My hearts, I’m so excited to introduce you to Thea Lawrence! Her rockstar romance Babydoll was nominated for Best Romance (right alongside When Ivy Met Adam 🎉), and I’m on a mission to interview every nominee in the category.

Thea Lawrence is a Canadian indie romance author who has been writing since she was sixteen. She started out writing Lord of the Rings fanfiction in the back of her French class and that blossomed into a lifelong passion for storytelling. After spending nearly a decade in academia, including getting a master’s degree in criminology and making it all the way to PhD candidacy, she decided to shift gears and focus on romance novels. Thea loves to write romance stories with heart, grit, darkness, and a lot of spice. Thea’s hobbies include Criminal Minds marathons, lifting weights, drinking coffee like it’s going to pay the bills, napping, and watching cult documentaries with her partner. She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario with her partner and editor, Ben Browning.

JEN: Thea, it’s so nice to do this. Thanks for saying yes. Let’s start at the very beginning. How did your upbringing and your creative journey shape the stories you tell? Have your early experiences influenced the way you write?

THEA: I grew up in a small town called Ladner, British Columbia. I hated growing up there. I was a misfit and an outcast, and I’d always felt really alien growing up, but I had a small pack of friends (we called ourselves The Leftovers) who made high school a lot more bearable. We were just a pack of weird goth kids who listened to heavy metal and didn’t really fit in. We accepted everyone who felt lost, and I think those friendships solidified how I write friendships in books. Growing up in my hometown made me want to run from it, but as I’ve gotten older (I’m on the verge of turning 39), I go back there sometimes and realize how much love was there even though I didn’t have the typical small-town experience. I think my upbringing made me write characters who don’t quite fit in, who exist on the fringes, and who find their own families and their own ways in life that are off the beaten path.

JEN: Wait—y’all had a name? That’s amazing! My write-or-die BFF Arlys Avery actually wrote a book where the girls call themselves The Invisibles. I teach middle school at my day job, so I totally know those groups of kids. I love that you all had something like that! Sorry. Finish your story.

THEA: I’ve been an artist since I could walk. I’ve always wanted to tell stories. I’ve always been creative, and I’ve cycled through many different creative careers throughout my life: I was an actor, I was a burlesque dancer, and even when I was an academic my field of research was still creative. I wrote extensively about performance art in prison, specifically theatre and ballet and how it shapes people and can be a really beautiful and effective form of rehabilitation that taps into something greater. In terms of becoming an author, my origins are in fanfiction. I’ve been writing it since I was a kid but during the pandemic, I needed something to keep me sane. So, I wrote a really short fanfiction piece, tossed it onto AO3 [do you want to link to it here?] and it exploded. When I logged in, it had thousands of hits and comments. So, I just kept writing and I never stopped. Eventually, it turned into self-publishing and I’m just really happy to be here. I like having control over every aspect of my self-publishing career. [laughs]

JEN: Same, friend. Same. In fact, most of the indie authors I’ve interviewed point to control as their biggest reason for self-publishing.

Let’s do some shout-outs. Who are some of your favorite authors and narrators? Who do you love for cover art? And who influences your writing?

THEA: My favorite authors? Stephen King, William Peter Blatty, Sara Cate, Karina Halle, Naomi Loud, and Brynne Weaver. For narrators, Teddy Hamilton is my top choice. I love cover art by Covers by Jules, Sandra Maldo, and Aurora McGaughey. As for influences, there are honestly too many to list!

JEN: I’m a Sara Cate stan. I love her characters.

Your books feel rich with real-world knowledge. How has your background shaped your writing, and what inspired you to weave academia into your stories?

THEA: By day I work at a mortgage company, but I’ve had tons of different jobs. The one I incorporate the most is my academic background. I have a master’s degree in criminology and did two years of a PhD before I dropped out due to burnout and financial strain. I pretty much use my education in the entire Emerald Bay series. I love it, and I really love making academia accessible through romance books. I love learning and I love teaching and I think that really comes through in the Emerald Bay series.

JEN: What does a typical writing day look like for you? Do you have a routine or any must-haves that help you get in the zone? 

THEA: I’ve become a morning person. My favorite time of day is 6 a.m. when nobody’s awake and it’s just me and my laptop. I wake up, grab my coffee and some breakfast, and sit down at my laptop. I usually write from 6 to 11 a.m. and then I go for a walk and read part of a book before coming back after lunch to write from 12 to 5 p.m. Then dinner, and then I’m back at my laptop to keep writing. I pretty much write all day on and off on the weekends.

JEN: What inspires you?

THEA: Songs, books, movies, a line of dialogue, a melody, a conversation on the bus... I get inspiration from so many places. People inspire me. I love a good pop album. I work best with music, but I mostly write to instrumentals because I have ADHD and song lyrics cause me to lose focus.

JEN: Oh, I can relate to that so much. My ADHD wants the background noise, but as you say, not the lyrics. Your go-to fuel?

THEA: Coffee, water, fruit, yogurt, and Nerds Gummy Clusters.

JEN: Solid list! I love it. What do you do for fun when you’re not writing?

THEA: I play video games, I read, I work out, I used to take film photos (I’d like to get back into that), and I love a good nap.

JEN: I love a good nap, too. What advice would you give to your younger self?

THEA: Don’t worry about what other people think, just do you. Nobody can be you the way you can be you, and that’s the coolest fucking part about being an artist.

JEN: If you put that on a t-shirt, I’m buying one. Or a mug or embroidered on a pillow. [both laugh] That’s a great philosophy.

What’s coming next? Do you have any planned releases or works in progress?

THEA: Book two in the Emerald Bay series will be released Spring 2025 and then I have a dark cowboy romance in progress that I’m hoping to release in October or November of 2025.

JEN: Please like, follow, subscribe to keep up with Thea in all her hangouts: her website, TikTok, Instagram, and Threads. If you read Babydoll, you should also check out Dollhouse, Book 2 in the interconnected Revolver Duet. (You must read the books in order!) She mentions that she’s working on the second book in her Emerald Bay series – please check out the first in that series, Swipe Right.

Are you a human author? A human who narrates audiobooks? A human who designs book covers? Or a human who does PR and promotion for other authors? I’d love to interview you, too. Let me know when you’re ready!