1. I hear you have a dog in your rock and roll romances.
Yes! It’s sometimes hard for rock and rollers on tour to have pets, but they can often use the stress release when they get home. In Rock And A Hard Place (Rock Hard series, book 6), this problem is solved because the dogs belong to hero’s love interest. The dogs are named Notorious D. O. G, Cujo, [and] Kill-Over (the hero’s name is Overkill, so by naming her biggest, ugliest dog Kill-Over, the female main character is getting a dig in).
Also in my latest book, Rock Bottom (Rock Hard series, book 9), the female main character, a roadie, has a pet that helps save the day.
2. Why did you add dogs to these books?
Whether it’s a rock and roll romance or not, I often add a pet to a book to make the character more likable. Whether you have pets or not in real life, I think all readers empathize with a character who loves their pet.
My husband, who is a professional musician, loves dogs. We adopted an older dog from an animal shelter, and he was a great help during COVID. My husband has a serious immune system disease and therefore hasn’t played any concerts since COVID started. We got a hypoallergenic pet, because his disease doesn’t allow pets otherwise. Our dog Cecil recently passed away at age 19.
3. What other books—such as your Playground series–have you written?
I’ve written 21 fiction books. I’ve written action/adventure with a heavy sensual romance focus, gay M/M stories, a trilogy with psychic elements, plus short stories, two cartoon shorts, movie screenplays, T.V. pilots, and non-fiction books. I wrote a sci/fi fantasy novella, which is high on the sexy heat level.
I’m currently focusing on movies, a young adult book, and a sci/fi fantasy novel. I used to work on one project at a time, but now I do a few at once.
Still, the Rock Hard series is my baby. I’m working on getting it made into a T.V. show.
Rock Hard series: https://bit.ly/MJRoberts-RHSeries
4. Tell us about your kudos or reviews.
Rock Hard won a gold medal from Literary Titans. They said, “This is a great story about relationships, love, loss and the power and importance of human connection.”
Book Review Directory said, “Rock Hard is ultimately a harmonious tale of friendship, family, and love. It is sensual, poignant, sweet, and seductive, anchored by strong leads and an even stronger supporting cast of characters.”
“Bad boy musicians not only find love but do the right thing in these sexy romances by M. J. Roberts that kept me turning pages late into the night!” — New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner
I’m very proud of these accolades and all the other reviews, because they get the books are sexy but they also have deeper underlining meaning.
5. How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
A LOT!!! For example, I’m married to a semi-famous musician, and my Rock Hard series is all about musicians on tour. My characters have my same sense of humor. I’m funny and my books are funny, even the pets!
6. Tell us about your latest book. What motivated the story? Where did the idea come from?
I teach writing at a university, and I teach some deaf students. I don’t know of any romances starring deaf characters. I thought, what if a rock star who always uses his fame to impress women is paired up with a girl who is totally deaf and doesn’t know he exists? Then Rock On was born. I did a lot of research on the deaf community.
7. Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I always planned to write sci-fi books and movies. Once, I got really depressed, and all my roommate had was romance novels. I read her whole bookcase. After reading about 300 romance novels, I thought, I can do this.
8. If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?
I live in Hawaii now. It doesn’t get much better than that. If money were no object, I would live in a new exotic place a month at a time, about three times a year, and live in Hawaii when I wasn’t traveling.
9. Where do you like to write, and what’s your favorite break time snack?
My favorite place is on my lanai. My favorite break time snacks are strawberries and cold coffee with cocoa and vanilla in it.
10. Anything else you’d like to add?
I read a lot. I’m very grateful to other authors.
I love when I hear from a fan that they recommended a book to all their friends or posted about it. I also love when I hear from someone for whom English isn’t their first language and they let me know that they have fun reading my books over and over again to practice their English.
11. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?
People can check out more on my website: http://www.mjrobertswriter.com
(Eight of my books are also available in audiobook form.)
The Rock Hard series is available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited. You can get it here: Rock Hard series: https://bit.ly/MJRoberts-RHSeries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjrobertswrites/
The best way to reach me is directly at mjrobertswriter@gmail.com I love to hear from fans.
From Marcia: M.J., thank you for being my May interviewee! I love discovering novels that feature dogs, and I look forward to reading your books!
MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks!
Each month, I’ll randomly pick one commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!
I promote my books primarily in three ways: on social media, through my twice-monthly newsletter, and with Book Funnel. I’ve also used a few paid promotions, including the Fussy Librarian, Book Raid, Bargain Booksy, and Romance Devoured to promote special sales of my romance books. [Readers] can also join my newsletter through this link or via my website.
When Love Comes Home
Loyal and True, the first book in my Hearts of Caledonia Trilogy, is a historical romance set in ancient Scotland. The heroine, Barta, is the daughter of a Pictish chief. A blunder in judgment costs the life of her dearest companion, her wolfhound, Loyal. But the bond between them is so strong and unbreakable, Loyal finds a magical means to return to her, though not in any way she could have imagined.
