Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: It’s a thrilling day today! We’ve got Cheryl Peña here to tell us about her three novels, The House of Wynne Lift, Descent of the Vile, and The Blood Hotel. Cheryl, can you tell us a bit about your creative works?

Cheryl: Most of my work is science fiction that deals with common themes of perception versus reality and issues related to starting over later in life.  As a writer who debuted at 50 years old, I feel like older protagonists are often left out of genre fiction.  They’re often side characters, but rarely the main character.  Therefore, most (but not all) of my protagonists are older, at least thirties, but often more.  I feel that people are never too old to contribute to society or make a difference.

Sabitha: I completely agree with that! Can you tell us what inspired you to write your most recent book?

Cheryl: The latest novel is The Blood Hotel, which is a sequel to my first novel, Descent of the Vile.  I got the idea for it when my friend, author Hermione Lee, suggested there could be more to the story, as I’d originally thought it would be a standalone novel.  But there was a lot of room to add to the narrative, and it came together very quickly.  I already had a title that sounded right, so I created the plot around the title.

Sabitha: Was there any music that inspired you while you were writing?

Cheryl: Definitely.  I usually write to classical music, so I played Ludovico Einaudi and Stephan Moccio a lot.  I also listened to Bryan Ferry and Franz Ferdinand when the mood was a little more up-tempo. 

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Cheryl: Descent of the Vile was inspired after watching all three films in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy back-to-back and having a nightmare that night.  The dream became the opening sequence for the book, which featured Simon Pegg (naturally) as Jackson Riley, having a really bad day.  So, he’s the person I pictured as I wrote the books.

Sabitha:  Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Cheryl: I had to figure out how to relate to Jackson as the books were told from his point of view.  Although my first book, a suspense thriller novella called The House of Wynne Lift, featured an all-male cast, I wanted to portray Jackson as realistically as possible.  I did a lot of research writing the novella, but I did even more for the novels to understand the male psyche and how it differs from others.  I also took acting classes, which helped me learn to internalize the role I was writing so that I could imagine myself in that character’s place.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Cheryl: You can find me at my website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. My books are on Amazon—you can find The House of Wynne Lift, Descent of the Vile, and The Blood Hotel.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Merlina Garance joins us to talk about their queer mystery romance, The Flourishing. Merlina, describe this fascinating book!

Merlina: The Flourishing is a lesbian romance novel set during a police investigation. When Andy Campbell, Detective Inspector in Leicester, gets assigned the case of Mr Parry’s disappearance, she expects to find nothing else than an umpteenth marriage ruined by a husband taking off with his mistress. Instead, she ends up investigating a murder case, and struggling to fight her attraction for Mrs Parry. When she realises the feelings are mutual, things definitely get complicated…

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

Merlina: It’s a bit of a silly story. A very good friend of mine lives in Mexico and we have tried several times to exchange mail, but it always gets awfully delayed by the postman in his town. So we thought it would be funny to get revenge by writing a story about the postman going missing. Somewhere along the way, the postman disappeared and a romance plot came to me, because I cannot help myself.

Sabitha: That is delightful! We have a lot of writers in our community. Can you share your writing process?

Merlina: It includes a lot of daydreaming. I write most of the scenes in my mind while on the bus, or while walking or driving. Then I frantically type up the gist of it on my phone and then stay up for hours turning that into proper scenes. When the inspiration stops randomly striking, that’s when I need to pick up a notebook and start the real work: making character sheets, writing a timeline, cross-checking all that information… It’s not as fun as the first part but it’s what ties it all together.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Merlina: My real answer would be Le Coeur Cousu by Carole Martinez, but it’s in French and hasn’t been translated as far as I know… So I will recommend The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. It is a really heartwarming read, and I believe it has a healing power for all those who grew up a bit different, feeling cast aside until they found their real family.

Sabitha:  Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Merlina: Andy is who I would be if I didn’t overthink everything so much. But I’m probably closer in personality to the love interest: mostly polite but capable of being impulsive when I feel really strongly about something.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Merlina: It’s related to the name of the love interest. Her name is loaded with meaning and during the story, she decides to start using another one. The Flourishing is strongly linked to that second name…

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Merlina: You can order here and find out more on my website. You can find me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We have a deep fantasy for you today. Robin Alvarez is here to tell us about When Oceans Rise. Robin, take us away!

Robin: When Oceans Rise is a YA contemporary fantasy which comps as a Filipino Little Mermaid (with no mermaids) meets The Butterfly Effect. 

A teen girl gives up her voice to the sea witch to escape an abusive relationship, but after she’s dropped into an alternate universe, the sea witch uses her voice to unleash Filipino monsters on the worlds. The girl must get her voice back to save both worlds.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

Robin: When Oceans Rise is based on this moment, at seventeen-years-old, when I decided to go surfing during a hurricane and almost died. I’d been in an abusive relationship. That day in the surf, I got caught in a fierce riptide, and I wondered if it would just be easier to let go. Ultimately, I didn’t. But When Oceans Rise is built around that entire scene of powerlessness and struggle and questioning what I was worth.

Sabitha: That’s such a powerful moment. Was there any equally powerful music that inspired you while you were writing?

Robin: ‘Explosions’ by Ellie Goulding was a big influence for the way a person can feel like they are destroying everything around them. 

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Robin: I’m a hybrid writer currently, and I prefer to write in a 4-act structure because it just makes the most sense for my brain. 

