Katee Roberts was tired of being told not to put a queer relationship in a "straight" series, so she wrote "Midnight Ruin" so she can call the shots.

What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to your novels? What inspired you to create these types of characters, characters that are relatable in each of their worlds?

Honestly, it was less a conscious choice than wanting a safe space to just exist. I’ve been writing for a very long time, long enough to be told, “No, we can’t put a queer relationship in a ‘straight’ series,” so when I was able to start making my own calls, those calls were invariably “everyone is queer.” From there, the characters kind of inform the flavors of queerness, sex, and everything else.

What does Reading Rainbow mean to you? What makes you feel the proudest when it comes to seeing others connect with your novels, and what makes you feel proud when it comes to your own reading habits?

I am really proud to be able to offer folks a queer-normative world. There’s a lot of bad stuff that happens to my characters, but it’s never related to their sexuality.

For my reading, at least half my reads for the year are queer, if not more. Horror, in particular, has some really interesting work being done by authors who aren’t cis het straight, and that’s currently my favorite genre to read.

Romance, especially books that feature a mix of romance and fantasy, are huge and well-received right now? Why do you feel this is happening in the current literary environment?

I think it’s directly related to the world we’re living in. After 9-11, we saw a massive rise in paranormal genres (YA and romance, specifically) and new influx of readers. Right now, the world is on fire in a hundred different ways and while we are doing our best on an individual level, it’s hard not to feel hopeless. Being able to escape to a fantasy world with a guaranteed happily-ever-after at the end of the book/series is something a lot of people are craving right now.

Tell us a little bit about your upcoming book, and books, that you can share with readers and fans.

I have so much going on LOL. I have two sapphic romances coming out this spring: “The Succubus’s Prize” and “Blood on the Tide.” I find that I tend to write really soft sapphic romances, but “Blood on the Tide,” in particular, is a bit different for me. It’s a morality chain, and I had a blast writing it. After that, it’s “Dark Restraint,” which is Ariadne and the Minotaur and that book exists because of Sara Douglass’s “The Troy Game.”

What can a reader that has never picked up one of your novels expect from your books?

The “Katee Robert Experience,” which basically boils down to a sexy good time with some bonkers stuff going on and filled to the brim with tropes.

What's up next for you in the creative world? Is there a future goal in mind when it comes to your writing and beyond?

I’m wrapping up writing both the “Dark Olympus” series this year (though the books won’t release right away) and the “Crimson Sails” series, which has given me a bit of freedom. I’m moving into a second generation series for my “Wicked Villains,” but I have a fantasy novel I’ve been thinking about for quite some time that I’m finally going to write.