Today’s author is RK Phillips. Her debut novel, The Complications of Pi, published on March 14th, 2020. It’s one of the strongest debut novels that I’ve read. It is also a LGBTQIA+ book that I strongly recommend for those of you reading books in honor of Pride. She has many great works to come that I’m very excited to read! She’s also has two stories in anthologies that will be released in August at a popular convention in Savannah.

Blurb:

What do you get when you mix a female born on March 14th, loves math, is clumsy, and loved by her family and best friend? You get Peyton, nicknamed Pi, of course. Add a dash of a bad break up and you get someone who doesn’t trust when love might find its way into her heart.
Peyton’s life might not be perfect, but it is wonderful and routine. She has her career as a mathematics professor, a best friend she has known since college, parents and a brother she is close to, and free time to enjoy peace. That is until the summer day Peyton accompanies her brother to a gala holding a date auction fundraiser. She is instantly attracted to someone up for bid, but is shocked when her brother bids on the individual for himself. They had never liked the same person before. Now what?

Misunderstandings, dates involving medical attention, spiteful strangers, and a myriad of other encounters leaves Peyton, a woman who lives her life by the numbers, in the throes of chaos. Who knew one little fundraiser would have such an impact on a math professor’s life?

About RK Phillips:

RK Phillips is a quirky, nerdy, number loving person that finds inspiration in her dreams She currently resides in Texas, but is originally from Oklahoma where she spent the majority of her life. By day she is an accountant, but after work her right brain is freed. Imagination and creativity come out to play in her writing,crafting, and sleeping dream world. Some of her favorite things are books, movies, numbers, and tigers. She loves hearing from people.

Interview With RK Phillips:

Q: Tell us about the books you’ve published so far.

A: First off, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be featured on your blog. I am honored. Thus far I only have one book published. It is called The Complications of Pi. It is a contemporary romance about a female math professor named Peyton who has to learn how to trust in herself and love again. 

Q: What was the moment you knew you wanted to be an author? 

A: I don’t think I ever had that moment. I had a few writing efforts more along the lines of role playing with people. During this time I had some friends that self published books and I kept telling them I wanted a nerdy math girl as a main character. Finally I decided to write my own and prove to myself I could write a whole novel. Now, I need to prove to myself I can do it again.

Q: What are some things you do to overcome doubts about your writing?

A: This is something that I constantly struggle with. However, it helps that I have a wonderful romantic partner that loves and supports me. She tells me all the time that I am a good writer so I try to remember this. Plus sometimes I go back and read parts I have written to see what I have created before to remind me it isn’t all horrible. Lastly, I try and remember that everything is horrible at first and can always be edited. 

Q: Have any actual life experiences reflected in your writing? 

A: Yes. There are several things that happened that showed up in my writing. One of the prime examples I use is when Peyton goes home one night and has a bubble bath and eats some ice cream. That was something I actually did shortly after I moved to Houston. It had been a rough week at work and since I don’t drink, I had ice cream. 

Q: Who was your easiest and hardest character to write about and why? 

A: There are several characters that so far have been easy to write. However, I think one of my easiest characters to write was Simone. She is Peyton’s best friend and I love her. The two women compliment each other well. Simone has this easy going nature that flowed on the pages. She is sassy and has no problem saying what she thinks. The hardest character to write I think is Cassie O’Sullivan. She is the main character in Baked With Magic, a short story that is part of an anthology at a convention in August. I struggled with the story because it was outside of my normal realm. It is a prequel to a possible series. The short story features Cassie, a kitchen witch, who enters a human baking competition where she runs into a former nemesis. There was something about the whole story that presented more of a difficulty than my full novel did.

RK Phillips Links:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1005999

https://www.facebook.com/groups/948629682218244

https://www.facebook.com/rk.phillips.148/

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