An Interview with M. E. Rose

M. E. Rose is a budding science fiction romance author with a passion for blending futuristic adventures with heartfelt love stories. With aspirations to expand into space opera, M. E. Rose wants to transport readers to distant galaxies while exploring the complexities of human (and sometimes alien) relationships.

When not immersed in writing, M. E. Rose can be found indulging in a variety of hobbies, including reading, crocheting, and listening to true crime podcasts. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and cat. She likes hanging out on the sofa and is an indoors kind of girl.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I was always an avid reader. In middle school, I burned through my school library’s R.L. Stine collection, then read them all again. In high school, I’d walk across the street to our public library and just hang out there until my parents came to pick me up.

At some point, I picked up a pen and started dabbling.

My influences come from all over the place, ranging from thriller to fantasy to romance. Additionally, my entire family has always encouraged me, so to point to any one person as being “most influential” is difficult. It’s a difficulty that I’m very fortunate to have and I cannot thank them enough for their support.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

Science fiction romance is a subgenre that produces a lot of explicit content (i.e. “spicy books”), especially within alien romance stories. There are so many things to love about science fiction romance. There’s world-building, adventure, leaving the past behind, accepting and coming to love a new future, learning how to compromise, and it’s the only genre that I enjoy the miscommunication trope in.

These stories have so much value and enjoyment, but readers who prefer a less-explicit experience don’t have as many titles to choose from when shopping science fiction romance options. I want to give them more options. As many as I can produce.

Orion’s Masquerade is my opportunity to reach these readers and the launching point for what I hope will become a robust backlist of heart-warming, otherworldly stories.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I knew I wanted “Masquerade” in the title. My second word needed to be relevant and not just some spacey placeholder. This book’s cast is majority human, so it’d make sense that the physical setting was a place in space that was relevant to Earth’s position. Earth is located in a spiral known as the Orion Arm and as we explore, I believe we’d settle in areas along this spiral and those planets, generation ships, stations, etc. would find themselves interconnected.

Thus, Orion’s Masquerade.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Some weird, dark, futuristic showdown between Vivaldi and Paganini.

Describe your dream book cover.

There are some classic styles within historical romance that are just a fancy dress fabric as the background and feature an object, like a necklace, as the focal point. Do you remember those? They were popular in the 90s.

When Orion’s Masquerade releases outside of the anthology, I’d love to have something like that with Talia’s starry, opalesque dress material as the background. Then, take that up a notch with other design elements that scream “science fiction.” A futuristic spin on a classic.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes. It’s my #1 recommended resource for those wanting to write romance. It can be read before you start, while you plot, and during your revisions. It’s short enough to revisit as necessary but packed full of the best information.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.