A Q&A WITH ELIA WINTERS

For readers who have never read The Scarlet Pimpernel, is there anything they should know before diving into The Roommate Subtext?

The story stands on its own without any prior knowledge of the original inspiration, but there are some fun character connections between the two versions. I think the biggest throughline is the idea of how our assumptions about a person can hide the truth of who they are, and that we are all often more complex than others may see. The original is an adventure story with much greater stakes -- no one is being beheaded in The Roommate Subtext! -- but you still have a woman trying to protect her sibling in exchange for information about a mysterious man who turns out to be much closer to her than she knows.

Blake isn't necessarily the kind of character readers expect to have a kinky alter ego. What inspired his character, and what did you love most about writing those contrasting sides of him?

In my experience, the nerdiest people are often the kinkiest. Those of us who love digging into a topic and understanding everything about it can be that way about sex and kink, approaching it like something else fascinating to explore. There's a conversation between Blake and Maggie where she admits to not really expecting him to be sexually interested at all, and that's a common stereotype. I think kink at its best is playful and fun even while it's often super intense. I love writing characters who care about each other and who play with power exchange dynamics without being dark, brooding anti-heroes. Not all kink has to be people crying in basements. I think it's far more fun to write the juxtaposition of kinky guys like Blake, who will absolutely make you beg for mercy during sex and then make you a cup of tea after. 

If you could give Maggie one piece of advice at the beginning of the book, what would you tell her?

I'd tell her to trust the people she loves and share her fears with them. But if she listened to me, there wouldn't be a book!

Without giving away any spoilers, what was your favourite scene to write between Maggie and Blake?

There's a scene where they're up late making and eating pancakes at midnight, and I loved writing that kind of gentle domesticity while they slowly learn more about each other's pasts.

What do you hope romance readers will take away from this story?

I think there are a lot of readers like me who want high heat and kink but don't necessarily want dark romance, and I hope those readers find both titillation and fun in this story. I hope people enjoy the playfulness alongside the spice. I've had readers tell me they got the courage to try kink after some of my books, and that I made it feel accessible and not so scary, so I also hope those people get a chance to try something they might love in a safe and supportive environment. Mostly, I hope people have fun with the book and these characters who have become so dear to me.