Fabiola Francisco Interview
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I am so excited to have author and friend, Fabiola Francisco, stop by for an interview before the next release in the Love in Everton Series.
HEA: Are any characters based off of you, friends, family, or anybody in your life?
Fabiola Francisco: Definitely. All of my characters have a part of me, some more than others. And it’s not always the heroine, either. That book boyfriend you love to hate, it me—guilty as charged. LOL
I will say the one character that is me, and maybe I shouldn’t admit this publicly for all the world to read, is Navia from All My Truths & One Lie. That story is personal, and I always call it a blend between memoir and fiction. The lines definitely get blurred in that one.
HEA: Is there a certain place where you get more inspired to write than others?
FF: I move around a lot when I wrote. Usually I’ll choose a place for one book and when it’s time to write another, the place has changed—my desk, couch, café, bed… You name it, I’ve written in it. Including a bar, drinking beer, with people staring at me while I type away at my laptop.
Lately, my bed has been my chosen place, though. I’ve found inspiration and focus while writing there.
HEA: What made you start writing?
FF: I started writing poetry when I was an early teen. We were assigned a poetry project, and I rolled my eyes when the teacher announced it. Little did I know that it was exactly what my teen heart needed in that moment in my life. The flood was opened, and I found myself unable to stop writing poetry, even once the project was completed. I always say I owe my life to poetry.
When I was older, I wanted to write a novel as part of my bucket list. I finally got the courage to give it a try back in 2009 and shelved the scene I wrote. When I revisited it in 2013, Perfectly Imperfect was born. Joke was on me when I thought it’d be a one-time thing to check off my list. Haven’t looked back since.
‘Roping Your Heart’ by Fabiola Francisco
HEA: Have you ever cried while writing?
FF: God, yes. Love You Through It—I cried throughout writing most of that book. Like a blubbering mess, and I don’t normally cry. It was an intense, heart-wrenching experience, and I loved to be able to connect to that storyline so much.
HEA: How do you balance writing with real life?
FF: It’s hard, to be honest. I’m not very good at balancing both, but I am working on being better at it. I’ve found that giving myself small goals to accomplish each days allows for me to still enjoy life. It was a reason I decided to move to Spain last year. I wanted to have more of a work-life balance, and it’s definitely helped.
I try to socialize more—go out for coffee or meet with friends to break up from always having the writing/work mind on. Mostly, it’s a choice I have to make daily (I could totally spend hours writing and not notice). I choose to find balance, and that’s the key—making the choice to live life and not always work.
HEA: Are your book settings based on a real place? Your favorite place?
FF: Yes, all of my books—except for my Love in Everton series, which is a fictional town—are based in real places. Perfectly Imperfect is set in Portland, OR, which is a city I love. Red Lights Black Hearts also takes place in one of my favorite cities, Amsterdam.
In January, I visited Glastonbury, UK, which is where All My Truths & One Lie takes place, and I absolutely loved it! I even left a copy of the book in their library.
HEA: What makes a great romance novel?
FF: I’m a lover of small gestures. I think the small details, the brushing of fingers, having readers feel and experience the romance in the story creates a great novel. I want to swoon when I’m reading. It’s why I read romance.
HEA: If a reader discovers your books today, where would you recommend they start reading?
FF: I would recommend my Rebel Desire Series. It’s the series that changed my writing career, and each story, though part of a series, is so true to itself and its characters. I love that universe and the country music vibe that comes with it. It’s fun, yet emotional and honest. I love the camaraderie between the characters, and I love how they support one another. It’s a great group of friends.
About Fabiola Francisco
Fabiola is a romance and women’s fiction author, originally from Miami, FL, and recently traded her flip flops for boots when she moved to Spain. She writes imperfect love stories, using her knowledge as a life coach with her characters to create real-life stories. When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s spending time outdoors and drinking way too much coffee.
