Falling All In
by Laina Villeneuve
Released: Jan 25, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Why this book and why now?
We have a tricky pool because it has a vinyl liner. When we bought the house and had the pool redone, we were told liners last seven to ten years. Lies! Within five years we had a leak. When we replaced it again, the installer said the only way to ensure the pool tech was not going to damage it would be doing pool care myself. Since I’m the one who uses the pool, I’m the one who learned all about pool care. I had to do SOMETHING with all that new experience! While I performed my weekly maintenance, I listened to a lot of Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast. That covers most of the ingredients for the story right there!
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
When I first had the idea, I thought that Sarah Cooper was not only a single parent but also pregnant. A neighbor of mine was pregnant when she and her husband divorced. She often made me think of my sister who stayed in a very difficult marriage in part because she listened to Dr. Laura who said parents should stay together, and if they can’t they certainly should not date! I was having trouble getting the story off the ground, and someone in the QueerConnect Sapphic Story Hour posed the key “what if” question: what if it’s the love interest who is pregnant? It didn’t take long at all to see how my single pool tech would absolutely carry a baby for her childhood friend who is a transwoman. What I love about the way the book turned out is how much my beta readers loved the friendship Jass and Amara have.
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
Sarah’s favorite book would be Brene Brown’s Atlas of the Heart because it goes into the nitty gritty of emotions and how accurately naming an emotion can help people connect. Jass isn’t a huge reader. This might sound weird, but she’d enjoy my backlist, especially Return to Paradise. She’d love how Lacey schools people on being an auto technician, not a mechanic. It’s important to Jass that her job title is pool technician.
One of your main characters is planning a romantic night. Tell us about it.
Sarah would absolutely plan a romantic night when her ex, Tricia, has their daughter Chloe. With it just the two of them, Sarah would prepare a dinner to grill on their back patio. It’s winter which means the pool is too cold for a swim, so she floats candles on the water. The patio has twinkle lights, and Jass can lounge and admire Sarah’s expertise on the grill while she sips a Cape Cod.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment and it’s time to party! Choose a celebratory beverage for one of your main characters to toast the release of your new book.
Sarah would absolutely raise a glass of red wine. A stemless glass. An inexpensive wine (probably with a pony on the label because that’s the best way to choose).
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
If Sarah gets to choose the drink, Jass should pick the song. She’d play the old classic “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge to honor Sarah’s growth on the topic of what makes a family.
