an interview with romance author carmelina mercurio
the interview series, volume two
Hey book bestie!
Welcome to the second edition of the interview series. It’s a series where I get the incredible opportunity to talk to some amazing bookish creatives. Today, we’re chatting with romance author Carmelina Mercurio.
I stumbled on Carmelina’s author account on a whim and followed her because her debut sounded so good. She’s also very sweet and supportive.
Hope you enjoy the interview!
Jessica: Tell us about yourself in 3-5 sentences.
Carmelina: My name is Carmelina Mercurio, and I am a self-published indie romance author. (I just love saying that now). I’m a Libra, turning 26 this year, and I’m obsessed with hunting down the BEST chai tea latte out there (I literally try one in each town I visit; it’s a little game of mine.)
Fun fact: I’m known for being THE best person to ask for TV show recs. Like seriously, I’ve seen a lot of them and everyone always asks me.
Jessica: What country are you based out of?
Carmelina: Canada! Just outside of Toronto.
Jessica: When and how did you get into writing books?
Carmelina: I began writing my debut in 2022. I’d actually never considered writing as a career. I was in the midst of getting a degree that I didn’t feel passionate about anymore, and after dropping out, it was then that I got more and more into creative writing—and then came the idea to write my first book.
Jessica: What inspired you to write your debut, The Three Month Rule? Can you tell us what it’s about?
Carmelina: Going into it, I didn’t know what I wanted my debut to become; I just knew in my gut that it was a story that I needed to tell. It transformed into something I’m incredibly proud of, and I guess my own struggles with mental health were the main inspiration behind it.
The Three Month Rule is a billionaire romance centered around a grumpy billionaire CEO and the equally grumpy resort worker who works at the luxury resort where he vacations every year. What starts as a one-night stand and a no-strings attached arrangement turns into something neither of them expects. It’s so much more than what it appears to be and confronts heavy topics that speak to me deeply.
Jessica: What made you decide to self-publish your debut? How did you stumble upon the indie author community on social media?
Carmelina: I know that querying can be a long and difficult road, and oftentimes, books just never get picked up. For where I was at when I wrote my debut, I felt that the best option for me was to self-publish. I’m also always curious. So, I loved seeing and experiencing all of the steps of the process.
Well, I never actually knew how huge the book community was. But even before I started writing my book, I knew of BookTok and was kinda on that side of things. Eventually, I found Bookstagram when I created my author socials, and I’ve been there ever since.
Jessica: What’s your favorite part of the self-publishing process? (ex: writing the first draft, editing, cover design, etc.)
Carmelina: My favorite part has to be writing the first draft. For me, I’m a pantser, and I just go balls-to-the-wall crazy when I’m drafting. That means incoherent plots and not fully fleshed-out characters (at first). But somehow, it works. I’m very chaotic on page (and in real life), and getting to know the characters and their story by just... writing and seeing what feels right will always be something special to me.
Jessica: Has your writing style changed since publishing your debut?
Carmelina: Yes! And I didn’t think it would happen so quickly. I’ll never say I would want to rewrite or change my debut. I think, for me, I’m proud of what I put out, and even if in ten years I look back and find it “bad” or “cringey”, it’s the story I needed to tell at that time in that way.
With the next book I’m writing, I’m discovering what works for me and my process. When I wrote my debut, it was obviously the first book I wrote, and therefore, I didn’t really understand what my process looked like. I’d get stuck, get frustrated that the story wasn’t coming to me, and end up not writing for months, which brought about my writer’s block.
Now, I’m learning to work with my spurts of creativity. And I don’t fold when I get stuck. I simply reassess and move on. Whether that means plotting other chapters or making notes about what I want to happen, I’m always trying to move forward. I can tell I’m growing as a writer, and I’m pretty proud of that.
Jessica: What tagline would you give yourself as a romance author?
Carmelina: Author of messy, lovable characters with just a dash of trauma.
Jessica: What romance subgenres do you want to explore in future books?
Carmelina: I will always be open to exploring any subgenre. I already have multiple ideas for some small-town romances (cough, cough, hint, hint), and a sports romance might be in my future someday. But yeah, I’m open to them all.
Jessica: Tell us your top 3 favorite romance tropes to write about.
Carmelina: 1) Man obsessed, 2) Age gap, and 3) Forced proximity.
Jessica: Can you give us 3 indie romance book recommendations?
Carmelina: 1) I’ll Keep Her Safe by Jen Morris (If you like forbidden romance, age gap, and best friend’s dad, 2) Little Rejects by Airicka Phoenix (It’s a dark romance novella that is from the same universe as a previous book of hers), and 3) Crushing It by Thea Lawrence (Thea’s newest release. I was lucky to receive an ARC, and I loved every second of it—a sweet, spicy, heartfelt friends-to-lovers that is so emotional and beautiful.)
Jessica: What can readers look forward to from you this year?
Carmelina: Currently, I’m writing my second book, what I’m calling Project Cherry (ifykyk), for now. It’s something different for me, and I’m loving every second of it. I’m hoping to start teasing for that in a few months. I’m only on the first draft right now, but it’s going well. I don’t have concrete plans to release it this year, but that might change if I write quicker, LOL.
Jessica: What do you do in your free time when you’re not working on author-related things?
Carmelina: When I have the time, I love to read. I mean, come on, books are my life. But I also like to cozy up and watch YouTube or a comfort show, or meet up with friends and family.
Jessica: What advice would you give to aspiring authors out there?
Carmelina: Don’t compare your first draft to a published book. I’ve done this in the past, and believe me, it never ends well. That imposter syndrome will rear its ugly head, and you’ll end up in a vicious cycle of comparing everything you write to books that have been through 4+ drafts. The first draft is supposed to be a mess. It’s not supposed to make sense. The purpose of a first draft is to tell yourself the story, and through editing and revising in the second draft, that’s when you’re telling others the story. Comparison is the thief of joy.
Thank you so much for letting me interview you, Carmelina! You can find her on Instagram and Threads. Her debut, The Three Month Rule, is out now on KU and in paperback.
Subscribe to Carmelina’s Substack here.
Join me on my author journey by following me on Instagram and Threads.
Thank you for interviewing me, Jessica. I'm so happy that you're my first one, and it was such a fun experience 🫶🏼