Lavender & Gin
by Abigail Aaronson
Released: Jul 15, 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
Why this book and why now?
A few years ago, I was spending a lot of time in Detroit, and got curious about its history. This happened to coincide with a research rabbit hole on the history of queer bars. Soon after, the main character Kasia and her love interest Sophia popped into my head.
The more I learn about queer history, the more important it becomes to me. We’ve always been here, and we’ve always found each other. It’s a thought I circle frequently these days, and ultimately why I wrote the book.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
Kasia would think I was a wimp – in comparison, I am! I definitely don’t have it in me to run a bootlegging gang. But empathy is pretty rare in her world, so I think I’d eventually win her over.
Did any real-life events or personal experiences influence the story?
My queer awakening was Viola in a college performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night when I was in middle school. I was about halfway through the first draft when I realized this experience may have had lasting impacts on my psyche. A main character disguised as a man with a missing-presumed-dead twin bother? Oops.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Peaky Blinders. I think she’d enjoy watching a show about organized crime in England set in the time period she lives. I also think she would absolutely monologue a non-stop commentary if you watched it with her.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
I joke that while Sophia and I have very little in common, she’s my aesthetic self-insert. She’s into turn-of-the-century furniture and the cutting-edge fashions of 1930. Getting to write about her clothes and house felt decadent. She’s also quick on her feet, which is fun to write.
Kasia’s mother, Gosia, was probably the most difficult. She lives pretty deep in denial, so much so that she’s obsessed with a local radio nightly commentary program whose host regularly condemns Detroit’s criminals, especially liquor smugglers. She was a painful character to write in a lot of ways – she’s been through a lot, and refuses to connect with other people, even Kasia. She’s hard to like, but it also makes me sad.
Did any of your characters surprise you by developing in unexpected ways?
Henry, one of Kasia’s gang members, started out as just another guy in her crew. He was still a very dapper dresser. But as I wrote, he became a sensitive soul and maybe the closest thing Kasia has to a real friend. I ended up having a deep affection for Henry.
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.
Since I don’t drink I’ll go with a virgin Mary Pickford, because the real deal seems like something Sophia would like. And the recipes for it I just googled sound pretty good actually!
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Ma Rainey’s “Prove It On Me Blues.” Not only is it a fearlessly sapphic song by blues legend Ma Rainey, it also inspired a moment in the book. I don’t want to give it away, but you’ll know it when you see it!
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I do a loose outline, knowing that I’ll 100% end up revising it as I start writing. The outline helps me with pace, but the specifics are always subject to change.
If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be?
There are so many to choose from, but for today I’m going with Sarah Waters. Tipping the Velvet was the first sapphic book I ever read, and it was a tenth-anniversary edition. She wrote a reflection on what it was like to read it again after a decade that I think of a lot going into publishing my debut.
