Monster Meet-Cute: Q&A with Author Carlotta Hughes
Orcs! In! SPACE! (with sexy Scottish accents!)
This is part of an ongoing series I'm using to share the stories of the Indie Romance community.
If you have a business, narrator, editor, illustrator, or whoever you would recommend, please reach out and let me know!
Meet the Author
Carlotta Hughes
Preferred Pronouns?
She/Her/They/Them
The mastermind behind
List your most brag-worthy books and series.
the spicy Scottish space orcs in the Orc Matched series including: Thorn's Dove, Rhuger's Pearl. and Rhuger's Cridhe!
Quick Facts
Describe your books in three emojis
Embrace your weirdness.
🌶👹💦
Team claws, team horns, or team tentacles?
I am ultimately a Monster Romance Reviewer and must be true to myself. So! If you had to choose…
Oooh that's tough! I'd probably say claws since getting head and back scritchies helps me ground when my 'tism is acting up!
Ultimate writerly goal
NYT bestseller, Netflix adaptation, cult fandom? Dream big!
Honestly, I'm just so happy to be creating that I haven't really allowed myself to dream big yet, so this is an interesting question for sure. I wanna have a big enough following where people will create all kinds of fan art! I'd love to be someone's inspiration to create art or writing! I'd LOVE a Netflix adaptation, of course!!! Especially if it's animated! That would be top tier awesome! 😍
Favorite work fuel
Coffee? Tea? Unicorn blood?
Tears of my readers. Lol, jk! I usually drink iced tea, especially either jasmine green tea or peach/mango black tea. And I drink it straight like my father wishes I was.😂
Your soundtrack while working
Lofi Girl? Ambiance jazz? Your neighbors arguing?
I have that flavor of AuDHD where I will hyperfocus on songs for MONTHS and spend hours upon hours building playlists. I have Spotify playlists for just about every story I've written, have as a WIP, or is sitting amorphously under the floorboards of my mind while I slowly and systematically go insane. Music is so inspiring to me and I fall into the music while I'm creating, especially if it's on a book cover or something. My tastes are pretty broad and eclectic, but currently I've been listening to a lot of progressive metal, lo-fi, bluegrass, string heavy instrumental covers, hip-hop, and rap!
Go-to writing tool/software
Tell us your tools of your trade.
My primary tool for writing is thequill.app! It's free, was created by a novelist's husband in his basement, is browser based, light-weight on your RAM, and he told me he refuses to incorporate generative AI! Also, Grammarly and Pro Writing Aid work in it too. Beyond that, I use Atticus to format my books! I used to format my paperbacks by hand, but that's a LOT of work when I can get the same results from Atticus. They've just implemented co-writing, which has me ESCTATIC since it means I don't have to use GDocs to collab anymore! For art and creating my covers, I use a Huion Kamva tablet monitor and Clip Studio Paint!
Go-to comfort read
When all else fails, this is your standby.
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Meyer! I love this book so much! It's got action, snark, Benny Hill level slapstick malarkey, romance, covert ops, and a pair of flamingos. It's delightfully chaotic! Growing up, I never understood how some people had a favorite book they'd read once or more a year. Until I read Agnes and the Hitman and went "Oh." lol!
Inside the Author's Mind
Do you prefer writing scary, swoony, or sassy characters?
Maybe a delicious mix of all three?
I don't think I can give a simple answer to this question. I prefer writing characters with a lot of depth while still having the capacity for warmth and humor. Every character that comes to life in my mind I treat and write like a real person, with layers and flaws and challenges and contradictions. Maybe it's because I feel everything so intensely, but my goal is always to write my characters as if I am them so my readers can get sucked into the story and hopefully feel seen. I DO enjoy writing from the MMC perspective - probably because I get to explore aspects of myself that I don't often look at, given society's rigid gender binary and its respective roles and how I internalized them growing up despite the work I've done to deconstruct that old mindset. I also enjoy writing witty, sassy characters because humor is so often a pressure release for me. I guess if I had to describe my preferred character to write it would be 'complex silly goose'!
What's the most interesting or surprising character you've written about?
Readers love the new and—ahem!—novel!
I think the most interesting character I've written design wise is the Ravening from The Moss King & The Briar Crown which will be in Book Harvest's anthology in October and later expanded and published in January 2026. I watch a lot of horror (it's cathartic) and my general response to "draw a monster, why is it a monster?" is 'cishet white man' (thanks trauma), so when I decided to write a primordial eldritch horror, I had to sit and really think about what would give me the heebie jeebies if I saw it. Which is why it has a nearly perfect androgynous face, multiple limbs, weird anatomy in places it doesn't belong, and I had to really dive into how it could affect the five senses. The Ravening is inspired by Appalachian tales I'd heard while living in North Carolina, the Appalachian corner of TikTok, Moder from the movie The Ritual, and all the folklore I'd read about the Unseelie Fae. There's this really fun and interesting overlap between tales from Appalachia and American cryptids in general, and the fae from Celtic myth and folklore, and the rules people must follow to survive and/or live in those areas. I also wanted to make it relatable, which is why, partway through writing, I made it the physical manifestation of the primordial urges of hunger and thirst. We all know what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty. Some of us know what it's like to live with food and hydration scarcity. Even fewer of us know what it is truly like to be so hungry and thirsty that you'd do just about anything to satiate those urges. There have been multiple times in my life where food scarcity was something I lived with, which I explored a bit with the Ravening. Surprisingly-or I should say unsurprisingly-writing my experience with food scarcity into the Ravening healed some of my relationship with food. All in all, writing the Ravening stretched my creative abilities, helped me face some of my own trauma, and tickled the part of my brain that's hyperfocused on myth and folklore.
