Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Nina LaCour, this #ownvoices romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley has something for everyone: backstage rendezvous, deadly props, and a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to True Love.
We chat to author Robin Talley about her latest release, The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre, as well as book recommendations, what’s next for her, and more!
Hello Robin! Welcome! Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Thanks for the welcome! I’m an author of books for teens, and anyone else who likes a good story. I identify as queer, and the stories I write are about teenagers who are themselves on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. My newest novel, The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre, will be my seventh. I live in Washington, D.C., with my wife and our two rambunctious kiddos.
What can people expect in The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre?
Love Curse is a queer rom-com set in the world of high school theater. It’s got forbidden love, backstage drama, superstitious theater nerds, copious musical references, and more than one secret rendezvous in the school tech booth.
What was your inspiration for writing The Love Curse? Was there any prompt or initial idea that urged you to write it?
This novel started out with the character of Melody McIntyre herself — she just showed up in my brain one afternoon when I was supposed to be working on another project entirely. At first all I knew about Mel was that she was extremely skilled at something, but I wasn’t sure what. When I realized she was a stage manager, and the best one in the history of her school’s performing arts department, the rest of the story very rapidly fell into place.
I adored the romance and the chemistry between Mel and Odile! How did you go about writing their characters and their relationship?
Thank you! Writing their relationship was interesting, because at the outset I knew a lot about Mel, but I didn’t know Odile nearly as well. I was getting a feel for her at the same time I was getting a feel for the way the two characters connected. The moment that made them click for me was when I envisioned their first real, meaningful conversation, when the two of them sneak out of a party, leaving their friends behind in Mel’s basement, to talk outside. It’s the first time either of them lets down their guard in the story, and soon, without meaning to, they’re both opening up, sharing the kind of stuff they never tell people. Once I could see that scene clearly in my head, their dynamic made total sense me. They’re both used to keeping their feelings to themselves, but they also trust each other instinctively.
What were the most memorable things for you when you wrote The Love Curse?
The research! A big part of my preparation for this book involved going to see local high school and youth theater productions. I went to ten different musicals, from Bye Bye Birdie to Floyd Collins, and at each of them I got to take in the atmosphere, analyze the on-stage action, and sneak looks at the tech booth and backstage goings-on. I made up entire stories in my head about the kids at each show based on the way they smiled during curtain calls or who they thanked in their program bios. I’ve never had so much fun researching a book.
Were there any scenes or parts that didn’t make it to the final version of the book? Or were there any scenes or parts that you thought about adding?
Oh yes, this book changed a lot in the revision process. One sequence that I cut involved Mel accompanying Odile to a red-carpet movie premiere. It absolutely didn’t fit in the final version of the story, but I was sad to lose the makeout scene in the swanky hotel elevator, and the afterparty with Leonardo DiCaprio.
If you were Mel, would you have agreed with your love life being the subject of the theater’s superstition that year?
Ha! Well, let’s just say I’m not nearly as superstitious as Mel and her crew. Thankfully.
I loved the fact that this book has some casual queer representation, but you also highlighted a few of the struggles queer people go through. Do you think it’s important that we see more of that balance in books and other media?
For sure. I’ve written books that focus more heavily on the struggle, some a lot more heavily, and I definitely think that’s important to reflect, particularly for readers facing challenges due to their own identities. And I also think there’s a place for stories about LGBTQ+ people who are simply living their lives. For one thing, it’s an escape from the burdens of the real world — but also, because we’re lucky enough to live in the time we do, it also is the reality for some teens, like Mel, who’ve been fortunate enough to grow up knowing that they’re welcome in their families and communities regardless of who they are or who they love. So I think that’s important to reflect, too.
What other queer books do you recommend for us right now?
My favorite question! Here are some recent reads I’ve savored: Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian, The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender, Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, and You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson.
What’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming projects or books we can look forward to?
I’m working on a new project now, but although I’m not as superstitious as Mel, I am superstitious about giving too much away this time since a lot could still wind up changing. But stay tuned!
