We chat with author Laurie Devore about The Villain Edit, which is an irresistibly sharp and sexy dramedy about a cynical romance novelist who goes on a Bachelor-like reality show to revive her flagging career, only to discover that while she may have just met the love of her life, the producers have turned her into the show’s villain.
Hi, Laurie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a writer living and working in Charleston, South Carolina. I’m the author of three novels for young adults and the new adult novel, The Villain Edit. I enjoy writing books that center about “difficult” female characters.
In my spare time, I enjoy frequent trips to the beach, watching a lot of TV (of course!), and hanging out with my dog, Wrigley (like the stadium!).
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
This may be a stereotypical answer, but I don’t ever remember not wanting to be a writer. I loved reading from a young age and always was in a notebook writing my own stories, usually completely cribbed from whichever novel I had just read and enjoyed.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Corduroy by Don Freeman
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Royal Diaries: Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer (honestly, all of The Royal Diaries books)
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Your latest novel, The Villain Edit, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Good villains make great TV.
What can readers expect?
The Villain Edit is about Jac, a cynical romance novelist who joins a reality dating show called the 1 to boost her writing career. Her stint on the show is complicated when she finds out that Henry, a producer on the show, is the man she previously had a one night stand with. Henry and Jac have an undeniable pull to each other and yet, Henry is working with the other producers to make Jac the villain of the season.
Where did the inspiration for The Villain Edit come from?
I love pop culture and have been watching The Bachelor since 2015. Not long after I started watching the show itself, I also saw a scripted show created be a former Bachelor producer, UnREAL, which gave a lot of background into how the producers manipulate the contestants on the show. That push and pull was fascinating to me and I wanted to explore it further using someone who choose to be a contestant on the show versus from the point of view of the producers who had the power.
The rest evolved from there, from Jac becoming the villain of the season, to having Jac being a writer who relates to the producers from a storytelling perspective.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
When reading the novel, the bulk of the story happens during filming of the show. Reality show watchers will know that a show is filmed, edited, and then airs several months later. In the text, I wanted to explore what actually happened on the day of filming and then what people see on TV once the show airs.
In order to do that, Jac sometimes makes asides in her narration about the final outcome of the scene we’re filming. I thought it was fascinating to show the side-by-side of how manipulated the footage could be and how that eventually shapes Jac’s narrative on the show and how the audience at home reacts to her.
What’s next for you?
Hopefully more books! I’m working on another book exploring pop culture but not quite at the point where I can share details yet. Right now, I am enjoying doing promo for THE VILLAIN EDIT and finally seeing it make its way into readers’ hands!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
Some of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year are: Your Utopia by Bora Chung (a brilliant futuristic sci-fi society concepts), You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (an actual laugh out loud retelling of When Harry Met Sally), Good Material by Dolly Alderton (I’m not sure any book has ever better captured going through a breakup), and Come & Get it by Kiley Reid (the best satire I’ve read in some time).
Others I’m looking forward to: When Among Crows by Veronica Roth (already out but haven’t had a chance to read it yet!), Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, and The Pairing by Casey McQuiston.