What's one trope or motif you love to play with or reinvent?
You just keep coming back to it.
Taking problematic stereotypes in monster, sci-fi, and fantasy romance and flipping them on their heads. For example, there are a lot of racist tones in media regarding orcs from Tolkien on down to DnD and WoW. I hated it so much, I decided I was going to come up with my own orcs that wouldn't follow those racist tones, but become a complex, thriving, colorful people whose primary focus on differences weren't based on ethnic origin. I based my orcs on Scottish clans and made each clan unique in terms of physical traits compatible with the environment (teeth/tusks/skin tones/claws etc), levels of technology from basic civilization to space ships, and varying societies and traditions - not unlike humans. The only difference is that it's only an orc's clan creed and standing within their clan that matters, not what they look like. I removed all of the stereotypical terms and associations used for orcs in media, and replaced them with something equal-opportunist. Call me an idealist, but I enjoy writing themes that I wish weren't a problem in real life in such a way that they're not a problem in my multiverse.
Who would play one of your favorite MCs in a movie adaptation?
Casting couch moment!
UUUUUHHHHHHHHHHH.... okay I might be the oddball out, but I don't really think about this that much?? I guess if I were to do casting for Deryn Emrys (upcoming story in a series called Maison Arnis) I'd LOVE to have Monica Bellucci play her! But mostly, I'd want to see what new talent is out there and give up-and-coming actors and actresses opportunities over those who are more established.
Behind the Pen
What's your origin story?
A vision? A weird DM? What brought you to the community?
I wrote a creation myth about a polar bear when I was five and have been using art and stories as coping mechanisms with my AuDHD my whole life. I really started creating art more seriously when I was in high school and went to school for art and art history. I mostly maladaptive daydreamed my way through high school, college, and into my adult life. At one point, I'd even written a book and self-published it under a different pen name over a decade ago. But between not knowing what I was doing, there not being as easily found community online, and my father telling me his book was going to sell more and be more popular than any of my "little projects" when he was trying to force me to do all of the labor of editing, formatting, publishing, and marketing HIS book (yes, he's a narcissist, no I didn't do it for him) - I just stopped. I still came up with stories and stuff but I stopped taking it seriously and just read a lot instead. In 2016, while working in a high stress job in a even more stressful environment, I got massive autistic burn out (didn't know it at the time) and developed chronic illnesses including fibromyalgia. It progressed quickly over the next few years to the point where I could no longer work a regular job. Things quickly deteriorated in my marriage when I wasn't able to meet my ex-husband's expectations, my home environment became toxic, and I decided that I was going to do what I could to fall back on the skills I had - primarily art. I built an illustration business from the ground up, starting with a coloring book, and I was in the black from year 1. I learned a LOT of things the hard way because I didn't have a mentor. Not long into the art scene, I began creating bookish fan art for subscription book boxes and read the books I was creating art for. Not long after, I made the decision to start writing again so I had something to do when I was bedridden with a flare.Not long before I left my ex-husband, I met Kimberly Lemming on TikTok and she invited me to a Discord server with other authors who liked to write sci-fi and fantasy romance. They welcomed me with open arms and I got to chat with and work on the Big Feels anthology with amazing authors like Ursa Dax, Clarissa Bright, Stella Frost, Sara Ivy Hill, L.A. Holloway, Chloe Parker, Ami Wright, and Maddie Syn - not to mention all of the other authors who were in the Discord server! I would not be where I am today and would have never met all of my amazing author, reader, and art buddies if it wasn't for Kimberly Lemming, full stop..
What's the biggest challenge of writing Indie Romance?
Give your fellow readers and authors some behind-the-scenes insight.
Fast publishing schedules, including publishing timelines. I'm mostly a vibe writer and I have over 100 books sitting in my brain, waiting for their turn to be made corporeal. Also, I have chronic health conditions and mental health conditions that are severely limiting when it comes to time. Doesn't help that I'm time blind. I blink and two months go by. So, watching my fellow indie authors crushing it and keeping to a timeline is just awe inspiring to me! I truly wish I could do that! I'm also super detail oriented, which expands my publication timeline. Over the past year, I've learned a LOT about myself as an author and a creative. And I've written my first novella-length story and have big chunks of two others written. It's been hard to wrangle my imagination down to 40k words or less, but now that I have a better handle on how I can do it and make it work for ME, and I've made the decision to finish a story first before setting pre-orders or anything of the sort, I'm MUCH more confident in how I'm moving forward with my personal publishing schedule!
