Indie Support Sunday: Gissane Sophia

Sep 14
8 min read

I picked up Gissane Sophia’s debut last year because the blurb yelled at me to read it. And I was absolutely blown away and captivated by the writing, the story and the journey of Violet and Ben finding and falling in love. To the Skyline is the perfect gateway to the world of Gissane’s writing, because you can then dive right into A Certain Step and be so enthralled with the world she’s created.

Bringing together her love for Broadway, movies and TV, Gissane crafts an absolutely spectacular set of books with her Midnights at Pemberley series. Even if you’ve never been fascinated by the world of entertainment, these stories will suck you in. Every character will hold your attention, you will fall in love with the details (big and small) and happily be transported to New York and a world unlike any you’ve been in before.

Absolute Certainty is the second in the duology and is also out now in Kindle Unlimited!

BEING AN AUTHOR

Who or what inspired you to write?

My late father. It’s been a long, long journey, but it always comes back around to my dad. I keep a lot of my personal life private, but for as long as I could remember, I’d wake up in the middle of the night to grab water or something and he’d be hunched over on the kitchen table, pen in hand, writing his next poem or short story. And he always had the biggest smile on his face, too. My earliest memories are of all the movies and TV shows I watched. The books I read. This whole idea that human beings can just make stuff up was proof of magic to me. I think people always knew I’d end up following in his footsteps, and I’m so glad I did.

What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?

The best part is having so much control. I struggle a lot when I don’t have full control over something. But it’s such a lonely journey. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel isolating at times, and I think we have to keep trying to prove that we’re worthy even when no publisher is backing us, which sucks a bit because that shouldn’t be the case.

Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?

Control. My debut was the type of story I knew many people wouldn’t want to read, so I had to do it myself because it was a story I wanted. So, again, I think it comes back to my need to have full agency over the story. But outside of that, I also wanted to test the waters and see if I could actually do this.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?

I’m an entertainment journalist, so I get to yap about all the creative things I’m loving. And in full transparency, sometimes, it’s just a lot of writing and I wish I could do something more crafty to step away from words and my laptop, but I love this silly job, so here we are. More writing, just a different kind.

If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?

Emma by Jane Austen. It’s the book I collect multiple editions of. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo—I don’t always read fantasy or sci-fi, but what Bardugo did with these books is something I genuinely think about at least once a day. It has everything: stunning prose, incredible characterizations, breathtaking romantic relationships, and a found family that stays with you.

What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?

Start with something you love and write what you know.
Don’t worry about how you can appeal to all readers because it’s impossible.
Trust your gut.
Find your voice by studying your own prose.
It’s okay to take as much time as you need.

ROMANCE AS A GENRE

Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?

It’s as simple as I’ve always loved love. I was a shipper before I even knew what that meant. I was always looking for more stories with love. When I realized that there’s a whole genre out there with guaranteed happy endings, it was literally everything to me.

If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?

I wish I had the brain for fantasy or sci-fi. It amazes me so much and it’s one of my favorite genres to watch, but I just can’t imagine creating this whole world. I wish I could.

What are your most and least favorite tropes?

I’m forever a friends-to-lovers and second chance apologist. I love love love forced proximity of any kind. I really do love almost every trope, and if done well, I’ll read anything. However, the love triangle is generally a big no from me. I can’t. I need my people together. I don’t like wasting time with a character who’s not going to be in the picture.

What are some tropes you want to write in the future?

A true invisible string story is one I’m itching to write. I also really want to do a marriage of convenience, which is my most favorite trope in historical romances.

What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?

Mental health rep. I know more people who have some sort of diagnosis than people who don’t. 90% of us are struggling to make it through the day, and I want that incorporated into our romances. It’s a part of us. Therapy and vulnerability are so important to me, so I love it when characters are given the chance and space to let out what’s inside their brains.

If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?

