Q&A with Erin La Rosa

 

 

 

Erin La Rosa is the author of the new novel Plot Twist. Her other books include the novel For Butter or Worse. She lives in Los Angeles.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Plot Twist, and how did you create your characters Sophie and Dash?

 

A: First and foremost, I wanted to write a friends to lovers romance book. That's a very specific genre in the romance book world, and it's got a lot of longing and sweetness that I found very appealing.

 

And once I had the tropes I wanted to use, I needed to build the characters to fill those shoes. I live in Los Angeles, and I know a lot of people in their mid-30s who don't have their lives figured out yet.

 

I think we associate being in your 20s with finding out who you are. But for me, and so many others, that happens in your 30s or beyond (I changed careers from doing social media to writing books while in my 30s, for example).

 

So I created these two mid-30s characters who are surrounded by people who know what they want, but they don't personally. And when they connect with each other, they discover empathy, belonging, and encouragement. They bring out the best in each other, and help each other find a real sense of purpose.

 

Q: The writer Suzanne Park said of the book, “Erin La Rosa’s latest explores what falling in love really means and the importance of found family, all while handling sensitive topics with great care.” What do you think of that assessment?

 

A: I love Suzanne's books so much. They got me through the pandemic and postpartum! What Suzanne saw, I think, is that Plot Twist is about finding someone who loves you for exactly who you are. That's what love really is all about.

 

And with all of my books, I bake real issues into the rom-com of the plot. So, for Dash, he's dealing with sobriety and a toxic family, and Sophie is trying to navigate imposter syndrome and a deep need to be a people pleaser.

 

Q: Did you need to do any research to write the novel, and, if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I always end up doing some research for my books, because they really are about characters whose lives are quite different than mine (despite Sophie being a romance novelist, like me).

 

For Plot Twist, I researched sobriety, sober living, and relapse. I also had to do deep dives into pottery, because Dash is a pottery boi. (Look up #potteryboi on TikTok, you'll thank me.)

 

I was most surprised, however, to discover that squirrels don't like the smell of jalapeno... you'll have to read the book to meet Richard the squirrel.

 

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

 

A: I hope that when people read Plot Twist, they ultimately walk away from the book and feel uplifted. I always want to write stories that feel like an escape. We all need a break from life, and that's what I love about books.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Right now, I'm gearing up to promote my next book, The Backtrack, which comes out July 16.

 

It's about a woman who returns to her small hometown to clean out her childhood bedroom, and discovers her old CD player still works. When she listens to a song, she's transported to the life she could've led, if only she'd kissed her high school best friend.

 

It's truly a love letter to 2000s emo music, and I'm so excited for it to come out!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I'm also writing a fourth book right now...but more on that next time!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Erin La Rosa.