Fiction Vixen is pleased to welcome author Abigail Roux today!
FVBR: Hi Abigail! Welcome to Fiction Vixen. Congratulations on the release of Stars and Stripes. We’re very excited to read it and to be able to chat with you today.
Abigail: Hi guys! Thank you for having me and helping me get the blog tour underway! I brought some great prizes with me for your readers, too, because I love to bribe people for affection! I have a digital copy of the first book, Cut & Run; a personalized autograph on my own stationary; and either a Team Ty/Team Zane T-shirt or an autographed trinket to give away! To enter to win one of the prizes, just leave a comment here at Fiction Vixen.
Samantha asks: Now that you are the only author writing the Cut and Run series, can you give us a little insight on how you approach the writing of both Ty and Zane? Is it different than when you were co-writing the series with another author?
Abigail: It is very different from the initial approach, because when the series was being co-written, I would write a line form Ty, and then sit and wait for the response. I never knew what would come back, or what direction it would take the scene. Now the entire process is really easier. I’m never surprised or confounded or have to sit and ponder which way to take a response, and I’ve discovered that it’s simpler to keep both of them in character now. Letting it ping around in my head makes the writing go faster and smoother than when it was going between two of us. I also found that writing Zane came easily to me. I was worried at first that I wouldn’t be able to get his character right, but after a few scenes where they were interacting, it wasn’t a problem. The main difference, though, is that the writing process is much faster. Much, much faster. Which is good, because the series has gained so much momentum and attention, I think if it took a year between each book now, fans would kill me.
Angela asks: Has your vision of the series changed or do you still see the same story arc lasting through 9 books?
Abigail: The original story arc is still mostly intact. I was the plotter of the pair of us, so all of my plans and ideas are still there. They have changed a little, but that always happens. It never fails that I’ll be in the middle of a book and have an idea that changes everything. I usually run with it, even if I’m not quite sure where it will take me. Stars & Stripes began life with a different plot and a different title. But I was sitting on my couch one night, and the idea hit, and I swear I almost rolled off the couch in excitement. It was too good not to run with, and I had to rewrite almost everything I had, change the title, and find a new cover picture. But it was worth it. The same thing happened to me with the 7th book, and I won’t be surprised if it happens again with the next ones and the original story arc is completely gone by the time we get to book 9.
Samantha asks: In Cut and Run there’s a scene where Ty tells Zane sometime he’d love to sit in the corner and watch Zane jerk off. Don’t think us readers have forgotten about this Abi! Will we ever see Zane come through for Ty on this?
Abigail: I have discovered that readers don’t forget anything! It’s a pain in my hind end, I can tell you that! Zane is still very shy about certain parts of their sex lives, while Ty is obviously the more outgoing one of the two. But I think we’ll come to a point where Zane will gladly do anything Ty asks him to, and vice versa.
Angela asks: I loved Julian and Cameron in Armed & Dangerous, especially the interaction between Julian and Ty. Will we be seeing more of them in the future?
Abigail: If my plans hold (which they often don’t) we will see Julian again. He’s a fun character to write, and the way he and Ty played off each other was entirely too much fun in Armed & Dangerous.
Samantha asks: In following you online (Facebook, tumblr) I think I see a little of you in Ty or Ty in you. Would you say this is correct? Is there anything in your personality that you wrote into Ty’s personality?
Abigail: I think that’s accurate, yeah. A lot of people have told me that I’m like Ty, and it’s mostly true. I generally speak my mind, even if it’s something people don’t want to hear. The result is often that people consider me kind of scary, but I’m not, I promise! I use sarcasm and humor, both to deflect painful things and to deal with tense situations. Last season when the team I coached made the state playoffs, the girls were playing scared and I called a timeout. I told them if they came all this way to get their butts kicked, I could have done that for them on the bus and saved the other team the trouble. It sounds harsh, but everyone knew I was joking, because that’s what I do. They all laughed, loosened up, and they went out and played an outstanding game.
I’m a little OCD, like Ty. I’m also so twitchy and easily distracted, people can’t stand it. I don’t know if it’s a result of always being in pain, or if it’s just part of my personality that came out late, but friends tell me they can feel me vibrating when they’re close to me. I’m constantly in motion, whether I realize it or not. Knee rocking, swaying from side-to-side, pacing. That type of nervous energy translates into Ty pretty well.