It always starts with the characters and their needs for me. What have they been missing? How can they get even closer? How do we weave in the physical to add another layer to their relationship? I’m also kind of selfish and when I love a couple, I want to see all their firsts. So to me, I knew I wanted my books to be open door because I care about these two too much and want as many scenes with them as possible.

YOUR BOOKS

What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?

The Midnights duology came to me in fragments. It was the most chaotic thing I’d ever witnessed my brain do!? I was drafting my debut, and I was visiting New York, when I thought, oh, a Broadway romance might be neat. Didn’t think anything of it at the time. And then I was in the shower one day, and I kid you not, the “Marry Me” number just straight up attacked my brain, and I could see it clear as day: a Pride and Prejudice musical in the vein of Moulin Rouge! and Chicago. Gritty, sexy, vulnerable, and the roles of Elizabeth and Darcy would be played by two best friends who were trying to grapple with their feelings for one another. I genuinely didn’t think I’d be able to do it because it sounded so intense, but here we are.

Can you briefly tell me about your books?

I keep calling A Certain Step and Absolute Certainty the duology of my heart, and I know now it’s because I was always meant to tell these stories as a love letter to Broadway, movies, and TV. The three big loves of my life that shaped so much of my life. The first is a friends to lovers, workplace romance, and the second is a slow burn, single dad romance with a screenwriter and a Broadway star. They’re soft and vulnerable and an honest look at the industry as a whole. And they’re about finding love after increasingly difficult times.

Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?

This really is so hard, and it genuinely feels wrong to pick a favorite because I love them all so much for different reasons. But Jay from Absolute Certainty has been with me the longest. He was part of this manuscript I kept writing in my early twenties (one that isn’t meant for publication), so when I brought him into this world and realized how perfectly he fits in, it all sort of clicked into place. So for that reason, I’ll say he’s extra special.

If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?

Oh my God. Okay. Here we go. I think about this a lot because of my day job and because I’m such a visual person in general that I almost always have a cast. I have the entire Midnights at Pemberley cast (which is long!) so we won’t get into that.

That said, Aaron Tveit is kind of a no-brainer for Ethan. I tried so hard to fan cast someone else, but I just couldn’t. He’s Ethan. I also couldn’t fan cast Jay for the longest time because he was so perfect in my head until David Corenswet. So now, David Corenswet. I can’t see anyone else. The women are a bit harder because there aren’t many Armenian or Iranian Broadway stars (or actresses in general), so I sort of plucked different things for how I saw them in my head. Alexandra Park looks a bit like how I imagined Willa, and for her voice and hair color specifically, Dua Lipa for Sahar.

How much of yourself do you put into these characters?

Bits and pieces here and there, my favorite snacks, favorite movies, favorite season, favorite holiday. They’re all anxious wrecks in some way. But on a more serious level, I used a good chunk of my own demisexuality with how I wrote Willa’s. I also had a very similar conversation with my own therapist when I wrote in hers for A Certain Step.

But Absolute Certainty is a whole other story because it’s just so relevant to today’s climate—all my frustrations, all my own woes, I sort of plucked parts of me and the stories within the industry in general to show how hard it is out there. And I joke about it, but I stand by it: all my girls will always and forever be fans of The National. Team Sad Dads forever.

What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?

I think I did it in Absolute Certainty. I think this was what I was always meant to tell and whatever comes after this will be a result of how I managed to do this. If that makes sense.

Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?

Softness. My characters are all inherently soft in some way, and I think it’s because it’s so important to me for characters to allow themselves to be vulnerable.

What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?

There are two characters in Absolute Certainty who will not leave me alone and insist on their own story. I think readers will know exactly who they are. I’ve got parts of the story written, but I’m not quite sure how or when we’ll see them.

When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?

Seen. That’s why I love fiction the way I love it. I think it ensures that as human beings we understand that we aren’t alone and I want my readers to feel that sense of belonging and warmth.

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 (Instrumentals, specifically)
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine? (Gin and Trader Joe’s strawberry juice?)
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?