In August 2024, I’m excited to combine two of the loves of my life: cruising and LGBTQ+ fiction and romance. I hope you’ll consider joining me on the first Rainbow Readers Cruise! Until then, I’d love to introduce you to one of the attending authors, Cara Dee.
About Cara Dee
I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.
There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.
Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.
I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.
Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.
I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.
Interview
If drinks by the pool are already a given, what are you most looking forward to about the Rainbow Readers Cruise?
The introvert in me wants to say drinks on the balcony, and while I definitely look forward to that, I’m also excited to meet up with my Mclean House peeps! And since I didn’t get to meet y’all at the signing in Philly, it’s about damn time. Also, just the views. I love the Caribbean. It’s so gorgeous there.
Which of your books would you recommend as the best way for readers to get to know you before meeting you on the cruise?
I’d say the Auctioned series and The Game series, so dive into Auctioned and Top Priority, and you’ll be distracted for a while haha.
The Auctioned series is the beginning of my showcasing my passion for military romance and suspense/action, and it has all the elements I love in a romance. Age gap, a reluctant hero, a fair bit of grumpy/sunshine trope, family, trauma, and the healing that follows.
The Game series is my not-so-silent response to much of the kink we see in romance. I want my kink the way I experience it, with all the ups and downs, the mistakes, the different voices coming together, and the journeys that brought members to the community. It’s also a love letter to Sadists and brats.
Which of your characters (from any story) would you most like to go on a cruise with?
For a Caribbean cruise, I’d probably go with Lane, Macklin, and Archie from The Game series for a perfect blend of excitement, chill evenings, and tropical exploring.
| Note from J.L.: The best places to meet those three are The Shepherd and Apex Predator. |
Even if you don’t use this trip as fodder for a future project, most stories require a bit of research. Can you tell us the coolest thing you’ve learned while researching for your work, regardless of whether it made it into the text?
I cherish the conversations I’ve had with service members, filmmakers, military contractors, psychologists, and many others because I could listen to their stories forever. And it’s my favorite way to research, not to ambush someone with a list of questions (although, that happens too) but to let someone within a field just ramble about their experiences. So it’s not really about the coolest things I’ve learned as much as it is the everyday stuff from another person’s perspective. The little things, the jargon, the mindsets, the inner thoughts and reactions to their jobs.
Hey, this is supposed to be a review blog! Recommend your favorite book that I should read and review by another author joining us on this high-seas adventure.
Oh boy! Did you know I’m the worst romance reader out there? I seem to collect them in my Kindle and on my shelves, but I can’t remember the last time I had the leftover energy to step into someone else’s universe. My therapist says I need to work on this!
Connect Cara Dee
Website | Sign Up For Cara’s Mailing List | Check Out Cara’s Latest
Facebook | Reader Group | Mclean House Group | Instagram | Twitter/X | TikTok | Bluesky
Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | BookBub
About the Rainbow Readers Cruise
The Rainbow Readers Cruise celebrates the readers and creators of LGBTQ+ fiction and romance. The cruise departs from the Port of Fort Lauderdale on August 19, 2024, and returns August 23, 2024, with stops at Key West and Coco Cay (Celebrity’s private island). Along the way, meet and mingle with some of your favorite LGBTQ+ fiction and romance authors and creators, as well as attend panels, meet and greets, small group social activities, and the Signing at Sea. Plus, the cruise itself, with fabulous destinations, food and drinks, entertainment, and more. You can find all the details about the Rainbow Readers Cruise on our website: https://rainbowreaderscruise.com.
