Ruth Stilling is a bestselling spicy hockey romance author with a love for steamy stories in which women bring pro athletes to their knees, both physically and metaphorically. Her newest series, The Rules of the Rink, is a second generation series to Seattle Scorpions. The first installment, Fair Game, is an opposites-attract sports romance that pairs a rising NHL star with the publicist determined to keep him out of trouble.
Based in the UK, Stilling spends most of her time dreaming up ways to make her readers swoon and sweat with her favorite tropes, including enemies to lovers, forbidden love and surprise pregnancy. You can expect lots of laughter, love, and strong found-family vibes from her books with heartfelt characters that are often complex but always so loveable.
We spoke with the author about her favorite romance tropes, advice for aspiring romance authors entering the indie space, and what surprised her most about her experience with IngramSpark.
Hockey romance has become one of the biggest subgenres in contemporary romance. What do you think makes hockey such fertile ground for love stories?
The found-family element that comes with a hockey team makes for incredible banter but also a feeling of "coming home" for a reader whenever they're reunited with their favorite characters. I think the brutality and intensity of the game is also very alluring for readers. Hockey is very visual on the page.
Tell us about the creative process of writing this book. Do you have any writing rituals that have become important to your process?
Honestly, for the main part I just sit down and write. My process has always been about letting the characters show me the way and take the wheel in their story. With Fair Game, I had a strong feeling about the main characters, Will and Drew. Building their opposites attract love story with all the banter and tension that comes with a forbidden workplace romance was such fun! I knew from the moment I wrote Dead Rinker (book three in the Seattle Scorpions series), that I had to write Jensen and Kate's son.
Reviewers of Fair Game consistently praise the chemistry and banter between Will and Drew. What’s the secret to writing playful, witty dialogue in romance? Do those conversations tend to come naturally as you write, or do you spend a lot of time refining them?
They come naturally for me. Some characters automatically have that spark and magical witty chemistry where they bounce off each other with ease. Drew and Will definitely had that, and the words flowed freely on the page. The text banter was especially fun to write!
If you love workplace romance, hockey heroes, sizzling chemistry, and just enough forbidden tension, Fair Game deserves a spot at the top of your TBR.
There seems to be as much excitement about the supporting characters as the romance itself. Do you consciously write every book with future stories already taking shape? Is there a specific character you’re already looking forward to writing around next?
Yes, for sure. As I'm writing a story I'm already building the subsequent books in that series and getting a good understanding of the side characters who will eventually become main characters in their own books! I love to leave breadcrumbs for my readers and hear their theories over who's coming next and if they've already met their love interest. Yep! There's definitely a couple of future characters I can't wait to write!
What themes or tropes do you love exploring in your own writing, and which ones do you gravitate toward as a reader? Any tropes you haven’t explored yet that you’re dying to write next?
I love all of the boy-obsessed, accidental pregnancy and forbidden romance vibes! As a reader and as a writer. Oh, and throw in some enemies to lovers, and I'm one happy girl!
Looking across your books, readers often notice recurring themes of identity, ambition, found family, and emotional growth. Are those themes something you intentionally return to, or do they emerge naturally from the kinds of characters you're most interested in writing?
I think it's a bit of both to be honest. I naturally write those kinds of characters and themes with hockey romance. Equally, I know this is the type of book my sports romance readers enjoy and have come to recognize with my writing.
What surprised you most about your experience with IngramSpark that other authors should know?
IngramSpark is eager to help build an author's reach and readership. They understand that each author is different in their needs, and they don't shy away from jumping on calls to discuss the best routes forward for your books and getting them into reader's hands.
Has becoming a more experienced author changed the kinds of love stories you're interested in telling?
Yes, for sure. As I progress, I'm definitely leaning toward angsty, slower-burn romances with all the forbidden vibes. I love to keep my readers guessing when that moment will come.
What do you most hope your readers learn, feel, or take away from your work?
I want my readers to feel seen and to turn the last page having been taken on a journey that they can relate to. Each time they sit down with one of my books, I want them to feel like it's a reunion with their best friends, but also curious as to which way I'll take this character's story.
What advice do you have for aspiring romance authors entering the indie space?
Don't be afraid to edit heavily. The most important thing you can do is to get the words down on the page. Believe in yourself and your writing and refine later! No first draft is ever perfect.
Market early and build a strong brand as an author. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and interact. Be proud of the book you've written!
If you were to genre-hop and write a completely different type of content, what do you think it would be?
Keep watching this space!
