It takes a lot to stand out in the annual deluge of holiday-themed romance novels. Kieran Kramer's Christmas at Two Love Lane—with its charming (and only mildly cold) Charleston setting, matchmaker heroine and perfect blend of sweetness and sass—did just that. We talked to Kramer about Christmas in the South, how she decides if the humor in her books is working and what she thinks is the least romantic holiday activity.

Describe your latest book in a sentence.
Christmas at Two Love Lane is the first in a fun romantic series about three matchmakers finding their own paths to love in Charleston, South Carolina.

It was so fun to read a Christmas-themed novel set in the South! What was your inspiration for the setting, and what attracted you to Charleston in particular?
I grew up here in the Lowcountry, on a rural sea island called Johns Island, and consider Charleston my home. Christmas in the South is great. Charlestonians love their parties year-round, so around the holidays they go all out. Count on copious amounts of spiked eggnog and bourbon flowing at every event. The front doors downtown are always gorgeous, but around the holidays, the wreaths and trimmings are spectacular. I also love the nighttime boat parade in the harbor. And have you ever seen a palmetto tree swathed in lights? It's beautiful—and very merry!

Do people ever ask you to serve as a matchmaker or give them relationship advice because of your books? Do you think you'd be a good matchmaker?
This question makes me laugh because I can't tell you the number of taxi drivers in New York or strangers on a plane I've given romantic counsel to. Deep, meaningful chats that go to the heart of the matter are sometimes more possible with strangers, you know? And everyone seems to want love advice these days!

As for my friends and family, I secretly think I should have been a matchmaker in another life! I love getting people together. Have I had a lot of success with it? I think so. I've never seen anyone marry as a result of my date-strategizing on their behalf, but I've at least provided opportunities for people to get together. As Macy Frost says in the book, a matchmaker can only take a couple so far. They have to fall in love on their own.

You have a real knack for snappy dialogue and funny situations. How do you know when the humor in your book is working?
Thanks. The more I write, the more I realize I would have had a lot of fun trying to write for TV sitcoms because dialogue is my thing. I'd especially love to write for Tina Fey.

I know when the humor is working in my books when I'm not forcing it. It flows. And it makes me laugh out loud. I always feel sassy and powerful when I write funny. It's a great feeling.

Honestly, I'd like to go even further with my humor, which includes a love of the "out there," the absurd. I'm a huge fan of George Saunders and Aimee Bender. I'm working on some short stories right now in my MFA program. It's very freeing to explore my limits.

What was the most challenging part of writing Christmas at Two Love Lane?
I was writing this book over the holiday season in 2016 when I was living alone for the first time in my life, so that was very challenging. It gave me a new appreciation for people who don't have a solid network at the holidays. In late 2016, everyone left home all at once: My Navy husband deployed to Afghanistan for a year, our youngest child started college, and our two older children moved to England and Spain to study and couldn't come home for Christmas. So Christmas morning, my youngest and I made breakfast for the residents of Charleston's Ronald McDonald House. It was a great experience. And it fueled my references in the book about how good it feels to help other people during the holidays. It's the best gift you can give yourself, honestly.

When you worked as an English teacher, what was your favorite book to teach and why?
Great question! I could talk all day about books. I'd have to say The Pearl was a great novella to read in a classroom of kids who are intimidated by reading. It's shorter, it's got a fascinating setting, and it breaks your heart. Middle school and high school kids love to feel emotion. They're so sincere and wise. We don't give them enough credit.

You're a huge fan of Oscar Wilde. If you could magically transport him to the present day, what do you think he'd most enjoy about the 21st century?
First of all, he'd love to go to the great new bar named after him and totally devoted to celebrating him at 45 W. 27th Street in Manhattan. I was there last week, and it rocked! I so wish I could transport him to the present day. . . . I really would love for him to be my best friend. The closest I could get to that was hugging the bronze statue of him at the bar.

Oscar Wilde was wickedly intelligent and fun. He was fully alive. You know when you meet people like that—you want to be around them. Everyone wanted to hang out with Oscar back in the day. The thing he'd enjoy most about the 21st century would be the freedom he'd have to be totally himself without being thrown in jail (at least in most countries). He could go to Pride parades—he'd lead them! He'd love the computer age, I think. He'd be on his smartphone all the time, being snarky. He'd have a couple million followers on Twitter. I think he'd appreciate freedom of expression, above all.

In your humble opinion, what is the least romantic Christmas activity? And what is the most romantic?
The least romantic Christmas activity is standing in line at Target waiting to pay for Christmas gifts when you're both hungry and you can smell the Target popcorn in their cafe, but the line over there is too long to wait for popcorn (and a hot dog with relish for him), so you load up your stuff in the car trunk and tell yourselves you'll go home for a late lunch, but then you remember you forgot funny paper cocktail napkins for the office party, and you get boring ones because that's all they have left, and back at the car, you see the traffic leaving the shopping center is so backed up, you open the bag of candy you were saving for the stockings—and between you, you eat eight Reese's Christmas trees.

The most romantic Christmas activity is getting home after that hellish shopping trip, throwing yourselves on the couch, ordering pizza, skipping that night's party and watching Elf.

What's next for you?
Thanks for asking! Wedding at Two Love Lane is coming out in January 2018. That's Greer's book. And then Ella's book is Second Chance at Two Love Lane. That will be out later in August 2018.

I'll finish up my second year of grad school this coming May—I'll miss being on campus, walking around with my backpack with the other students, 99 percent of whom are half my age. I'll be very proud to graduate with an MFA in Creative Writing. I went back to school simply to blow my mind, kind of how Thoreau went to that pond to get away from the busyness of life. We all have our heads down, don't we? I decided to put the brakes on routine and re-examine who I am and who I want to be.

As for my writing life after grad school, I'm going to continue to explore the short form to keep me on my toes. But my main love is novel writing, especially books for women, so my plan is to get back to doing that full time (I've had to slow down a bit with classes and term papers, etc.).

Starting this May, the sky's the limit. It feels bigger to me now, wider. I'm very excited.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Christmas at Two Love Lane.

Jodi Thomas’ Mornings on Main is a sweet, contemplative romance between two lonely souls who connect in a small Texas town. Already a favorite among romance fans for her Ransom Canyon series, which takes place in a similar setting, Thomas’ newest book combines a contemporary romance with a coming-of-age story, as well as a tender portrait of a close-knit family. We talked to Thomas about her love of small towns and why habits were made to be broken.

Describe your latest novel in a sentence.
Mornings on Main weaves the stories of three women—one who is beginning to collect memories, one who is always leaving the past behind and one who is losing a lifetime.

Before you became a novelist full time, you were a family counselor. Did you bring your expertise to bear in this book?
I think everything I’ve done or studied in my life has become research for my writing.

