Interview with TJ Alexander, author Chef's Kiss and Chef's Choice

 

I am so pumped about today's interviewee!!!! I've read...most of their books and I have enjoyed them so much! Allow me to announce today's interview with TJ Alexander(they/them)! I love their books so much and I am just geeking over this interview!
     

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When did you first start writing and when did you know you wanted to publish a book?

I've written ever since I was a kid. Like, tiny stapled "books" that I would write and design myself. Self-published before we called it self-publishing! But I don't think I seriously thought about being published traditionally until I was in the middle of writing what would become my debut novel, Chef's Kiss.

That is kind of adorable and awesome!! I love that so much!
Your books also feature characters that are trans and/or nonbinary. Why was it important to you to include those characters?

Lots of reasons, but the big one is I want to see more trans and nonbinary characters. I want to write about people who are like me in some ways, and this is part of that. Also, trans and nonbinary people are hot!

Hell yeah!!! I'm a sucker for trans and nonbinary people in books!!! And I definitely agree that they are just hot!
Do you have a specific writing schedule?

Yes, I unfortunately discovered I do my best writing early in the day, so I sit down at my desk every morning and write until around lunchtime. Sometimes I can hit my daily word goal early, but that's the basic schedule.

I'm glad you've found a schedule that works for you, but I'm sorry you've discovered that early in the day is the best time for you.
Two of your books feature cooking and food. What made you want to include that in your books?

I like to eat! I also think food is sensual and the best way to show love and care for the people around you.

Yes! I adore food and love it in books! Always makes me hungry though! But I have to agree, food is such a good way of showing people that you care for them.
How did you come up with the plot for Chef's Choice? Also, how/when did you decide that Chef's Kiss was going to be a series?

I had an idea while writing Chef's Kiss that Luna deserved her own story because she had such Main Character Energy, but I wasn't sure I could turn it into a series. My first contract was a two-book deal with the second book a big question mark at the time of signing. So a few months before CK pubbed, I pitched the idea with an outline and a few sample chapters, and once I got the green light on that, Chef's Choice became a real book.

Ooh, nice!!! I definitely know some books that have side characters I wish I could get full novels about. I'm so glad that you were able to get her her own book!
How would you describe the vibes of Chef's Choice?

Queer chaos! Unlike the characters in the first book, Luna and her fake boyfriend/love interest Jean-Pierre do not have any real cooking skills at the start, so the story takes them on this crash course. Lots of baking fails, lots of false starts-with the food, and with their relationship. Pretty cool how that all fits!

Yep! That's probably the best way to call it!
What was your favorite scene to write in Chef's Choice?

I think it was the scene leading up to Luna and Jean-Pierre's first baking experiment. They have to go to the grocery store together to get the ingredients they need, which is such a mundane thing that tells you so much about a person and how they see the world around them. I love grocery shopping with other people. Top 10 life experience, go to get groceries with someone and see what their deal is in under ten minutes.

I've never really put any thought into those mundane things that show you a lot about a person, but grocery shopping really is a good one.
One of your upcoming books is a regency romance. This is quite different from your other 4 books that are contemporary romances so I'm wondering what led to that change.

Yeah, it's the first book I'll publish that isn't a contemporary romance! Eden's End came about because, to be honest, at the time I wrote it there weren't a ton of historicals starring trans people. We have a couple now, I believe, which is great! But I loved reading historical romances when I was younger, and Regency in particular, so I wanted to see more of that, but obviously more queer and trans. When I mentioned the idea to friends-both cis and trans-the reaction was universally, "Well, I guess you'll have to make it some kind of alternate universe where trans people existed in Regency society." I was so mad (not at my friends, at the world that has made people think that must be true). Like, can we not agree that 1) trans people have existed throughout history and simultaneously 2) the genre does not need to be placed on some weird altar of historical accuracy for it to be seen as valid? So I guess the answer is: I did it out of spite. Eden's End, coming in 2025 brought to you by SPITE.

Ooh that sounds so good!! I love queer historical books because we have a history, but it's not explored as often as I would like. Even if it's fictional, I like these books because they make me more aware of the people who came before me or who could have come before me. I am so excited about Eden's End, I'm definitely going to be reaching out to the publisher and begging to read it!
Thank you so much to TJ for taking part in this interview and for everyone who has read it! I know that I personally love TJ's books and I hope other people pick up their books as well. They way they write is so sensual and good. And their characters are always a lot of fun! I know I'm looking forward to what they'll be putting out next. I hope everyone has a good day!

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You can find TJ Alexander on their website, Instagram, and Twitter.

You can buy TJ Alexander's books from various sites. TJ helpfully has a link on their Author Website that shows some of the sites you can buy from.

If you can't buy their books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!