Interview with author Lenora Cade
Hi everyone! I interviewed author Lenora Cade about her journey and book Two Worlds Apart. As usual check out links below:
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enjoy the interview!
❤️Carrie
What inspired you to write Two Worlds Apart, and how did the concept of a European travel romance come to life?
I started writing a different story first, Mallory’s sister’s story, to be exact, but when Mallory appeared in that book, I realized that if I was going to make this a series of interconnected standalone books, Mallory’s story had to come first. So I went back to the drawing board. I knew Emil was a foreigner, so traveling made sense. And from there I drew from my own experiences backpacking solo through Europe in my mid-twenties. A lot of things Mallory experiences came from my own, so it was almost like a fun stroll down memory lane while giving the gift of travel to this character.
2. Mallory’s journey takes her from a planned summer to unexpected detours. How did you develop her character arc, and what challenges did you face in portraying her transformation?
Mallory’s journey was much more off the cuff than my own, but with the same intention - explore, keep an open mind, experience new things, try my best not to shy away from things that were different. The one difference between us is that Mallory is much more of an extrovert than I was, so I had to force myself to be open to people as well, so I took that on its head and flipped it. What would it be like for Mallory’s comfort around people to be twisted, to have her major disbelief, that people were inherently good, tested? Because she’s from a small town where she knows everyone, their motivations, their day to day lives, people she grew up with, so it’d be easy to have that concept ingrained into your psyche. What I really wanted was her character arc to go from that belief to doubt, but a doubt that developed into a new maturity and outlook upon the world and people in general, creating this circular transformation. Not quite back to where she started, because that’s not how we grow, but from a different perspective. Less naive in the end, but accepting and willing to take the good and the bad and to not let those things break you.
3. Emil is described as steady, kind, and patient. What was your inspiration behind his character, and how did you ensure he complemented Mallory’s narrative?
Emil is a bit of an amalgamation. When I was traveling and arrived in Mostar, the meet cute between him and Mallory was almost word for word what happened. The kindness of a stranger helped me find my way (sadly, without the following love story!). I think that’s what struck me most about the people of Mostar, was their quiet generosity and welcoming nature to a tourist like me. So between the stranger at the grocery store that night and a shopkeeper who told me about the trench art, those were the frameworks for Emil. From there, I pulled from my trope love of grumpy MMCs and fashioned a stoic bordering on grumpy hero, but one who didn’t fall too far into trope-land and still felt real, complex, and balanced. I think Americans abroad are perceived as too friendly in an over the top way and some Americans perceive Europeans to be too standoffish, so it was also just a play on that dynamic, while also breaking those stereotypes down as the characters got to know one another. Again, going back to the whole balance I wanted to create.
4. The novel touches on themes of self-discovery and unexpected love. How do these themes resonate with your personal experiences or observations?
The self-discovery theme is one that I actively sought myself while traveling, so it was an easy one for me to infuse into Mallory’s story and experiences. It’s that test to say, yes, I can make it on my own, that transition from being a child of someone, to still sheltered to a certain extent while in school, and then launching out into the world on your own with no backup plan, no one to reach out to for help if you get into a bind. There’s something both exciting and terrifying in that.
Regarding unexpected love, I keep thinking about our world of online dating. About going out to bars to try to meet “the one” or having friends introduce us to their friend in hopes of sparking a connection. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, just to be clear. But the unexpected love thing I find intriguing because what happens if you just stop the constant search one day? And that’s when it happens? You bump into someone at the end of a grocery store aisle. Or you go to the post office to forward your mail before moving to a new state and you strike up a conversation in line with someone you instantly connect with? What do you do? Do you put your whole life on hold because suddenly you found the one thing you’d been searching for and gave up on? Or do you call it a fluke and continue on with your life? I don’t know about you, but I’ve found the moment I stop trying so hard or forcing things, that’s when they fall into place, whether it be love or another aspect of life. I find that...I don’t know if you call it fate, but, whatever you want to call it, an intriguing happenstance of life.
5. Setting plays a crucial role in Two Worlds Apart. How did you choose the locations featured in the book, and what research went into bringing them to life?
So again, a lot of these places I visited during my own trip, and I roughly followed the circular itinerary from my travels. The few that I didn’t were Munich, The Dolomites, and Venice. The Dolomites I’d seen from a distance by train, so visual descriptors were already in place, it was just a matter of researching the exact spot they could intersect with Mallory and Emil’s journey. I’d been to different parts of Germany and Italy, so I pulled from the feelings those countries impressed upon me and just did more detailed research on their layout and offerings to pepper in to give them the best representation I could. Luckily, one of my early critique partners was Italian, so she flagged a few things that didn’t make sense in Venice, to which she gets the ultimate thanks!
