Q&A With Bridget Morrissey

My latest Q&A this week is with romance author Bridgete Morrissey. Bridgete’s books are What You Left Me, When The Light Went Out, Love Scenes, A Thousand Miles & That Summer Feeling. In the fall of 2024, Bridget will publish a cozy romantic fantasy This Will Be Fun, under her pen name E.B. Asher, co-written with Emily Wibberly & August Sigegmund. 

Q: So Bridget, what is it about romance that you enjoy writing so much?

A: It’s such a joy to create stories that center love and happiness. No matter what happens, you know the characters will find the exact kind of romance that they are seeking, and that makes it really satisfying as the author. I don’t have to decide whether or not it will work out. I already know it will! I get to enjoy the journey instead.

Q: Would you like to tell the readers of the blog and I a little bit about your latest release That Summer Feeling, and how you came up with the idea for the book?

A: That Summer Feeling follows a recently divorced woman who decides to go to an adults-only week of a sleep away camp, where she thinks she’s run into a man from her past she might be meant to be with, only to fall in love with his sister instead. I, like the main character in the book, have never been to sleep away camp before, and I thought it would be really fun to explore that setting as an adult. Making up my own summer camp let me create the exact experience I would want to have, and it also provided a perfect playground for all the topics I wanted to touch on with this book—namely inner child healing, having new experiences as an adult, creating your found family, and queer awakenings.

Q: Are any of the characters and places within your books taken from real people and places? It’s so cool how authors can create using bits and pieces of reality to create fiction.

A: A few years ago, I visited the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia, and I knew instantly that I wanted to set a book in that location. It was really fun to plant a completely fictional summer camp inside a real location I’d been to and loved. As for characters, I don’t take direct inspiration from real people. I prefer to put super niche Easter eggs into my stories instead of attempting to recreate my loved ones or even myself. I’ll mention something seemingly innocuous like a yellow backpack, and that will mean absolutely nothing to 99.9% of the readers, but there are like five people in my life that will die laughing at the inclusion.

Q: Who in your family and friends were the biggest supporters of your writing talent and goals?

A: I’m really fortunate, because all of my family and friends are super supportive of my writing. I couldn’t pick a biggest champion among them because they all support me more than I could even imagine. Whenever I have a book release, it’s not uncommon for me to get messages from my loved ones about how they’ve donated one of their multiple copies to a local library, or they’ve talked me up to other people inside a bookstore and convinced a stranger to purchase a copy. It’s so meaningful and cool, and I love that they have stuck with me through multiple books. I’ve put out five now, and they’ve never once wavered in their support.

Q: Would you like to tell the readers of the blog a little bit about your cozy romantic fantasy novel This Will Be Fun? What is it like co-writing it with two other people and what advice would you give to anyone wanting to co-write a book with someone else?

A: I’d love to chat about This Will Be Fun! It’s about three friends who saved their magical realm together ten years ago but haven’t spoken since, reuniting to attend the wedding of the princess (now queen) they rescued on their old quest, then getting roped into another realm-saving adventure in the process. Because it’s a cozy romantic fantasy, expect lots of fun hijinks and of course, two really sweet romances. Co-writing with Emily and Austin is an absolute blast; we are genuinely very good friends who talk every day. In particular, we love to talk about books and story ideas, so this collaboration feels like a natural extension of our friendship. As for advice for other co-writers, I think trust is the most important element of any co-writing situation. You need to be able to trust that your fellow authors will treat your contributions with sensitivity and care. You also have to trust that they will be reliable and will deliver on their end of the story. Lucky for me, Emily and Austin do all of this and that pushes me to be the best writer/collaborator in response. It’s really cool to put our heads together and come up with this fully fleshed out magical land together. 

Q: Where is your favorite place or places to plot, write and edit your work?

A: I love to work in coffee shops. Something about being alone in a public space really inspires me. There’s so much happening around me, but I get to climb into my own little bubble and make my fictional world come to life. Plus I love coffee!

Q: What is the advice you give to folks about writing great romance?

A: Great romance comes from dynamic characters. I love to play with contrasts when creating characters. Give one person what the other needs, and vice versa. But then the beauty is in all the places where they unexpectedly overlap, and how they each react to their shared connection. That’s what makes the writing come alive for me.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? The entertainment industry needs original content again and could use more great books.

A: Once the AMPTP meets the demands of the WGA and SAG, and the entertainment industry receives the compensation they deserve, it would certainly be very cool to have my books adapted!