What do you hope readers take away from your stories?
Besides a desire to buy more of your books!
I want them to feel seen. Humanity is a spectrum, and it's my belief that all of humanity should be represented and celebrated. I write a lot of neurodivergent MCs as I am VERY neruospicy. Basically, I started writing my character Amelia from Rhuger's Pearl as I was on my autism self-diagnosis journey (since been officially diagnosed), including my experiences and how I perceived the world into Amelia's character. The number of messages and comments from autistic readers who told me that they felt SEEN and that my books gave them hope since Amelia went on amazing adventures and found her fated mate, it was staggering and humbling. I STILL cry whenever a reader mentions it to me and I likely always will.
The most rewarding part of working in the indie romance niche?
What makes this world special to you as an author?
The Cumaraderie (LOL). But for real, the camaraderie with fellow authors, with reviewers, ARC readers, editors, artists, narrators, readers, fans, podcasts, and everyone else in between in the indie monster romance niche is just astounding. There's always some strife or misunderstandings, as with any community, but overall - we're all here for a good monster fuckening and we support one another in this persuit!
What was your first Romance writing piece, and what do you remember most about working on it?
Every writer has their big break moment. What made this one unforgettable?
My first book I self published over a decade ago was an urban fantasy romance with witches. I'd written it after a breakup and wrote the passion I'd been denied in real life into the MMC even as I unwittingly wrote the FMC as autistic. When I finally unpublished it, it had never sold a single copy. BUT I had learned so much that I wasn't even mad, because I could put what I learned to use for expanding and publishing Thorn's Dove. That OG book is on the back burner and I have been slowly re-writing it between other projects. I do plan on re-releasing it under the name Flower From The Flame, but there is no set publication date yet as I want to write the entire trilogy (it was always supposed to be a trilogy), before I go any further with the publishing process. Regardless of FFTF's rough beginnings, it was a true foundation for my writing revival and my willingness to join the Big Feels anthology with Thorn's Dove.
Any advice for wishful Indie Romance authors?
What wisdom has served you the best so far?
Write what you enjoy, no matter how weird or how common. If a scene feels flat, don't forget to include the five senses. You can always shake up a stagnant scene by changing the weather. The characters WILL hijack your story at least once, let them - they may lead you somewhere awesome. Don't delete lines or scenes you need to cut from your manuscript, put them in a separate file/section - you can always recycle these pieces for other projects! Don't be afraid of lavender prose or a lot of detail - but learn where to put it to keep the flow of the story going, even if you have to break up the info. Every character should have a little piece of you in it. Writing the parts of yourself you're curious about, confused about, or traumatized over can be ridiculously healing and cathartic and it will enrich your story. Your writing style is your own and you don't HAVE to write like anyone else - just know that consistency is KEY to establishing your writing as style rather than error. Write what sparks joy and brings light and color into your world. It's always okay to get a little bit silly goose with your characters - there are plenty of serious stories out there and yours doesn't have to be one of them to be valid. Write the story you need or wish you could read - it'll become someone else's favorite book and they'll feel seen and loved.
What's Next?
What's next for you in the world of Indie Romance?
Spill!
The Moss King And The Briar Crown will be published as a 10k short in the Book Harvest anthology in October, with the expanded version launching in January 2026. I will be at Book Harvest in Chicago come October and will be signing there. I'm still on hiatus for the Orc Matched series (I was over-stressing on it and there was too much personal drama and trauma for me to push through it at the time). As I mentioned previously, shorter stories are my jam and my focus right now. Also, the audiobooks for the Orc Matched series are in progress!
Sign up for the ALC here » forms.gle/wu38SQWYbvux8DZP7
What do you want to plug for folks right now?
Here's a soap box. Get on it!
The gorgeous discreet cover hardback edition of Thorn's Dove is available now on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/Thorns-Dove-Orc-Matched-0-5/dp/B0F3NYBX8S/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0
If you like Appalachian horror monster romance with a witchy nonbinary banjo weilder with an opossum familiar, a cervyr (elk variant of a satyr) primal dom as old as moss, fated mates, and an ancient eldritch terror, you can pre-order The Moss King And The Briar Crown now here > https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4Q1RT7C
Also, keep an eye out in the next few months for the release of the Thorn's Dove audiobook!
Where do you want readers to find you?
This is your shameless advertising moment. Drop those socials and websites!
Most links » https://authorcarlottahughes.carrd.co/
Website » https://www.authorcarlottahughes.com/
Amazon » https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carlotta-Hughes/author/B09P9S6JVH
Instagram » https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlottahughes/
TikTok » https://www.tiktok.com/@authorcarlottahughes
Housekeeping
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It was such an honor to do this with you!!