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The Threads That Bind Us Together

Ava Rouge Author Interview

Under Her Spell follows a woman who explores her magical abilities, causing an unexpected disaster that leads her to return to the place she fled, and the man she left behind with a broken heart and no explanation. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

At first, I was just enjoying the fantasy of the brother’s best friend trope, the tension of an age gap and where the nerd gets the girl lol. It’s one of those dynamics I’ve always loved reading. But as Yasim’s character arc started to take shape, the story became deeper and far messier than I expected. It turned into one of those complicated, aching loves we love to read about, the kind that lingers even when everything’s gone wrong. I wanted to explore what it means to leave someone behind without explanation… and what it takes to face them again when life forces your paths to cross. So yes, there’s magic, but at its core, it’s about heartbreak, healing, and all the unfinished things we carry with us.

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?

The idea for 2100 London started with a simple concept: what if tech and nature didn’t have to be enemies? So many sci-fi or futuristic books paint this doom-and-gloom picture of the future, but I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to show that people, and the world, deserve a redemption arc. That’s where the idea of NexaGreen came from. It actually first appeared back in Book 1, but I ended up building the world around it. It became a symbol of balance between chaos and peace, past and future, destruction and healing. As I kept writing, the setting grew more layered. NexaGreen became not just a place, but a reflection of the characters’ emotional journeys, especially for someone like Niamh, who’s caught between who she was and who she’s becoming.

What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?

The way we love. The way we break. And the way we keep trying, even when we don’t know who we are anymore. I think the most powerful stories are the ones that don’t shy away from the grey areas, when characters make bad choices, carry guilt, act out of control, crave things they’re scared to name. Vulnerability, shame, desire, forgiveness… those are the raw threads that bind us together. And when fiction taps into that, it hits different. It feels like truth, it feels relatable even in the most magical settings.

Now that you have completed the Whispers of Destiny series, what is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

So first, Hers to Tempt, the first spin-off novella, is already out in the world, and I’m honestly still blown away that it won the Literary Titan Gold Award in July. That story holds a special place in my heart.

Right now, I’m working on another spin-off that follows Lucio (Diedra’s brother) and Kaiko (Kairos’s sister). Their connection was undeniable in Inked Into Your Soul, and I knew I had to explore it more. It’s messy, intense, and full of heat, but there’s real emotion driving it too. Kaiko’s trying to start fresh(and far away from someone) in London with her son, but her past, and Lucio, won’t stay quiet for long. I’m aiming for a similar length to Hers to Tempt, and if everything goes according to plan, readers won’t have to wait too long to get their hands on it. Hopefully, before the end of this year.

Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website

Under Her Spell – Final book in the Whispers of Destiny Series
Two years ago, Niamh packed her bags and fled to Ireland, leaving Yasim – her brother’s best friend – behind with nothing but heartbreak and unanswered questions. She thought burying herself in her family’s history and learning to control her powers would be enough to move forward.
She was wrong.
When an experiment with her magic causes an unexpected disaster, Niamh has no choice but to leave Ireland. The only place she can turn is NexaGreen in London, and the only person who can help her is Yas – the man she left behind without so much as an explanation.
Thrown back into each other’s lives, the tension between them is impossible to ignore. As Niamh tries to repair the damage her powers have caused, she’s forced to confront the feelings she thought she’d buried. But as danger looms, she realizes this is about more than just fixing what’s broken… it’s about fighting for what matters most.

Grief, Identity, and Found family

Ava Rouge Author Interview

Inked Into Your Soul follows a spirited, passionate woman whose life is shattered by tragedy and slowly rebuilt through love, art, family, and hidden heritage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Diedra and Locran’s story started revealing itself during the first book. There’s a moment when Locran sees her through the tattoo shop window, and something just clicks. That one glance stayed with me… it was magnetic. At first, I hesitated to go deeper because I didn’t want her to feel like a “diversity token.” I wasn’t sure I knew enough about the cultural heritage she represented, and I wasn’t willing to do it halfway. But their story wouldn’t leave me alone. It kept unfolding in my mind. It was/is steamy, complicated, beautiful, and I knew I had to honour it. I wanted their connection to be more than just physical or magical. I wanted it to feel real. Their issues, their struggles, their love… they’re rooted in the kind of emotional truth that makes characters feel like they’ve lived a life before the first chapter.