Samantha asks: One of my favorite characters of yours is Preston from Warrior’s Cross and Armed and Dangerous. In Armed and Dangerous we learned Preston and Ty once had what I can only imagine was a fantastically good time together for a few nights. Any chances we’ll see more Preston in the future? Will we ever see Preston get a HEA? I find him so intriguing and complex but also super sexy. And if Ty spent more than one night with him, then hey…the man needs his own book!
Abigail: I think lots of people agree with you! There has been a call for Preston and Nick to get together, but I have no comment on that development!
Preston is such an awesome character because most of his magic is performed off-page. He’s uber-competent and droll and I love him. It would be a challenge to maintain that epic level of character if he’s the main focus of the book, but I would like to try my hand at it.
Angela asks: Ty is my favorite character of the Cut & Run series, Ty and Zane are one of my all-time favorite couples. Who is your favorite character of the series? Is there a character that you connect with more than any other?
Abigail: I have to say I connect with Ty more than Zane, for obvious reasons. I’m still trying to get to know Zane in the same way I do Ty. But my favorite character of the series, the one I connect to most of all, is Deuce. His entire life was sidetracked by an injury, just like mine. But he’s made the best of it, actually become a major success, he’s happy and stable and sort of Obi Wan-like, and he’s awesome. I either want to be like him, or I want a Deuce of my own!
Angela asks: If you were a character in one of your books what words would you use to describe yourself?
Abigail: This is a hard question! Let’s see. Blonde with green eyes. Average height, former athlete but every move she makes looks like it hurts. Outgoing and friendly on the surface but terrified of screwing up on the inside. Would really rather be at home in her pajama’s watching Braves baseball on TV than doing anything else!
Samantha asks: I loved your book According to Hoyle and I think that book really highlighted your ability to develop unique characters who stand out amongst each other on the pages. I think I heard a rumor there will be a follow up book? Is this true? Is there any more information you can give us?
Abigail: Thank you! According to Hoyle is going to be a trilogy, actually. That’s a book that people don’t really know about. It’s very different from what my readers expect from me, namely Ty and Zane, and it didn’t get a lot of attention when it came out. But Cage and Gabriel are two of my favorite characters I’ve ever written. When the original release run for According to Hoyle is up, we’re going to try to re-release all three books closer together, so readers can meet those characters like they should be able to.
Angela asks: Do you have any other projects we don’t know about in the works?
Abigail: So many! Right now I have another release in October called Gravedigger’s Brawl. It’s a ghost story, and if you’ve been following me on Tumblr, you’ll know that the story itself is haunted or cursed or… something. I don’t know. It’s awful. While writing it, it killed three laptops. Lamps in my house turned on and off. I sent it to my trusty beta reader, and while she was reading it she began to receive my text messages on her iPod. During rewrites, my house got struck by lightning. Twice. There have been so many creepy things that have happened, I’m going to have to give away bundles of sage when it goes on sale. The story itself doesn’t hold a candle to what the manuscript is capable of.
That’s the only project that’s set in stone right now. I’ve got a few other plots and ideas going, including a spin-off of the Cut & Run series that involves Nick O’Flaherty and a possible prequel story that would be all about Sidewinder, Ty’s Recon team. I also have a treasure hunt, a baseball story, and a sweet Christmas romance that revolves around getting over a broken heart that totally doesn’t have a character named after my ex-husband in it who gets run over by a truck….
Angela asks: Who are your favorite authors? What does your TBR stack look like?
Abigail: My stack looks like a pile of crap on top of a pool table. Seriously. I tend to read only when I hit a lull in my writing, because if I have free time, I’m writing with it. So I don’t get nearly as much reading done as I’d like to admit. My favorite authors include Elizabeth Peters and Preston & Child. I will read anything they do. When I was younger I read every single Louis L’Amour book there was. I enjoy James Rollins and Steve Berry, because they combine elements of historical mysteries with action and guns. Any book that does that, actually, I will read.
Samantha asks: How much pleasure do you take in torturing your minions? I’m referring to AskAbi.tumblr.com and your ability to answer a question with another question or a hilarious gif. Does this sort of thing feed your creativity/writing process or are you just evil like Smith and Wesson. 
(but seriously, thank you for AskAbi, it’s awesome.)
