Love Bites : A Guest Interview with Romantic Comedy Author Brooke Burroughs
Being a helpful flirt instead of the helpless romantic is the new sexy according to Brooke Burroughs, author of upcoming fiction release The Name Curse. Good relationships need a balance of power, some leaning in and on each other, and two dinner plates. Because how else are you going to get a decent sampling of the menu?
After reading The Marriage Code, I needed to learn more about the author who wrote a story that defied all my expectations for a modern, romantic comedy. Once I landed on her website, I was hooked. From what I can tell by her website’s tagline and her social media accounts, Brooke Burroughs lives life like she is falling in love, all the time. She dives into moments like they are shimmery pools with no bottoms. And while the first plunge is still hard, she keeps at it because the reward is so worth the nerves.
So, I chatted Brooke up about writing romance books that are fictional on purpose, following our bellies around the world, and pursuing worthy things without giving up. If only we could have sat down in person over a shared round of tapas! In anticipation of Burroughs’ upcoming release The Name Curse, she sent over an exclusive clip for us to enjoy. Make sure to pre-order in time for the novel’s release August 31st.
Did Bernie look like she didn’t fit in with the others as much as she felt that on the inside? She glanced down at her outfit, which was basically the same as everyone else’s. Tabitha and Duke had taken her to REI, outfitted her, and given her instructions on how to break in her hiking boots in a week (which had involved some very disastrous outfits and multiple eye-rolling comments at work), and now she looked like everyone else with their weird waterproof clothes and layers. So why would Sheila stare at her like that?
She filed behind the crowd and, as she took a chair, realized that she was in a world of couples. She knew this world. There were Sheila and Trevor, with their whispering and shared looks. Couple. The woman who’d shrugged at her and another woman with her, their heads bent together, smiling. Couple. A beardy man and a ruddy-cheeked woman who looked like they’d just come off another hike, in matching polar fleece vests. Definitely a couple. An older woman who looked like she could be her mom’s doppelgänger and a man with tiny round spectacles who smiled at her with that deep love stare. Bernie’s heart did a little fluttery thing just at the sight of them; they were adorable. All she wanted in life was a man who could look at her like this man looked at his partner. Was that so much to ask?
And then to her left was one other man. Ostensibly single like her. Two lone singles in a horde of couples. He was the tall guy who’d had Sheila adjusting his pack with dark hair and a beard. Two single omens. Reminders to the couples of what could happen to them if they broke up and were forced on lone vacations.
This was her uncomfortable comfort space. She was constantly around her coupled-off friends, and there always seemed to be one single dude, too, milling around, the leftovers of someone’s broken relationship. Like a token offering to Bernie’s assumed loveless heart. Once, even her friend Deb had brought her ex to a party and practically threw him at Bernie’s feet, saying, “It didn’t work out with us, but I think you’re perfect for each other.” So awkward. Deb pranced away and the guy said, “It’s literally been three days. She kind of broke my heart.”
Bernie sighed, remembering how they’d gotten drunk together while exchanging dating horror stories. This new plaid-shirt guy looked at her. She hadn’t realized she’d been staring at him still, and she jerked her eyes back to Trevor.
MK: A little scroll through your Instagram reveals just how adventurous you are. What thoughts can you offer readers about saying ‘yes’ to things outside their comfort zone?
BB: I think some of us have these little voices in our heads that tell us to do what we think we should, and then sadly, we end up missing out on things in life. Someone once told me that if you’re nervous about making a decision, imagine the worst possible outcome, and it’s usually way less scary than you think it might be. So we should all say an enthusiastic “Yes!” a lot more.
MK: Was getting out of your comfort zone always easy for you?
BB: I love travel, exploration, and trying to understand other cultures and other worlds. Even though I’m from a small town in Kentucky, I had those desires growing up and started my international travel by studying abroad in college. I think that it really broadened my world view, and set the stage for so much of my travel in adulthood. I oftentimes think we never regret the chances we take, but regret the ones we don’t. My top regrets are about that person I never got to know better, or that trip I was too busy to take.
In retrospect, you think, “Wow, why didn’t I at least try?”
MK: So how did your adventure seeking (and loving!) lifestyle lend itself to becoming an author?
