Unlike many werewolf-themed paranormal romances, Atlas – in your book MUSCLES & MONSTERS – is furry and wolfy 24/7. What got you into writing “monster” romance?
I had read a few monster romances before I started writing MUSCLES & MONSTERS, specifically the Monstrous Series by Lily Mayne and the Prime Mating Agency Series by Regine Abel. I love non-human love interests and their unique anatomy, so I figured I’d try to write my own.
What really inspired me to write a wolfman was the anime Beastars. I found the wolfman main character, Legoshi, so kind and sensitive, but he had this strong, protective side.
One thing I like about Atlas is that, though he’s super strong, he’s not aggressive in any negative context or condescending with Tegan. Years ago, I was surfing online and saw an author differentiate between an “alpha” hero and a guy who was an “alpha-hole”. An alpha-hole being a male protagonist in a romance who uses his physical strength as an excuse to be a jerk to everybody around him. What are your thoughts on alpha heroes?
I love alpha heroes and alpha-holes in romance. I am a huge dark romance, mafia romance, and motorcycle romance fan, and a lot of those genres have male main characters that I would consider alpha-holes. They’re hardened by their life experiences, often keeping their true feelings close to their chest, but through the story they soften for the female main character—and I am so into that!
I’d consider an alpha hero a toned down version of that. They’re still protective, but less of a jerk to everyone around them. I think that sort of male protagonist fits best in the cozy world of Leviathan Fitness.
I like how your stories are a mix of spicy, sexy, and sweet. Do you deliberately try to create that kind of balance?
I do! I want my books to feel like a cozy weekend getaway with your monstrous book crush, so I work really hard on striking that balance when I’m plotting and writing.
Do you find it harder to write female characters or male characters? Do you find yourself putting any of your traits in your characters?
I don’t find either particularly difficult and I think that’s because I put pieces of myself into all of my characters. Everyone in the Leviathan Fitness world has pieces of their personality that I pulled from my own lived experiences, and I think that’s what makes them so relatable.
Your Leviathan Fitness series features an assortment of species. Is there any type of character you’re thinking about featuring in a future book? Mothman? Naga? Skeletor doppelganger?
I really want to write a succubus female main character!! I have a storyline planned already
Other authors I’ve interviewed have told me that the kinds of books they enjoy reading are different from the kind of books they enjoy writing. What do you like to read? Favorite books? Favorite author?
Yes! What I write is totally different from what I enjoy reading. I like to read things that are an escape from the cute and cozy I spend my time writing. As mentioned above, I really enjoy dark romance, mafia romance, and motorcycle club romance. I also love paranormal romance—specifically the Five Packs series by Cate C. Wells. If you enjoy wolf shifters and rejected mates, I would HIGHLY recommend.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on edits for RUGGED BLOOD, my spicy mountain man vampire romance. It’s different from everything else I’ve published, and I’m excited for readers to see another side of my writing. The book will be released in the spring of 2027 and I am so excited for this story to finally be out there!
MUSCLES & MONSTERS by Ashley Bennett
Leviathan Fitness
REVISED AND EXPANDED PAPERBACK EDITION
A gym-owning wolven and a headstrong baker discover howl real their connection is in the first book of the beloved Leviathan Fitness series.
After a wedding cake catastrophe on the street, local baker Tegan lands in the most unexpected place—a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She’s never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake-lifting services.
However, Tegan is through with being a damsel in distress. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength…and if she sees the handsome wolven again, it’s a win-win scenario.
Atlas can’t believe his eyes when Tegan walks through the doors of his gym, and nearly goes snout-over-paw to offer her personal training. Shared glances over the barbell and accidental touches at the water fountain set Atlas’s heart racing in a way he swore it couldn’t again.
Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift. Could Tegan be the unexpected mate of Atlas’s dreams?
Romance Erotica Sensual | Romance Paranormal | Romance Comedy [ Berkley, On Sale: February 10, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593956977 / ]
Buy MUSCLES & MONSTERS: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Ashley Bennett
Ashley is an avid reader and the co-host of The Smut and Spice Podcast. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she decided to dip her toes into writing and hasn’t looked back. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, five dogs, and three cats. When she isn’t immersed in all things books, she works full time as a veterinary anesthesia technician. She loves coffee, candles, fall weather, mid-century modern furniture, and a good alien romance (complete with fancy peens).
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