Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for May is Create Compelling Characters, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Neely Tubati Alexander and Lori discuss:

• Pansing your way through drafts to gain a deeper understanding of your characters.
• How to tease out secrets and set pacing based on your intuition.
• Creating a rich cast to support your main character with purpose.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Neely Tubati Alexander

Neely Tubati Alexander is a first-generation Indian American mother of two. Originally from the Seattle area where Love Buzz, her debut novel, is largely set, she seeks to tell lighthearted, female-driven stories with diverse characters and strong women who pursue both love and careers. If she’s not tucked away at the little desk in her bedroom writing, you can find her at some kiddo activity, drinking wine, or watching reality TV, usually the last two together. She lives in sunny Arizona with her family.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads. 

Love Buzz

A chance romantic encounter during a wild night at a Mardi Gras bachelorette party sends strait-laced Serena Khan’s carefully constructed life into chaos.

A wretched maid of honor. A hangover from hell. Raucous Mardi Gras crowds. There isn’t much Serena Khan is enjoying about this four-day New Orleans destination bachelorette party for her semi-estranged cousin, the bride-to-be.

UNTIL sparks fly with a handsome stranger, who—like her—is also from Seattle, at the ladies’ last stop of the evening, a Bourbon Street bar. After their conversation is cut short, Serena is overwhelmed by the desire to find the charming man with the brooding eyebrows, but her list of clues is pretty short:

• His name is Julian
• He lives on Chamber Hill
• He works at a tech company
• He loves Lil Wayne and Nirvana

The need to find him is, for Serena, both irresistible and totally irrational. In a few short weeks, her college alumni magazine is featuring her in a “Life at Thirty” feature, cementing her as a success story. She will have officially achieved the safe, stable life her late mother insisted upon. Julian is not part of the plan.

As she combs Seattle for her New Orleans flame, stripping away the perfectly curated life that would have made her mother proud, Serena must decide if the pursuit of real passion is worth it, and fast, before she destroys the life she always thought she wanted.

In a sharply funny, thoughtful, and romantic debut, Neely Tubati Alexander prompts us all to ask if the life we’re living is a life worth loving.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link where, if you choose to purchase via the link, DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 460

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 460: Pantsing Your Way to Dynamic Characters – Interview with Neely Tubati Alexander appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for February is Crafting a Series, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Thien-Kim Lam and Lori discuss:

• Balancing a love story with conflict.
• Sex education and sexuality as empowerment.
• Creating banter that isn’t forced.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Thien-Kim Lam

Thien-Kim Lam writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. A recovering Type-Asian, she guzzles cà phê sữa đá, makes art, and bakes her feelings to stay sane. Her books Happy Endings and Full Exposure are steamy romances that will make you hungry.Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She’s been featured on Jezebel, NPR, BBC America, and Glamour. 

You can find her on her personal website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and here is the link to her book coaching site. She can also be found on Bawdy Bookworms’s Instagram.

Full Exposure

Boudoir photographer Josie Parks never ever takes a vacation. But when a client cancels a New Orleans shoot at the last minute, she decides to fly out from her Washington, D.C., studio anyway. Maybe the trip will reawaken her recently stagnant muse. After all, it’s Mardi Gras season…

Spencer Pham has come home after twelve soul-sucking years in corporate hell to pursue his passion: making a docu-film on his family’s history as the first Vietnamese Mardi Gras krewe. The last thing he expects is getting whacked in the head by a beautiful woman trying to snag some parade beads.

During a long night at urgent care, Spencer and Josie connect over their artistic pursuits. He offers to show her the real New Orleans, if she’ll help him with the camerawork for his film. Despite Josie’s type-A personality clashing with Spencer’s laissez-faire attitude, they seem to make a great team, and soon, the good times are rolling both on and off camera. But Josie has a life in D.C., and they both have big dreams they’re chasing. When this Big Easy fling starts feeling awfully serious, can they find a way to choose between personal and professional passion?