Your characters go on a deeply emotional and transformative journey in your novel. Is this intentional or incidental to the story you want to tell?

Very intentional. I’m obsessed with character growth, especially messy, non-linear growth. Life rarely gives us clean arcs, and I wanted my characters to reflect that. They cry, they rage, they screw up, they love too hard, and through it all, they transform. Not because life hands them answers, but because they dig through the pain and choose to evolve. That was the heartbeat of the story for me. Plus, if you have been betrayed by someone whom you loved, you know that it is very hard to come back from that. So, Diedra might come off as dramatic at times, but her heart is fighting with logic… and that can be chaotic.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Grief. Identity. Found family. The fear of being too much and the ache of not being enough. This book is about surviving the fire and realising that sometimes the version of you that rises from the ashes is the most powerful one. It’s also about how love, romantic or otherwise, doesn’t save you, but it can be the thing that reminds you you’re worth saving.  

Where do you see your characters after the book ends?

I see them still healing, but thriving. Dee doesn’t just survive her past; she reclaims it and uses it as fuel. She and Locran have this fiery, chaotic love, but they’re learning how to soften with each other too. The rest of the characters? Let’s just say their stories are far from over. There are bonds still forming, and secrets waiting to be unearthed. So yes, Inked Into Your Soul ends, but the journey is still unfolding. 

Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website

“Inked into Your Soul” is the enthralling second book in a trilogy where destiny, romance, and mysticism collide in 2100’s London.
Meet Diedra, a tattoo artist with a rare gift hidden beneath her ink, and Locran, a high-profile lawyer with a shadowed past. Their worlds intertwine in an unexpected dance of fate, where ancient legacies blend with the city’s futuristic pulse.
As secrets unravel and emotions intensify, they find themselves at the heart of a mystery that defies time and logic. Will the enigmatic forces that drew them together become their salvation or their undoing?
In a world where technology meets mysticism, “Inked into Your Soul” weaves a tale of passion, mystery, and the unbreakable bonds that form when two souls are destined to collide.

Protective, Passionate, and Grounding

Ava Rouge Author Interview

Liora: Lost In Heaven’s Touch follows a young woman who awakens with no memories in a strange garden, where she must embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I was at a point in my life where I had fallen back in love with reading, especially paranormal and shifter romance. I was devouring stories about angels and mortals, but I kept noticing a pattern: the immortal hero and the mortal heroine. I wanted to flip that dynamic. I wanted the heroine to be the gifted one. Liora was born from that desire. She represents a love so powerful it overrides divinity, proof that being human and in love is something even heaven is worth giving up for.

Liora develops different relationships with Yasim, Locran, and Kairos, each helping her discover various parts of herself. What was the inspiration for the relationship that develops between the characters?

Honestly, I didn’t plan their personalities. They revealed themselves to me as I wrote. I just knew I wanted three distinct dynamics: one man who would become like a brother, one who could’ve been a love interest in another life, and one who would be her ultimate love. Their roles were shaped not only by the needs of the story but also by my own lived experiences with the different types of male energy we encounter in life: protective, passionate, and grounding.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Self-exploration and self-acceptance were huge for me. So many of us are on a journey of finding ourselves. Some through hardship, others through relationships or reflection. Liora’s story is an extreme example, but I wanted to mirror real life, where certain people cross our paths to either awaken something within us or guide us to our truth. It was also really important for me to show that she’s not just some damsel in distress. She’s powerful. She’s in control of her fate even when she doesn’t realise it yet.

Where does the next book in the series take the characters?

While the characters reappear throughout the trilogy, Liora and Kai’s journey mostly wraps up in this first book. They’ll still show up, especially in moments where their guidance or presence matters, but the spotlight shifts to other characters. It was always meant to be a shared universe, and now it’s time to let the rest of the cast step forward and have their stories told.

Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon

Waking up in a strange garden without her memories, Liora is thrust into a world she doesn’t recognize but can’t help feeling connected to. The city around her is alive, thriving, a perfect balance of nature and technology, but her own life feels anything but.

