Why We Decided To Write a Pandemic Romance By Kylie Scott and Audrey Carlan

We’re not sure about you, but we deal with stress in a few different ways. Re-reading our favorite romances (Hello Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley), internet shopping (all the sweatpants in every color…don’t judge), snacks, and vodka. Lots and lots of vodka. 

Alternately, we make like romance writer and write. Except it was proving difficult to focus on a contemporary romance that would fill the day with alpha heroes and plucky heroine’s when the entire world was suffering a pandemic. This is when the power of sisterhood and friendship became extremely important to escape the crippling fear and possible depression that the pandemic was pushing on every living soul. 

Eureka! Why not write what we know. Like artists, authors take from their everyday lives as well as their imaginations to craft a tale that will hopefully interest the masses. Well, what are the masses focused on? Surviving a pandemic. 

That was when Kylie had the big idea. Two people fall in love under quarantine. What would that look like during a pandemic? What constraints would a couple have? What type of struggles? How do you fall in love when you can’t stand any closer than 6 feet apart? 

So, with the desire to write, but not being able to ignore what was happening all over the world, Kylie reached out to Audrey. She too was sad and scared about the state of the world and wanted to do something to help deal with it all, but didn’t know what. Both authors had always wanted to try co-authoring a book but it had never quite come together. Still the desire to take on this massive life challenge was overwhelming. After talking about it at great length, and Kylie sharing her idea, they came to the decision to go for it together. 

Once the idea took hold we ran with it. Addressing real issues such as “OMG they can’t hold hands!” and “How are they going to grocery shop?” It became a fun challenge to force the characters to get to know one another organically but from a distance. And of course, Audrey and Kylie both write bedroom door open romance, so there had to be some steamy scenes. You can only imagine the conversations flying between the two of us during our plotting a sexy chapter. “Does he say forget about it and go over to her apartment?” Asks Audrey. “No way! It’s too risky!” Immediately answers Kylie. 

We had to hash out things we normally wouldn’t even worry about which definitely allowed us to spread our creative wings and focus on the real issue at hand. People were getting sick. People were dying. We had to be considerate of what was happening in the real world and impress that upon our characters and the plotline of the story. Even though our characters were getting to know each other from a minimum of six feet apart, it was basically sort of a modern day long distance love story. 

That type of romance has major challenges but the end product is something we feel is real to life, hopeful, true to our style of love story, and our point of view on where we’re at in the world. Romancelandia or otherwise. 

In Love Under Quarantine, you’re going to get the football hero who has always lived his life as a player on and off the field. He hides out in his best friend’s apartment in San Francisco to avoid the media backlash of a scandal he’s been accidentally caught up in. That’s when the entire city goes on lockdown with a shelter in place order. 

Sadie, a snack-loving, romance writing introvert who has lost her muse lives next door. The two end up meeting on their balconies twenty stories in the sky. Quickly they become enchanted by one another as their only source of physical human interaction, even though it’s across balconies.

Evan hangs on every word the sassy, blue-eyed blonde dolls out about her book, her horrible eating habits, and her attempts at yoga, while Sadie enjoys the eye-candy that is a pro-athlete’s body, and easy going nature of the hot jock. 

Soon the two become great friends and then ultimately more. With timed movie dates, shared meals, and sexy calls and video chats, these two couldn’t help but fall for one another. Only how do you manage a new relationship and falling in love when you’re under quarantine?

You’ll have to find out for yourself! 

And from the both of us to all of you…

Be safe. Wash your hands. Stay home and read a book! 

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