Abigail: I enjoy it so much. So very much. More than I probably should. I don’t know where it started, but several readers began to call themselves minions because they said I was evil. I thought it was hilarious and mentioned it, and fans rolled with it. Now there’s a whole fandom that proudly call themselves minions, and I can’t in good conscience have minions without being evil, right? Something about a hopeful, innocent question asked with fluttering heart and trembling fingers just begs to be answered with a gif that does nothing to answer the question and makes me giggle as I go back to writing. I think I’m just inherently evil.
FVBR: Thank you so much for being here today and giving us the opportunity to talk with you. Is there anything you’d like to say before you go?
Abigail: Yes! Thank you for having me, I enjoyed this immensely! I would like to tell readers that at the end of the blog tour, I’m hosting a treasure hunt on my own blog. If you come play, you’ll be in the running to win the grand prize, an e-book set of the first 5 books in the series. I’d also like to leave you with a shameless plug of myself and Stars & Stripes, if that’s okay!
Stars & Stripes
Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have managed the impossible: a few months of peace and quiet. After nearly a year of personal and professional turmoil, they’re living together conflict-free, work is going smoothly, and they’re both happy, healthy, and home every night before dark. But anyone who knows them knows that can’t possibly last.
When an emergency call from home upsets the balance of their carefully arranged world, Ty and Zane must juggle family drama with a perplexing crime to save a helpless victim before time runs out.
From the mountains of West Virginia to a remote Texas horse ranch harboring more than just livestock and childhood memories, Ty and Zane must face their fears—and their families—to overcome an unlikely enemy and bring peace back into their newly shared world.
You can read the first chapter and purchase Stars & Stripes here.
About The Author
Abigail Roux was born and raised in North Carolina. A past volleyball star who specializes in sarcasm and painful historical accuracy, she currently spends her time coaching high school volleyball and investigating the mysteries of single motherhood. Any spare time is spent living and dying with every Atlanta Braves and Carolina Panthers game of the year. Abigail has a daughter, Little Roux, who is the light of her life, a boxer, four rescued cats who play an ongoing live-action variation of Call of Duty throughout the house, a certifiable extended family down the road, and a cast of thousands in her head. You can stalk Abi in various places, including her website, Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook.
Follow the rest of the Stars & Stripes tour
Giveaway
As Abigail said, she has some fun stuff to giveaway today: “A digital copy of the first book, Cut & Run; a personalized autograph on my own stationary; and either a Team Ty/Team Zane T-shirt or an autographed trinket.”
Now all you have to do is enter to win!! Just leave a comment.
Open to all! You have until end of day August 18 to enter, winner will be announced soon after.
Giveaway sponsored by: Abigail Roux
No purchase necessary to win. You must be 18 or over to enter, void where prohibited. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. FVBR is not being compensated for this giveaway. If the winner declines to accept or fails to claim their prize within 72 hours of the announcement, they forfeit their prize(s). Prize distribution is the sole responsibility of the giveaway sponsor. Fiction Vixen Book Reviews will not be held responsible for lost or misdirected prizes or for circumstances beyond our control. More information here.
About FV Sophia
Abi makes it sound like a good thing but I’d be so frustrated to re-write something completely due to a different idea, lol. Great interview!
I’d be having paper all over the place keeping names, events etc in the right places writing over so many books – dont know how you do it.
That was an awesome interview!!! I really love this blog tour
I’m glad we might get to see Julian again. I loved Warrior’s Cross and it was so much fun seeing him drive Ty up the wall in A&D!
roberta_austin(at)live.com
Oh how I hope Preston has a book and I can’t wait to read about Nick!
Just sneaking in to say excellent interview. I LOVE this series. I was recently at a convention with the choice to either buy Team Ty or Team Zane. I bought both. ;p
I think when Gravedigger’s Brawl comes out I might just wait to see if it causes other people’s kindles to implode before I buy it! 3 computers has to be a record!
I’m loving these blog tours! (And mad props for the Elizabeth Peters ref!) Thanks so much!
Thanks for the interview and tour! It’s been great learning more Abi and her work.
lfacchini(at)tampabay(dot)rr(dot)com
Thanks for the blog tour. I’m learning so much more about Ty and Zane and everything that has gone into making them special.
Oh, God. I love C&R series!!