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Robin: Someone else made me a fan-cast that now lives in my brain! Liza Soberano is a Filipina American actress, and Diego Tinoco is of Hispanic descent so they’re a dream! 

Sabitha: That’s lovely! What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Robin: Recently? Ever Since by Alana Bruzas. It made me cry so much and really shows the warning signs of a different kind of abuse. 

Sabitha: That’s such an important message for a book. In your own novel, which character do you relate to the most and why? Has it changed?

Robin: In my villain era, the sea witch! In my healed era, Anita, the happy, supportive best friend. 

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Robin: It’s based on another song that inspired my book! “Oceans” is a song with images of just trying to keep your head above water. 

Sabitha:  If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Robin: Jenny Han! I’m such a big fan of her writing, and she is the coolest author to follow. Her life just seems magical!  

Sabitha: When you picture your ideal reader, what are they like? 

Robin: Weird! I love all things weird and people who are not afraid to be themselves.

Sabitha: Agreed! Does the location the story takes place mean something to you or to the work?

Robin: Yes! It’s set in Corpus Christi, Texas which is where I spent my teen years. I love Corpus so much because for all the darkness I experienced, there was always more light. 

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Robin: When Oceans Rise is available is major retailers like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Target, as well as several indie stores online. Please follow me on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We love queer novels, and Diane Billas is here to tell us about her sapphic coming of age. Diane, introduce us to your book! 

Diane: Does Love Always Win? is a sapphic coming of age young adult novel that explores coming out and understanding one’s sexual orientation. Sam “Shorty” Daniels has a plan for her senior year, but her romantic life being a hot mess was not part of the agenda. Shorty quickly discovers she’s not attracted to her newest boyfriend and fellow marching band member Zack, despite her many hours of daydreaming of what it would be like to date him. Their previous flirting had been so intense that those feelings have to come back again, right?

When Shorty’s asked to show the snarky new girl around high school, Shorty’s instantly intrigued by Kristy’s wit, and they bond over their love of writing. They quickly become inseparable, and Shorty has a breakthrough moment realizing why none of her other relationships worked out. Just as Shorty is about to break up with Zack, her bitter ex-boyfriend Bryan threatens to out her to the entire school and Shorty’s conservative parents. Will Shorty be able to overcome Bryan’s ridiculous blackmail scheme and get her dream girl?

Sabitha: It sounds both fun and meaningful. Is there a personal element to this story which inspired you to write this book?

Diane: When I was growing up, I struggled with similar issues that Shorty does, questioning my sexuality, but I didn’t have any books available to me that I felt I could relate to. My hope with this book is that someone who might be going through something comparable will look to Does Love Always Win? and see themselves reflected in it. I created the book I wished I could have read in high school.

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Diane: My writing process is all over the place. It’s funny, for my writing day job I make an extremely detailed outline before starting a project, but for my creative writing, if I have an idea, I just sit down and write. The details and character plotting come later after I have written a scene.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Diane: I chose Does Love Always Win? as my title because of the saying that deals with marriage equality, ‘Love Wins.’ I thought it was fitting for an LGBTQ+ centered book.

Sabitha:  It fits perfectly. If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Diane: I would really like Becky Albertalli to read my book. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was the first young adult LGBTQ+ book that I’ve seen receive mainstream attention in the publishing world, and it was even adapted into a theatrical release. I feel Becky’s work paved the way for expanding the LGBTQ+ market and showed its relevance even to individuals that do not personally identify as LGBTQ+. It would mean a lot to me if she read and enjoyed my book.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Diane: Does Love Always Win? is currently on pre-order and out June 20, 2023. You can find me here.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Pavithra Ramesh joins us to share a romance novel, Our Perfectly Blended Chaos. Pavithra, can you give us a bit of background to your book?

Pavithra: Destiny brings its twists and turns when Payal decides to set on a path that defines her fate. She was a beautiful girl with simple dreams who decided to follow her ambition to work on the job she loved. She meets a guy at the airport and it feels like love at first sight. However, she knows her priorities and moves on. Life plays its card when the guy she left behind as an infatuation followed her to prove his mad love for her. New city, new job, new people and a feeling that feels like love but is complicated. What happens later, is a battle of romance, friendship, revenge – a perfect blend of ultimate chaos.

Sabitha: That sounds like a lot of fun. What inspired you to write this book?

Pavithra: I derived inspiration from the need to give my readers a book which combines it all – mystery, romance, friendship and revenge. I often crave reading such books that keep me hooked on what is happening and help me visualise the scene in my mind while I read. That is exactly what I wanted to offer my readers. Inspiration to write also comes from my daily life.

Sabitha: Was there any music that inspired you while you were writing?

Pavithra: Not a certain specific kind of music but in general music helps me calm my mind and get into a flow that does wonders for the book.

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Pavithra: Well, the cast of Friends is definitely a dream cast. I would cast Jennifer Aniston as the protagonist; she could do justice to any role.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Pavithra: The Secret is the best self-help book I have read so far. It made me believe in manifestation. Apart from that, I love The Kite Runner. It left me in tears at the end of the book and touched my heart like no other.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Pavithra: Well, my book is a blend of romance, revenge, and friendship mixed with some mystery to keep you hooked till the end. When I thought about how I could bring this mix to the title, I came up with the name Our Perfectly Blended Chaos.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Pavithra: You can find me on LinkedIn, and order my book on Amazon.