BB: When authors say it takes a village, it really does! My debut, The Marriage Code, took quite the meandering journey along the road to publishing. I had always thought of writing a travel memoir. Coupling that idea with how I met my husband seemed like the perfect combination. But even though our story felt pretty unique, I’m not sure it had enough of the drama and conflict that fiction usually has.
So I made some changes! I created characters that I fell in love with, added some elements that resonated with the journey of our relationship, highlighted all the things I love about India, and created The Marriage Code.
When I submitted my idea to Pitchwars another author, Melissa Marino, selected my manuscript. When it was polished, my agent selected it during a Pitchwars showcase and took a chance on me. In short, it took six years, several hands, and a lot of grit to keep pursuing my dream!
MK: What apprehension did you feel when writing a fiction book that readers would know was based loosely on your own love story?
BB: I think part of the reason I decided to depart from my initial idea of writing a memoir was that it was a little too soul-baring. It takes a lot of willingness to shed your own skin and tell your story. Especially a love story! I’m not sure I will ever be that person. I kept thinking, “What if my parents read this?”
There is a lot of freedom that comes from fictionalizing a story. You can add extra conflict, make the characters more intriguing, and add elements that really make the story stand out. But I was excited about telling a multicultural love story based on my relationship. There were so many challenging elements that we faced.
In India, family is everything, and the joining of similar cultural backgrounds is critical to so many people. I think the culture is a lot more nuanced than a lot of people think; I was fascinated by it because it’s like peeling an onion. Once you think you’ve peeled off one layer, there are more and more.
I would say the biggest challenge of completing the novel was being a white writer trying to tell part of the story from Rishi’s perspective. I wanted to make sure it was authentic and I captured the Indian culture that I knew from my experience. I relied on several Indian friends, and my husband, to read and re-read and make sure I was doing justice to their culture.
MK: Well, you created two great characters. The two protagonists, Emma and Rishi, were my favorite element of The Marriage Code. They were so prickly at first impressions, but they sure fight and win your affection by the end of the book. Share with us your thinking when you chose to detour from the typical Prince Charming love story?
BB: The classic romance trope of enemies to lovers is my favorite. When I read other books with this trope, I love rooting for characters and waiting for that moment when they realize, “Wait, what is it with this person? Why do they drive me up the wall?” I think a lot of times enemies to friends to lovers is a little more real-life, and you’ll see with my upcoming release, The Name Curse, this is indeed a theme!
As an author, I also want to make sure that the characters are helping each other achieve what they want and need out of life. I think Prince Charming is problematic because throughout history he has been the only one doing the saving. I like to write characters that are saving each other.
MK: Let’s talk about the food and taste component of your writing. I ordered more biryani the month I read your book than possibly all of 2020 combined! What does food in life and writing mean to you?
BB: I love that! I have to say I was guilty of doing the same while writing my first book because I was thinking of food all the time. I think particularly for The Marriage Code, gathering around the table is so important because while there are obviously a lot of things that are critical in Indian culture, food is super important. My mother-in-law cooks for probably 5-6 hours a day, she’s so passionate about making sure every dish is perfect.
And in India, like in other cultures, food is a healer. For example, in Ayurveda, foods can balance out your system if you feel unwell. And as a vegetarian, India is the best place to be!
MK: What do you hope ‘hungry women’ get from your books?
BB: Immersing yourself in a culture, in a place, and in a people. Whether that is savoring a really great biscuit while you’re in the south or searching out the local cuisine when you’re in Peru or Taiwan. Since I always like to write about women with a thirst for adventure (even if they don’t know it yet) and food is that experience, since it’s part of taking that chance. Food engages so many senses, it cements a lot of the memories we have about a moment, a culture, or an experience. I hope readers will get swept up in these moments while they read as they imagine a dish or a drink, and then extend that same feeling to their own real life adventures!
MK: Thank you so much Brooke for your wonderful words encouraging us to celebrate life with tasty food and the people we love. Wishing you an amazing second book launch! To read The Marriage Code snag your copy from my affiliate link here. To find out more about The Name Curse follow the link to Brooke’s page.
Brooke Burroughs
is an award winning writer of fun love stories about women with a heart for adventure. Brooke lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, who she met on one of her own real life adventures living in India. When she's not writing, she conducts experiments in vegetarian cooking, performs with a Bollywood dance troupe, travels whenever she can, and is frequently seen at the dog park with her Great Dane which is often mistaken for a horse.