Bridging Shakespeare and Romance: An Interview with Nuhaa Bardien

Join the Book Babes as we dive into the creative process of Nuhaa Bardien, a South African author who reimagines Shakespearean tragedies into delightful contemporary romance and rom-coms. Discover how she blends classic storytelling with modern love, and get insights on writing diverse characters, crafting spicy scenes, and balancing motherhood with authorship.

Key Topics:

Nuhaa’s inspiration for her Shakespeare retellings and their adaptation into light romantic comedies.

The process of developing characters inspired by real people, including diverse representation.

Her approach to creating engaging, nostalgic scenes reminiscent of 2000s rom-coms.

How she balances her roles as an author and a mother.

The significance of illustrated covers and collaboration with cover artists.

Strategies for staying motivated during long writing journeys.

Stories behind her books, personal inspirations, and reader interactions.

Managing cultural references and language differences between South Africa, the UK, and the US.

The joy of sewing, gaming, and the importance of mental breaks while writing.

Nuhaa was an absolute delight to talk to. Enjoy the laughs and the insights.

Music by Christopher Tallon

About Our Guest:

Nuhaa Bardien is a romance author from Cape Town, South Africa, known for her By the Book series, a collection of standalone novels inspired by Shakespearean plays. She has a standalone Christmas Novella, One Turned True, that features a side character from the By the Book Series.

Nuhaa writes romance novels with "swoon worthy men and strong women" and "happily ever afters". Her books often feature spicy, open-door scenes.

To connect with Nuhaa, follow her on social media:

Instagram: @nuhaawrites

TikTok: @authornuhaabardien

Website: https://nuhaawrites.com/

Books:

By the Book series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP2RG4CW?binding=kindle_edition&ref_=ast_author_bsi

Christmas Novella: https://www.amazon.com/One-Turned-True-Christmas-Novella-ebook/dp/B0FG8DS8DN

Keep Up With The Book Babes:

Social Media: Backstagewiththebookbabes

Email: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.com

Links & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabes

Find Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blake

Website: www.lovelunapress.com

Learn about Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Sports & Contemporary Romance:

Instagram/Threads/TikTok: @nikkijewell_books

Website: authornikkijewell.com

Event Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooks

In episode five of Backstage with the Book Babes, Melissa Whitney shares her journey as a contemporary romance author who focuses on disability and mental health representation. She discusses her unique writing process, the adaptations she makes as a blind author, and the importance of authentic mental health portrayals in literature. Whitney also highlights her experiences connecting with readers at events, the significance of book covers, and the challenges of balancing her writing career with full-time work. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes the impact of reader feedback and the importance of self-care in the writing process. In this engaging conversation, Melissa Whitney shares her experiences as an author, discussing the balance between writing and personal life, her writing rituals, and the characters that inspire her. She delves into the importance of research, especially in paranormal romance, and explores the themes of consent and character development in her works. Whitney also reflects on her future goals as an author, the significance of celebrating book launches, and the joy of engaging with readers. With insights into her upcoming release, 'The Recovery Run', she emphasizes the importance of authenticity in storytelling and reader connections..

Music by Christopher Tallon

About our Guest:

Melissa Whitney hails from Western New York but resides in Southern California with her sports-obsessed husband and rescue pugs. With a master’s in social work from the University of Buffalo (UB), Melissa’s career has focused on people. What’s romance but the exploration of people? The transition from healthcare to romance author was a logical one (at least for Melissa).

When not in search of the perfect scone at a local bakery, Melissa writes contemporary romances that, much like the perfect cup of tea, are steamy, warm the heart, and nourish the soul. As a legally blind woman married to an autistic man, Melissa’s stories explore themes of disability, mental health, trauma, and family through a steamy, comedic, and sometimes heartbreaking lens. Life is not always a romcom nor a drama, neither are Melissa’s stories.

To connect with Melissa, follow her on social media:

Instagram - @Melissa_WhitneyAuthorTikTok - @melissasuewhitneyFacebook – Melissa Whitney Author Page

Keep Up With The Book Babes:

Social Media: Backstagewiththebookbabes

Email: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.com

Links & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabes

Find Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blake

Website: www.lovelunapress.com

Find Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Contemporary Romance:

Social Media: @nikkijewell_books

Website: authornikkijewell.com

Event Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooks

In this episode of Backstage with the Book Babes, hosts Nikki Jewell and Alby Blake chat with author Ruan Willow about her diverse writing journey across multiple romance subgenres. They discuss the challenges of balancing reader expectations, market trends, and the importance of female empowerment in romance literature. Ruan shares insights on her writing process, the significance of book events, and the impact of reader feedback. The conversation also touches on the role of humor in romance and the influence of real-life experiences on character development.

Music by Christopher Tallon

About Our Guest:

Ruan Willow is a multi-pen name author who writes in spicy HEA romance subgenres, spicy romcom, alternative lifestyle (Ruan Willow), both queer and heterosexual, and open door Romantasy/magical/paranormal/dark romance (R.U. Ann). Her writing ranges across various levels of heat—but don't pen her in a box! Writing about love and relationships, especially open door, are her jam. She writes about empowered women seeking pleasure with their partners for mutual satiation, no needs ignored and mutual enjoyment a must. Her characters love to explore their sexuality and pleasure in unrestricted consensual ways. She's also a podcaster at Oh F*ck Yeah with Ruan Willow, and an audiobook narrator.

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Links:

http://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/

https://linktr.ee/RuanWillow

https://ruanwillowauthor.com/

http://instagram.com/ruanwillow

https://www.facebook.com/ruan.willow/

Threads: ruanwillow and ruanwillowauthor

TikTok ruanwillow

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Keep Up With The Book Babes:

Social Media: Backstagewiththebookbabes

Email: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.com

Links & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabes

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Find Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blake

Website: www.lovelunapress.com

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Find Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Contemporary Romance:

Social Media: @nikkijewell_books

Website: authornikkijewell.com

Event Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooks