Q&A With Lyssa Kay Adams

Lyssa Kay Adams is the author of the famous novel The Bromance Book Club. Lyssa has also written the sequels Undercover Bromance, Crazy Stupid Bromance, Isn’t It Bromantic & A Very Bromantic Christmas! In a past life Lyssa had spent twenty years in journalism before leaving it behind forever to create romantic stories with happily ever after’s!  How exciting is that? 

Q: Would you like to tell the readers and I about your Bromance Book Club series and where the idea came from? 

A:  Even though the book is a comedy, I was inspired to write it after the many disturbing revelations of the #MeToo movement. I needed a place to go in my head where men didn’t bond over the sexual degradation of women, a place where men actively and openly worked together to be better allies to women, and where they stood up to each other to be better men. I realized that in a world like that, the men would read romance novels to learn how to be better people in general but also better partners to their love interests. And that’s how The Bromance Book Club was born!

Q:  I love reading romance & you enjoy writing romance! What do you love most about writing in the romance genre?

A: The hope. Romance novels are the most hopeful genre because readers know that things are going to work out OK in the end. And no matter what obstacles you put in your character’s path on their way to Happily Ever After, they’re going to learn to trust themselves, to love themselves, and how to be the best version of themselves. I think that’s why romance is so popular and so soothing to read. Readers can relate to a character’s journey no matter what happens in the story. And they can have hope that things will work out for the better.  

Q: If you were to write in a genre that was the opposite of romance, which genres would you choose and why?

A: I would love to write historical fiction! It’s one of my favorite genres to read. I might also like to try my hand at thrillers. 

Q: Would you say your time as a journalist helped have an influence on your writing books?

A: My journalism career certainly helped me in some obvious ways. It gave me a thick skin against criticism and made me unafraid of editing. And, of course, it made me confident in my own voice as a writer. But on a deeper level, being a journalist gave me an appreciation for the human experience, which I think is essential to writing novels that resonate with people. You have to have empathy to be a good journalist, and that empathy carries over into fiction. It is the foundation of compelling characters. 

Q: Is it too early to ask what you are currently writing now? If not, can you reveal any details?

A: I’m finishing my next book, Courting the Countess, which is the “fake” book that Gavin reads in The Bromance Book Club. I’m turning it into a real book! in the early stages of the sixth Bromance book! It features Cheeseman!!!

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? Whether they do or not, who would be your dream cast for the characters you created?

A: Yes! Netflix has optioned The Bromance Book Club for a movie! As for a dream cast, I have always envisioned the actress Lucy Hale as Thea and someone like Chris Hemsworth or even a Travis Kelce-lookalike as Gavin. 

Q: In your opinion, what are the most important rules for writing great romance? 

A: As I mentioned earlier, EMPATHY. I truly believe you have to appreciate the vastness of the human experience in order to tap into the universal truths that make romance novels so compelling. If you are unable to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and come away with a greater understanding of their unique lens on the world, then you will struggle to write characters that leave a mark on your readers. All that, and a really good kissing scene, too! I’m a sucker for a first kiss.