You’re known for setting your books in small towns in Texas. Why does that particular type of place inspire you so much?
It’s partly because I’ve always lived in small towns and love and understand the people, the way their lives blend and influence one another’s. Also, every summer when I was a kid I used to visit a small town (4,000 people) where I had five sets of aunts and uncle plus dozens of cousins. My uncle always left a horse saddled for me in the backyard so I could go anywhere. I felt free and safe. Maybe in my small town stories, I’m going back to that place.

Why do you think Jillian has never deviated from the way of life she learned from her father?
I think most of us fall into patterns in our lives. Habit outweighs adventure until someone comes along and wakes us up. That’s what happened to Jillian.

Are you a crafter or quilter yourself? If you were to make a quilt with Eugenia, what would you make?
I have a quilt room in my house that has quilts from my grandmothers [going] back three generations. My mother quilted, both my sisters quilt and I do not quilt. When my mother read my first book she said, “Jodi, you quilt with words.”

Sunnie is a great example of a believable teen character—blossoming into her own independence and intelligence, but still prickly and immature at times. How did you thread that needle from a writing standpoint?
Sunnie was a hard character to write. Maybe those years of teaching high school helped me out. I loved that age.

When I first read the premise of Mornings on Main, I expected a lot of angst between Connor and Jillian, but instead, they both try their best to accept that her stay is temporary, no matter how strong their feelings towards each other are. Why did you choose to have your characters react in that way?
Connor is a good man who has always accepted his role in life. He’s settled, sometimes helping others at the cost of his own happiness. But he loves deeply with Jillian. To keep her, he’ll have to fight.

What do you like to read when you’re not reading romance?
Across the board. Reading one kind of romance would be like eating at the same restaurant every night. I love it when I find a book that I can’t put down. The whole world stops for a few hours and I step into the story.

What’s next for you?
I just finished the seventh book in the Ransom Canyon series, which will be out in September. And I’ve spent the last few weeks out in my little hideout we call the bunkhouse. A new story is taking shape on the whiteboards. I’m going back to Laurel Springs—back to Main—only this time I’m opening a tea shop. Hope my readers will drop in next spring.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Mornings on Main.

(Author photo © Portraits by Tracy.)

There are challenging premises for a romance novel (like a less-than-popular time period), and there are premises that can derail the entire book if not handled well (say, a character recovering from abuse). And then there is Roni Loren’s latest series, The Ones Who Got Away, where the central characters are the adult survivors of a school shooting. In the hands of a less talented author, this could have superficial at best, exploitative at worst. But the first book in the series was a critically acclaimed success. And Loren’s detailed, multifaceted depictions of trauma, as well as her empathy for even minor and antagonistic characters, are on full display in its sequel, The One You Can’t Forget. We talked to Loren about what prompted her to take on such a heavy topic in a romance, how she writes emotionally raw conversations and more.

I have to say, I was dubious about this series at first, given its subject matter, but you completely won me over. What made you decide to write a romance with such an emotionally tricky, potentially alienating premise?
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear it won you over. I knew when I got the initial series idea that it could be a hard sell. Not just for readers but for a publishing house. I had to find an editor who believed that this premise could work in a romance. But the idea came to me with such strength that I couldn’t let it go. I needed to tell these stories. When we see tragedies like this happen in the news, we see the victims for a few moments on the screen and then we move on. However, those victims have to go on with their lives, carrying the weight of that grief and trauma with them. I wanted to draw attention to that, how these things have long-term ripple effects on all involved. I chose to tell the stories in a romance because I wanted to give people who have been through so much their happy endings.

The gun violence debate in this country is extremely prominent at the moment, but we’ve been here many times before without much significant change. Do you think this time is any different? Do you see any change in policy or outlook coming?
I want to say yes, that I always have hope, but honestly, it’s hard to come by lately. I was in college when Columbine happened, and I remember how horrified and shocked I was. I had never once walked into my high school wondering if someone would bring a gun to school and hurt me. Now we have school shootings happening every few weeks and kids have this new terrifying reality to face. Things need to change. That much is obvious. But will they? I don’t know. I won’t give up hope. I’ll send my money to the organizations that are working to make things better and will vote for the people who I think can make changes, but it’s going to be a long haul journey.

What about Rebecca made you want to write her love story? Did you always know she would have a book of her own, or did you come to that decision while writing her in The Ones Who Got Away?
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to tell each of the four women’s stories. I didn’t, however, know whose story should be next. I don’t plot ahead, so I leave myself open to see which characters will step forward while I’m writing. Originally, I thought it would be a different character, but Rebecca kept nudging her way into scenes and making me want to know more about her. (I know that sounds weird since I created her, but uncovering a character is like uncovering a fossil. I only get little glimpses at first.) I needed to know why Rebecca was such a workaholic and why she avoided getting emotionally involved with others. What was she running from? She was a hopeless romantic as a kid and now was an unsentimental divorce attorney. So many questions meant she had a big story to tell.

Something I really loved about The One You Can’t Forget was its wealth of compelling side characters. How did you make figures like Rebecca’s father, Wes’ brother Marco and Rebecca’s client Anthony pop off the page?
Thank you! I’m a character-driven writer, so creating side characters is a lot of fun for me. Everyone has a story even if they’re only on the page for a few moments, so I try to think about that when creating a side character. What’s their history? Why are they how they are? (This may come from the fact that I was a therapist in my former career. I need to know everyone’s secrets.) This also gets me in trouble because if a side character gets too interesting for me then I want to write them a book! I may already have plans for Marco. But I also want to make sure no one is a caricature. Like Rebecca’s father was at risk for that. Even though he’s an antagonist, I didn’t want him to be a “bad guy” because he’s not. He thinks differently from his daughter and goes about things in ways that he shouldn’t, but he absolutely loves her.

Since you used to be a therapist, what advice would you give Wes and Rebecca if they were your patients?
Depends on if they were in my office at the beginning of the book or at the end, lol. I’d have a lot of advice for them at the beginning. They are both white-knuckling their lives at the start of the book and not working through a lot of things they need to face.

Wes and Rebecca are both dealing with difficult emotional issues and the fallout from their respective pasts. How did you approach writing the conversations where they try to unpack those experiences together?
I try to write those heavy conversations in a way that shows the growth in the relationship. Both Wes and Rebecca tend to isolate themselves instead of opening up to anyone. Wes can be broody and pushes people away when they try to dig into emotional stuff (like when his brother pushes him on a few things). Rebecca can be the grin-and-bear-it type who doesn’t let anyone see her flinch. So when Wes and Rebecca open up to each other about their pasts and what they’re going through, it shows that their connection is becoming something special and different from the other relationships in their lives. That’s a big part of what falling in love is—showing the other person the ugly stuff and being accepted as you are. So when I’m writing these conversations, I do it in doses depending on where they are at in their relationship development.

