Author Spotlight: Samatha Whiskey
Samantha Whiskey is a Top 10 Amazon Bestselling Author. She’s also a wife, mom, lover of her dogs and romance novels. No stranger to hockey, hot alpha males, and a high dose of awkwardness, she tucks herself away to write books her PTA will never know about.
I got the privilege of interviewing community favorite Samantha Whiskey about her newest release, Lawson. This is book one in her brand new Bangor Badgers Hockey Series.
*And let me just say… there may or may no have been some happy screams after I received the yes email back from Samantha Whiskey to confirm the interview.*
Those burning questions for Samantha Whiskey the author:
Leah: What initially drew you to the romance genre as a writer?
Samantha: I’ve always been an avid reader across a wide variety of genres, but I always gravitated more toward books with romance. There’s something so fun about writing the complexities of romantic relationships that I simply can’t resist.
Leah: Romance covers a wide array of sub-genres (contemporary, historical, paranormal, etc.). What attracts you to a particular subgenre, and how do you bring your own unique twist to it?
Samantha: That’s another thing I love about the romance genre, it goes with any sub-genre and the possibilities are endless! I’ve always been a fan of sports romance and when I first started writing, I couldn’t resist the idea of a hockey romance. I fell in love with the genre and kept at it! I’m also a sucker for paranormal, which is why I later created the Onyx Assassins series. One thing that is consistent in my books regardless of sub-genre is creating authentic, flawed, and relatable characters while also ensuring there are some swoon worthy moments in there too. One of my favorite things is reading messages from readers who were able to relate to one or more of my characters and their situations and how that made them feel seen.
Leah: In your stories, how do you balance the development of the romantic relationship with other elements of the story?
Samantha: It’s a delicate balance, for sure. I’m a plotter, so I make sure I have a clear plot before I start writing the book. While plotting, I do my best to ensure there are outside goals for each character that are authentic and don’t relate to the romantic relationship. That creates characters that feel incredibly real to me, which makes for a more enriching story overall.
Leah: Can you share any writing rituals or habits that help you stay focused and productive during the writing process?
Samantha: Like I mentioned above, I have to plot before I write. I do a chapter-by-chapter summary of how I envision the story going, adding as much detail as I can to each chapter so when I do sit down to write, the concrete aspects are there. Having a clear direction in the story helps me stay consistent every day. That and Spotify—with a curated playlist filled with the vibes of the story—are essential for me to write.
Leah: What challenges do you face when writing romance, and how do you overcome them?
Samantha: I think there’s always a risk of losing myself in the romantic plot and the main characters becoming way too dependent on each other (I love these book boyfriends, can you blame me? Lol) So while writing I make sure each character has their own set of goals to achieve that aren’t tied to their relationship, which helps keep me grounded.
Leah: How do you handle romantic tropes and clichés to keep your stories fresh and engaging for readers?
Samantha: For me, I always start with the characters. I do an in-depth sketch, figuring out their personalities, professions, goals, quirks, etc. Once I have that, it’s easier to find a trope that suits them, and it almost comes naturally. I do this for the entire series before I ever start writing book one, and it lets me see who would pair well with who, what setting/circumstances would fit best, and so on. This approach allows me to see the series as a whole before I start writing and gives me the chance to make sure I’m not repeating or overusing any one favored trope. Of course, as I’m writing, new ideas and themes will slip in, but having a solid outline helps me view the series as a whole and helps me stay fresh every book.
Leah: Do you have a favorite trope to write, and if so, what about it appeals to you?
Samantha: I’m a sucker for a broody alpha and sunshine trope (Cannon and Persephone have my heart in a chokehold lol) There’s something so wonderful about having a sunshine character peel back the edgy layers of a grumpy character. I love uncovering what the reasoning is behind the grumpiness, and there’s something so endearing about the sunshine character lighting up their world.
Leah: What inspired you to write contemporary sports/billionaires?
Samantha: I always loved reading these types of stories, so it was a natural gravitation to write what I was obsessed with at the time. It’s so fun to step into a contemporary role that revolves around a pro NHL or NFL player or a billionaire. The possibilities are endless with these careers, and it makes for an interesting dynamic in the romance genre.
Leah: What inspired your vampire series?
Samantha: One of my favorite genres to read is paranormal / fantasy romance, and when the idea of writing one came to mind, I knew I wanted to go with vampires. They’re one of the most fun, alluring, and limitless supernatural creatures to write. And the fated mates trope is one I’ve had way too much fun playing with in the Onyx Assassins series.
Leah: How do you keep track of world building/characters… your hockey and contemporary worlds blend so much?
Samantha: Excel docs are an absolute lifesaver here, along with my editor who has been with me since the beginning. I have an excel doc for every series that includes character information, relationships, teams, settings, year it takes place, etc. Everything I need is in there and is totally necessary when I have hockey players moving to opposite teams or owners acquiring new teams etc. Also, when in doubt, I ask my editor to triple check to make sure we’re on the right track.
Leah: Do you have favorite characters from the books you’ve written?
Samantha: Picking favorites is SO hard. All of my characters have a special place in my heart, and right now, I’m OBSESSED with my new Bangor Badgers family. But Cannon and Persephone will always have my whole heart. There was something so intense and wonderful about writing that book, and I just love them so much.
Leah: Are you going to pivot from the man covers with the recovering of the Carolina series or will we see a mix of both?
Samantha: Right now, I felt it was a great time for some updated covers that would fit readers desires in today’s market. I love both the artistic, discreet covers and the beautiful male model covers. I think there is room for both, but for right now, I’m having so much fun being blown away by the illustrated covers my designers come up with!
