We chat with author Victoria Lee about The Love Variations, which is an emotional and empowering romance and sees two musicians compete to win a prestigious piano competition . . . until sparks fly. Can a fiery romance help them to heal old wounds?
Hi, Victoria! Welcome back! It’s been five years since we last spoke for the release of A Lesson in Vengeance. How have you been and what have you been up to?
Hi! I’m so excited to be back here with The Nerd Daily. I’ve been hanging in there. I had two babies in that intervening time, so that has definitely been A Lot. I also wrote two books—this one and A Shot in the Dark, my debut adult romance, which came out in 2023.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Good question. I’m not sure I even know myself. I wrote my first “novel” when I was in second grade, about a girl on the Oregon Trail. (Can you tell I played way too much of that game, growing up?) That was probably when I decided I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I spent a lot of high school and college writing fanfiction, which I heartily recommend as a great way to develop your craft in a low-stakes environment. But I didn’t truly commit to pursuing this as a career until a few years later, in grad school.
Your latest novel, The Love Variations, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Rivals live together, fall in love. (Not being able to add “piano” before “rivals” is killing me though. “In” shouldn’t count as a word!)
What can readers expect?
The Love Variations is a love story, but it’s also a story about self-discovery and letting go that which doesn’t bring you joy. One aspect of the book is Goldie’s recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and her fear that as her disease progresses, she might lose the ability to play piano altogether. She is determined to win a prestigious international piano competition while she still has time. Jamie, on the other hand, struggles with his love for music having diminished after his younger brother’s death and resentment of those who didn’t have to fight as hard to get where he is now. They both have reasons they want to win the upcoming competition at all costs. It means that their relationship is fraught with these unspoken fears that they must overcome in order to find happiness—and love.
Where did the inspiration for The Love Variations come from?
Although not nearly at the same level as Goldie and Jamie, I played piano when I was younger, including competing in a few state and regional piano competitions. I chose music performance in particular because it lent itself well to there being a primary goal for both characters—a deadline closing in. But as for the rest of the story, I was excited to explore more of what it means to be an artist (following up on my previous book, A Shot in the Dark, which was about photographers). As someone with lupus, too, I was interested in writing more about disability and chronic illness and the ways it can interfere with pursuing the things we love most.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I’m not gonna lie…I really liked writing the sex scenes. Particularly those that involved being on top of a piano.
I also enjoyed writing Jamie’s perspective. He is neurodivergent, like myself, and being able to sink into his mind and the ways in which it makes him different from others was refreshing and validating.
With The Love Variations centering around a piano competition, did music form the backdrop to any of your writing time?
Oh yeah. For one, my partner is an avid pianist, so I got to listen to a lot of live music while writing! I also have a long-time favorite classical music playlist that I’d put on for inspiration.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I was pregnant with my second child while I started writing the book. It ended up being a quite complicated pregnancy; I was hospitalized during my second trimester with early-onset preeclampsia, then had my daughter prematurely. She spent a lot of time in the NICU, which meant I did too. I wasn’t writing at all during that time, since my doctors had told me not to work, given my blood pressure. And then there was the newborn phase. So it took much longer to write and revise this book than I’d originally planned.
With romance booming, what are you enjoying coming out of the genre at the moment?
Oh man, where do I start? I’ve really been enjoying books by Zakiya N Jamal, including If We Were a Movie and the upcoming Two Can Play That Game. I also recently read and loved Winner Takes All by Emily Martin, which releases in June. Gotta put The Favorites by Layne Fargo, The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest, and One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune on that list, too!
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on my next YA, The Girl That Time Forgot. It’s about a girl who is one of the last adepts of a forgotten magic. She discovers that the other four adepts have murdered someone and plan to kill again—and she is the only person powerful enough to stop them.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I’m excited for Two Can Play That Game by Zakiya N Jamal and Winner Takes All by Emily Martin to find their way into readers’ hands! In terms of non-romances I’ve read recently, I loved The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker, and The Gravewood by Kelly Andrew.