I have always bonded deeply with my dogs, establishing attachments that keep us connected even when we’re far from one another physically. This, as I’ve found, can be good or bad, since it sets up a wonderfully close relationship but serves to spur things like separation anxiety in the pet. This story was something of an experiment. I asked myself (as authors tend to do) what if those bonds could reach beyond death? And since I’m convinced that a couple of my dogs have returned to me in subsequent doggie bodies, what if a deceased wolfhound could return, magically transformed into a man? Would the bonds still hold? Would they recognize each other? Would the love endure?
Two of my Buffalo Steampunk Adventures novels have won the N. N. Light Book Award, and my Scottish Historical, The Reiver’s Cub, won me a RONE award. My greatest honor, though, remains bringing enjoyment to my readers!
The latest novel in the Dawn of Humanity series—just published in October—is Natural Selection. It features a prehistoric dog named Ump and a Homotherium cat named Kit, both valued members of man’s tribe. Here’s the blurb for that book:
In my life, animals are valued and cherished. This is a picture of my beloved puppy, Casey:
I have not actually released my cat rescuer book yet. The novel, Way Past Crazy
The first novel, Crazy to Wed, takes place twenty-years later. The remainder of the novels kick off with the twentieth high school reunion of these women. At the reunion, one of the women dares the others to marry in twelve months or pay an embarrassing forfeit. The dare is accepted, and almost immediately, love is in the air! In each novel we get to know all of the “Crazy Eights” a bit better, but only focus on one love story per book.
Before the Crazy’s, my primary books were about four successful, if spoiled, rich boys from the suburbs of Chicago. I like writing about powerful men who get in their own way sometimes, and who need love to lead them in down the right path.
Damien Sullivan was done with the dark misdeeds of West Coast Society. He doesn’t have patience for their dirty games or the parade of submissives out to get His attention, and His collar. Until her, with her sun-fired hair, sweet fragrance and stunning turquoise eyes. This is the one promised to Him by the gypsy elder. She’s His angel, and He’ll move heaven and earth to make her His.
For years, I’ve written romance–mainly suspense or sweet–under my Tabitha Gibson pen name, including the Bodyguards, Inc. stories. Those novellas and short stories can be found at 
He didn’t expect to find her or the danger that followed. Can He keep her safe from the imminent darkness?
He made a mistake that could cost Him everything.
Heart’s Journey
Heart’s Desire is book one of the Heart’s Desire series. Here is the book blurb:
Blind Trust is a sensual thriller. FBI Agent Matthew Montagna joins Nicolas Hayes’ FBI team to investigate a series of bank robberies in Washington, DC, and its vicinity. Though he loves his work, he has trouble dealing with his past in Chicago, his criminal ex-wife, and the loss of his home and his friends—not to mention his dog, who moved in with the neighbors because Matthew couldn’t take him to DC. He’s unhappy about his entire situation and wishes for his old companion. Then he meets a dog owner in the building where he lives. Matthew is quickly enchanted with the dog, Bingo, and spends time in the neighbor’s apartment, not knowing that he’s in the center of a dangerous plot.
After three murders in the Washington, DC, vicinity, FBI Agents Hayes and Beckham are assigned to solve the case. Although the murders seem incoherent at first, it becomes clear that there are connections between them. It turns out that the murderer is far from having reached the end of his deadly list.
I also loved writing Chosen Brothers because I had the chance to write a criminal plot playing in a small town on a horse ranch. Nicolas can show that he’s able to go undercover, and he makes a new friend on the way.
4. How do you promote your books?
Hi everyone. My name is Sam, and I’m the dog in Mariah’s latest romance, Paws For Christmas. As you can tell by my photo on the cover, I’m big, furry, and very happy. Mariah named me for her late, real-life dog Sam, who she said was so sweet she loved him to pieces! Like my namesake, I’m lovable, smart, and can sniff out when someone needs love.
I’m a dog lover and animal lover. [See photo left with a sled dog puppy.] All my heroines–no matter what genre–have pets. I served as a director for a county-wide no-kill shelter for three years and always remember the sage advice my brother gave me when I was a girl: “Always try to save a life by adopting a shelter pet.”
We adopted our Sam [see above right] when he was just under one year old, and he must have felt completely lost like the Sam in the story because his owners had abandoned him. I’d like to tell you more about him.
A Gem Of A Murder Blurb:
Amelia Augusta Ethrington, 18th century Duchess of Abbington and fourth in line to the English throne, is considered by society an old maid at thirty-two. She refuses to marry and relinquish her authority to a husband. Instead, she finds romance in trysts with strangers. Amelia’s claim to her duchy is embodied in the form of an intricate, valuable necklace, The Abbington Jewels. But an unscrupulous time traveler seduces her and snatches the necklace.