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Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Writing has been my dream job ever since I can remember. As a kid, I spent most of my time either reading or playing pretend. I found the written word quite satisfying and expressed myself far better on paper than I ever could with speech. In short, becoming an author just made sense.
Unfortunately, standard wisdom during my childhood was that successful authors were one in a million, so I thought I’d chosen an impossible dream. But during my last year of uni, my beloved grandma died and left me some money. I wanted to live boldly in her honor, and make good use of the money and the time I had left as a relatively carefree student. I gave myself that year to write and self-publish as a sort of experiment. Luckily, it worked! So, I kept going.
We’ve read a ton of your books and have loved them all. The Brown Sisters series in particular had us giggling, kicking our feet, blushing, and—in associate editorial director Reina’s case—crying. What inspired you to write these books?
The Brown Sisters started with me wanting to write a rom-com, because the genre was really blowing up at the time, and I had enjoyed quite a few. Often, when I find something I like, my first reaction is to try it out for myself. I started brainstorming rom-com ideas, and as someone with chronic pain, I thought it would be interesting to explore the inherent comedy of living in a body that loves to ruin your day. Which, I appreciate, doesn’t sound funny, but it frequently is. (You know what they say about laughing or crying…). That’s how I dreamed up Chloe and her fibromyalgia. Then I invented her two supportive but chaotic sisters, and the series came together from there.
Do you have a fave Brown sister?
It’s honestly too hard to choose—but I do have a favorite book: Act Your Age, Eve Brown. I think it’s a lovely grand finale. The girls go out with a bang!
Your novels are so relatable to a wide variety of readers, in particular, those of us who belong to one or more marginalized groups. What is the importance of race, disability, and mental illness representation in your work?
I really appreciate hearing that. I am a Black British person, I’m queer, I’m disabled. The point I’m trying to make is: I know firsthand the thrill of seeing yourself represented in stories that sometimes feel like they aren’t for you.
Take mental illness, for example. It’s so easy to think that mental illness means you don’t get a happy ever after, you don’t get unconditional love, you don’t get an epic romance. But you can have that, regardless of the state of your mental health. And when you see someone like you carve out that happiness in a book, it can be transformative and hopeful and inspiring, or at the very least, quite nice. I feel that way as a reader, and I feel that way as a writer. Giving happy endings to marginalized characters like myself is a privilege and a joy, and I hope it’s as lovely for people to read as it is for me to write.
You recently re-released The Roommate Risk with a new (and gorgeous) cover. What’s that book about?
Speaking of epic love stories… The Roommate Risk is a friends-to-lovers romance in which a noble and stoic hero pines after his emotionally unavailable best friend for seven years. They both have issues, and as they move through early adulthood they have to deal with the pain that is personal growth. There are flashbacks. There is angst. There are cactus jokes. Also, it’s pretty hot.
What’s the best book you’ve read recently? What’s next on your TBR list?
Soul Eater by Lily Mayne absolutely knocked my socks off. It’s a post-apocalyptic M/M monster romance and I’m fascinated by the world she’s created. Thank goodness there’s a long series for me to devour. Next, I’ll be reading Courtney Milan’s The Marquis Who Mustn’t. I adored the first in the series, The Duke Who Didn’t—but then, I’ve read all of Courtney’s books and adored every last one, so that’s no surprise. I expect to enjoy The Marquis Who Mustn’t just as much!
Lastly, is there anything exciting coming up for you?
I am working on a couple of very thrilling projects, but I have no concrete news to share just yet. All I can say is: I am in my romantasy era. (This is the part where I disappear in a puff of smoke.) |
