Paulette Stout
Author Interview - Paulette Stout
Author of Love, Only Better
Love, Only Better is a contemporary romance and rallying cry for women everywhere, especially those who feel voiceless and alone when it comes to their own intimate lives. It follows 28 year-old Rebecca Sloane as she seeks love--of herself and her dreamy neighbor, Kyle, who moved in across the hall to live with his aunt. Here's the book blurb:
For Rebecca, sex is a joke missing a punchline. No crashing waves. Only pangs of inadequacy. At twenty-eight, shouldn’t she have had one by now? Her snickering ex thought so. As did every guy who came before him. No way she’s dating anyone again. At least, until she can take “clueless in bed” off her dating resume.
When Kyle moves in across the hall, his blue eyes and black motorcycle are magnetic. Sparks flew from the moment he rescued her takeout dinner from hitting the lobby floor. It’s the worst time for Rebecca to meet someone this dreamy. But how can she resist love notes taped to her apartment door? Hallway kisses? Sitting behind his hotness as the world zips by?
It’s risky, though. To get past whatever’s blocking her in bed, Rebecca needs expert help. Sure, it’s unorthodox, but she’s desperate for answers. Rebecca doesn’t expect anyone to understand—least of all Kyle. If he learns her secret, he’ll think she’s a freak and bolt.
Just once, Rebecca wants to get the guy and everything that comes along with it. Would she forever have to choose between feeling whole and being loved?
Author Interview - Paulette Stout
Author I draw inspiration from:
Erica Jong. She is unafraid of portraying female characters who embrace their roles as sexual beings.
Author Interview - Paulette Stout | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
My sofa in front of a roaring fire.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Fanny Hackabout-Jones, Fanny: Being the True History of the Adventures of Fanny Hackabout-Jones by Erica Jong. She is a swashbuckling adventurer with quite a resume!
Author Interview - Paulette Stout | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
Can't tell you precisely when, but I did begin reading works and thought, "Hell, I can do better than that!" I began writing my fist novel during the doldrums at work. We would be furiously busy from November until about April, and then crickets! So out of boredom, I began writing a murder mystery. It had quite a few twists and turns, with a plot and characters that I loved. That experience prepared me to write the book that is now Love, Only Better. It has been such a passion project (no pun intended), so working through that first unpublished work was a good training ground.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I do love curling up with a trade paperback, but the convenience of ebooks is amazing, especially since I can read in bed in the dark when hubby is sleeping. I'm evenly split between those two and love e-reading across three reading apps: Apple Books, Kobo, and Kindle.
The last book I read:
I've recently finished a few writing craft books, including Take Off Your Pants, by Libbie Hawker, and The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger. On the romance side, I just finished The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory, and an amazing romance by Christina Lauren called The Soulmate Equation.
Author Interview - Paulette Stout | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
OMG, I can no longer hand-write fast enough to keep up with my brain. Writing on paper is beyond frustrating for me, but hat's off to writers for whom it works! I'm a keyboard gal all the way. Often I can't compose my thoughts unless my fingers are flying across keys. It's even better than speaking sometimes, and that's saying a lot since I'm a prolific talker. :)
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I love the character Barbara in my own book, Love, Only Better. She's an exquisite black woman, passionate lawyer, and lover of sky-high stilettos who says exactly what she thinks. I'd love to hang out with her for sure! I plan to write a book for her so I can hang out with her a bit more. We need some quality time together.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Chef. I love cooking. The colors, the aromas, the flavors. Food is such a sensory experience and it gives me so much joy to prepare and share meals with the people I love. It's such a huge part of who I am, my culture as a Puerto Rican-Jew from New York-- where food is life, that I can imagine doing something culinary for sure.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
1980's. I mean it's such a disaster, don't you think? To look back on it is just hilarious.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Egypt. I've had the good fortune of traveling to Greece, so Egypt is definitely at the top of my wish list now.
My signature drink:
Seltzer with two limes.
Favorite artist:
I'm a huge fan of John Singer Sargent, but also love Dali, and Kandinsky.
Number one on my bucket list:
To publish a book!
Find more from the author:
@paulettestoutauthor (Instagram and Facebook)
@StoutContent (Twitter)
Who is Paulette Stout?
Paulette Stout is the fearless author of Love, Only Better, a contemporary romance and bedroom rallying cry for women everywhere.
Born in Manhattan, Paulette is the gold-star wordsmith and owner of her content marketing agency, Media Goddess Inc., where she crafts content for her list of global clients. Prior to MGI, Paulette led content and design teams at several tech companies, and one educational publisher where her elimination of the Oxford comma caused a near riot.
Paulette’s prior career as a media buyer/planner in New York earned her three industry awards, including a MediaWeek All-Star. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Cornell University and her MBA in Marketing from the Lubin School of Business, Pace University.
You can usually find Paulette at her writing desk in Acton, Massachusetts, rearranging words into pleasing patterns while wearing grammar t-shirts.
