Meet Olivia Gaines
- Oct 8
- 2 min read
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I wanted to take a break from Aunt Sue’s kids and got a different route with this mail-order bride. I wanted to reverse all the imagery, stereotypes and write a relationship that is there, but finding the balance in co-existing from a different point of view. It is a fun write and a fun to read. The cover is not final, so this is what you get for now.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always have a floor plan of the home where my characters live. I wrote one story, and for some reason, I would have her coming into the home through the front door and being in the kitchen. After that, I started having floor plans of the home so I could ensure consistency.
Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I am an avid plotter. Years ago, when I was first starting out, I sat and chatted with a New York Times Bestselling Author, and asked if she was a plotter or did she write by the seat of her pants. She told me, “I’ve never met a six-figure author who writes by the seat of their pants.” It became like a gospel to me. As my series grew, I began to understand I had to plot to avoid holes in the stories and inconsistencies in the characters’ actions. I keep a series bible so I have the names of all the characters, locations, ages, eye colors and more.
Which titles are you bringing to IRAE?
I will bring Goldi, Locks, and Deadwood, Near Blind, and a new entry in the Technicians series, Blind Bend.
What’s your writing process?
My writing process is simple. I sit down, open my computer and watch videos of everything else but what I’m supposed to be doing. Then, an hour later, I open the document and cry.
Seriously, I roughly plot out the story. I write anywhere from 1500 to 3000 words a day, which is either a scene, or a full chapter. If I am in production mode, it is 3000 words a day, for a month until it is done.
What are you looking forward to at IRAE?
Spending time with the readers, author pals, sharing stories and creating new memories. I truly enjoy IRAE University because the authors come with good information to help me grow my writing business.
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