Doesn’t matter where it will take you as long as it WILL take us somewhere near Ty And Zane 
Big fat thank you for this incredible series Ms Abi!
Wow, what a great interview!
I’m so pleased to hear that According To Hoyle is actually planned as a trilogy. I had my suspicions about there being at least one more book because of the ending but a trilogy is so much better! BRILLIANT! I’m really looking forward to it
I’m currently re-re-re-reading Stars & Stripes
It’s an amazing story.
Sherry
Codename_Sherry[@]hotmail.com
I`m looking forward to reading Gravedigger`s brawl and I hope my Kindle survives it:) Thank you for the interview!
Greatest. Series. Ever! tmadamski(at)msn(dot)com
Very nice interview. I’d like to read more about the characters.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
I am loving this blog tour. Each one has made me laugh out loud(and get a few weird looks from strangers)
I’d like to thank you too for askabi, I love the way you torture us poor minions! The way you never answer a question totally and it’ll be a few minutes before I realize!
Oh and I love that you are writing a story that “Totally doesn’t have a character named after your ex-husband that gets run over by a truck!” LMFAO!
Thank you Abi!!
Thank you for another great interview ^.^
ba.carvalho.p (at) gmail.com
I had so much fun doing the joint review and interview with Samantha! Makes me want to go back and do another Stars and Stripes reread!
Angela – I vote for joint reviews til the end of the series! But no pressure.
It was fun and I loved feeling like I could have a conversation with someone about the book. My love for this series and Ty and Zane knows no bounds. Now we just need to get Sophia, llama loving overlord, on board!
The enthusiasm from the fans of this series is infectious. I really need to get going on it since I’m feeling really left out. I’ll catch up, I promise!
Loved the interview
I may have to re-read the series again – each stop on this tour reminds me of scenes/interactions I’ve loved – including how Ty and Julian interacted…that was fun!
Proud to count myself as one of the very loyal minions Abi has attracted with her talented writing and wonderful characters.
Love to see Julian again!!! Love to see Nick in a book just for himself…
Amazing interview, thank you Abi!
rory@wolke7.net
Still loving this blog tour … Thank you Abigail for all the interviews !!
joanapatricia93(at)hotmail.com
oh my.. what a cute cover. i think i’ll add the series on my pile
I have just recently added this series to my TBR list. I am really looking forward to reading these books, they look great.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
I think I get what you mean about deuce, in my opinion all of the main characters in the C&R series have this similarity, they are constantly facing these major obstacles in their lives that they can’t be rid of: Addiction, POW, Injuries…… and they fight everyday to make the best of it and move on. I find it very inspiring! Please continue to grace us with your excellent writing!!
Really interesting interview and learning more about the characters and Abi. Thanks for the giveaway!
strive4bst at yahoo dot com
Haha. This was awesome!! Great questions and hilarious answers! I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of Ty & Zane!
Love AskAbi, even though it kills me most of the time, Liam Bell, I’m looking at you! Sounds like some great stories in the hopper, looking forward to them all.
heller at rocketmail dot come
ZOMG Liam Bell – she’s torturing us with that. *scared*
I am so excited for all the new projects! However, I will be burning sage around my Lappy when I do download Gravedigger’ Brawl! Thank you Abi ♥
Kunicorngirl@yahoo.com
I think the minions (for the most part) enjoy being tortured as much as Abi loves torturing us. Both of her tumblrs are some of my favorite places to stalk…er, visit, I mean.
As for Preston and Nick…Team PRICK!!!
Mentions of Liam Bell never fail to make me smile now!
And Stars & Stripes is the best book ever. I’m re-reading it already and like all of the Cut & Run books, loving it even more the second time around. hedwig2213(at)yahoo.com
Nick getting his own book! YAYNESS. (No entry for me, just stalking here)
OMG – please stalk us anytime. I’m a huge huge fan of your books! And yes, is there anyway for Riptide to “force” Abi into writing a book for Nick. And can we include Preston in that.
This is such a great blog tour!
I am subscribing to so many new blogs my email is going to go crazy lol.
j.l.obrien912(at)gmail.com
This is such an informative interview! I felt like I got to know Abi.
great interview
Nice interview. Count me in for the giveaway!
penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com
I would love to read this series. It sounds very good. Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
Thank you so much for the “behind the scenes” process of writing my favorite M/M series. Looking forward very much to book 7 as well as future Abi books!
lindaszoo@hawaii.rr.com
Great! Now besides the remainng three in this series, we have more to look forward to. Can’t wait!
