Alessandra and Ilana—writing together as June Kaye—are the co-authors of 37 Questions, a contemporary romance novel about a Brazilian IT-specialist and a British actor who meet during a tornado warning in Nashville and end up trapped together. To pass the time, they answer the “36 Questions to Fall in Love.”
The authors sat down to recall how their partnership began, the pros and cons of writing as a duo, the challenges of writing in a second language, and time travel. Well, sort of.
Ilana: Let’s start at the beginning—after all, it’s “a very good place to start.” I guess everyone is dying to know how we met. Care to share?
Alessandra: I wouldn’t go so far as to say “everyone”, but to those who are curious, we met at work, back in Brazil. We joined our workplace at the same time, and there, our paths took us to different countries. We were both living in Africa when the pandemic hit (you, in Kenya; while I was in Namibia), we got in touch for some random reason and ended up bonding over literature and writing. I wanted to try NaNoWriMo for the first time; you were my accountability partner and also my inspiration to write.
I: That was such a fun time! We texted every day and cheered on one another; it absolutely made up for the isolation months. Then, we started following the wonderful #WritingCommunity people. Remember that six-figure book deal we saw on Twitter? You were so moved by it that you joked we should switch to romance and get us a sweet deal, too.
A: Yes! I was writing high fantasy while alpha-reading your superb lit fic. I’m so glad you accepted my proposal to join forces and co-write 37 Questions; you fell immediately in love with the idea and I just had to have you with me. Then we created our alter-ego, June—because we were both born in the most beautiful month of the year—and ever since we’ve been doing most of our writing together. Speaking of which, since you had way more experience than me in writing alone, what is your favorite part of writing as a duo?
I: Way more experience, wow. That makes me sound like a veteran writer, which I’m definitely not. Writing is a solitary craft, so having someone to share the happy moments—and the not-so-happy ones—is awesome! I love that we are built-in critique partners, so we review each other’s chapters as we write them. At the same time, it always fascinated me how we could plot something together, so I knew what was going to happen in that scene, but when I finally read what you had written, you surprised me with some witty wording, small plot twist, heart-melting romantic gesture, or even just things happening in a way I hadn’t imagined. The beauty of writing is that creativity flows in different ways for each person.
A: I agree with you! I’ll also say that having different writing styles, as we do, makes writing together more interesting.
I: In your opinion, is there a drawback to writing as a duo?
A: The best part of writing as a duo is having someone to share everything. The worst part is… having to share everything. Because we try to make everything together, every single decision needs to be discussed, which often takes some time because of our busy schedules as moms, wives, and workers. Collaboration doubles our brainpower but slows down decision-making. I don’t consider it a bad thing, it’s just the one con that comes to mind. I mean, I love writing as a duo, and appreciate having you to share every single (and small) step of the complex process that publishing a book is. It wouldn’t be the same without you! I am so grateful you convinced me to write in English, too, even though it’s not our first language. Was it challenging for you?
I: It certainly was. When writing in a foreign language, the limited vocabulary, and the lack of cultural nuance can make it difficult to convey ideas as clearly (or as poetically) as you want them to be. My browsing history and the dictionary I have pinned in my browser are testimonies to my struggles! The funny thing is that I always thought I used those tools because English is not my first language, but I’ve been seeing many English-speaking writers on social media making funny videos about their Google searches, how much they rely on thesaurus and… well, I guess writing is challenging for everyone!
A: Maybe now’s a good time to talk about what inspired our book baby? Because, even though the initial idea was very different from what our story became, the backbone never changed—the famous “36 questions to fall in love” article by the NYT, which was based on a 1997 scientific paper. I don’t think you’d heard of it when I suggested we write a story using it as a framework…?
I: Exactly! I guess I was living under a rock or something. Now, I recommend everyone I know to try it. All you need is the list, a willing partner, and 90 minutes. Of course we did the questionnaire between us, first through our characters and then as ourselves. When I asked you the first of the 36 questions (“Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?”), you said you’d invite your 10-year-old self. If you could tell her that one day you’d be publishing a book in the US, how do you think she’d react?
A: I think she would be perplexed that her then-dream of becoming an actress would not happen (perhaps vicariously through Aiden), but as a true Gemini, she would also be fascinated by the idea. Even though she probably wouldn’t understand exactly what it meant.
I: Mine would say, “Yeah. Sure. I knew it.” I was way more confident when I was a child than I am today! Especially because, when I was around ten, I dreamed of being a writer. Later on, as a teenager, my life changed, and I ended up in law school, keeping connected with my old dream by posting poems on a blog. But the world turned and here we are, publishing a book. Thanks to you. <3
A: Awn, it takes two to June! Sharing this road with you has been a delight. But now that our book baby is out in the world, what is your expectation about 37 Questions?
I: My biggest expectation is that readers enjoy the story, fall in love with the characters, and interact actively with the questions as they read the book. Can they relate to any of the characters’ answers? Would they know the answers of their partners or friends?
A: Yes! I’d also love for the book to promote meaningful conversations about love, friendship, and self-awareness. My goal is to create a fun and emotional experience that encourages readers to reflect on their own lives and relationships while having a good time reading our story. The questions in the book aren’t only a way to get to know someone else—they’re also a powerful tool for self-discovery. And who knows? Maybe it can inspire our readers to fall in love, too.
