395: The Many Levels of Character and World Building in a Rom-com - Interview with Alana Quintana Albertson

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alana Quintana Albertson. Alana is a Latina bestselling romance author whose books have hit the top of several different charts. She has written thirty books and landed a three-book deal for the Latinx romantic comedy series, Love and Tacos. The first book in the series, Ramón and Julieta, has just been released and it has been optioned for television. Like Ramón from her book, Alana has an impressive educational pedigree, with a Masters of Education from Harvard and a Bachelor degree from Stanford. And, like Julieta, she's a natural leader who is passionate about the things she loves. She's the former President of Romance Writers of America's Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, and Chick Lit chapters and she founded the non-profit dog rescue, Pugs N Roses.™ Today we're talking about her latest book, Ramón and Julieta, which happens to combine three of my favorite things: rom-coms, tacos (and other great food), and of course, Shakespeare references.   In this episode Alana Quintana Albertson and I discuss: What inspired her to turn Shakespeare's tragedy into a rom-com and how she pulled it off. How she kept raising the stakes for her characters, while keeping it realistic. Using world building to convey deeper elements of culture and community in her story. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/395