6. As a debut author, what was the most surprising aspect of the writing and publishing process for you?
Oh, wow, so much! I’ve always been a closet writer, in that I didn’t really share my writing with people if I could help it. But I forced myself to do that with early critique partners and they helped escalate the story so, so much with their awesome feedback. It wasn’t as scary as I thought, and those fellow writers have been such a blessing well past the critique phase. The writing community as a whole has been so amazing. I’d avoided social media for so long, but the reading and writing community online is, as a whole, so incredibly supportive and the best cheerleaders, which took me completely by surprise.
As far as the self-publishing process went, I started researching back in 2021 and I still made mistakes along the way. It’s a lot to take on because you wear so many hats and all the decisions fall on your shoulders. What do you handle yourself and what do you hire out? Marketing, editing, learning the different platforms, which formats do you want to release first or all of them at once? It’s an endless to do list and one that doesn’t stop even after the book has published. But there are so many resources out there that can help guide you and I love that there’s not a huge barrier to entry these days.
7. The book is noted for its ‘fade to black’ approach to romance. What influenced this stylistic choice, and how do you think it impacts the reader’s experience?
Honestly, I hadn’t set out to write fade to black, that’s just naturally where the scenes cut off for me - or, as I told one potential ARC reader, that’s all the characters wanted to show me! So (SPOILER), since there is a trigger warning for SA in this book, even though that scene is brief, there was a certain level of intimacy I felt Mallory deserved. Their love story is quiet, slow, and real and, in terms of tone, the fade to black felt appropriate for them. I have zero issue with spice and will likely write open door scenes in the future, though I think my approach will remain one less explicit, only because that is just more my writing style. I write first and foremost for the character’s emotions and spicy scenes can and do often enhance that as characters come together, but that’s where I want the weight of a scene to focus - emotions-based rather than physical. That’s just how I am.
I hope that my approach resonates with readers, because I’m not going to omit or add a sex scene simply to fall into a trope or category that is currently trending. If it makes sense to the story, then it’s in. If it doesn’t, it’s out. I would hope that the impact on the reader wouldn’t be to wonder why in the moment that they read it and that it just feels like a natural beat in the story.
8. How do you balance writing romance with incorporating real-life obstacles and challenges that characters face?
I’ve read so many romance authors that do this well. Abby Jimenez comes instantly to mind, and I hope I can scratch the surface of her ability to combine romance with real life hardships. It’s definitely a challenge, but one I knew right from the start that I wanted to take on. I grew up and still, if I’m being honest, not loving rom-com movies. So writing a romance was a challenge I gave myself - could I write a romance that I would actually like? I say that Two Worlds Apart is a contemporary romance bordering on women’s fiction because, while it certainly has romance tropes within it, I wanted the characters to face reality, both external and internal things that they had to turn around and face. That was non-negotiable in my mind because I personally never enjoyed the super fluffy, low-stakes romance stories that I saw in the movies. How far I could push that and still call it a romance was the balance I wasn’t quite sure about, so my first books, Mallory’s and the upcoming sequel, are still sort of a test in that department.
9. Can you share any insights into your writing routine or process? How do you stay motivated and inspired?
I wish I had a writing routine! It’s something I’m trying to put in place, but since writing isn’t my full-time job, it’s very sporadic still. Plus, I’m a pantser (I write by the seat of my pants instead of creating a pretty outline to keep my writing on track). Setting deadlines for myself during writing Two Worlds Apart was a huge part of it getting done and onto the next step, which was sharing it with critique partners. Having someone holding me accountable, knowing they were waiting for the next chapter, was a major pedal to the gas. Now that book one is released, completing book two knowing people are now aware it exists is the next motivator.
10. Looking ahead, are there plans for a sequel or other projects within the Concrete Hearts series? What can readers expect next from you?
Yes! Book two follows Mallory’s older sister, Sydney, who is mentioned a few times in Two Worlds Apart. Sydney’s story is quite a bit different. It’s an enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance, but it deals more with the family issues Mallory hinted at in Two Worlds Apart. I haven’t set up a deadline for this one yet and am currently re-reading it to get myself re-acquainted with the characters and story since it’s been a while since I touched it, but my newsletter currently offers a free first chapter to give readers a hint of what’s coming. That will be next in the series, and I’m planning out which characters to follow next after Syndey’s story is complete.
Thanks for reading!
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