As she pieces together who she is, Liora finds herself drawn to Kai, a man whose sharp edges hide more than he lets on. He challenges her, infuriates her, and makes her feel something she has never felt before.

This is a story of love, self-discovery, and second chances… because sometimes, starting over is the only way to find where you truly belong.

Under Her Spell (Book 3 of the Whispers of Destiny series)

Under Her Spell is book three in the Whispers of Destiny debut series by author Ava Rogue. Under Her Spell is a genre-blending tale that merges contemporary romance, fantasy, and emotional trauma into a rollercoaster of passion, power, and healing. At the heart of the story is Niamh O’Sullivan, a woman who discovers her magical heritage rooted in ancient Irish myth, just as her emotional world is torn apart by forbidden love and buried secrets. Parallel to her journey is Yasim Fletcher, her brother’s best friend and a man marked by a haunting past and complicated desires. Through their tangled connection and the people surrounding them, the story dives deep into themes of trauma, longing, grief, and self-discovery, all tied together with the force of magic, both literal and metaphorical.

I reveled in the emotional rawness in Rouge’s writing. It’s intense. The flashbacks to Yasim’s childhood are gut-wrenching, especially the scenes that tackle abuse and betrayal. I felt like I was grieving with him. Niamh’s awakening, both mystical and emotional, unfolds in a beautifully chaotic way. Rouge does an exceptional job of showing how complicated people are, and how love can be both liberating and destructive. The prose isn’t polished to perfection, but that rawness works in its favor. It feels like a story someone needed to tell, not just wanted to write.

Some of the dialogue can be dramatic, and certain scenes lean into melodrama. There were moments I wanted to shake the characters, particularly Niamh, for making reckless decisions. But maybe that’s part of what makes it real. People mess up. They lash out. They run away from what they want. And in the end, Rouge captures the messiness of being human in a way that’s strangely comforting, even when it hurts.

Under Her Spell is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a story soaked in passion, trauma, and supernatural intrigue. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy angsty, character-driven romance with dark themes and a touch of magic. If you’re looking for a neat, tidy love story, this isn’t it. But if you crave emotional grit and vulnerability paired with the unknown, this book might just get under your skin in the best way.

Pages: 353 | ASIN : B0DN1TW889

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Inked Into Your Soul (Book 2 of the Whispers of Destiny series)

Inked Into Your Soul is book two in the Whispers of Destiny debut series by author Ava Rogue. Inked Into Your Soul is a bold and genre-blending dive into romance, trauma, identity, and mysticism. Set across vibrant backdrops like Cuba and London, the story follows Diedra, a spirited, passionate woman whose life is shattered by tragedy and slowly rebuilt through love, art, family, and hidden heritage. Told from multiple perspectives, primarily Diedra and Locran, the brooding Irish law student, the novel weaves erotica with ancestral spirituality, exploring Santería, grief, sexuality, and soul connections in a deeply intimate way. It’s part romance, part coming-of-age, part spiritual revelation, with plenty of fire.

Rouge doesn’t hold back in this second book in the Whispers of Destiny series. Whether it’s a sex scene, a panic attack, or a mystical vision, the emotions hit hard and fast. Some moments felt downright cinematic, vivid, and aching. I admired how the sensual scenes didn’t just feel like shock value; they were often layered with tenderness, vulnerability, or power. Some chapters soared while others took their time as it meandered through the weight of its own emotional intensity. The dialogue occasionally slipped into melodrama, and while the characters were distinct and layered. I found myself swept up in Diedra’s journey and rooting for her, flaws and all.

What I appreciated most, though, were the themes Rouge tackled head-on. This wasn’t just about love or lust. It was about healing intergenerational wounds, reclaiming spiritual heritage, and standing firm in one’s power. The Santería elements weren’t tokenized; they felt personal, reverent, and textured. I didn’t expect a story that started with beachside sex to also make me think about cultural erasure, ancestral responsibility, and the complexity of grief. There’s something gutsy about that. I also liked how Locran’s own trauma mirrored Diedra’s. They were two souls shaped by loss and pulled together by something they couldn’t quite explain.