I may or may not have stalked your website to prep for this interview, and was delighted by your fantastic book recommendations! What books are currently at the top of your TBR?
Yay, thanks! I love telling everyone what to read, lol. Right now, I’m reading Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover and listening to the audiobook of The Art of Screen Time by Anya Kamenetz. Next, I’ll probably be picking from The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean or The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy by B.T. Gottfred. I’m such a mood reader, though, so it will depend how I’m feeling when I finish reading the current book. My TBR pile has hundreds of books in it.

In honor of Wes’ profession and the many moments of food porn in The One You Can’t Forget, what is the most romantic meal someone could make for you?
I’m originally from New Orleans, so food from home would be a special treat since it’s harder to find here in Dallas. Boiled crabs. A shrimp po’boy. A really great gumbo. But really, just having a meal made for me would be a romantic gesture, since I’m the cook in the house, lol.

What’s next for you?
Next up is Taryn’s book, The One You Fight For, which will come out in January. Her story was a big challenge to write because of who her hero is. I can’t say more than that yet, but details should be available soon. And I’ll be starting Kincaid’s book in the next month or so to wrap up the series.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of The One You Can’t Forget.

Author photo by Charm Me Photography.

Donna Kauffman’s Blue Hollow Falls series takes the small-town genre and gives it a creative twist—the titular village is an artists and musicians’ enclave, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the second book in the series, Bluestone & Vine, Blue Hollow Falls is the perfect place for Irish folk singer Pippa MacMillan to recover from a vocal chord surgery. She’s not nearly as famous in America as she is in the U.K., and the creative atmosphere could inspire her next album. Except for the fact that Pippa hasn’t sung so much as a note since her surgery because she’s so overcome with fear that her voice is forever lost or damaged. Enter a supportive community and a very handsome, ex-military vintner. We talked to Kauffman about whirlwind romances, the inherent risk of creation and what she thinks is the most underrated TV show.

I really loved Pippa—her ease with herself and self-deprecating humor were so refreshing. Where did your inspiration for her character come from?
Thank you! I grew up in a family filled with that exact same kind of life attitude. Pippa is sort of an amalgamation of me and my sisters. (Except we’re all very tall and Pippa is, well . . . not.)

Pippa and Seth definitely have a whirlwind romance. What do you think needs to happen for real love to develop in such a short time?
I think being put in close quarters like that, with heightened circumstances, does bring two people together far more quickly. Initially finding themselves stuck under one roof together definitely amplified Pippa and Seth’s reactions and feelings, but it was when they both had to deal with the outside crisis of Seth’s neighbor that they were really pushed forward more rapidly. It’s true in real life that when you have to work together with someone during a crisis, or in a situation where teamwork is required under intense pressure, whatever the ultimate goal might be, a unique bond is forged. If there also happens to be a strong attraction between the two people involved, well . . . anything can happen!

One of my favorite aspects of Bluestone & Vine is how the usual gender roles in romance were somewhat reversed—the hero was hesitant about getting into a relationship, and the heroine was far more open about her desires and emotions. Was that a conscious decision on your part, or did that facet of their personalities just emerge as you developed them?
It was a combination of both. I love to flip gender norms as well as societal norms. The characters definitely direct the course of the story, but any time we can take a look at something we all experience in a new way, from a totally different vantage point, I’m all for it. I think it makes for an interesting read as well as a fun way to explore the myriad reasons that might cause two people to take that leap of faith and let go of their fears. Falling in love is never boring and it never happens exactly the same way twice!

Why do you think small-town romances have such a steady appeal for readers?
I can’t speak for all readers, but for me, I love the cozy feeling I get when I’m reading a story set in a small town—tucked away in a picturesque place, with a group of people who all know each other, folks who I’d like to know and call friends. It’s so comforting. I especially like it when the location adds a distinct flavor, a specific character to the story. Best of all, the setting puts the main protagonists inescapably in each other’s orbit and their burgeoning relationship under the microscope as the whole town weighs in on what is happening right under everyone’s noses. The focus is on the blossoming romance, but the everybody-knows-everybody set up provides plenty of fodder for interesting secondary storylines as well.

At one point in the book, Pippa and Seth have a very lovely and honest conversation about how the creation of art is inherently risky. What was the riskiest thing about this book for you?
The risk is the same with all books I write. Everyone who reads one of my books (or any book, for that matter) brings their own life experience and point of view to the story. Of course, I want them to love it exactly how I love it, feel what I feel, laugh when I laugh, cry when I cry . . . but their own experiences might cause them to have a completely different reaction to this or that story element. The possible points of view are so vast and varied, there is no one-size-fits-all story. And that’s okay! I always write the story that I most want to read, then hope like crazy that enough readers feel the same way I do, love the things I do, to make the book a success. I love getting notes from readers who had strong reactions to elements that, to me, weren’t focal to the story, but to them, meant everything. On the flip side of that, there are readers who are turned off by things that I dearly love, because of their own experiences. As much as I want everyone to love everything I write, I’m also fascinated by all reactions, good and bad, because that informs me. Not so much as a writer, in that I will continue to write the stories I most want to read, but about the human condition, about why people react as they do to this thing or that. I study human nature by default, so the more I know, the more nuanced and interesting my future characters will become.

Every cabin and home in Bluestone & Vine was lovingly described and expressed its owner’s personality so well. What would someone learn about you based on your writing space?
That I love being a hermit. Ha. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains, tucked away from the madding crowd, with a bounty of nature as my backdrop. My coworkers are the many types of birds who visit my feeders and deck garden, the deer, rabbits and raccoons who feast in my woods, and the occasional bear who drops by for a visit, often with youngsters in tow. Don’t get me wrong, I love people! I just like that I can venture out and be part of the crowd, observe the ebb and flow of humanity, then come home and be in peace and tranquility while I dream up my next fictional adventure.

You’re a TV critic in addition to writing romance. What would you say is the most underrated TV show? And what is your all-time favorite TV ship?
Hmm . . . hard to say. I think the most wonderful thing about the advent of the internet is that everyone can find folks who love the shows they love. My biggest critique is that, quite often now, new shows aren’t given the chance to develop a following before they are unceremoniously yanked from the lineup. (And, conversely, that some real head-scratchers are still out there banging away at it.) My all-time TV ship? Also a toughie. I have such a broad range of programming that I watch, I can’t pick just one. I’ve been doing play-by-play recaps of NCIS now for a few seasons for USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog, and I have to say it’s impressive that they’ve managed to avoid the pitfalls that so many other long-running shows do, where they write themselves into a corner and can’t develop the storyline beyond a certain point. NCIS has admirably managed to balance the murder-of-the-week storyline with the personal narrative stories of their main cast of characters. A far trickier balance than it would seem. So my kudos go to them.