Leah: Will we be seeing any more books in the Sweet Water series or your billionaire series?
Samantha: There are two more books to come in the Sweet Water series that I’m super excited about for 2025. As for the billionaires, I never say never, but as of right now, their series feels complete.
Leah: Will you ever go back The Crown world?
Samantha: I get this question a lot! I definitely want to return to the royals in the future! I simply had other projects that needed my attention more and will get back to them as soon as I’m able!
About her newest release Lawson:
Leah: What drove your decision to have the series set in Bangor?
Samantha: It was fun researching where I’d like to set the next NHL team when thinking about them during the Billionaire’s Game series. I wanted to explore somewhere across the map from where I’d already set the Sharks and Carolina Reapers, and Bangor simply stood out to me on the map. Then I had such a good time creating the Badger world there that I knew it was a perfect choice.
Leah: Is it hard to pivot from a group of players/friends to a new one? I like the fact that the way you introduce these players is having Crossland own the team, but still invested in the Sharks/Reapers.
Samantha: It’s SO hard to pivot from the players I’ve spent ten books with—from an emotional standpoint. My heart always needs a minute when I say goodbye to a certain series and set of characters, but I always have a lifeline in place so I don’t have to say goodbye forever. Crossland owning the Bangor Badgers leaves me connected to everyone in a small way, which helps ease the pain a bit! And it’s always good to have a new set of characters to fall for as I write and plot out the next series. These Badgers are honestly giving me so many giddy found family vibes and I can’t wait for everyone to meet them.
Leah: You went in a little bit different direction this time with the skating coach/hidden identity aspect of Blakely’s character… was it hard to navigate the hidden identity aspect especially since there were interactions with Blakely and her dad/veteran players?
Samantha: It certainly was a challenge but when I started writing Blakely, she navigated me in that direction. She’s an incredibly independent woman and wanted to earn her career role on her own merit. It made sense for her to use a different name and keep it to herself in order to prove her worth, not only to herself but to anyone who would dare doubt her. It definitely complicated things on a relationship level, but it also presented a unique opportunity for storyline purposes, so I really enjoyed it.
Leah: As a reader, I always appreciate the girl gang that you create in these hockey series… but you also have strong found family with the teammates… this time around that found family foundation isn’t there at the beginning but the girl gang is, why change the narrative and not have that foundation set? (Which side note, I LOVE the fact that these players have to build their relationships as we read the series.)
Samantha: Thank you so much, I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! And yes, for the Badgers, I knew it would be more developmental relationships for the players because the team is in a revamping stage. There are a few veteran players who have stronger relationships, but with Lawson coming in as the new guy on the team, those connections have to be earned. I really wanted to explore that since the Sharks and Reapers already had so many established. And for the girls, I think positive, healthy female relationships and connections are incredibly important, and so those happened naturally the minute Blakely started talking to me.
Leah: Blakely and Lawson have that instant connection that is sometimes hard for authors to seem authentic… what’s your secret? Because this isn’t the first time you are able to achieve this feat.
Samantha: First off, thank you!! That means so much to me. Authentic connections are something I strive for in every story. And it’s a tough question to answer. I don’t believe there is a secret key to creating that spark quickly, but for me, it comes down to the initial interaction between characters, especially if it’s the first time they’ve met. I try to capture that unnamable something that happens when you have chemistry with someone and feel it immediately. This first meeting is crucial and I usually write and re-write it a few different ways, letting the characters show me where they vibe together the most.
Leah: Where did you get the idea to have Blakely be the skating coach? Did you worry about getting any blowback having a female coach, even though it is becoming more mainstream in the professional sports world?
Samantha: If you read any of my books, you know I love a strong female lead. For Blakely, I loved the idea of her being on the ice and having a direct connection to the Badgers, which is a failing team when she and Lawson sign on. I had a great time researching female skate coaches for NHL teams and found one that really spoke to me. I did my best to put my own spin on the real-life interactions I read about, and then Blakely handled the rest. I never worried about blowback since there are / have been female skate coaches with figure skating backgrounds who helped NHL players improve their skills before.
Leah: I love the relationship between Blakely and her dad… so often in these types of stories we get animosity between the two… is there a reason you go that direction (because in the Sharks series… Pepper and Ivy had a decent but strained relationship with their dad.)
Samantha: Thank you! I definitely wanted to go a different route with their relationship, but it became clearer when I sketched out Coach Hardin. He’s a likeable, emotionally intelligent man who has a different coaching approach than the coaches I’ve written before, and I loved that quality about him. Those characteristics meant he’d have a healthy relationship with his daughter, so it was so refreshing to have that dynamic to play with.
Leah: You definitely get your hockey right, which is refreshing… you have said before your family is a hockey family, how does that inspire your story?
Samantha: I appreciate that. Hockey has always had a special place in my heart, and I make sure I research every aspect before putting it on the page. I want it to feel like the readers are on the ice with the team.
Leah: Do you plan to have the Bangor series be as long as her Carolina series? There are a lot of dynamic characters we meet in book one… I am personally invested in Clay,
Samantha: I love Clay so much! I usually plan five books and will figure out by book three or four if there are any other characters who want their story told.
Leah: What is one thing you want readers to take away from your books?
Samantha: Beyond a fun escape from reality, I want my readers to feel empowered and supported in who they are at their core. I do my best to write authentic, relatable characters that I hope inspire readers to chase their joy, own their worth, and demand the best from their relationships—whether romantic, familial, or friendly. They deserve it.
Thank you to Samantha Whiskey for taking the time out to answer these burning questions. Happy reading!
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