Avid reader and writer since childhood, Angie is a Lesbian Romance novelist who loves the ocean and healing hearts through her stories.
Angie K. Love has been writing as far back as she could remember, starting with a private diary. Countless journals, pen pal letters, and blogs later, she is a published author of two romance books with a third in the works to be released soon! Angie manages to touch the hearts of her readers and inspire fellow writers that meet her.
The Interview...
What part of the world do you live? Do you have a favorite vacation spot or special writing space?
I live in San Jose, California. My favorite vacation spot is my grandparents’ beach house on the Atlantic coast in France, where I spent my summers as a kid. The beach house in my second novel, Awakening Souls: A Tale of Love Recovered, is inspired by it.
What are some quirks or hobbies that you enjoy outside of your writing?
Quirks, hmm. I wish I was cool enough to have a quirk! 😎😅 Hobbies outside of writing… Wait, writers do other stuff besides write in their free time? 🤣 Okay, okay… 🙄 Reading, of course, duh. I love to go for hikes or long walks in nature, LOVE being by the ocean, or any body of water, really, and I love to share laughs with good friends. Game nights are fun! Oh, and I like dancing in my kitchen late at night with no one but my kitties as witnesses. Does that count as a quirk? 🕺🏻😅
How/When/Why did you get started as a writer?
Oof, so far back, I can’t even remember. I’ve been writing for as long as I can think. Started with a diary as a kid, then long letters to pen pals, later on blogging, and, eventually, I wrote the novel I’d always dreamed of writing. And then a second one. Now I’m working on the third.
What are the biggest challenges you face as an author?
Eesh. Social media? Procrastination? Temptation to give up when I don’t see instant results (i.e. book sales, reviews, etc.)? I think we all get in our own way. Sometimes, when the work ahead seems like a massive mountain to climb, it’s tempting not to even attempt scaling it and walk away instead. But if we just take one step at a time, focusing only on what’s right in front of us, we’ll reach the summit eventually—and, oh, the view from up there is so worth it!
What are your favorite genres?
Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Romance (especially Lesbian Romance)
What inspires you the most?
Oh, good question. I’d have to say my mom. She has an unshakable faith in life and inspires me daily to live my own life from a place of trust and positivity whenever I’m tempted to fall back into doubt and fear—which is oh-so-easy to do in this fickle human existence.
What have you published to-date?
I’ve published two novels so far, both lesbian fiction. The first one, Awakening Hearts: A Tale of Love Across Lifetimes, is a love story between two women across two separate lifetimes: 2014 California and 1862 Ohio. The chapters alternate between both timelines. It’s not quite your typical romance (i.e. not your classic HEA ending).
The sequel, Awakening Souls: A Tale of Love Recovered, is a second chance romance that can also be read as a standalone (and, yes, it comes with the happy ending!). It involves a trip to France and a rescued puppy!
I’m currently working on my third book. It's still lesbian fiction, but with a new crew of characters. This one’s a friends to lovers romance between two college roommates in the late 1990s (I know, practically historical!).
What impact do you see your book series having in the community? How important is your message to all your readers, regardless of orientation?
Good question. I believe it's important to see ourselves reflected in stories, and that's why it's so satisfying for LGBTQ+ folks to read books in this genre.
I discovered lesbian fiction in 2011, a couple of years after I'd started my first relationship with a woman, and I devoured them. I felt like I'd discovered a secret candy stash! My experience loving a woman was still relatively new, and so reading about other women loving women held incredible allure. Especially because it wasn't something we saw much of in mainstream culture at the time. That's changed dramatically since then. LGBTQ+ characters are now represented in countless books, movies, songs, and television shows.
That said, I firmly believe that there's more that unites us than divides us all. At the end of the day, whether we're straight or gay, male or female, black or white, rich or poor, or anything in between, we all share similar core emotions and life experiences. The vast majority of us have tasted heartbreak, loss, longing, rejection, love...
I've had readers from a wide range of demographics who've told me they've seen themselves in my characters and they have loved my books. That, of course, makes my writer's heart sing with joy!
Do you feel these stories can go beyond the LGBT+ community and help 'people heal in body, mind, and spirit'?
Absolutely! I addressed this to an extent in the previous question, but will elaborate on the healing aspect. I spent a decade and a half working as an acupuncturist, helping people heal in body, mind, and spirit. My hope is now to extend this healing through the written word to help people heal in heart and soul. My deepest hope is that my stories will awaken something in my readers' hearts—something that may have been dormant for a long time. So many of us experience emotions as sensations in our bodies, but we can't always name them. Witnessing a character experience similar emotions can be so clarifying, as well as help us feel less alone in our journeys. One of my (straight, senior) readers wrote me: "I felt every emotion each character went through. I couldn't help but align my own feelings with the characters in this book." She further said: "I don't consider this a gay read. I consider it a read that we all should read. It tells a story of love, passion and pain, no matter who you are." Nothing could make me happier than to receive this kind of feedback. It validates that all the hard work I've put into creating my stories and bringing them to publication has a purpose and that my books have made a difference in another person's life. That is my greatest wish.
Can you tell us about your most recent literary work?
My second novel, Awakening Souls: A Tale of Love Recovered, was released on June 28, 2022. The audiobook version is currently in production and should be available by the end of September. 🎧 (My first book is already out in audio format, and I’m collaborating with the same narrator, who’s been amazing to work with!)
You can purchase Awakening Souls on Amazon at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Souls-Tale-Love-Recovered-ebook/dp/B0B2H4CTYH/
It’s also free to read in KU (Kindle Unlimited). You’ll find info about my books on my website, too, and can sign up for my newsletter if you feel so inclined:
Finally, can you give us a teaser of your current project? Perhaps a favorite quote from you most recent (or soon-to-be) released book?
From Awakening Souls: A Tale of Love Recovered:
Before she fully releases me, she kisses me quickly on the lips. The lips! We haven’t done that since we’ve reconnected . . .
The tingle rushes from my face to places that have not felt this much excitement since we split up all these months ago. Nobody else has had this kind of impact on me since—or ever.
My head is spinning, my body buzzing. I want to pull Alex back to me and kiss her passionately, but I still have enough clarity of mind to realize that might not be the best idea.
Or would it? We’re on vacation, after all—these aren’t normal circumstances. Could we have a French fling and go back to our regular routines after we return?
I shake my head subtly to myself and turn toward our suitcases. It would be foolish—my heart doesn’t work that way. I would inevitably want more . . .
Let's wrap this interview up with a few recommendations for our readers: Can you give us one of your favorite books that you’ve read? The one you’ve gone back to time and again?
Ooh. I’m going to have to go with Shirley MacLaine’s Out On A Limb. I read it at age 18, and it played a big role in setting me on my spiritual path in this life. I’ve reread it several times since.
I met Angie through an indie author's group run by one of our other Spotlight interviewees, Jess Kotzer. Angie is a delight to know, and so full of encouragement. She is also an inspiration to other writers she meets. With her strength of kindness, Angie exudes a steadfast desire to truly help others succeed and feel 'worthy' of love.
Click the button below to visit Angie's author page to learn more about her books, blogs, newsletters, and her own story. While you're there, make sure you sign up to her email list so you can get the latest news on the next book in her series!
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