Inked Into Your Soul is messy, passionate, and unfiltered. And that’s its strength. It’s not a story that tries to be neat. It just tries to be true. I’d recommend this book to readers who love steamy romance but also want depth, character-driven stories, and a touch of the mystical.

Pages: 335 | ASIN : B0CTYLC6CK

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LIORA Lost In Heaven’s Touch ( Book 1 of the Whispers of Destiny series)

Liora: Lost In Heaven’s Touch is book one in the Whispers of Destiny debut series by author Ava Rogue. Liora: Lost In Heaven’s Touch is a futuristic fantasy-romance set in a reborn London of 2100, where technology and nature harmonize and healing is not just physical, but emotional and spiritual. The story follows Liora, a mysterious young woman who wakes up with no memory in a lush sanctuary called NexaGreen. As she navigates a world she doesn’t recognize and grapples with an identity she can’t recall, she forms powerful connections with three complex men: Yasim, a gentle scientist; Locran, a warm-hearted flirt; and Kairos, a closed-off surgeon with a painful past. Through this web of relationships, Liora embarks on a journey of rediscovery, love, trauma, and choice, all wrapped in a rich blend of futuristic wonder and deeply human emotion.

What struck me most was Ava Rouge’s writing style. It’s lush, sensual, and emotional, but never overwrought. She has a way of turning even a simple scene like drinking coffee or running through a city into something vivid and intimate. Her dialogue feels real, and her characters are wonderfully flawed. Liora is tender and vulnerable, yet quietly fierce. The alternating points of view, especially Kairos’s chapters, dig deep into the emotional walls people build to protect themselves. And when those walls start to crack, Rouge doesn’t hold back. The story’s pacing is slow in a deliberate way, inviting the reader to soak in every look, touch, and unsaid word. That said, there were moments where I felt the book lingered in introspection, especially from Kairos.

It’s not just a love story. It’s about trauma, memory, and the push-pull between safety and desire. I found myself rooting not just for Liora, but for all the characters to find peace in their own way. Kairos, in particular, frustrated me and broke my heart all at once. Rouge isn’t afraid to make her characters unlikable at times, and that makes them feel more real. The setting added a whole other layer; NexaGreen and London 2100 aren’t just backdrops, they’re reflections of the characters themselves. Rebuilt, beautiful, and haunted. There’s a rich world hinted at, glowing lynxes, projection symbols, AI enhancements, that begs to be explored further.

Liora is a love letter to the lost and the longing. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong, or carried trauma like it was stitched to your skin, this book will probably speak to you. It’s a slow-burning romance about healing, identity, and the complicated ways we love. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven sci-fi romance with poetic prose, emotional depth, and a heavy focus on relationships. If you’re a fan of soft sci-fi, found families, and angsty, brooding love interests, this one’s for you.

Pages: 377 | ASIN : B0CLLB9BGP

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Messy, Human, and Chaotic

Ava Rouge Author Interview

Hers to Tempt follows a brooding archangel who sees a rebellious and street-smart hacker entangled in a black-market underworld, whom he is instantly attracted to and defies ancient rules to pursue her. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Honestly, the heart of Hers to Tempt came from this idea that even the strongest of us can fall. That strength isn’t always about dominance or power, it’s often about surrender. I was fascinated by the concept of an archangel, this divine being bound by duty and ancient laws, coming face-to-face with something messy, human, and chaotic, and choosing that instead. Choosing love. Lust. Chaos. Even failure.

The setup came from wanting to explore what happens when someone who’s meant to be untouchable, created for order, starts questioning everything because of one person. A person who is flawed in more ways than one, their complete opposite, but for whatever reason, is impossible to ignore.

There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?

Realism. I needed them to feel human, even Michael. I didn’t want anyone reading this thinking they were watching perfect beings from a distance. I wanted them to see the trauma, the fear, the need. Especially for Lee. Her progression arc was really important to me. She’s sharp and guarded, but you can feel her learning how to trust, and how to want something deeper.