You’re from the same area that the Blue Hollow Falls series is set. What’s a must-do for a first-time visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains?
It’s impossible to pick just one. Do it all! Last year I drove the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which winds along the mountain ridges, traveling close to 400 miles through my state, Virginia, on down into North Carolina and ending just at the Tennessee border where the Great Smoky Mountain National Park begins. I expected it to be a lovely, scenic drive, with some fun hiking and camping along the way. It turned out to be one of the most spectacular adventures of my life. On par with any other national park I’ve seen, or any exploration I’ve undertaken anywhere in the world (and there have been many of those.) So, if you ever get the chance, make that drive. I did mine in the fall and saw everything from stunning foliage to sparkling ice forests. I plan to do it again in the spring and take in the wild colors of the blooming rhododendron, hike more trails, take in more exhibits. It would never be the same trip twice. You won’t regret it!

What’s next for you?
I’m excited to be continuing this series with a holiday novella coming this October. Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls (with Seth and Pippa’s wedding as the backdrop!) features Seth’s sister Moira and will be part of Fern Michaels’ annual Christmas anthology, A Season to Celebrate. Then readers won’t have long to wait for the next full-length Blue Hollow Falls book. Will McCall gets his forever love story in January’s Lavender Blue. And I’m thrilled to announce I’ve signed on with Kensington to continue the series into next year and beyond. I hope you’ll stop by for a visit and fall in love!

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Bluestone & Vine.

Author photo by Spencer Kauffman.

When the premise of Zoey Castile’s Stripped hit the Internet, it immediately landed on several most anticipated lists (including ours!). Now the wait is over and Castile’s Magic Mike-inspired romance is finally here. Stripper hero Zac Fallon is just as adorable and sexy as we hoped, and heroine Robyn Flores is a highly relatable portrait of “hot mess” millennial womanhood. We talked to Castile about researching male revues, the complexities of female friendship and what comes next.

For those who may not know, you’re also the author of the fantastical and magical Brooklyn Brujas series. Is writing fantasy YA a different experience than writing contemporary romance? Or is it the same writing routine, just different genres?
Romance and fantasy look very different but they’re the same in many ways. Writing fantasy YA is a much longer process because when I write about magic I’m creating entire systems of rules that will impact the rest of the books. Romance requires the same kind of careful world building and rules—they’re just different. The archetypes are there. The hero. The heroine. The unforeseen evil. The mentors. The sidekicks. The difference is that instead of your heroine being a witch, she’s a schoolteacher. Instead of the evil manifesting as a centuries-old sorceress, it’s the principal.

I definitely don’t mean to be a bit cheeky with this question, but did you do any research when trying to capture the life of a male revue dancer?
Hah! I definitely watched all the Magic Mike movies. Magic Mike XXL is the best modern fairytale ever told, and I do love retellings. I went to Thunder From Down Under while I was in Vegas. It was ridiculously over the top and fun. Other than that, I’ve just been following male dancers on Instagram for “inspiration.”

There are some romance readers who won’t read a book where the hero is in any way “involved” with other women. With that in mind, were you at all conflicted about making the hero a stripper?
I was not conflicted. Many people who work in adult entertainment as not involved romantically with their clients. It’s a fantasy and it is their work, so a partner would have to trust and respect that.

What I really love about the heroine (and charming fifth-grade teacher), Robyn Flores, is that she’s in the middle of a weird slump. Her best friend is about to get married, and she’s struggling to be happy because she’s worried about losing her best friend. How did you manage to strike a balance between depicting real, relatable friendships between women but also adding the internal conflicts we often experience when a relationship is on the cusp of a major change?
I always try to ask myself what I would feel if I was in the same situation as my characters. Then I ask myself what someone close to me would feel. Emotions are so complicated. Robyn wants to put her best friend’s wedding before her feelings. She also isn’t equipped to handle everything by herself. As women, we are taught to put others before our own happiness. There has to be a balance. As a writer, you have to write the truth that your character is feeling and that will lead you to their development.

All of the chapters are named after song titles, which I thought was really fun. Did you have a writing playlist while working on this book? Have you thought about putting one together for Stripped?
I always make two playlists when I write. One for drafting and one for editing. The drafting playlist always has lyrics. The editing playlist is just scores from my favorite movies. I did make a playlist for Stripped that’s up on Apple Music.

There are so many fun secondary characters and I hope they will all be getting their own love stories. How did you keep all their individual personalities straight while writing?
I love ensemble casts in books. Once I know who someone is in my book, they’re fully formed. If I have trouble tracking someone in a scene, then they probably don’t belong there and I remove them.

Some people might be conflicted about Lukas in the book. He’s the new principal at Robyn’s school and is definitely vying for her affection. Perhaps I’m a glutton for punishment, but do you foresee Lukas getting his own book? I think that buttoned-up man needs a wild girl to help him let loose.
All three titles in the series are already spoken for!

Can you give us a little peek on what to expect from the rest of the series? I know the next book, Hired, will have Aiden getting his own happy ending.
Hired is about Aiden Rios. He’s sworn to himself that he’d never be in a relationship, but then he goes to NOLA and meets a girl.

Flashed will be about Patrick Halloran. You won’t meet him until Hired, but he’s worth the wait. It’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in a Montana ranch.

Given the Magic Mike inspiration, who’s your favorite character in that series and which Magic Mike characters really lent themselves to Zac’s inception?
Fallon is my absolute favorite character in my series. I guess it’s because he’s where it all started. While he was physically inspired by Chris Evans, I think he embodies the charming and sweet personality that Channing Tatum has onscreen.

Lastly, I love asking authors this question. What are you reading and loving right now? Which books should be on our radar?
I’m reading a lot of different genres right now. Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton is a moody, lush, intoxicating fantasy. Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse is perfect for fans that are waiting for more seasons of “Supernatural.” Sinner by Sierra Simone is an incredibly sexy romance. Trust Me by Farrah Rochon is a political romance set in New Orleans. Sarah MacLean’s latest Bareknuckle Bastards series is new and sexy.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Stripped.

Author photo by Sarah Nicole Lemon.

Most Christmas romances, while they may have some serious undercurrents, are more focused on providing the ultimate cozy, seasonal comfort reading. Susan Fox’s Sail Away with Me is not one of those books. While it does take place over the holidays, beginning in late fall and concluding in the new year, this romance between bookseller Iris Yakimura and popular musician Julian Blake uses the season as both thematic backdrop and complication, as opposed to a central element. It’s a wise choice on the part of Fox, whose latest hero is dealing with a very painful past—Julian is a survivor of sexual abuse, and his return to tiny Destiny Island brings back horrible memories. Yet he finds solace in his friendship-turned-romance with the shy, deeply kind Iris. We talked to Fox about creating the world of Blue Moon Harbor, tackling a serious subject in the context of a holiday romance and the importance of The Tao of Pooh.

