separated from my husband and moved out of my suburban house with the art studio and photo studio, and into a tiny apartment and didn’t have space for all of my art and photography supplies. I had listened to a podcast where a woman who wrote erotic shorts was making thousands of dollars a month publishing them. I thought, “Hey, I really liked writing that erotic short for Playgirl, and it won Fantasy of the Month, maybe I could do that.” Writing didn’t take up much space and so I set out to write erotic shorts. However, I could not stick to that format. I wanted to write a fairy tale inspired story, so I’d picked Red Riding Hood, but I kept adding characters, and more drama and not as much sex as I figured I would have to for erotica, then ended up with a whole spicy werewolf romance book inspired by Red Riding Hood.

Where do you recommend a new reader start in your backlist? 

Red August is book 1 of Shifters of Mahigan Falls. (pronounced mah-hee-gan)

I should have A Fire at Romanticon out by the end of this week on ebook, and wider and in paperback before September 30th. That book was somewhat inspired by Charm City Romanticon, as well as other events I have attended. I like to call it my love letter to first time romance authors and middle-aged women looking for their glow-up.

Do you have a favorite/most memorable scene/ part in a novel you've written?

This is hard to answer, because each book has a part I’m proud of or scene I really like. For Red August it’s the scene where August meets Faolan for the first time. For A Fire at Romanticon it has to be the scene in the ballroom at the after party that gives the book its name. I also tuck a lot of Easter eggs in my books and do my best to layer meaning, for example the word Mahigan in Mahigan Falls for example means wolf. Some of the Easter eggs are more personal, for example when Faolan asks about buckling August’s shoe for her, that was based on a real exchange between me and my husband.

Is there a part of your career as an author you thought was going to be difficult but has wound up being really wonderful?

Attending events and doing interviews were terrifying for me at first, but now I love them.

Are there specific themes, tropes, or subgenres you’re more drawn to as an author, reader, or listener?

I like a good fairy tale, a good cozy mystery, supernatural and mystical things, powerful women and supportive feminist men. I’m not a big fan of the alpha-hole. Or men who bully. I think my biggest underlying themes are found family and loving who you love even if you aren’t supposed to. Like a hunter loving a werewolf.

What is your favorite part about being an author?

Hoping each time that I am writing a story that matters to somebody.

What do you like to read/listen to?  Any favorite authors you want to send a shout-out to?

I just finished Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower and loved it. I love pretty much all of Margaret Atwood’s work. My tastes have changed a little over the years as I have expanded to a bigger variety thanks to self-publishing and small press. I used to read Robin Cook with his medical thrillers, Johnathan Kellerman and his Alex Deleware series, you couldn’t throw a rock and not hit those books. And a lot of that was influenced by my mother’s bookshelf. As a kid I was all about Judy Blume, Grimm’s and other old fairy tales and lore, the spookier the better, and scary adult stuff like Flowers in the Attic, which I absolutely should not have read at nine years old. I’ve definitely gobbled up some Nora Roberts, which makes for great rainy day reads. Now I try to read something from the authors at local events who I might not have heard of before, or who aren’t famous…yet. It’s hard to choose favorites, but some authors I’ve read and really enjoy since I started being more involved in who is at my local events are Maria Vale, Jeaniene Frost, Golden Angel (super naughty!), L.C. Son, Erin Wright, Ariele Sieling, and Mary Jung.

Is there someone(s) who’s been influential in your life as it relates to your career?

Kim Kash is a friend of mine who was the first person I knew who wrote a book and published it, and she told me how to get started. I read her beachy mystery set in Ocean City called Ocean City Lowdown, and I was so excited about that whole idea. The first time I wrote a book and tried to publish it I was thwarted, but by the time I talked to Kim things in self-publishing had really evolved. From there on out I have relied on a lot of online resources and the kindness of more experienced authors. 

How have your life experiences influenced your career as an author?

There is more of me in my books than I like to admit, because it makes you feel naked and vulnerable to judgment. As a people-pleaser that can be very hard. But the work matters more to me than being embarrassed. I’ve learned both as an artist and a writer you have to be willing to be embarrassed and judged if you are going to put any kind of art out there. Influences include my crazy hormonal teen years, a teen pregnancy at 15, my personal renaissance in my early 30s, being considered “willful” by my parents, being bisexual and not understanding that until later and how much society wants you to be and love a certain way. Politics, feminism, misogyny, hate, love, falling from grace, redemption, and just taking a moment to romanticize your life and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. 

This or That: 7 random questions that may or may not be book related: 

Kindle or Paperback

Not fair! How do people choose ONE?  I like Kindle in bed or the dark or when I want a book RIGHT NOW and I can download it.  I like paperback when it’s chilly and rainy and I want to curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea. I also like a paperback for outside reading.

Beach or Mountain Vacation

I like the beach at the end of the season when all of the people have left and the weather is cooling, but it’s not cold yet and the fudge shop and restaurants are still open for a bit. I like the mountains for romance, fireplaces, and hikes to waterfalls. 

Dogs or Cats

I’ve had both, but currently it’s three cats! I’ve had cats nearly my whole life.

Ice Cream or Cake

Cake - chocolate mousse or coconut/vanilla.

Action Flick or Rom-Com

On a rainy Friday in the middle of the day - Action

On a weekend with my husband, rom-com

Tea or Coffee

All kinds of tea! My favorites are Harney & Sons vanilla comoro or Biglowe Constant Comment. There are many other honorable mentions tho!

Road Trip or Air Travel

Road trip, stopping at plenty of cute nickel-plated diners along the way!

Connect with H.L. Brooks:

You can find more information about H.L. and her books, and how to connect with her on social media here:
https://www.hlbrooks.com/