Worth It (Cover Reveal) *Debut Author*

Friends, friends I cannot believe I have this opportunity!!!

A bookish friend turned author has given me the honor to share her baby to the world, buckle up buttercup because let me set the stage.

Who is this debut author? 

Bio: Lady Marie is the pen name of a thirty-something, DC native who is finally taking the plunge into writing contemporary romance. She has had a not-so-secret obsession with reading for as long as she can remember and a passion for creating worlds and telling stories that showcase just how beautiful Black love can be. When she’s not putting words to page, she can be found drinking a glass of wine, rewatching her comfort movies, reading the latest release from her favorite authors, or binging her current streaming obsession.

Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Linktree

Lady Marie shared some insights on her writing journey with me and how we got to the new release. 

WR: What do you want readers to know about Worth It?

Lady Marie: I think the main thing I want readers to know about Worth It is that I put my heart and soul into this book. I put myself into this book. There are pieces of me in Makayla. Pieces of people in my life are scattered throughout her family and friends. Conversations I've had or wanted to have are mixed in there, too. That type of vulnerability isn't easy. I'm not saying that because I want people to take it easy on me when they read this or be swayed by how personal some elements may or may not be. I say that because I don't know if I really realized how intimate sharing a piece of work like this would be. It's exciting, it's scary, and it's definitely nerve wracking. Most of all though, it's amazing. If just one person reads this book and connects with it in some way whether by laughing, tearing up, or even cutting on the AC while reading one of the "spicy" scenes (lol), then I've done what I set out to do. I've managed to create something that resonates with another person and that in and of itself is worth it to me.

WR: As a debut author, what was your writing process?

Lady Marie: Listen, writing is HARD. 

 

I've been writing in some form or fashion for most of my life and this is the first time I've actually finished a project. Even now that it's finished, I'm thinking about what's next and the first thing that comes to mind is, "Am I going to be able to finish a project?!" 

 

So when you say, "what was your process?" I'm going to be honest and say I have no clue. 😅

 

Well, okay, I'll take that back. I guess I do have some sort of process, but to me it feels completely rooted in chaos. As far as coming up with the ideas, that can happen in different ways. My best friend may give me ideas or I might listen to a song that instantly makes me go, "this would be perfect for a story". 

 

For Worth It, once I figured out what I wanted the story to be about, I immediately created an aesthetic/moodboard. In fact, I made three. Something about being able to see visual representations of both the characters and the different activities within the book helped me get into the mind space I needed in order for me to write. I did the same thing with the playlist. I went to Spotify, turned on one of my R&B mixes, and just hit play. From there I was able to pull together a couple of songs that all seemed to fit the vibe that I was going for. 

 

Every song wasn't added to the playlist at the same time and there were definitely some that didn't stick around for long, but being able to listen to those songs was like having Makayla and Reggie speak to me. Whenever I was stumped I could turn on that music or pull up those pictures and fall right into a writing rhythm. It was also helpful that I was able to write the first 20k during Tasha L. Harrison's 20kin5Days challenge. It kept me on my toes, kept me focused, and helped get me in the habit of setting aside time to actually focus on nothing but writing. All of those things were a big help.   

You can listen to the Worth It playlist. 

 

WR: What is the inspiration for Worth It?

Lady Marie: In full transparency, I had no intention of Worth It being my debut. I was working and focusing on a completely different project. I'm talking about different characters, different premise, different EVERYTHING! Then I saw this tweet saying that a publishing company (one who shall remain nameless because it turns out they're actually horrible) was pulling together submissions for a romance anthology. I thought it would be a great way to get my feet wet, actually finish a project, and maybe finally publish something. So that night I went to bed thinking that the next day I needed to figure out what angle I wanted to use for this short story. Turns out, my subconscious was in a bit of a rush because that night I had a dream about a couple who agreed to be each other's fake date to a wedding. In the dream, they were sitting in a restaurant trying to come up with a plan of how to make the whole thing believable. One of them suggested they actually try spending time together before the wedding and well...from there Worth It was born. 

 

It eventually spiraled from a short story to a 20k word story and by the time I got to that point Reggie and Makayla were basically cussing me out because they were nowhere near finished, but I have to say...I'm glad they never shut up.

Worth It Inspiration Board

❤Do you kiss all of your fake girlfriends like you want to blow their backs out or was that just for my benefit ❤

Book Synopsis: The last thing that Makayla Michaels is looking for right now is love. She's too busy working to secure her promotion to editor-in-chief of Divine Mahogany Magazine. Unfortunately, she can't quite seem to make her family understand that. With her mother's wedding just around the corner, she's suddenly in need of the very thing she's been trying to avoid: a boyfriend.

Enter Reggie Johnson.

Reggie's finally taking a break from traveling the world to plant roots in his hometown. When he agreed to go out with Makayla, he never thought it'd end with her asking him to be her fake boyfriend, especially when she played him to the left after their first date. Maybe desperate times really do call for desperate measures.

Reggie agrees to Makayla's plan, but he has one of his own. For every fake date they go on with her family, Makayla agrees to let him take her on a real one. It's just unconventional enough to work. Besides, what's the worst that can happen? It's not like she's in any danger of falling in love for real... right?

❤ I think it’s time for us to go,” he said, voice thick with need. “I need to taste you, and  I’m pretty sure there may be some objections if I do it right here at this table ❤

Tropes: Fake Dating, Romantic vs Pessimist, Black Love

Release Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Pre Order link

Now for the cover reveal...🥁

Music credit: Jeff Kaale song Mai Tai

Happy Reading!