Sail Away with Me was finished right as the #MeToo movement picked up steam—what was that experience like for you?
I’m glad that #MeToo has taken off, and I was already very aware of the issues when I started writing Sail Away With Me. I’d previously written about a widowed heroine who survived domestic physical and sexual abuse in Love Me Tender. I’d read Canadian hockey player Theo Fleury’s Playing With Fire, where he talked about being abused by his junior hockey coach. I followed the firing of prestigious Canadian radio host Jian Ghomeshi and his trial on charges of sexual assault. I was aware of the high incidence of sexual assault and harassment of vulnerable people, the disincentives for reporting it and the way society has enabled powerful people to continue getting away with abuse. I knew in the first Blue Moon Harbor book, Fly Away With Me, that Bart Jelinek was an abuser and one day would get his comeuppance.

Now, with #MeToo, I’m encouraged to see that more victims are feeling empowered to come forward, and also to see more sexual predators being exposed and sanctioned for their actions.

Like Iris, you’re an introvert, which can be a challenge for a successful author. How do you approach promoting your work and deal with going to events?
Like Iris, even though I’m shy I do like people and I’m interested in them. Many of the coping tools she uses are borrowed from me—like focusing on the other person rather than on myself. I’ve learned how to deal fairly well with most social situations. I avoid cocktail parties (my definition of hell!), but I’m okay with presenting workshops and doing readings. In November, for example, I was one of two panelists at Vancouver Public Library for a presentation on “Diversity in the Modern Love Story.”

Social activities are taxing for me, though. They drain me, and I then need to retreat to a nice safe, quiet space to recharge.

In terms of promo, I’m happy to do the introvert-oriented things like sending books to reader events, emailing a newsletter and posting on Facebook.

The shadow of Japanese-Canadian internment during WWII hangs over this book, as Iris’ family members were among those imprisoned. What types of research did you do for this aspect of Sail Away with Me, and what led you to include it in the novel?
I’d never even heard of the internment camps until I took a sociology course at the University of Victoria in the 1970s. I was appalled, and over the years did some more reading—books like Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson and Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris. When I started the Blue Moon Harbor series, I chose the Gulf Islands for my setting in part because of their very diverse history: Indigenous Canadians, immigrants from all over the world including Japan, fishermen, hippies, artists and big-city escapees. In the first book, when I created Dreamspinner bookstore and wanted an island family to run it, I decided more or less randomly that the family would be the Yakimuras, and Iris, the shy bookseller, would become friends with the heroines of Fly Away With Me and Come Home With Me. As I developed Iris’ character, I knew she needed her own romance, so I started brainstorming Sail Away With Me.

If the family (on her dad’s side) had been on Destiny Island since the late 1800s, of course, they would have been victims of Canada’s horrendous treatment of Japanese Canadians during WWI and WWII. So I had to do more research to get the facts right, and then reflect on how that history might have affected Iris’s family and herself. Then I had to decide how much of that to include in the book, and I thought it was important enough in these troubled times to play a significant part. For example, here’s Iris talking with Julian:

“We carry the wound of the internment camp, even though it happened to our ancestors and not to us. We are also aware something similar could happen again. That affects us. It’s part of the reason we keep our heads down and try to be respectable, contributing citizens who don’t make waves.”

“Jesus. You don’t really think it could happen again?”

“Julian, I want to believe in the good in people, but I see a world where people are hated and attacked, even killed, for their religion, the color of the skin, or their sexual orientation. Even their gender. Yes, horrible things can happen when people get scared.”

What made you decide to pair Iris, who you always knew would have her own story, with Julian?
Julian, too, has been there from the first book, when the heroine of Fly Away with Me saw him onstage, singing and playing the guitar. She thought of him as a “tarnished angel.” Obviously, a man like that had a backstory and deserved his own love story. As I delved into Julian’s backstory (which included being sexually abused as a child), I realized how complex he was, and what a fascinating combination of dark and light. A man who gave so much, yet didn’t believe he deserved love. Who better to pair him with than Iris, the woman her friends refer to as an “old soul”? Though she has her own frailties, she’s serene, at peace with herself, introspective, perceptive and wise. I knew Julian could learn from Iris and begin to heal, and I knew that with his support and love she could find a greater internal strength than she’d ever believed herself capable of.

How do you structure a whole island in your head? Have you drawn a map? Or does it just build out naturally as the series goes on?
I used a real Gulf Island, Salt Spring near Victoria, as a general model, but Destiny is much smaller and less developed. From there, I created what I needed for each story, keeping notes and making sure to be consistent. I’m not much of an artist, so I didn’t even try to make a map.

I was delighted when Julian asks Iris to recommend him a book, and she chooses The Tao of Pooh. When did you first encounter that book, and what made you decide that it would be Iris’ pick for Julian?
I discovered Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh fairly soon after it was published, probably in the mid-eighties. I’m not sure if a friend introduced it to me, or if it was vice versa, but I know we both enjoyed it. That book sent me back to read Winnie-the-Pooh again, which is always a pleasure. So then, many years later, when I thought about Iris’s philosophy of life—which she refers to as a “constantly developing spirituality”—it reminded me of Hoff’s book. I read it again —and Pooh as well ☺—and realized what a good fit both stories were for Iris and Julian’s relationship. In a way, The Tao of Pooh, Winnie-the-Pooh and Sail Away With Me might be said to have the same theme: discover and respect your inner nature.

Did any real-life musicians inspire Julian? What type of music do you hear in your head when writing him?
In terms of appearance, I have a photo of Keith Urban dressed all in black, and that’s exactly the way I see Julian. In terms of musical style, no, there was no specific musician. I imagine Julian’s style as being kind of a mix of folk and rock, soulful and a bit angsty. His songs aren’t formulaic, and they tell stories. Like “From Dust a Rose,” based on Iris’s grandparents’ love story (which started in an internment camp). And “Your Reality,” about Julian’s father’s struggle to recover after a horrible accident.

Sail Away with Me takes place during the holidays, but is far less focused on Christmas trappings and events during many other seasonal romances. Was this in response to the darkness and emotion of Julian’s storyline, or did you have other reasons for writing a more holiday-adjacent book?
Partly, it was that the story needed a longish timeline. Neither Iris nor Julian are the type of people who’d leap into an emotionally intimate relationship over the short span of a holiday season. I wrote that kind of story in “Blue Moon Harbor Christmas” in Winter Wishes, and I think it worked for that couple because they’d known each other years before and had a child together. But Iris and Julian were strangers, reserved people, and needed time to develop a friendship and to learn that they could trust each other, so I started their story at the end of October and let it build through the autumn. And then when Julian did reveal his secret and publicly “out” his abuser in the middle of December, that was such a difficult, meaningful, stressful step for him, Iris, his family and their friends, that it just couldn’t be a normal Christmas. On the other hand, it does turn out to be a more emotional, loving Christmas than Julian has ever before experienced.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Sail Away with Me.

Author photo by BK Studio Photography.