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link where, if you choose to purchase via the link, DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 450

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 450: Double Entendres, Meet Cutes, and Smart Sex: Writing Contemporary Romance – Interview with Thien-Kim Lam appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for October is Horror/Suspense, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Carol Van Den Hende and Lori discuss:

• Finding freedom in the different experience that each reader has with a story.
• Crafting your purpose and gaining energy from it.
• Creating characters that inspire fondness and familiarity in readers.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Carol Van Den Hende

Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of the Goodbye, Orchid series. She’s also a speaker, global marketer, digital strategist, Climate Reality Leader and Board Trustee. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband and twins, who prove that love really does conquer all.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkTree, LinkedIn, Bookbub and Goodreads. You can also get a chapter for free by entering your email here.

Goodbye, Orchid

What happens when an entrepreneur suffers an accident that changes him forever and he has to decide: to love his woman, will he need to leave her?

One July morning in Manhattan, handsome athlete and entrepreneur Phoenix Walker accompanies his love, half-Asian beauty Orchid Paige, to the airport. Neither believes today is goodbye.

But soon after Orchid leaves, disaster strikes.

Phoenix wakes in the hospital, broken, forever changed.

He’s longing for her, but he also remembers that she’s been traumatized by witnessing the death of her parents. Now that he’s the very image of trauma, he’s faced with the hardest decision of his life. Does he burden the woman whose childhood makes him feel protective of her? Or does true love mean having to say Goodbye, Orchid?

Rising from ashes is hard. Leaving the one you love is harder.

Orchid Blooming

A childhood tragedy followed her into adult life. Will she ever claim real happiness again?

Kind and generous, twenty-seven-year-old Orchid Paige will never forget that day. Living as best she can after witnessing her parents’ fatal accident, the beauty industry marketer yearns to win a promotion to China to connect to her mom’s ancestry. But with competition fierce, she despairs she’ll never make the grade… until she meets an encouraging man who makes her feel safe despite her usual distrust.

After Orchid convinces the handsome entrepreneur to let her gain experience at his nonprofit project, she’s determined to keep their relationship professional and ignore their powerful attraction. But when working on his military ad campaign for veterans triggers her own unresolved PTSD, she fears her confident mentor may be too good to be true even if she could trust him with her heart.

Can she conquer her vulnerabilities before she loses her chance at forever?

Orchid Blooming is the captivating first book in the Goodbye, Orchid contemporary fiction series. If you like complex characters overcoming trauma, heart-warming stories, and compassionate connections, then you’ll adore award-winning author Carol Van Den Hende’s emotionally satisfying page-turner.

If you decide to check out these books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links: Goodbye, Orchid, Orchid Blooming, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you! As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 430

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 430: Finding Inspiration and Writing Purpose-Driven Fiction – Interview with Carol Van Den Hende appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for July is Thrillers, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Erin La Rosa and Lori discuss:

• Where in her real life she draws inspiration from for the locations in her writing.
• How to suck your readers in when your main characters start out unsympathetic.
• What special sauce a dual narrative brings to the enemies to lovers trope.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Erin La Rosa

Erin La Rosa is the author of the upcoming romance novel, For Butter or Worse. She’s previously written for BuzzFeed and Funny or Die. She worked as a social media manager for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video before quitting her day job to focus on writing books.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

For Butter or Worse

They go together like water and oil…

All chef Nina Lyon wants is to make a name for herself in the culinary world and inspire young women everywhere to do the same. For too long, she’s been held back and underestimated by the male-dominated sphere of professional kitchens, and she’s had enough. Now, as co-host of the competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ!, she finally has a real shot at being top tier in the foodie scene.

Too bad her co-host happens to be Hollywood’s smarmiest jerk.

Restaurateur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin. It just seems to happen, especially when the cameras are rolling. It’s part of the anxiety and stress he has come to know all too well in this line of work. So nothing prepares him for the fallout after he takes one joke a smidge too far and Nina up and quits—on live TV.

To make matters worse, the two are caught in what looks like a compromising situation by the paparazzi…and fans of the show go absolutely nuts. Turns out, a “secret romance” between Nina and Leo may just be what their careers need most.

