One of the great things about the internet is how easily you can connect with like-minded people. I decided to make the most of that by spotlighting some of the cool authors, bloggers, podcasters, and readers I’ve met since venturing into the romance world!

My first guest is author Jen Trinh. Jen published her first novel in the fall of 2019, a contemporary romance about two wedding guests who sit next to each other on the flight from New York to San Francisco and fall in love. If that’s not enough of an awesome concept for you, she also coined my new favorite word, “slangry” - when you’re so sleepy you’re angry.

Here are two facts to make your jaw drop: this is the first novel she wrote, and she did it in six weeks!

Obviously, I had some questions about her process.

You’ve been very up-front about your publishing experience and how you challenged yourself to write your first novel in six weeks ahead of your 30th birthday. What made you decide to write a novel (as opposed to start a band, buy a corvette, etc.)? Had you done any creative writing beforehand?

After quitting my tech job in September 2019, I was honestly just trying to figure out what to do next. Finding a similar job at a different company was an obvious option; so, too, was becoming a data scientist or software engineer. But given that I was going to make a career switch anyway, I broadened my search. I looked at all kinds of jobs, and even applied to be a junior pastry chef at a Michelin-star restaurant! I didn’t want to take incremental steps; I wanted to take risks, especially as I approached my 30th birthday.

During that time, when I wasn’t looking at jobs, I was snorting up books, including romance novels. I’ve always loved reading, but beyond some terrible short stories that I wrote in middle and high school, I haven’t done much creative writing. But after reading enough romance novels, I thought—well, I could do that! So I opened up a Google Doc and started trying to think of a story...and my creative geyser erupted. While I may not have written much fiction in the past, my imagination has always been active. Old Faithful came through, and my story splashed across the pages. Two months later, just in time for my 30th birthday, I published the result.

Did you always know you were writing a Romance, or did you realize after you finished that it checked the boxes of the genre?

I consciously decided to write a contemporary romance novel. I plan to write books in other genres as well, but I wanted to keep my first novel relatively simple, just to go through the full experience of writing one. I’ve had plenty of experience in the modern-day love department, so the story came naturally! Now, if I’d had to write a historical romance, or do some sort of world-building, that would have taken a lot more effort. I look forward to tackling those challenges in future books.

Your characters have really strong passions, including music and rock climbing. How do you research these rich subcultures? 

So far, I’m just writing what I know! I love both music and rock climbing, and I’m lucky to have friends who feel the same way. For example, my husband produces music, so sometimes I bounce ideas off of him or his music buddies. I also interviewed a musician who has gone on tour, and a woman who has dated several NYC musicians. And while I’m not a hardcore climber, I have friends who are. I’ve spoken to them about their relationships to climbing, the traumas they’ve experienced, the technical details, and then I get them to beta read to check what I’ve written. Most of my research has consisted of reflecting on my own experiences, talking to friends, going on adventures (out to music shows or to the crag), or watching videos on YouTube. YouTube is so helpful! As I write more stories, we’ll see how this process changes, but I’m excited at the prospect of being able to nerd out on new subcultures, possibly with new friends.

What has been the scariest part of the publishing process for you? 

Constantly marketing myself. Going out there and telling people, “Hey, my book is worth your money and attention!” Feedback on the book has been overwhelmingly positive, but I can’t seem to shut off the voice in the back of my mind that says that my book is just adding to the noise. I’m sure that that voice will be with me all throughout my career—I’ll just have to get used to it!

What has been the most rewarding part of publishing your book?

Connecting with friends, family, and new fans about it. Not only hearing their supportive comments, but also having candid conversations around sex, family, switching careers, chasing my dreams, etc. My books are a conversation starter. In the Afterword of book one, I mentioned that, if you enjoyed the book, then we could be good friends! And I truly believe that—the book is very much a reflection of me and my values. It feels so good to release something into the world that is so personal, and to have it be welcomed so warmly. Of course, not everyone loves it, but that’s life.

What are your top 3 book recommendations for someone who hasn’t read a contemporary romance before? 

I read pretty broadly across romance and outside of it, so my recommendations for contemporary romance are by no means exhaustive. In fact, there are a ton of highly-recommended contemporary romance novels that I haven’t gotten around to yet. But I loved The Bride Test by Helen Hoang—it resonated with me on so many levels. I recently finished Intermediate Thermodynamics by Susannah Nix, and that was definitely a fun one for nerdy ladies! For something steamier, I’d suggest Off the Clock by Roni Loren, although to be honest, I don’t remember much beyond the fact that I liked it (time to reread it!). 

What are you reading right now?

Too many books! Romance-wise, I’m reading Ruby Lang’s Practice Perfect series and a couple of books from Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series. I’m also reading Exhalation by Ted Chiang and Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt. I rotate depending on my mood! 

Falling for You is scheduled to release June 1st. Without spoiling anything, what is your favorite chapter/scene that readers can look forward to? 

There’s one scene early on that climbers will love. It’s full of climbing puns, and it was very fun to write. But my personal favorite chapter is the penultimate one, when the two main characters work through some issues that have been plaguing them throughout the book. Several characters from book one, Crushing on You, also make an appearance, and I love the dynamics among them! But what I like most about that chapter is that it really drives home the idea that a happily ever after isn’t a promise of perfect bliss, but a commitment to working through issues together. Because there will always be issues in a relationship, no matter how happy you are.