We chat with author Jen Comfort about her new release, Midnight Duet, which features a wildly electric romance about two musicians who collide on the stage of a Nevada opera house.
Hi, Jen! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m originally from Portland, Oregon, and after originally attempting to pursue astrophysics and then realizing I was absolutely not cut out for Serious Study (which I will later discover was due to my undiagnosed ADHD), I decided to major in hospitality and manage restaurants in NYC. Eventually—as with many 20-somethings who move to Manhattan for their careers—I decided I was done with being broke and tired all the time. I moved back home to Portland, and soon after that, I seriously pursued romance writing. (And by that, I mean I got a part-time serving job and spent five more years being broke and tired, while also writing sometimes).
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was always a very indoor child who liked books instead of sports. I also had a vivid imagination, and often got in trouble for making up lurid stories on the playground. But my first real foray into writing was some melodramatic, sexy fanfic about Bonnie and Damon from The Vampire Diaries–the books, not the show, because the books were all we had back then in ancient-times (1998).
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
Can’t remember my first book, but I did have all the Nancy Drew books and they were my first reading obsession.
Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith were my first experience with romantic fantasy, and that got me hooked on finding romance subplots in other genres, until I finally gave in and started reading pure romance. They were my gateway drug!
Speaking of romantic subplots, I’m currently listening to Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir on audiobook and I can’t stop thinking about this entire space necromancer series and how absolutely batshit bonkers it is. I never have any clue what the hell is going on and that’s fantastic, because I find that now when I read I get distracted by dissecting the HOW and WHY behind writing choices. I struggle to turn off my writer-brain. But I have absolutely no clue what Tamsyn Muir is doing and it’s a thrilling ride!
Your new novel, Midnight Duet, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Over-the-top, atmospheric, melodramatic, horny, and bonkers.
What can readers expect?
A gender-flipped, modern, rom-com retelling of Phantom of the Opera.
Gothy vibes, glam rock, and a pipe organ solo scene that will make you rethink how you feel about pipe organs.
Occasionally, some plot: Erika Greene, a disgraced Broadway star, has retreated to Paris, Nevada after a stage accident that left her face scarred—and a scandal left her career in ruins. She’s inherited an old brothel & theater which is badly in need of repair, and to prevent a casino developer from turning it into a water park, she agrees to lease rehearsal space to Christof Daae and his German glam rock band, who are developing their first English-language album. Christof is off-limits, but the attraction between him and Erika is electric, especially when she starts giving him clandestine singing lessons…
Where did the inspiration for Midnight Duet come from?
This is my homage to Phantom of the Opera with a Spinal Tap spin. But in this retelling, I wanted to explore how people would treat the “phantom” if it were a woman with a scarred face and a flair for drama.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I always have a ton of fun with my secondary characters, who get to be a little more exaggerated than the protagonists. They provide most of the com in my rom-coms.
I start by giving each of them one very strong character trait that I think has humorous potential and then I reverse-engineer a backstory to explain it.
Sibylle, the band’s bassist, for example, is intensely macabre and obsessed with murder and ghosts. Waldo, the drummer, is enthusiastically obsessed with Americana. And Sergei, their guitarist, is obsessed with… playing guitar. And he might also be a vampire.
Do you have any advice for those who may have set some writing resolutions for the new year?
Write what you want to read. Don’t worry about tropes and over-analyzing industry trends and trying to follow some magic formula for plot beats and structure. (Unless you’re writing category romance, because then it’s all about the magic formula.) But I have found my best writing is done when I’m writing with that old fashioned Vampire Diaries fanfic attitude—like I’m writing my alternative fantasy version of an original story I’m not satisfied with. Whenever I’m stuck and find myself getting bored, I step back and think, “If I was reading this, what would I want to have happen here?” And then I write that.
Sure, the plot goes off the rails sometimes. A lot of times. But that’s what revisions are for! At least you’re having fun.
What’s next for you?
A Jeopardy!-inspired rivals-to-lovers romcom featuring two top-ranked trivia champions who have polar opposite personalities and gameplay styles. It’s the nerdiest, sexiest, funniest thing I’ve ever written and I’m having the absolute time of my life.
Lastly, what 2023 book releases our readers should look out for?
- “Will They or Won’t They” by Ava Wilder is in my all-time faves already—just read it!
- “Thank You For Sharing” by Rachel Runya Katz for friends-to-lovers and sexy museum sleepovers.
- “Role Playing” by Cathy Yardley for a fresh twist on You’ve Got Mail but with fellow RPG guild players.
- “Raiders of the Lost Heart” by Jo Segura for steamy adventure romance and a Latina Lara Croft-esque heroine.
