We chat with author Betty Corrello about 32 Days In May, which follows a young woman recently diagnosed with lupus attempts a no-strings fling with a former television star.
Hi, Betty! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi friends! Thanks so much for taking time to read this! My name is Betty (lol), I’m a comedian-turned-romance author. I’m a Philly girl, but also grew up partially in Italy. Outside of writing and reading romance, I love makeup; if you ever want to talk about discontinued MAC lipsticks and the iconic Heatherette collection, DM me. My favorite romance subgenre is paranormal. I love all things vampires, shifters, telepaths! Like most of my FMCs, I’m a former emo kid turned indie sleaze millennial turned lady who owns too many tote bags and has a shitty car with an ironic bumper sticker. C’est la vie, and I love it.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was always a really imaginative kid, and my love of stories definitely started with movies and sitcoms. I was obsessed with TV as a kid—particularly the “classics” that would play on Nick at Nite. I had an old, tiny TV in my bedroom and I would stay up late watching reruns with the volume super low. The Cosby Show, The Facts of Life, and Roseanne were my favorites—but I also loved Gilligan’s Island, weirdly. I would watch every night and think, I want to do this. How do I do this?! I think I tried writing my first episode of a sitcom when I was eight or nine. I also loved to read—particularly the Dear America books, Harry Potter, and age-inappropriate fiction about World War 2—but there was something particularly exciting about being funny.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I had (and still have!) a big book of all the Madeline stories and that went platinum in my childhood bedroom. I think Charlotte’s Web was the first book I ever did a deep reading on. I think there was some form of book report involved.
- The one that made you want to become an author: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson have probably lived rent-free in my head the longest. Lila by Marilynne Robinson is a more recent addition.
Your latest novel, 32 Days in May, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Hot! Crackling! Tender! Raw! Italians!
What can readers expect?
Based on everything I’ve been tagged in—to cry! I didn’t realize how emotional this story would be for my readers, but the way it has resonated is incredible. The way people are able to empathize with Nadia is so affirming. Also I think people are crying happy tears too?!
Where did the inspiration for 32 Days in May come from?
I was at a nail salon experiencing the magic of girlhood when someone put on a movie that had Lauren Graham in the opening scene. As a lifelong Gilmore Girls fan, I was like—hello?! I think all of us were excited to see her baby blues. But then LG disappeared and Charlize Theron swooped in. That movie was Sweet November and everyone spent the entire movie laughing at how ridiculous it was, how bad the acting is. Meanwhile, I spent the last twenty minutes holding my eyes as wide open as possible so no one would see that I was actually sobbing. When the credits rolled I was like, no? That’s……not it, chief. I knew right away we needed a redo.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing the dinner party at the beach in Italy, starting with the car ride out to Fregene through the outskirts of Rome. I lived in Rome for four years, and never really had the right vehicle for all my thoughts and feelings about it. The further away you get from the center of Rome, the more you get to see the way real Romans live, what the actual city is like. It’s like being in Washington Heights versus Midtown. As a lifelong city girl, I love that stuff. I also loved writing the dinner party scene, because I got to fill it with free-floating observations, to make the conversation feel organic and bubbling.
Last but not least––my friends and I were extremely obsessed with Stath Let’s Flats the summer I wrote this book, which is why Marco is Greek and why there’s sort of an extended riff on Mediterranean diaspora culture. I felt really empowered to explore how dads are so weird. Also Soph is named after Sophia, played by Natasia Demetriou. It’s extremely fun to have this book as a time capsule for that moment in my sense of humor.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
To be honest, I was really battling my own autoimmune disease in the latter stages of editing. I had to take time off and get really serious about managing my stress levels. It was like, ok I can keep “powering through” and maybe literally have what happens to Nadia happen to me or I can be so bffr and start to take care of myself. I hate saying no, letting people down, not being there in the best and most bubbly way possible. I had to get comfortable with saying. “No, sorry, I can’t. I’m sick and this is what that looks like.”
What’s next for you?
Weather trading.
Just kidding! I have nothing to announce yet but I am cooking up something extremely fun and sexy.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
Oh my goodness––hard question!! I know I’m going to miss some amazing books coming out this year, but here are the romances I can’t wait to see hit shelves:
- Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt (TDW at her f*cking best, man)
- Holly Jolly July by Lindsay Maple (I blurbed this one and it’s soooo fun)
- Winging It With You by Chip Pons
- Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Ruya Katz
- Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder
- The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher (Had the pleasure of reading this early and it literally blew my mind. Brilliant. Just brilliant.)
