The first thing I read in this interview was that Thea Verdone’s brand is “sad and horny” and it made me chuckle. Because I have read her debut and it definitely fits into that bracket. Never Leave, Never Lie is a broody, angsty, sexy, emotional rollercoaster of a book, but one that will have you staying up late to get to the happily ever after; because nobody deserves the HEA more than Alek and Ian. And if that’s not enough of a reason to pick it up, the gothic elements will draw you in and hold you captive long after you’ve finished.
Like many indies, Thea queried her book before she finally decided to go the self-publishing route. And like most of us, she has no regrets about this decision. Her stories are raw and beautiful, tackling mental health issues with a sensitive touch while making sure that her men are not afraid to show their emotions. She’s currently working on her second book, titled What Death Forgets, and like her debut, it’s a dual POV MM romance with delicious gothic vibes. (Visit her website to see some gorgeous art and read the full blurb!)
Never Leave, Never Lie is out now and available in Kindle Unlimited.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
I’ve been writing for so long it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what inspired me. I basically lived inside of books growing up, so that probably had something to do with it.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
Best: I love the freedom of being able to write about whatever I want and being artistic with my prose.
Worst: Dealing with damaged books and long shipping times from the printer have been the only major low for me so far.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
So my answer is a little complicated for this one. I actually had always planned to self publish. I was inspired by other authors who went that route and loved the idea of being able to be my own boss. But when I started sharing this manuscript, I had so many people encouraging me to query it for traditional publishing. So I did. I wanted to give my story the best chance to be read widely because I really believe the mental health themes might make people feel less alone.
Spoiler alert: no one in traditional publishing wanted it lol. I tried for 11 months, (a year was my goal) and then I transitioned back to self publishing and it’s been the best experience ever. I don’t regret trying to go traditional. I’ll never have to look back and wonder “what if?” and I learned so much and made lifelong friends, but I am just so much happier in the indie sphere. :)
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
I spend most of my time wrangling my three children, so I do a lot of plotting while driving or vacuuming (so glamorous), but I really enjoy spending time in nature. To be clear, I’m not a hiker lol… I just want to walk through a pretty forest or sit by a lake or something.
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
Oooh. That’s such a hard one because I have a terrible memory, and some of my most favorite reads are ones that haven’t been published yet, but let’s see… Kit Gray’s Loving the Legend is a BIPOC MM basketball romance with mental health themes. Kestrel by Adrienne Lothy is an MM sci-fi assassin/bounty hunter romance with eat the rich vibes and disability rep. Awakening in Sapphire by Jonathan Hawker is a funny and sexy own voices MM cyberpunk fantasy romance and Arthurian legend retelling.
What are your top 3 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Make friends! Join writing groups and swap beta reading with other authors. Not everyone will be a good fit for a critique partner or become a friend, but you’ll learn so much in the process and hopefully find a tribe of supportive writers. I found most of these groups through social media.
Read craft books! My favorite is Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King. I picked out a bunch from the library and also joined a craft book book club to get more ideas of what to read.
Learn how to look for trends in beta reader feedback and how to filter advice that doesn’t resonate. Basically, don’t try and fix what isn’t broken. People so often talk about the importance of accepting feedback with grace—which you definitely should. But you can also be led astray if you try to please everyone, especially if you change things based on the advice of someone who doesn’t read or write in your genre.
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
Reading romance has always been a huge escape for me. It’s helped me get through so many hard times in my life so it was only natural that I’d want to write it too. And my favorite thing about the genre is the people! I feel like since we all love love, romance readers and writers are such kind people.
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
Maybe mystery or horror with a happy ending. I love reading both those genres and try to weave mystery and suspense elements into my romance.
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
Most: antihero, morally gray, hurt/comfort, relationship in crisis, groveling
Least: miscommunication—it can be done well, but I struggle when the conflict can be solved with a simple discussion. I need a very solid reason for the miscommunication.
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
A true enemies to lovers where they just hate that they love each other and there’s intense baggage they need to work through to get their HEA
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
Mental illness with realistic, responsible, and relatable representation. Men who aren’t afraid to show their emotions.
If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?
I am a big erotic romance reader and prefer books with steam, so that’s why I write open door. No hate against closed door romances.
Inspiration-wise, I feel like there’s just a swirling mass of erotic scenes floating in my head from all the smut I’ve read, but I also like to let my characters guide me.
For example, in Never Leave, Never Lie, I enjoyed exploring how most of the important discussions in their relationship happened in the bedroom. That worked really well for them without it feeling forced because Alek is an extremely closed off person hiding from his past and himself, and it’s easier for him to say things without words.
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
Usually I get a spark of a character first. Alek came to me while I was listening to an NPR interview and ultimately he’s nothing like the person I was listening to, but it was a seed planted. From there, I usually start thinking of a what if question. Like for Never Leave, Never Lie I asked myself, what if I wrote a seemingly irredeemable character and somehow actually redeemed him? What if I wrote about a very toxic relationship and broken man and repaired him with therapy? I also really wanted to write a book that touched on my own struggle with depression.
Can you briefly tell me about your debut?
Never Leave, Never Lie is an MM modern gothic romance about a pianist with synesthesia hiding from his past behind lies and music, and the historic home restorer who thinks he can fix him. (Good luck with that Ian!) It’s set in a crumbling gothic Victorian mansion that represents the transformation of their relationship and includes the following tropes: hurt/comfort, relationship in crisis, morally gray villain redeemed, amongst other things.
Here’s an abbreviated blurb:
The lies that brought them together will tear them apart
Savant pianist Alek needs a guarantee that his lover, historic home restorer Ian, will never leave. But the only thing Ian wants is the one thing Alek can never give him—the truth about his past. Because Alek is lying about everything, starting with his name, and when Ian learns the truth, their house of cards will collapse.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
I feel like a parent talking about their children, but I don’t think I have favorites. I just love them all so much. Having said that, Alek is such a layered, complicated individual and he felt most alive for me. Like I could easily figure out what he was going to say or do because everything he did stemmed from these deep rooted beliefs that he wasn’t worthy of love and that people will always leave.
If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?
That’s tricky for me because I’m super out of the loop with today’s pop culture, but some readers have suggested Alek might resemble Timothy Chalemet or Ian Somerhalder. I see Ian as a sort of Chris Hemsworth hunky sort of guy.
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
I always put some parts of myself into my characters, whether it’s something small like my favorite sounds or scents or something bigger like my mental health journey.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
Right now I’m working on another gothic romance that I really hope I can pull off. I want to lean fully into the gothic genre with more mystery while still maintaining the central romance arc. I also want to continue experimenting with subverting romance genre expectations. Some readers have said Never Leave, Never Lie is like nothing they’ve ever read before, and I’d like to get that response from future projects too.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
Mental health themes
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
My next project is another MM modern gothic romance titled What Death Forgets releasing later this year and features:
Master painter and protege
Crumbling castle perched atop a tidal island
Hurt/comfort and age gap (overprotective older mc x equally protective younger mc)
Anxiety rep
Mutual fixation and parasocial relationships
Murder mystery
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
I think sad and horny is my brand, but the ultimate takeaway I want readers to have is that they aren’t alone and that things can always get better.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV
Standalones, series or standalones in a series—oh that’s so hard to pick! Maybe standalones in a series?
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?—Coffee and wine lol
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?
You can find Thea on Instagram, TikTok and Threads. Check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter/Substack to stay updated on all book things. Plus, if you’re looking to pick up signed paperbacks, she’s got an Etsy store where you can buy your copies!
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