Ty and Zane…whats not to like? Please count me in. thanks!
chellebee66 at gmial dot com
That’s interesting, that you began writing only Ty and then segued into Zane. Good to know he came naturally to you right away…they both sound like so much fun!
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Oh man, so much goodness in this interview! A book for Nick? Hints of the possibility of book for Preston? More Julian someday? ALL OF THE GOOD! But the bestest part ever was finding out about According to Hoyle being a trilogy. I really really loved that book and the idea that there’s more Cage and Gabriel and Flynn and Wash and – ooooh, I’m just totally psyched.
buttononthetop at gmail dot com
This blog tour is fun. Great book insights and interviews.
kmccandle(at)yahoo(dot)com
I loved this interview, this tour is great thank you for taking the time to do it
I have heard fantastic things about this series. I will have to start reading them after this interview,
I’m sorry I couldn’t drop in sooner, I’ve been in transit all day. I wanted to thank Angela and Samantha for hosting me today, I had fun with this one! Have to get to work with all these comments so I can give stuff away!
Thank you for stopping by! I must say that being able to do the Q&A with you was a huge thrill for me. I’m so thankful you didn’t throw a bunch of ambiguous .gif(s) at us!! Looking forward to the future whether that’s Ty & Zane, more Hoyle books, Preston, Nick, or even Prick. Liam Bell be damned!
But seriously, thank you!
Thanks so much for the Q&A! I’m in love with your books and can’t wait to see more of Ty and Zane. Thank you for telling their story so well. I’m already looking forward to book 7.
Thank you for another great interview Abi! Oh Oh more Julian? COOL! According to Hoyle as a 3 book series? O.M.G.! and some vague (if I squint really hard) possibility of Nick & Preston? (who does not like some prick??) and i’m a happy minion.
Thank you kind overlord!
So excited for Gravedigger’s. I love a good ghost story. and m/m at that. I’ll risk my electronics for that sucker. And obviously all the love for the Cut and Run series.
Another fabulous interview! Thank you! And yes, we definitely have not forgotten the promise of “that scene”!
scarletrose9(at)hotmail(dot)com
Another wonderful interview. I’m really enjoying the tour! And I love being a minion.
Thank you Abi, we minions love you. Can´t wait or Nicks book, it´s going to be so awesome
Great interview!!
I’m really looking forward to the Sidewinder prequel… But I just realised it will be bittersweet, with getting to know Sanchez. Until now he is this abstract close friend of Ty, and you don’t really get invested in him because you know what happened to him… It will be sad, but nice, to learn more about him!
yeah more books by our evil overlord:) i can’t wait!
I have been wanting to read this series forEVER!
Awesome interview! I just adore Abi! LOL You guys asked some great questions!
Great interview. I can’t wait to read this book!
molly dot frenzel at gmail dot com
A Preston book too? Count me in!
Great interview! I just finished S&S2 and I can say with certainty that things ARE hotter in Texas. Whew! Also, Abi’s sense of humor is as big as Texas too. I LOVE Ty and Zane.
A giveaway? Count me in! I’m only on the second book, but I’ve already fallen for Ty and Zane and I’m glad there are plenty of books to come. I would be so happy if I could create characters as human and wonderful as those two. Thank you for these stories and your continuing work, Abigail.
loving tihis virtual book tour. its great especially seeing as my ass doesnt get to leave this tiny ass island often. lol. great interview guys and thanks for sharing it with us. now *looks around* wheres the goodies at?? lol
ragga_eg@hotmail.com
omg! Loved reading this interview… i think the blog tour was a great idea – every stop gave me something new to read and again highlight the fact that i love these guys. Even with the latest, I feel like i have so much more to learn about Zane and of course Ty’s military past..
love this series!
madhavikutti@yahoo.com
Promises, promises…..of course we never forget them! lol =)
Can’t wait for more books to come about all the guys and the cats of course
This blog tour was – is – and always will be a great idea! We, minions, can never learn enough about Ty & Zane, all the others, the ideas and of course Abi behind these great books!
kersten73@citromail.hu