Now all they have to do is play along, without killing each other…and without catching feelings. Easy as artisanal shepherd’s pie. Right?

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link where, if you choose to purchase via the link, DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 420

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 420: Fake Dating and Enemies to Lovers: Tropes in Romance – Interview with Erin LaRosa appeared first on DIY MFA.

Before I dive into popular romance subgenres and how to choose one, let’s define our term. 

A subgenre is a way of organizing a larger genre into different categories so people can choose the kind of romance they want to read about. For instance, LGBTQ+ people can read romance novels featuring LGBTQ+ characters. This kind of representation is extremely important. On the other hand, people who want to read a religious romance can read stories where spiritual beliefs are important to the characters.

The subgenre can also provide the setting for the story. For instance, a historical romance will take place in the past (more details on that below) and a western romance will take place in the American West.

Some subgenres also give readers clues about the kinds of side plots they should expect. Like in a paranormal romance, you know that some part of the story, you’ll be dealing with unreal elements.

Types of Romance Subgenres

OK. I’ve already spilled the beans about some romance subgenres, but now I’ll go into more detail about some popular subgenres. Two things though:

• This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive. 
• And you can also mix and match your subgenres to create even richer stories.

Contemporary Romance

These novels are set after 1950 and feature a variety of modern settings, like cities, small towns, and everything in between.

Historical Romance

These novels are set before 1950. This casts a really wide net, right? Well, this particular subgenre is broken into sub-subgenres, such as Regency, American Civil War, Medieval Europe, to name just a few. This is because historical settings vary so widely and readers often stay loyal to a specific period.

LGBTQ+ Romance

These novels feature relationships between LGBTQ+ characters. Frequently, these novels discuss issues related to the LGBTQ+ experience, such as coming out and finding acceptance.

Romantic Comedy

My favorite subgenre. These novels often include humorous elements that can complicate the plot or add tension between the characters.

Paranormal Romance

These novels feature fantastical elements, such as time travel, non-human creatures, magic, and many others. They are similar to fantasy novels, except here the focus is on the romance between the two characters, not the fantasy.

Religious Romance

In this subgenre, the romance between the protagonists focuses on the spiritual development of the characters as individuals and as a couple. 

Romantic Suspense

These novels have a fast-paced plot and include some of a mystery. Solving that mystery is often central to the romance between the two characters.

Western Romance

These novels take place in the American West and include rodeos, ranching, and other cowboy activities.

Choosing Your Romance Subgenres

The easiest way to choose which romance subgenre you want to write is to think about what you’re interested in. What kinds of romance do you read? If your reading is all over the place, try making a list of romance novels you’ve enjoyed and see if you notice any commonalities emerging.

If you already have characters in mind, think about that kind of subgenre best allows you to tell their story. Or maybe you already have the conflict in mind, perhaps certain subgenres will help you develop it further.

And, again, don’t forget that you can mix and match romance subgenres. You can totally write a comedic historical romance or an LGBTQ+ western romance. The sky is the limit.

Write what interests you and your readers will enjoy the story.

Tell us in the comments: What are your favorite romance subgenres?

Lori Walker is the Operations Maven at DIY MFA. Though she’s fallen off the wagon as a writer, she’s hoping to return to writing essays (perhaps even a novel!) through her involvement with DIY MFA. She is also Launch Manager, Web Editor, and Podcast Producer for DIY MFA and a Book Coach. She resides in Smalltown, Oklahoma, with her husband and their cat, Joan Didion. You can follow her on Instagram at @LoriTheWriter.

The post Romance Subgenres appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for May is Short Stories, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Amy Lea and Lori discuss:

• Why representation matters and how the romance genre is helping lead the charge. 
• How to use family dynamics to develop layered characters.
• Millennial identity and what they have changed about the dating scene.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Amy Lea

Amy Lea is a Canadian bureaucrat by day and contemporary romance author by night (and weekends). She writes laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, witty banter, mid-2000s pop culture references, and happily ever afters.