The second I heard the premise for Red, White & Royal Blue, I knew I had to read it. The son of the U.S. president falls in love with a prince of England? Put that directly into my veins. And as my increasingly impassioned text message history can tell you, Casey McQuiston’s debut was even better than I in my wildest dreams believed it would be. This romance between cocky, charismatic know-it-all Alex Claremont-Diaz and his nemesis, Prince Henry of England, has everything—a raucous karaoke scene at a gay bar, cutthroat election shenanigans, a very romantic Star Wars through line—and McQuiston perfectly balances the escapist, fizzy fun of her setup with the emotional impact of Henry and Alex’s relationship. I talked to McQuiston about the alternate political reality of her debut, the importance of later-in-life coming out narratives and more.

Red, White & Royal Blue is absolutely hilarious. How do you know whether the humor is working in your writing?
It’s hard! I watched a ton of my favorite comedies while writing this, especially “Veep,” “Parks & Rec” and “Happy Endings.” I spent a lot of time absorbing things that made me laugh, thinking about what specifically made it funny and trying to internalize the natural rhythm of banter. You really can’t force humor. It has to feel like something someone would actually say out loud, off-the-cuff. So most of the time it’s about letting your characters talk, rather than cramming one-liners into their mouths, and then reading it back out loud to see how it actually feels and sounds when someone says it.

Some of the most fascinating parts of this book are the ways the White House Trio (and, to a lesser extent, the members of the Royal Family) take control of their own public images. Did you take inspiration from any real-life figures for this aspect of the novel?
Honestly, the only character who’s actually based on a real life figure is Ellen. I took a lot of inspiration from Wendy Davis, another Democratic woman from Texas. In a lot of ways, I was drawing more from the idea of people. Alex is kind of embodying the concept of a modern Kennedy; Henry’s mom is giving you a little bit of the Princess Diana archetype in her tenacity and rebelliousness; Senator Richards represents entrenched conservative legacy families like the Bushes. But I always say that no real royals or first families were harmed in the making of this book!

Did you always know that Red, White & Royal Blue would be a gay romance?
I write queer fiction for the same reason straight people write straight fiction: because I’m a queer person, and that’s the world I live in and the experiences I draw from and relate to. With this book—and with my future books—my vision was to write a fun, escapist, tropey, smart rom-com good enough to help push queer love out of the margins and into the rom-com mainstream. So, in that way, I always knew this would be a queer book, but the specific way that played out, with Alex and Henry both being cis men, was something that sort of revealed itself to me as the plot started to take shape.

Whose side are you on concerning the quality of Return of the Jedi—Alex or Henry?
Such a good question! I personally love Return of the Jedi, but I still think Empire is a better movie.

Alex’s discovery that he isn’t actually straight felt very realistic and I think spoke to the fact that many people, even if they grow up in a loving and accepting home, don’t necessarily realize their queerness as children or early adolescents. What led you to make that decision for his character?
I lifted a lot of material from my own life for Alex’s big “ah-ha” moment, because I wanted to write it in a way that would have helped me if I could have read a book like this years ago. There’s this prevailing idea that all queer people inherently know from birth, or at least from adolescence, that they’re not straight, and I think that closes the door on people who take longer to get there. So I wanted to show something that was relatable to me and to a lot of other queer people out there who may not have seen that particular kind of representation before. Plus, Alex is a cocky little know-it-all. Of course he would be blindsided by something like this just when he thought he had it all figured out!

I thought Henry’s knowledge and love of LGBT history was a particularly meaningful through line, especially as Alex is inspired to learn about his own country’s history as a result of his conversations with Henry. Where would you recommend American readers who want to learn more about this same subject start?
Love this question! A few of my favorites: And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts, A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski, Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg (also Stone Butch Blues), Gender Trouble by Judith Butler, Angels in America by Tony Kushner, Coming Out Under Fire by Allan Bérubé, The Gay Revolution by Lillian Faderman, so many more. Two recent releases I loved were When Brooklyn Was Queer by Hugh Ryan and Tinderbox by Robert W. Fieseler. Also watch Paris is Burning!

This is less a question than a personal plea: I am hopelessly obsessed with Pez. Can you please tell me a fact about him that I wouldn’t know from reading the book?
Oh my god, there’s SO much. Pez has a huge place in my heart. A little backstory on him: In his and Henry’s early Eton days, they gravitated to each other because they were both seen as “different” by their classmates. Pez was more straightlaced and proper as a kid, until too many kids looked at Henry sideways for not having a stiff upper lip and too many teachers praised Pez for being so well-behaved and well-spoken. He definitely went home for summer break one year and came back with his nails painted, swanning around in flashy violation of the dress code just to piss off the establishment, and he never looked back. Also he has lots of other famous friends he’s not legally allowed to talk about.

At a certain point, Henry and Alex start ending their emails to one another with these really gorgeous quotes from famous queer love letters. Do you have a favorite among those?
It’s so hard to choose between these, because there were so many good ones. I lost a lot research hours to just reading letters. But my favorite lines, I think, are Vita Sackville-West’s “I miss you even more than I could have believed; and I was prepared to miss you a good deal” and Jean Cocteau’s “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for having saved me. I was drowning and you threw yourself into the water without hesitation, without a backward look.”

Reading the alternate political reality of Red, White & Royal Blue was a very emotional experience for me, and I expect it will be so for a lot of other readers. What was that like for you as a writer?
It was such a complicated thing to balance, because I wanted that little twist away from reality to be close enough to our own world to feel relatable and possible—and to not gloss over the institutional oppression and discrimination that would still be a problem no matter who was in office right now—while also being an optimistic escape. On a personal level, it was about trying to reconnect with hope and the feeling that progress is possible and that the moral arc of the universe does actually bend toward justice. So it was this journey of, how can I do this realistically and respectfully at the same time? How can I call this out without getting lost in the politics when it’s supposed to be a rom-com? How do I find the hope and still mirror what’s happening right now? I did my best, so I hope people find it as cathartic to read as I did to write.

What’s next for you?
I can’t reveal too much specifically about future books, but I can tell you that I have another queer new adult rom-com in the works! This one centers on two very lost and very lonely girls who fall in love on the New York subway, with a big time travel-y twist. It’s wildly different from Red, White & Royal Blue, but at the same time, it’s still just as fun and full of complicated families and ride-or-die friendships and cinematic kisses. I’m so, so excited to share more about it soon! And of course, there’s also the deal I just signed with Berlanti Productions and Amazon Studios to adapt Red, White & Royal Blue! I could not be more amped to see where that project goes and work with the team we’ve put together to make something incredible.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Red, White & Royal Blue.

Author photo by Raegan Labat.

After the glorious, angst-filled saga that was the Forbidden Hearts trilogy, Alisha Rai returns with The Right Swipe, a smart, warm-hearted rom-com starring a former football player and the tech CEO who captures his heart. We talked to Rai about her brilliantly ruthless heroine, incorporating the #MeToo movement and more.

Readers (myself included) fell in love with Rhiannon when she appeared in your last book, Hurts to Love You. What made you decide to make her your heroine in this book?
I loved crafting a character that was so many things: both vulnerable and cocky, dedicated to her family and also desperate for space from them. I knew she’d be my next heroine the second she showed up, and crafting a whole new series around a snarky dating app creator was probably the easiest thing I’ve ever done.

