Anya Wylde - Contemporary Romantic Comedy set in India

Anya Wylde can cook a mean curry, and her idea of exercise is occasionally stretching her toes but she is best known for her brilliant romance novels. Her "usual" genre is Regency Romance, but Wylde recently tried her hand on something more contemporary - and pulled it off very well. As our Author of the day, she tells us all about Love Muffin and Chai Latte.

Please give us a short introduction to what Love Muffin and Chai Latte is about

Love Muffin and Chai Latte is a contemporary romantic comedy. The novel follows the journey of Tabitha Lee Timmons as she deals with financial stress, loony relatives, some crooks, an unhappy bride to be, a grumpy old man and two heartbreakingly handsome men.

Tell us more about Tabitha Lee. What makes her tick?

Tabitha is someone we can all relate to. Most of us have been stuck in a rut at some point of time in our lives. The mundane daily chores and boring jobs make us complacent and we end up following the herd instead of our dreams. Tabitha is one such girl except circumstances force her to come out of her comfort zone and take off on an adventure of self-discovery.

What drew you to write contemporary romance this time - your other novels are all set in Regency England?

I think one way to push myself and learn to be better writer is to be brave and try doing something I have never done before. Writing a contemporary romantic comedy was one way to stretch my creative muscles and improve myself.

Why did you pick India as a backdrop for this story?

It’s a country I love and know most about so it seemed natural that I choose that as the backdrop.

The book contains no sexual scenes, which is unusual and refreshing today. Why did you take this approach?

I love reading old fashioned romance novels that focus on the story, the characters and have a clean, wholesome feel. Also, I am terrible at writing sex scenes.

In your mind, what happens to the characters after you write their final chapters? Do they continue to "live on" in your imagination?

They vanish and new ones pop up. I can never dwell on the same characters for long. I keep looking for someone more interesting and loony to write about.

When working on a new book, what’s the first thing you do?

I think about the characters a lot until I feel confident that I can write about them.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do to combat it?

I don’t think I have ever suffered from a writer’s block. At times when I feel I can’t possibly come up with anything, I force myself to face my laptop and begin typing and that usually helps.

When did you have the most fun with when writing this book?

I have the most fun when I am on my third draft. When the structure, characters and scenes are in place and all I have to do is add the fun bits in.

Do you have any interesting writing habits, what's your average writing day like?

I have to be in a quiet place to write. I hate interruptions. I usually write a bit in the morning, take a break and then work a solid three hours while my toddler naps.

What are you working on right now?

A regency murder mystery. It’s a sort of a follow up of my previous novel ‘Murder At Rudhall Manor’, though it can be read independently.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

They can follow me on Facebook, or Twitter, to be notified about my upcoming releases, or follow me on my Amazon Author Page. They can also subscribe to my newsletter here.