Writing Romance from Venezuela with Maria José Morillo | Celebrity RomCom

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.What happens when a swoony rom-com set in Venezuela meets fake dating, music, and telenovela-level drama? I’m joined by debut author Maria José Morillo to talk about romance, bilingual reading, and writing against the odds.In this episode, I’m chatting with Maria José Morillo, a Venezuelan author making her Big Five debut with The Ex-Perimento. We talk about growing up bilingual, discovering romance through Harry Potter and Twilight, and what it means to write English-language romance from Venezuela.We also dive into celebrity rom-com tropes, Latin American pop culture (yes, Miss Universe matters), and how Maria José went from fanfiction to landing a traditional publishing deal. If you love high-concept rom-coms, global romance, or behind-the-scenes publishing journeys, this episode is for you.📚 Books Mentioned The Ex-Perimento by Maria José Morillo — Contemporary Romance | Celebrity RomanceYou Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle — Rom-Com | Enemies-to-LoversPeople We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry — Friends-to-Lovers | Travel RomanceHappy Place by Emily Henry — Second-Chance Romance | Emotional RomanceThe Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz — Fantasy | Venezuelan FolkloreBochica by Carolina Florez-Cerchiaro — Gothic Horror | Latin American Folklore⏱️ Episode Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & why Venezuela pop culture feels familiar[02:00] Becoming a reader through Harry Potter[05:00] Switching from Spanish to English reading[07:00] E-reading vs physical books outside the U.S.[09:00] From fanfiction to writing original romance[12:00] Why writing in English opened publishing doors[15:00] The book that didn’t sell — and why that matters[17:00] The origin story of The Ex-Perimento[20:00] Miss Universe, telenovelas & Latin American fame[24:00] Romance recommendations & reading for joyJoin the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read NextSubscribe & leave a review!