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Gayle Morrow: Fantasy and Romance Author Interview

Tell us why you chose Romance and tell us a little bit about one of the books you will

have at the event.


A. I chose Romance as a genre partly because I realized way too late that all I ever wanted from my stories was a fun romp with a happiliy-ever-after. My debut novel, Spellweaver, is a fantasy romance which pairs a dressmaker with a prince. There are secrets, class shenanigans, political intrigue and lots of steamy scenes on the page. The direct sequel is coming out next year, and I couldn’t be prouder.


Tell us about yourself and where to find you.


I’ve been writing since I was teenager, and published my first novel in March of 2020 (yeah). I live a quiet life in Canada’s national capital region with my lovely family (both two- and four-legged). I’m rather an elder Millennial when it comes to social media — I can post just fine, but DMs make me skittish. 



If you didn’t write Romance, what other genre would you write?

I write fantasy romance, so sword-and-board fantasy would be another genre (my tendancy to ship my characters makes romance the logical choice). I also dabble in light sci-fi (think Flash Gordon).


What themes or tropes do you love exploring in your stories?

Oddly, I like pushing the boundaries on tropes: either my fmc doesn’t want the royal lifestyle offered by the prince (because of all the political crap that comes with it), or my mmc will be a baker while the fmc is a blacksmith. I try to respect the tropes that the readers actually care about (enemies to lovers would be a challenge for me), but I try to put things in there that make the trope fresh.


How do you approach writing romantic tension and chemistry between characters?

Romantic tension for me is a mix of internal and external pressures. I want my characters to embody healthy dynamics: if a five-minute conversation could clear the whole thing up, then I try to show what that looks like. If there’s something more than that, then the work of repair will be proportionately harder.


What’s the funniest or most unexpected thing that’s happened during your writing career?

Finding out just which of my elderly relatives have read my book. My inlaws are straight-laces, church-going folks. I write spicy. Thankfully, they’ve said nothing but nice things.


If your writing style were a cocktail or dessert, what would it be—and why?

My writing style would be an affogato: The bitter and the sweet, the cool of the ice-cream and the heat of the espresso make for something a little complicated, but ultimately delicious. 


What’s your go-to comfort read when you need a little romance magic yourself?

Katie McAllister if I need a laugh, Claire Delacroix/Deb Cooke if I want a gripping narrative.


 
 
 

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