You can find them on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Set On You

Contemporary Romcom – A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy.

Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead of finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity.

Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents’ engagement party.

In the lead-up to their grandparents’ wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 409: Social Media Influencers and the Millennial Romance Novel – Interview with Amy Lea appeared first on DIY MFA.

Lee is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eight contemporary romances for Harlequin Love Inspired as well as twenty independently-published novels and novellas. She also recently contracted with Harlequin HQN to write three mainstream romance novels, the Safe Haven series, of which the first and second of these books, Low Country Hero and Low Country Dreams, are out now.  

When Lee is not writing, she’s probably cheering on her daughter at a gymnastics meet, teaching writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program, and probably not cleaning her house.

So listen in as Lee and I chat about her amazing Safe Haven romance series and how to use your creative writing side to make marketing fun and successful.

In this episode Lee and I discuss:

• Balancing the predictability of romance with keeping your readers in suspense.
• Popular fiction vs. literary fiction in MFA programs.
• Brainstorming techniques to help keep your story moving forward.
• What types of marketing you’ll have to do in indie vs. traditional publishing.
• How to build up your writing community, even if you’re an introvert.

Plus, Lee’s #1 tip for writers.

About Lee Tobin McClain

Lee Tobin McClain read Gone With The Wind in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. The Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eight contemporary romances for Harlequin Love Inspired and twenty independently-published novels and novellas, she recently contracted with Harlequin HQN to write three mainstream romance novels, the Safe Haven series, coming in 2019. The first and second of these books, Low Country Hero and Low Country Dreams, are now available.  

When Lee is not writing, she’s probably cheering on her daughter at a gymnastics meet, mediating battles between her goofy goldendoodle puppy and her rescue cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.

To connect with Lee check out her website at www.leetobinmcclain.com.

Safe Haven

Book 1: Low Country Hero

Welcome to Safe Haven, where love—and a second chance—is just around the corner…

Sunny, carefree days splashing in the ocean—it’s the life Anna George has always wanted for her five-year-old twins. And now that they’ve made it to Safe Haven, South Carolina, she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not the abusive ex she’s just escaped and not the rugged contractor who caught her setting up house in the shuttered beachfront cabins he’s refurbishing. When he offers Anna and her daughters a place to stay in exchange for her help with renovations, she’s tempted. His gentle way with her girls makes her want to trust him, but she’s been wrong before…

A family is the last thing contractor and former military man Sean O’Dwyer wants right now. But when he discovers Anna and her girls, he recognizes kindred spirits. They’re survivors who’ve seen the worst of people, just like he has, and he’ll do anything he can to help them. As he and Anna spend their days bringing the cottages back to life and their nights sharing kisses in the warm bayou breezes, Sean must choose between the life he always wanted and the family he can’t live without.

Book 2: Low Country Dreams

Return to Safe Haven, where a new beginning with your first love is only a heartbeat away…

Yasmin Tanner has devoted her life to making other people’s dreams come true. But between running Safe Haven’s women’s center and caring for her brother, the long days—and lonely nights—are catching up with her…until Officer Liam O’Dwyer knocks on her door. She had good reasons for breaking Liam’s heart all those years ago, but that hasn’t made sharing their small town any easier. She’s missed him—that’s painfully clear to her now. But that’s not the only secret she’s keeping from him…

Ever since Yasmin left, Liam has kept his head down and his chin up. But when a woman from Yasmin’s women’s center goes missing, leaving her teenage son alone, it hits home for Liam. He’ll do whatever it takes to reunite this family…even work closely with the one woman he can’t forget. Yet as late summer days turn into cozy autumn nights rekindling the past, Liam suspects Yasmin is hiding something. And where her loyalties fall could mean the difference between lost love and a second chance at forever.

If you decide to check out the books in the Safe Haven series—Low Country Hero and Low Country Dreams—we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 255

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 255: Creative Writing and Marketing Combined — Interview with Lee Tobin McClain appeared first on DIY MFA.

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