We chat with author Olivia Dade about her latest release At First Spite, which is a delightfully sexy rom-com about a woman who buys the town’s famous Spite House, only to realize the infuriating man she can’t stand lives right next door–and their unwilling proximity might spark something neither can ignore.
Hi, Olivia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! ::waves:: I’m a lifelong reader who began discreetly devouring my mom’s Forbidden Stack of Spicy Paperbacks in her closet at far too young an age and was immediately hooked on romance novels. I cycled through a few other professions before I began writing my own romances, but ten years ago I sat down at my computer and started typing out my first manuscript. I haven’t looked back since. My own books contain significantly fewer pirates and more nerdery than my mom’s early-1980s favorites, sadly, and she continues to wait in vain for me to write a story involving cowboys and/or a baby.
Sorry, Mom! I know nothing about cowboy-ing and consider children the antithesis of romance! Even though I adore my own child!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have no memory of a life before stories. I can’t recall a time when I didn’t have a towering stack of books at my bedside. As far as discovering my love of writing…well, I marched off to graduate school directly after college with the full intent of becoming a history professor, and I think I was one of very few people in my cohort who actually enjoyed essay assignments. When I left grad school shortly after getting my M.A., though, I stopped writing for a long time. I’d always assumed I didn’t have the creativity required for fiction, so no grad school meant no writing. I don’t think I realized how terribly I missed it until my late thirties, when I randomly began drafting my first bit of fiction since high school. Something clicked inside me, and an ache I hadn’t consciously acknowledged disappeared for the first time in over a decade. So now I have both a towering stack of books at my bedside and a (figuratively) towering pile of story ideas I’d love to write myself!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman.
- The one that made you want to become an author: When I first read Charlotte Stein’s Control, my brain essentially rewired itself. The book was smart, sexy, funny, a bit odd, and not at all glamorous, and for the first time, I thought to myself: I could maybe write my own version of a story like this one.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Joanna Bourne’s The Black Hawk is an utter masterpiece. I reread it at least once a year.
Your latest novel, At First Spite, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Emotional. Sweet. Hot. Funny. Bawdy.
What can readers expect?
At First Spite is the story of Athena, who’s forced to move into a ten-foot-wide home in Harlot’s Bay, Maryland, next door to both her ex-fiancé and his older brother Matthew—AKA the uptight, judgy jerk who convinced her ex to leave her. As she exacts her brand of petty revenge, she discovers that Matthew may be more than she imagined, and things start to get messy. Er, messier.
The story is a slow-burn romance full of humor and sweetness and found family, but parts of it are also ripped directly from my heart. Once uprooted and adrift, Athena is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths and rebuild her life in fundamental ways, which isn’t always easy. Matthew is still struggling with the impact of a long-ago loss. So the story will hopefully leave you laughing and happy, but certain parts may also make you cry.
Where did the inspiration for At First Spite come from?
At First Spite began as a happy mashup of two separate story ideas I’d been considering. After reading an article about Boston’s famous Skinny House, which was built—or so the story goes—out of fraternal spite, I’d added a two-word, all-caps note in my Story Ideas folder: SPITE HOUSE. (Luckily, that note was more easily interpretable than a previous, somewhat opaque entry: LOINSTORM. My best guess: I was thinking of a Norse mythology-themed male strip show. As one does.) Then, a couple of years later, I decided my next book should feature a literally and figuratively messy female main character, one whose life and future remained unsettled in nearly every important aspect. Once I realized I could merge those two thoughts into a single story’s plot, At First Spite was born.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
The town of Harlot’s Bay boasts a book club of erotic-romance-reading librarians, who call themselves the Nasty Wenches. The Nasty Wenches are currently focused on the popular subgenre of monster-banging romances—especially those written by the entirely fictional Sadie Brazen, whose books I had great fun brainstorming. My favorite Brazen creation: Loch Ness Master, the story of a seductive, dominant Scottish lake monster and a wide-eyed American named Dani who lost track of her tour group and stumbled into the cold loch…only to encounter a scientifically improbable and unceasingly horny creature of the deep.
Also, don’t get me started on Brazen’s guppy-man hero for Desire, Unfiltered and his strategically placed fins.
What led you to writing within the romance genre?
Although I’ve read across all genres, I’ve always, always loved romances the most and craved the reassurance that joy can be found even in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty. At its best, romance is a genre of hope, and it’s a true pleasure to write stories that may share that hope and reassurance with others.
What’s next for you?
I’m writing the next book in the Harlot’s Bay series—and tackling edits on ZomRomCom, my first-ever paranormal romance! Yes, there are zombies. No, the zombies aren’t the protagonists. (Although the zombies might disagree.)
Lastly, are there any 2024 romances releases that our readers should keep an eye out for?
Yes! The first couple months of this year were packed with incredible stories by my very talented author friends! Here are three of the many, many new books on my TBR pile: Wild Life, Opal Wei’s rueful, witty romcom homage to Bringing Up Baby; Mia Sosa’s amazing new audiobook (which has the hookiest premise ever), The Starter Ex; and Charlotte Stein’s When Grumpy Met Sunshine, which showcases both her sparkling banter and her distinctive author voice. As I said earlier, reading Charlotte’s work helped inspire me to write my own stories, and I’m so glad to see her name on bookstore shelves again.
