PERSONAL FAQs
Who are you?
Hi, I’m Arizona Tape, the author of the books you can find on this website. I currently live in the United Kingdom with my partner, Laura, who is also an author and our dog but I grew up in Belgium.
What kind of books do you write?
I write what I love to read which happens to be an eclectic mix of all sorts of genres. I love anything fantastical or magical so I write fantasy when I want to escape from this world and something more actiony or paranormal romance when I’m in the mood to swoon and ship love. Growing up, I also wished there were more stories about women falling in love with other women so that’s something you’ll find in all of my books.
Are you queer yourself?
Super queer! I discovered I was also attracted to women when I was a teenager and came out for the first time when I was fifteen to my best friend who was also coming out to me.
How do I know which books of yours are queer?
I try my best to put that information in my blurbs but the terms are always changing. In general, if you see any of these, it means it’s about two women falling in love with each other as end game: sapphic, lesfic, lesbian, f/f, wlw, lgbt, queer.
What’s the story behind your pen name?
It’s honestly a dumb story but I’ll happily tell it. The existence of Arizona Tape can be traced back to exam time where my brain was all mushy. I was with a friend and we were signing up to play a game online but we needed to come up with some screen names. I was using all my thinking power for studying so I just picked two random items that I could see in the room, a bottle of Arizona Tea and a Pritt gluestick. Later on, a variant was born and tadaa, Arizona Tape was now a thing. I carried that name over to the writing platform that later would be the launching board to my career. If I’d known I would be using it as a penname ten years later, I would’ve picked something better!
Why is your tagline: “Stories That Stick”?
Because it’s Arizona… TAPE. Sometimes I think about changing it to a tagline that says more about my books but then I chuckle at my own joke and leave it as it is.
Are you a full-time author?
I am. Writing is my only job which I’m lucky to do thanks to everyone reading and purchasing my books. While you might pictures this with fancy typewriters and romantic mood swings, it’s more like I sit at home in my PJs and write my books hunched in front of my laptop. The mood swings are real though.
Do you write all your books yourself?
I do. Every beautiful sentence and cringy word choice are all mine. This is my dream job so I won’t ever use a ghost writer or AI. The writing is the best part, why would I let someone else do it?
What about your co-writes?
Co-writing is different with every author because it depends on our personalities, styles, and ideas. Generally, we both write half and figure out how to blend it together to create a seamless experience.
You have a lot of co-writes with Laura Greenwood. What’s that about?
Laura and I met through writing in 2017 and fell in love over oblivious flirting, bad poems, and our passion for writing. One of the things we love doing is creating together so that’s why we’re writing a lot of books together. We just sit in our house, plot books over dinner, and go on dates to research murder. It’s great!
Do you have any other pennames?
Not at the moment but it might change in the future.
Can I meet you in person?
Yes, you can! I do multiple signings and book events a year. At these events, you can come say hello, buy a signed book, and ask me whatever you want.
You can find out where I’m going to be here: https://arizonatape.com/signings
I’m super excited to meet you, I want to bring you a gift. What do you like?
I’m super grateful every time I get a gift from a reader but just know it’s not necessary to get me anything. I’m just happy to see you and chat with you. You can make me happiest by buying one of my books, either for yourself or for a friend. If you really want to give me something, I like socks or food! (But please don’t poison me, haha)
Share some fun facts about yourself.
I like wearing odd socks because it makes my feet fun. I can easily get lost in a game, book, or movie and be totally absorbed for hours. Sometimes, I impulsively cut my hair when it gets too long and annoying. I will always appreciate a good pun!
Do you have any other talents or hobbies?
I’ve got a lot of interests. As a child, I did horse riding and I played the piano and harp. I love playing video games, listening to music, eating new food, and drawing characters from my own books. I’m not so much into sports but it’s something I’m trying to change because moving is good for me.
I want to only know one thing, tell me more about Fudgestick!!! Where can I get more pictures of him?
Fudgestick is a simple creature. He loves sleeping, cuddling, napping, snoozing, and eating food and going on walks. One of his favourite snacks is cucumber. I think he’s the cutest dog in the world and you can get new pictures of him in my newsletters.
https://arizonatape.com/subscribe
Where does your inspiration come from?
Everywhere! I don’t know what’s going on with my brain and imagination but I can’t look at anything without making up a story about it. Whether it’s people, a situation, a dark alley, a strange cloud, some cool mythology, … It’s always sparking ideas for me.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
According to my mum, yes. She said that as a young child, I would say I wanted to be a writer. I would make up stories about my stuffed animals, draw comics, and I was a ferocious reader. For a while, I forgot about that dream until it came back to me when I was a bit adrift when I was eighteen. I started reading and writing again, published something online and found an audience, and it all snowballed from there. Although snowball makes it sound kind of effortless when it was more like pushing a boulder up the hill but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
PRACTICAL FAQs
How can I stay up to date with your newest releases?
The best way is to subscribe to my newsletter so you get notified about my newest books, pre-orders, deals, discounts, freebies, …
https://arizonatape.com/subscribe
Do you read replies to your newsletters or comments on Facebook?
I do! I try my best to respond to everyone but it’s not always possible. I appreciate it every single time someone reaches out to me though.
Is there a complete book list?
Yes, you can find it here. I try to keep it as up to date as possible.
Is there a recommended reading order?
Not really, just start wherever you want. For most series, it’s best to start with book 1. For paranormal romances, you can start wherever you want. It usually says in the blurb if you can read it as a standalone or not so always check that out.
I found an error in one of your books, what do I do?
You can report it to me through my error form and I’ll fix it. Here’s the form: https://books.arizonatape.com/errorform
Your books aren’t in Kindle Unlimited. Will that change?
I don’t have any plans to enrol my books in Kindle Unlimited because that means I won’t be able to offer my books to readers who use Apple, Kobo, Nook, Google, or other retailers. It also means my books won’t be available in libraries which is very important to me. I grew up reading books in the library so it’s something I’m adamant about supporting.
Do you have any free books?
Yes, I do! I have some books that you can read for free so you can try my stories and style without having to part with your money. Of course, it would be great if I could give all my books away for free but I want to dedicate all my time to writing so it needs to earn me money.
Can I join your ARC team?
Yes, you can! I run it through my newsletter and there’s a sign-up form here: https://arizonatape.com/arc-team
I read a book of yours but the title or cover are different. What happened?
As much as I love a good cover or coming up with the perfect title, they have to match the writing inside and fit with the market. Sometimes, changing a title or cover means my books will sell better. Sometimes, it just means I wanted to change it because I’ve come up with something new.
How long are you planning on writing books?
For as long as I can! I want to write books until I’m old and grey so stick around. I’ve got a lot more ideas in me.