Author Jasmine Guillory talks contemporary romance in Boston
Love was in the air at WBUR’s Cityspace, where three bestselling romance writers spoke in front of enthusiastic readers
Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Mar 20, 2024
AND TODAY’S FANS CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT. LOVE IS IN THE AIR AT WBUR’S CITYSPACE IN BOSTON. ROMANCE IS LIKE THE HOTTEST SELLING GENRE OF THE INDUSTRY AT THE MOMENT, SO IT KIND OF JUST FASCINATES ME TO JUST SEE, LIKE THE VARIETIES OF ROMANCE NOVELS THAT ARE OUT THERE. IT’S ALWAYS FUN READING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU CAN’T REALLY HAVE, ESPECIALLY WITH LIKE BIG TROPES SUCH AS LIKE ENEMIES TO LOVERS OR LIKE DATING LIKE SOMEONE FAMOUS ENTHUSIAST READERS ARE HERE FOR A CONVERSATION WITH THREE BEST SELLING ROMANCE WRITERS. THIS IS SUCH LIKE A WHO’S WHO OF ROMANCE NOVELS. IT SEEMS LIKE WE’VE GOT A LOT OF ROMANCE FANS HERE. CAN YOU CONFIRM? YES. ON THE STAGE, BEVERLY JENKINS. WHO’S BEEN WRITING INCLUSIVE ROMANCE NOVELS FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES, ALI HAZELWOOD, A PROFESSOR WHO BRINGS HER SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND INTO HER ROMANCES. AND JASMINE GUILLORY, A LAWYER TURNED NOVELIST AND WELLESLEY COLLEGE ALUMNA. I STARTED READING A TON OF ROMANCE DURING A TIME WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH A REALLY HARD PERIOD, AND I JUST SORT OF NEEDED SOMETHING TO KEEP ME GOING, AND THAT’S WHAT ROMANCE NOVELS DID FOR ME. AND THEN I THOUGHT, LIKE, I REALLY LOVED READING THESE. WOULD I LIKE WRITING ONE? AND TURNS OUT I REALLY DID. I’M GLAD THAT WE’RE ALL HERE TALKING ABOUT ROMANCE AND READERS LOVE THEM TOO. GUILLORY HAS PUBLISHED EIGHT NOVELS AND SAYS NUMBER NINE IS IN THE WORKS. HER STORIES FEATURE BLACK HEROINES WHO ARE ENTREPRENEURS, LAWYERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. WHEN I STARTED TO WRITE, I WANTED TO WRITE BOOKS THAT FELT LIKE ME AND MY FRIEND, MY WELLESLEY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ME THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, AND SO I FEEL LIKE FRIENDSHIPS PLAY A BIG ROLE IN MY BOOKS BECAUSE I THINK FRIENDSHIPS PLAY A BIG ROLE IN A LOT OF LIVES. ARE ANY OF YOUR STORYLINES BASED ON ACTUAL HAPPENINGS, OR IS THAT ALL FICTIONAL? NONE OF THIS STORYLINES ARE, BUT THEY’RE ALWAYS LIKE SOME LITTLE INCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN IN BOOKS. DEFINITELY ARE, YOU KNOW, MOSTLY LIKE THINGS THAT I HAVE TAKEN FROM MY LIFE. YOU HAVE SOME STEAMY SCENES IN YOUR BOOK, AND WHEN YOU’RE WRITING THESE SCENES IS IS THERE A GIGGLE ALL THE TIME? I GET LIKE, I LIKE I BLUSH LIKE I, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH, OH, UM, WELL, I’M WRITING THEM. YOU CAN HAVE A ROMANCE NOVEL WITHOUT A HAPPILY EVER AFTER FOR GUILLORY AND HER READERS, THAT’S COMFORTING. I HEARD FROM SO MANY PEOPLE IN 2020 AND 2021 SAYING, LIKE, ROMANCE NOVELS GOT ME THROUGH THE HARDEST PARTS OF THE PANDEMIC, AND SO I THINK A LOT OF TIMES ROMANCE NOVELS ARE EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED DURING HARD TIMES. AND TV COULD BE IN THE OFFING FOR SOME OF GUILLORY’S CHARACTERS. THERE IS TALK OF HER MOST RECENT NOVEL BEING DEVELOPED INTO A POSSIBLE TELEVISION SERIES. I ASKED JASMINE GUILLORY WHICH BOOK IS HER FAVORITE, AND SHE SAID IT’S ALWAYS THE MOST RECENT ONE THAT SHE’S WORKING ON, AND SHE WAS JUST A LOT OF FUN TO TALK TO. SOUNDS LIKE THAT IS CHRONICLE FOR TONIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. I’M SHAYNA SEYMOUR AND I’M
Author Jasmine Guillory talks contemporary romance in Boston
Love was in the air at WBUR’s Cityspace, where three bestselling romance writers spoke in front of enthusiastic readers
Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Mar 20, 2024
Wellesley College grad Jasmine Guillory is one of the biggest names in contemporary romance novels right now. Her stories feature Black heroines who are entrepreneurs, lawyers, community leaders, and more. “When I started to write, I wanted to write books that felt like me and my friends,” said Guillory. Having published eight novels, Guillory says number nine is in the works. Guillory was one of three romance authors featured in a panel discussion at WBUR Cityspace in Boston. Joining her in the conversation were writers Beverly Jenkins and Ali Hazelwood.
Wellesley College grad Jasmine Guillory is one of the biggest names in contemporary romance novels right now. Her stories feature Black heroines who are entrepreneurs, lawyers, community leaders, and more. “When I started to write, I wanted to write books that felt like me and my friends,” said Guillory. Having published eight novels, Guillory says number nine is in the works.
Guillory was one of three romance authors featured in a panel discussion at WBUR Cityspace in Boston. Joining her in the conversation were writers Beverly Jenkins and Ali Hazelwood.
