Not A Trophy Wife by ann2ktheauthor

Accolades: Wattpad Creator, Featured on WattpadAfterDark, AdultFiction, and Romance.

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Author bio: Anna Kozh is a 34-year-old romance writer from Bulgaria. She found her passion for writing back in 2017, and three years later, she started her journey on Wattpad. To this day, she has two full-length novels and a few short stories in her catalog. Anna is happily married, and she and her husband are blessed with two wonderful sons. In a professional plan, she is a web and graphic designer and manager in her digital agency.

Story title: Not A Trophy Wife
Logline: When Savannah runs away from her cheating husband, she meets a man who helps her heal, and they must fight for their love after her husband finds her.

Premise/Blurb: Savannah Lewis has been happily married to billionaire Dominic Lewis for five years. She has been provided with a high-luxury life and pampered like a princess.But one night, her regimented and perfect world is turned upside down when she experiences the ultimate betrayal. Upon realizing her husband's true colors, her life is revealed for what it indeed is—a lie. In desperation, Savannah runs away to a small town with little to her name, where the local mechanic, Jayden Hill, rescues and shelters her. His small white caravan contrasts with her former three-story mansion, but Jayden shows her a new meaning of happiness. As sparks fly between them, Savannah heals little by little.However, the chance for her new beginning is thwarted when her possessive husband tracks her down, wanting her back as his trophy wife.

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What inspired you to write this book?

As I think about that, there wasn't anything in particular that inspired me to write Not A Trophy Wife. Although I'm a fan of dark themes (and morally gray characters, hehe), at some point, I don't know, maybe that was my current mood then, but I felt the urge to write a lighter, feel-good romance. I like how it turned out, and most of all, I am happy that it was well accepted.

What was the inspiration behind the main character and their love interest?

I had an old idea about a spoiled girl betrayed by her husband. I guess the time has just come for this idea to be dusted off and developed. From there, in fact, the whole plot took shape. The new beginning, new love, new meanings, and discovery of a new value of life overall fitted the brightness and feelings I wanted the story to express. Next, I challenged myself to create a good-boy male main character. As I mentioned above, I am more into gray characters, but for that story, I needed a good, nice, and protective man. Of course, he had to be no less hot than any bad boy, so what sexier than a stained-with-oil handsome mechanic? Right? ;)) 

As to the names, I always follow a few steps: 

First, I need to have a clear idea of the characters' personalities and even their look. Only then I start looking for names on the internet. I write down a few suitable ones for each character and then make my final selection by the elimination method. Savannah and Jayden also came up that way.

Do you have any favorite romance authors on, or off, Wattpad that inspired you to write romance stories? Feel free to name up to three people and some of their favorite books!

As strange as it might sound, before I started writing, I read thrillers, actions, and mysteries with little to no romance. Only when I discovered my passion for writing and my plot ideas were passionately centered around romance, I realized that exactly Romance was my genre.

What were some of the most challenging elements you came across while writing the story? How did you overcome them?

Actually, writing Not a Trophy Wife was very easy and smooth. I finished the story in three months, which, compared to the four years I spent writing my first novel, was a massive and unbelievable achievement for me. Now is the time to thank all my readers because they made this possible! I remember that only with the first two chapters published, I received many comments and positive feedback, which, honestly, I didn't expect. That greatly motivated me. It was like fuel for me, and even though I didn't have much time to write, I stayed up late every night to write because I knew there were readers out there who were eagerly waiting for the next update. It was a wonderful experience, and I can truly say I faced no challenges while writing the story. It's amazing what impact the readers' love can have on writers!

Is there a chapter or scene that you didn't make the final cut? If so, describe those here and share with us why they weren't kept.

I didn't cut any chapters, but I shortened the first one during the editing process. It was very important to me to take the readers through a typical day of Savannah so that the contrast and change in her life afterward could be felt as strongly as possible. But on the other hand, I was aware that maybe the details were too much, so I ended up cutting some paragraphs.

What is the key message you hope your readers will take away from your story?

I think Savannah's story, which was originally intended to be just a light read, carries some valuable messages that I hope will reach readers. In today's fast-paced material world, sometimes it's good to remember that wealth is not everything. That the truly valuable things in life cannot be measured monetarily. Because under the expensive or cheap clothes, under the makeup and hairstyles, we all carry souls that need warmth, love, friendship, and respect. Without them, we are empty, no matter what monetary wealth we have. 

I also hope the story inspires faith. When we are in a difficult stage of our life, when we feel lost or hurt - we need to have faith that there is light after every storm!

Do you have any advice you can share with aspiring writers of romance?

Write with your heart! Put your soul in the words, and the readers will feel that. I know that many writers struggle with self-doubt, me myself, but don't underestimate yourselves, don't give up, and remember to enjoy your journey!

If you had to choose your favorite romance trope, what would it be and why?

Oh, boy! I don't know if I can go with only one favorite trope... But well, I am in an "Alpha Male" mood now, and actually, this is one of the tropes in my newest dark romance, which is currently ongoing. I love to create a strong and independent heroine sometimes, but sometimes I just need that gray dominant alpha male who is rich, dark, sexy, and possessive... until the heroine appears in his life to break through his walls and cold heart and expose his sensitive soul ;). So, yeah, I can say that "Alpha Male" is one of my favorite tropes.

Thank you so much for your time! :)