To kick off the new year, I want to introduce you to Caroline Frank— Venezuelan-Italian author of steamy, swoony and funny contemporary romances. Thanks to a lot of my fellow indie author friends, I stumbled across Caroline’s books and was instantly captivated by her writing and the characters in Fall Into You. You’ve probably seen the new covers around Instagram, with bright colours and stunning details and I promise that picking these books up will only add to your reading experience.
Caroline’s Seasons of Love series has three books that are all currently available in Kindle Unlimited, as well as a novella that follows Liza and Matt (from Fall into You) and In For A Penny, a romance set in London that was inspired by Caroline’s own experiences in the city.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
Growing up, I loved to read–especially Meg Cabot books. So I would say the Princess Diaries series is what inspired me to write.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
The best part, when readers reach out regarding my characters or stories to tell me how much they could relate or how much they enjoyed the book. I put so much of myself in the books, it makes me feel like I’m not alone. The worst part is feeling like your work is never done or could always be better.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
I wanted to control when it would be published, covers, and material.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
If I’m stuck, I’ll work out or crochet.
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, The Guncle by Steven Rowley, Someone Else’s Ocean by Kate Stewart, The Finish Line by Kate Stewart, The Roommate by Rosie Danan, The Deserter by Nelson DeMille & Alex DeMille, Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez… THIS IS HARD
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Find your people! Writing is lonely, and it’s so huge to have a cool group of people you can talk to that will understand what you’re going through
Listen to your gut—don’t let reviewers or other people get in your head too much.
Rest is important—creative burnout is real
Make the time to write, but don’t force it too much—quality or quantity
Have fun!
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
I know things will work out in the end. It gives me hope.
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
Women’s fiction, or literary fiction. I used to write a lot of literary fiction in college, in a different voice.
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
My least favorite is love triangle. My favorites are friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, or enemies-to-lovers.
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
Age gap!
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
Living with a chronic illness, condition, or disability. That happily ever afters look different for different people.
If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?
I think sex is a natural part of a healthy relationship, and I chose to integrate in the relationships that I write. I also write open door, because I enjoy reading open door, so why not write it if I can?
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
A lot of it comes from my life. Like, my main character in Shall We Dance? has epilepsy, and so do I. I wanted to write what it was like to live with epilepsy. Then, for the first book in my series, I wrote about growing up with an Italian family and an overprotective brother.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
I have a women’s contemporary fiction book out now and am in the middle of writing my Seasons of Love series right now.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
I can’t pick! It’s too hard.
If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?
I have a lot of ideas, but more vividly, for Shall We Dance? I see Blake Lively and Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
It depends! I do put in some easter eggs in almost every character.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
I want to tell stories I would want to read. I don’t like perfect characters—it’s not realistic. I like flawed characters that make me feel the story even more because they’re real.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
Humor and sarcasm—even if it’s dark.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
Currently working on a couple of projects I'm not quite ready to openly discuss yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I can! :)
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
I want them to feel like they can understand the characters, see themselves in them, and finish my books with a little more hope in their lives.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV
Standalones, series or standalones in a series
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?
Stay updated on everything happening in Caroline’s author journey by following her on Instagram and remember to sign up for her newsletter via her website.
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