Q&A with Neely Tubati Alexander

 

Photo by Averi Michelle Photography

 

 

Neely Tubati Alexander is the author of the new novel Courtroom Drama. Her other books include Love Buzz. She lives in Arizona. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Courtroom Drama, and how did you create your character Sydney?

 

A: I essentially combined two things I find fascinating: the justice system and reality TV! Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes, and I thought a sequestered jury was a great way to explore that trope. And, set against the backdrop of a juicy case was something I was excited to write.

 

Sydney, as a character, in a lot of ways, represents our societal fascination with celebrity and how, in this day and age of access, it interacts and sometimes interferes with our reality. This was an interesting theme to explore while writing.

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review said of the book, “Taking the forced proximity trope to the limit, Tubati Alexander...delivers a wildly entertaining romance between two members of a sequestered jury.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it! The most you can hope for in how a book is received is that the reader finds it entertaining and that it touches them in some way. If someone can put one of my books down and say it was time well spent, then I have succeeded. 

 

Q: How did you research the novel, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: As a reality TV fan, I didn't have to do much research there, but I did do a lot of research for the trial portions of the book.

 

Sequestered juries are becoming more and more rare, largely due to the cost and burden, but it was interesting to look at some recent cases that involved sequestered juries. And there have been a few cases that have come up after I wrote this book that had similar details to mine. 

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I always like to believe my romcom novels will leave readers feeling hopeful. As a second-chance romance, I love the idea of two people being able to come back together at a future point where perhaps the circumstances are more ideal. And I hope it made them examine and question a few bits of the trial itself!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have shifted a bit to dystopian romance! I lovingly like to say I am in my feminine rage era. But seriously, it has been fun to explore a different sub-genre and darker elements. I hope readers will find their way to these new books! 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Readers can largely interact with me via Instagram @neelyalexanderwrites!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Neely Tubati Alexander.