Rhiannon is unrepentantly dedicated to her business, to the point that she pushes through her hurt feelings to pursue a business relationship with Samson and, hopefully, his aunt. Her silent business partner, Katrina, worries that Rhiannon’s actions border on manipulation. I was delighted by this tension and conversation, as I realized I had only rarely seen a heroine act the way male billionaire characters have been acting for decades. Why do you think there’s still such a resistance to female characters whose actions aren’t perfectly altruistic?
Women in real life are rarely applauded for things like arrogance or ambition the way that men are. It makes sense that fictional women are treated the same. I love reading books where all characters are unrepentant about getting what they want and need (so long as they don’t hurt others), and I really think attitudes are shifting.

Samson and his fellow former athlete friends felt so real and so charming, and were very different from the tired stereotype of alpha male football players. Were they inspired by any real-life athletes?
No one in particular, but I’ve spent time around athletes, both pro and semi-pro, and I’ve met many who are equally charming! Every profession has all kinds of people.

Which dating app have you had the best experience on? And which was the worst?
When you’re on enough of them, you realize that pretty much the same people are on all of them, too, and I’ve had good and bad experiences on every app. I think Hinge is currently the most user-friendly for people looking for more than just a hookup. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Rhiannon’s complicated relationship with her mother, Sonya, felt extremely realistic—equal parts love and guilt, shaped by Sonya’s attempts to protect and guide her clearly brilliant daughter. Do you think their relationship improves for good after the events of this book? How do you think Sonya and Samson would get along?
I think so. And I believe Samson and Sonya would adore each other at first sight. He needs to be mothered and smothered a little.

Quite a few romance novels have been tackling #MeToo in the last few years, and without giving too much away, The Right Swipe is one of them. What did you hope to add to the conversation with this book?
I started writing The Right Swipe well before the #MeToo movement took off in earnest, but I did have to tweak it a bit in later drafts to make sure it fit into the global conversation. My hope is that readers empathize with Rhiannon’s internal struggle with her past and the choices she’s made to cope with the things that have happened to her, whether they agree with them or not. Too often decisions are seen as binary, and we don’t spend nearly enough time considering why people make the choices they do, the valid factors that go into it.

What’s next for you?
I’m currently writing Girl Gone Viral, the second book in the Modern Love series, featuring Rhiannon’s roommate Katrina and the bodyguard who has always loved her.

Author photo by M. Ladrigan

If you follow romance authors and reviewers on Twitter, you probably already know who Talia Hibbert is. The self-published British writer’s books frequently receive glowing, heart-eyes reviews and entire threads of rapturous praise. But with Get a Life, Chloe Brown, her first traditionally published title, Hibbert is about to ascend to a whole new level of literary stardom. We talked to Hibbert about her favorite tropes, the importance of empathy and why her latest bad boy hero was inspired by the coziest of seasons.

In Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Chloe and Redford are attracted to each other off the bat, despite all the ways in which they annoy each other. Is this one of your favorite tropes? And are there any other tropes you love but haven’t explored yet in your own writing?
An initial flare of chemistry accompanied by a personality clash is definitely one of my favorite tropes. I love the idea of an attraction so powerful it exists in spite of common sense. Plus, I find it funny when characters are frustrated with themselves—you know, like, “Why the hell are you attracted to this waste of oxygen? What is wrong with you?!”

I adore tropes in general, so I could happily spend the rest of my life exploring them all. In particular, marriage of convenience has been on my mind a lot. It’s more common in historical romance, but I recently read Jodie Slaughter’s White Whiskey Bargain, which does an amazing job of handling the trope in a contemporary setting. That gave me all kinds of thoughts!

"I love the idea of an attraction so powerful it exists in spite of common sense."

Out of all of your characters, whom do you identify with the most?
This is a tricky question because a sprinkle of myself goes into everything I write. At the minute, I identify very strongly with Chloe because we have similar experiences and lifestyles. She’s a computer nerd, I’m a book nerd, we’re both socially awkward and we both deal with chronic pain. But I also identify with Ruth from my book A Girl Like Her. Ruth is autistic, like me, and writing her perspective felt so familiar and comfortable. She’s also an antisocial comic book nerd, so I guess the real answer here is: I identify with any character who doesn’t leave the house. LOL.

Where did you draw from to create both Chloe and Red? Was there a specific moment or source of inspiration for either of them?
Chloe popped into my mind fully formed, probably as a result of my own experiences. I have fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and some other annoying stuff. I had these aspects of chronic illness and chronic pain that I wanted to share with the world, and she appeared as the perfect star for that story.

Then I worked on creating Red. At first, I was trying to build Chloe an ideal hero, but he never turned out right. I didn’t get anywhere with him until I realized—I have to stop creating him for Chloe and simply create him for himself. That’s when his character really started to work. I wrote Redford in autumn, and I think the rich colors, harsh weather and cozy comforts of the season inspired his personality and backstory.

How much from your own life, if any, did you draw experiences from for Chloe?
I drew from my physical experiences when it came to crafting Chloe. Knowing firsthand the kind of pain she might face and the things she might not be able to do—that took out the guesswork. I just had to think “Okay, if Chloe’s pain is at an eight right now, how is she going to interact with Red?” (Spoiler alert, the answer is: she’s going to give him a withering glare and hurry away.)

I also drew from my own life to create her family background. (Not the millionaire part, sadly, but the other stuff.) Chloe is from a Jamaican family, like my father. At the start of the book, she lives with her parents and grandparents, which is how we do things in my mother’s culture. It’s always fun, getting that on paper, because we can never have too much representation, right?

"I drew from my physical experiences when it came to crafting Chloe. Knowing firsthand the kind of pain she might face and the things she might not be able to do—that took out the guesswork."

Many of your books feature interracial couples. Can you talk a bit about the reception of that?
I started writing interracial romance because my partner is white, so I already had some idea how these stories might be received. I’ve had negative responses from neo-Nazis and eugenicists, but since they’re neo-Nazis and eugenicists, I can’t say I cared. On the other hand, I get positive responses for the wrong reasons—especially when I write black heroines with white heroes. People send me glowing emails about how the white hero allowed them to open their mind and appreciate the black heroine’s beauty. It’s like . . . thanks for letting me know you thought we were ugly last week, hope you’re proud of your superficial growth! LOL.

But on the whole, the reception is overwhelmingly positive—in a good way. At the end of the day, my readers are wonderful people who value diverse representation. I know they’ll be just as supportive when I publish more black romances, too, which is nice.

What are the differences, if any, in the reception of your work in the U.S. and in the U.K.?
My U.K. readers are just as supportive as my U.S. ones—but I have way more U.S. readers. Way more. I’m in more libraries and bookshops over there, too. Of course, that might be because most British bookshops are allergic to romance novels.

