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Writer's pictureS. A. Crow
Jul 28, 20214 min read

Guest Author, Amelia Mae


Love You Like A Love Story


Okay, I’m not going to lie. I got into writing romance novels for the money. I mean… that’s not what happened. But, three years, six books, and so many sex scenes later, I can now honestly say that I write romance because I love it.


Let me take you back in time to 2014 when a young-ish, aspiring television writer, fresh out of school landed in Los Angeles, ready to take on Hollywood. I was armed with smart-chick comedy scripts, edgy one-liners, and unshakable belief that this was enough to make it. Fast forward to 2017 and suddenly, I was waiting tables at a diner in the valley and googling ‘how to make money with a writing degree.’


And there it was. A podcast interview with a woman who claimed to make thousands of dollars every month writing romance novels. Click. Armed with knowledge of ARCs, NLs, TSTLs, HFNs, DNFs, and HEAs, I sat down to right by first book. I was confident that I was going to knock this out of the park. If I could write screenplays and teleplays, I could certainly handle something as simple as a romance novel. I mean, take two people, add in a little lust, some witty banter, some hot sex, a reason why they can’t be together, wrap it all up with a happily-ever-after and call it a day. Right?


Turns out it’s harder than I thought. I mean, I had to sit down and write. A book. A whole, frickin’ book. Like… more than 40k words. Granted, romance novels don’t have to have terribly complex plots and most of them rely on tried-and-true tropes. But, still.


Anyway, I wrote the book, edited it myself, designed a sexy cover and hit publish. I sat back and waited for literary greatness. And… nothing. Crickets. I sold exactly one copy of my first book and it got one mediocre review on Goodreads. And when I reread it, I realized why. Besides more than a few typos, it was just... not good. The plot was thin, the chemistry felt forced, and I think that maybe I sounded like I thought I was too good to be writing romance novels. I hate that I just wrote that and now you all probably think I’m some huge snot. But that’s the honest truth.


I had to check myself. My first attempt at a romance novel was wrought with some harsh realizations. First, you still have a tell a good story, even if there’s a sex scene every couple of chapters. Second, your audience deserves quality material and your best effort, don’t write down to them. They can absolutely tell. Third, proofread. Fourth, proofread. And fifth, this isn’t just about writing a book. Being a romance novelist is a whole business and I had no idea how deep this rabbit hole really was.


I rewrote my first book, retitled it, and commissioned a cover from an actual artist. Finally, it started to look and feel like work that was worthy of an audience. I actually remember tearing up in the parking lot of the restaurant when I say the mockup of my first book cover with my pen name underneath. It was the moment I really felt like an author.


After the rerelease of the book, a few amazing things happened. People actually read it. They started signing up for my mailing list. And, best of all, they left reviews. At this point in my writing career, I’d never experienced having someone read my work and really tell me what they thought about it. How my work affected them. That they liked it and actually wanted more.


The realization that this wasn't about money anymore wasn’t just one pivotal moment, it was a gradual change. But as I sat down to write book two, I knew that it was more about the fans than anything else.


Fast forward to 2021 and I am a full time romance writer. Mostly, I work in interactive romance novels playable on apps and I have several original titles out there. I also adapt other romance novelists’ work for gameplay. I’ve ghostwritten novels for other writers and publishing companies. But, the work I continue to be most proud of are the Say Yes and My Hero novel series that really made this all happen. Writing these novels and putting them out there in the world has meant to so much to me. Cheesy as it sounds, I’ve fallen in love with romance novels. And if loving that is wrong… well, you know.



Amelia Mae is a contemporary romance novelist and interactive story writer. She is the author of the ‘Say Yes’ and ‘My Hero’ series, both rock star romances available on Amazon. Amelia loves all the heat and all the edge, but none of the alpha-holes. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her little dog and enjoys hiking, healthy cooking, and pole dancing classes.



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