Author Spotlight: January- Engrid Eaves

Engrid Eaves is an amazing author with the ability to write passionate romance that has me and so many others racing through the pages. She has graciously offered up some of her time to give us a sneak peek into her life and love as short romance author.

Why do you love short romance?

Sweaty palms, racing hearts, intense eye contact, ear-to-ear grins for no reason at all. Nothing beats the instalove trope for an emotionally charged, fast-paced romance read. I’m a true romantic at heart and have always been a sucker for an intense and immediate connection between two characters. I love the drama and excitement of falling in love deeply and quickly and then watching characters navigate the changes this brings to their lives and their character arcs. I also love the chance to explore all the feels in a shorter read because as a busy mom and professional, I need quick, meaningful escapes. Ideally, reads I can complete in a couple lunchbreaks or a night or two (at most) of bedtime reading.

What was your favorite book to write?

This is an impossible question! Kind of like asking a mom to pick her favorite child. I’ve loved every book I’ve written for different reasons. But some characters come through really strongly and are so likable, they seem to stick with me longer than others. For this reason, I’d have to say I really loved writing Love at First Rescue because Sheriff Christian is one of those standout, over-the-top characters. The same goes for Chef Jerry in Mountain Man Santa. But I also love writing about musicians and performance, which puts Love at First Blizzard and Possessed by the Bounty Hunter at the top of my list, too.

What do like and dislike about being an author? 

My favorite part of being an author is the point in writing where the characters really come to life for me. This usually happens somewhere during the first draft and revision, which is why I often say I love editing. Even though I meticulously plot out each of my stories, I’m naturally a pantser, so there’s always an element of discovering my stories and my characters as I go along, and that’s why this is such an addictive, exciting moment in the writing process for me.

My least favorite part of being an author is moving on to the next book. When you sit with two characters for so long, getting to know them so well and becoming a part of their world, it hurts to let go of them. It’s bittersweet for me, and I honestly have to mourn a little when each of these journeys comes to an end. I guess that’s why I write in a shared world, so that I can revisit characters later. If you’ve read any of my books, you know I love throwing in little cameos and Easter eggs! So, there’s always pay-off for reading in my world.

What book would you suggest to a person who is interested in starting to read your books?

An excellent place to start reading my books is with Love at First Blizzard. It’s the first book in the Rough & Ready Country series and provides an excellent introduction to that world and its characters. And Maksim is the sexiest Russian cowboy mountain man. So grumpy, so reclusive, and so head-over-heels for the heroine, Alex. But all my books are ultimately standalones and don’t need to be read in order. 

How else do you spend your time when not writing?

I’m a classical double bass player and perform regularly with local orchestras. I also love hiking, ice skating, camping, off-roading, and exploring ghost towns. Nevada and California are filled with them, so there’s always new fun to be had. I’m also a big National Parks junkie and always love an excuse to visit Yosemite, Great Basin, or one of the other amazing parks in the American West.

What inspires you for your writing?

I find all sorts of inspiration for my books in daily experiences, especially as a musician and performer. Sometimes things that happen to me end up becoming meet-cutes or scenes, and I also use stories I’ve read about in the news or heard from others with artistic liberty taken, of course. For the Rough & Ready Country books, I also rely on past experiences working with foster kids and family stories about my grandparents who cared for more than fifty foster kids. Many people in my family were also cowboys, including my grandpa, which factors into my stories.

What are your favorite tropes to write?

Some of my favorite tropes include he falls first, touch her and die, forced proximity, only one bed, and grumpy/sunshine. I also write primarily about cowboy mountain men and the curvy girls they adore, and I love writing diverse characters and interracial/multicultural romances.

What are your favorite tropes to read?

I love reading enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, blue collar heroes, wounded warriors, and forced proximity. I’ve really been getting into touch her and die lately and dabbling in morally grey MMCs, too. In this case, the moral greyness comes from the fact they’ll do anything—literally anything—to protect their woman like Farzad in my Christmas novella Gifted to the Mountain Man.

If you weren't an author, what would you be?

If I wasn’t an author, I’d be a full-time classical musician and music teacher.

I'm all about a book boyfriend, in your opinion is your ideal book boyfriend?

I love a grumpy, reclusive cowboy mountain man who’s rugged, hardworking, and always there for his girl. He may be a jerk to everyone else, but he’s got a major soft spot for his curvy girl and will do anything to keep her safe, happy, and well-cared for.

When it comes to your heroines, what do you love to write?

I love writing sassy, smart, curvy girl heroines who know how to bring the witty banter. Some of my heroines are well-educated, nerdy, career girls while others are cowgirls, servers, or entrepreneurs. But they all know what they want and pursue it with enthusiasm.

What's coming up for you in your author journey?

I’m so excited to be a part of some fantastic upcoming collaborations like the Be My Fake Valentine series, the Mail Order Bride series (with mountain men), and Whispered Echoes (more hunky mountain men) in April. I also have a second clean pen name, E.B. Silva, and head up clean romance collaborations with my pen friends, Em Tate a.k.a. (Lizzie Sparks) and Lily Love (a.k.a. Deidre-Ann Anderson). Recent sweet romance collaborations include Mistletoe Kisses and the upcoming Valentine’s Sweethearts series.

Engrid! Thank you so much for sharing a part of yourself and letting us into your author journey. It's so exciting and I can't wait to see what's to come from you. 

If you want to know more about Engrid, please join her newsletter and get a free book. One she might have mentioned above 😉

And check out her new release: My Cowboy Valentine which is live on January 18, 2025!