There are definite stylistic differences between U.S. and U.K. romance. Like May Sage and Charlotte Stein, I’m a British author who writes U.S.-influenced genre romance, and that could be why my books get more attention in the U.S. than they do at home. It might also have something to do with my backlist being self-published. I think U.S. readers and booksellers are more open to that than U.K. ones are. So we’ll have to see what happens with Get a Life, Chloe Brown, which is my first traditionally published book.

Either way, I’m eternally grateful that North American readers offer me so much support, because without them I might not have a job. So, thanks guys. Please keep that up. No pressure.

Do you have a particularly favorite scene in any of your books?
There’s a scene in Get a Life, Chloe Brown that might be my favorite of all time. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll just say that it’s the first cat scene, and I absolutely love it. Aside from that, I always think back to a scene in my book The Princess Trap where the hero is explaining something to the heroine, while the heroine calmly considers the logistics of throwing an ornament at his head.

Chloe’s grandmother, Gigi, is such a fun character. What inspired her character and what was your favorite thing about writing her?
When I was growing up, my paternal grandmother and maternal great-grandmother were close friends. They were both super glamorous, both had backgrounds in fashion design, both experienced being working single mothers—and they loved to party. Gigi is a combination of them, from her style and shameless attitude, to her constant support and creative endearments. I love that she’s a wildcard who doesn’t fit ageist, sexist ideas of how a grandmother should behave. I also love her subtle, stealthy manner of caring for her granddaughters. She’s secretly a ferocious mama bear, but she hides it so cleverly, no one really notices.

What does a normal day of writing look like for you?
When I’m in the process of writing a book, the characters completely hijack my brain. I can’t do anything without them offering helpful story suggestions, which I then have to write down on whatever’s closest. So as soon as I wake up, ideas start flowing. I usually stay in bed for a while and make notes on my phone. Actually, I’ve written whole scenes on my phone before even getting up to brush my teeth, which is always nice.

Once I’m done, I’ll get up, get dressed, get some breakfast, maybe do some physical therapy. I used to skip all that and get straight to working, but now I’m practicing this whole “self-care” thing, so . . . appropriate nutrition it is!

I get to my desk around nine, and then I write, write, write. I don’t stop until lunch, which is usually one o’clock. I take an hour to cook and watch TV or do some reading. Then I go back to my desk. If I’ve already hit my word count for the day, I’ll do some admin stuff, then finish early. But if I’ve had a slow morning or there’s a scene I’m struggling with, I’ll write some more.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes! It’s literally my lifelong dream.

What part of this book was the hardest to write?
Red and Chloe have a major argument toward the end of the book, and my editor and I had to fiddle with it so much. I wanted both characters to be justifiably hurt, and to pull away from each other, but I didn’t want either of them to say or do anything too terrible. They’re soft! They’re sweet! They love each other! In the end, it was about digging deep into painful aspects of their past—which I hated, because I prefer everything to be all hearts and rainbows. But it had to be done.

What is the easiest thing about writing?
For me, it changes with every book. Sometimes the characters appear fully formed, sometimes plot points present themselves in an orderly fashion, sometimes the dialogue and description really flow. But only one thing can go well at a time. That’s the rule.

Can you define romance in your own words?
The romance genre is about respecting the power of emotion. Society brands emotion as inefficient or “feminine” (God forbid anything be feminine), but really, feelings are like water: They can heal, they can destroy, they can change the face of the earth. And they often do. Romance harnesses the power of emotion without shame, using it to transform characters and wrench visceral reactions from readers.

"Romance harnesses the power of emotion without shame, using it to transform characters and wrench visceral reactions from readers."

You portray mental health struggles in such a realistic way. How do you go about translating something like anxiety or lingering trauma to the page?
When I’m putting mental health on the page, I always come from a place of personal experience. But I haven’t experienced everything ever (obviously!) so if it’s a struggle that’s not my own, I start with research. Then, armed with understanding, I look for similar threads of experience in my life, and try to weave them together. Combining someone else’s truth with a ribbon of my own emotions helps me get it on paper.

I guess that’s a fancy, long-winded way of saying empathy. I just try to focus on empathy.

What does representation mean to you, especially in the romance genre?
Representation in romance means accepting, then celebrating, the fact that difference is normal. To do that, we have to carve out space for the voices of marginalized people, because underrepresentation can’t be fixed unless you actively do the work.

For example, publishing a few chronically ill heroines isn’t enough: We need countless books about chronically ill people, all from different authors, all with different conditions and backgrounds and tropes and heat levels, until they become as run-of-the-mill as books about healthy people. That’s representation.

What are ways that people can support more diverse romances?
Read them! Research like The Ripped Bodice’s annual diversity report shows that traditional publishers are not giving authors of color, for example, as much space to succeed as they give white authors. If we self-publish, we face higher production costs for things like cover images and promotional images that represent our characters. So if we’re given an opportunity, or we take a chance, and no one buys our books . . . we stop writing, because we’re busy working elsewhere to pay the bills.

Of course, it’s not readers’ responsibility to keep anyone in a job, and it’s also not as easy as saying, “Buy more of these books.” The real trouble is that diverse romance gets less support (from mainstream influencers, from publishers, from everyone!), and therefore fewer readers. You can change that by fighting their bias. If you follow websites like wocinromance.com, podcasts like The Turn On, blogs like Love in Panels—all resources with a commitment to inclusion—you’ll be exposed to more diverse content. And, once you’re aware of all these books that weren’t on your radar before, you’ll naturally read more of them. Because they’re amazing.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
I follow a lot of authors online, and the most common advice I see is to ignore writing advice that doesn’t resonate with you. I really love that, because it’s so easy to feel shamed or impostery if you don’t follow the same method as someone else. So I suppose this is communal advice: Do what works for you.

Consent is, of course, a requirement for sex and physical touch. Your characters show a deep understanding of this. Can you talk a bit about this?
When it comes to consent, society gaslights us all. From the media, to cultural perceptions, to the actual law, it’s always about dismissing the importance of consent. So, with my books, I like to do the opposite. My main characters treat consent as the bare minimum because that’s what good people should do. I suppose I’m adding my voice to a chorus that’s been shouting for a while: This is how things should be. Don’t listen to anyone else, don’t let them bullshit you. Anything less than this is wrong.

Is there anything you haven’t written about yet that you’d like to explore in future books?
So much! I love everything about romance with a burning, ’80s-clinch-cover passion. Every time I read something brilliant it’s like, “Oh my God, I need to write this. I need to play in this sandbox.” One thing that’s been on my mind recently is half-siblings. I have a lot of half-siblings and I think it’s a powerful and interesting relationship, something that would make a great theme or basis for a series. I’ve also been thinking about tropes around survival—like, love interests who go through something together, then have to deal with that survival bond and a romantic bond. Finally, I would love to write more paranormal romance. Everything, basically!

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Get a Life, Chloe Brown.

Author photo by Ed Chappell.