And with Michael, it was about showing how love doesn’t weaken powerful men. It undoes them in the best way. Watching him resist that pull and slowly break? That was the whole point. That kind of emotional vulnerability is where the magic happens.

I thought this story had a unique setup and an interesting premise. What were some sources that informed this novel’s development?

So, this novella is a spin-off from my debut trilogy, and it takes place right after Book One, LIORA Lost In Heaven’s Touch. I was working with a world that already existed: 2100 London, where the future is thriving, tech-forward, and full of second chances. Michael is on Earth because he chose to help Liora (the FMC from book one, who used to be an angel) adjust to human life, and that decision is what led him to Lee.

In terms of sources, I read a lot of Christian lore and angel mythology, especially on the concept of fallen angels and divine order. But I wanted to flip some of that. Michael’s fall wasn’t about sin or temptation, even if it felt like that to him. It was destined.

In my version of the lore, Lee was meant for him. She was hidden on purpose because her connection to Michael would make him the strongest archangel, and some forces did not want that to happen. So yeah, between the existing trilogy world, angelic lore, and that idea of hidden strength through love… that’s what shaped this story’s foundation.

I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?

Even though this specific story came to an end, I left the door cracked open, especially when it comes to Gabriel and Lucifer. There’s a hint of hope there… a sense that maybe soulmates aren’t just for Michael.

I don’t want to talk too soon because I’ve got other projects lined up, but yeah… there’s a real possibility I’ll explore their stories one day. Nothing in my books is coincidental. If the timing’s right, and the characters won’t leave me alone, it’ll happen 🙂

Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon

She’s spent her life running… from shadows, from pain, from the parts of herself she can’t face. But one brutal night in a back alley shatters everything, leaving her broken… until he finds her.

He wasn’t supposed to feel anything for anyone. He wasn’t supposed to intervene with human affairs. But when he saw her, something ancient stirred.

Now, their worlds collide in a whirlwind of secrets, temptation, and divine defiance.
She’s a thief with a past that refuses to stay buried.
He’s an angel torn between duty and desire.

Hers to Tempt: A Heavenly Sin is a steamy, emotionally charged paranormal romance filled with forbidden desire, slow-burning tension, and a love that defies the heavens. Perfect for fans of morally conflicted angels, sharp-mouthed heroines, and stories where fate has other plans.

Hers to Tempt – A Heavenly Sin

Ava Rouge’s Hers to Tempt is a dark and magnetic blend of supernatural seduction and moral chaos. The story orbits around Michael, a brooding archangel bound by ancient rules, and Lee, a defiant, street-smart hacker entangled in a black-market underworld. Their collision is anything but ordinary. Violence, forbidden desires, and twisted revelations unravel as the two confront secrets that threaten not just their lives but the fragile order of heaven and hell itself. With alternating perspectives, the novel plunges into a murky pool of power, redemption, and the terrifying pull of love.

Honestly, this book threw me for a loop. The writing is raw—almost aggressively so—and I mean that as a compliment. The dialogue snaps with grit, the prose slithers between poetic and profane, and the pacing grips you by the throat. Rouge doesn’t tiptoe around taboos; she waltzes through them in combat boots. The characters are a tangled mess of trauma, lust, and power struggles, and somehow that’s exactly what makes them feel so real. I didn’t always like Michael or Lee, but I believed them every step of the way. Rouge takes big swings with tone and theme, and even when it gets a little wild or melodramatic, it never feels lazy.

Still, there were moments I felt knocked off balance—not by content, but by the emotional whiplash. One chapter will yank your heart out with vulnerability, then the next drowns it in sarcasm or sex. It’s intense. The supernatural mythology is bold and intriguing, though sometimes murky, and the high-stakes plot doesn’t always pause to explain itself. But I’d be lying if I said that stopped me. The book has a pulsing, defiant energy that just works. It’s not perfect—it’s too fierce for that—but it’s unforgettable.

In the end, Hers to Tempt is a bold, visceral ride. If you like your romance tangled with pain, your angels morally compromised, and your heroines sharp enough to cut diamonds, this one’s for you. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for readers who live for the messy, the dark, and the daring.

Pages: 157 | ASIN : B0F3B7ZMVB

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