Interview with Diane Billas, Author of Does Love Always Win?
Diane Billas currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son. When she’s not writing she can be found reading multiple books at once or dreaming of the next country she’s going to visit.
Does Love Always Win? is her debut novel, releasing June 2023 from Creative James Media. This book was drawn from Diane’s personal experiences as a queer individual who has struggled throughout life being comfortable identifying and expressing herself.
Diane wrote the book she wished was available to her when she was in high school. Her second novel, Superficial, will be published September 2024. Diane can be found on her website at https://dianebillas.com/, on Instagram @dianebillaswrites, or on Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok @dianebillas.
Photograph by: Sam Rodriguez
S.R.WeddingStory
Diane Billas’s debut YA novel, Does Love Always Win?, is available for pre-order from Creative James Media. She sat down to answer questions on writing YA, music in books, and her favorite Gen Z slang.
Jacquelyn Scott: Congratulations on your upcoming release, Does Love Always Win? What is this book about?
Diane Billas: Thank you so much! My debut novel, Does Love Always Win?, is a sapphic YA contemporary romance set in a fictional town outside of Philadelphia. It features 17-year-old band geek and wannabe writer Sam “Shorty” Daniels. Shorty’s romantic relationships with guys are always a hot mess, and she quickly finds out she’s not attracted to her newest boyfriend, Zack, just like the rest of them.
When Shorty’s asked to show the snarky, new girl Kristy around high school, Shorty’s immediately intrigued by Kristy’s wit, and they bond over their love of writing. They quickly become inseparable, and Shorty realizes why none of her other relationships worked out. Just as Shorty’s about to break up with Zack, her bitter ex-boyfriend Bryan threatens to tell the entire school and Shorty’s conservative parents her secret. Shorty needs to overcome her ex’s blackmail scheme to get her dream girl.
It’s currently available for pre-order and will be available across e-book platforms and as a paperback in June 2023, published by Creative James Media.
Scott: What inspired your writing for this book?
Billas: When I was growing up, I struggled with similar issues that Shorty does, questioning my sexuality, but I didn’t have any books available to me that I felt I could relate to. My hope with this book is that someone who might be going through something comparable will look to Does Love Always Win? and see themselves reflected in it. In short, I created the book I wished I could have read in high school.
Scott: What were some struggles you had while writing Does Love Always Win? What were some triumphs?
Billas: There have been so many rewrites of this book. I first started writing Does Love Always Win? in 2018 and started the querying process in 2019. I wasn’t having any luck piquing an agent’s or publisher’s interest, so I decided to take a step back and get some help. I hired an editor, Brianna Wyble, who helped me shape Does Love Always Win? into what it is today. I felt stuck, and Brianna helped me think of ideas I would never have thought of on my own.
The biggest triumph for me is getting Does Love Always Win? published. After receiving so many rejections on the book, it’s hard not to have imposter syndrome, and I was starting to think I would never get my story out there, but then the offer from my publisher came in, and it was one of the best days of my life.
Scott: The main character, Shorty, is musical. If she was creating a party playlist, what would be on it?
Billas: Shorty is a fan of Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and BTS, so some of their songs would be on the playlist. Secretly she also would want to include some movie soundtracks, especially from Marvel movies, but she would be too afraid that people would make fun of her for adding them.
Scott: How did you incorporate music into the text, and why was that important to you?
Billas: Music has always been a big part of my life. I play the French horn and piano and went to a conservatory for college, so I wanted some of this experience incorporated into the book. Shorty plays the trumpet in the marching band, so I used this extracurricular activity to talk about music. I also used a homecoming scene to show some of Shorty’s other favorite music.
Scott: What kind of content would Shorty post on TikTok?
Billas: Shorty loves reading, so she’d be big on #booktok, giving reviews of all the recent YA fantasy or speculative fiction books she read. She also loves helping people and has an advice column in her high school’s newspaper, so I believe she would also answer questions from people needing advice on TikTok.
Scott: How did you ensure your book would appeal to Gen Z?
Billas: It's been a while since I was in high school, so I put on my detective hat and did some digging into what has changed since I was a teenager. I read a TON of YA contemporary fiction to see how other authors have appealed to Gen Z and to get a sense of what that world is like. I also talked to a few Gen Z’ers to get an idea of their day-to-day life in school so I could capture that atmosphere in my book. In addition, I’m in a few YA writers’ groups, and I would get their advice on if something I wrote would work for the YA genre.
Scott: What's your favorite Gen Z slang?
Billas: I didn’t include too much Gen Z slang in my book because I want my book to become a go-to YA contemporary romance for the next generation of readers. But I did include the term “shipping” because it’s my personal favorite. I might have used it once or twice around friends and family and received strange looks in return.
Scott: What are you currently reading or working on?
Billas: I’m currently in the process of editing my LGBTQ+ YA superhero book called Superficial. I was inspired to write this book because I’m a lover of all things Marvel, and it gave me a chance to write something completely out of my wheelhouse and comfort zone. It’s being published by Creative James Media September 2024.
Scott: What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Billas: I was told to just keep writing, even when you are getting rejection after rejection. Does Love Always Win? isn’t the first novel I’ve ever written. My first novel received zero interest from any agents and publishers, so I made the difficult decision to shelf it and start something new. If I hadn’t acted on the advice I was given, Does Love Always Win? never would have existed.
Scott: Any last thoughts?
Billas: I hope readers take away from Does Love Always Win? that it’s okay to explore and have feelings that might differ from what you originally planned for your life. Life is messy—not everything is cut and dry. It might take a while to figure it out, but it’s okay to follow what makes you happy.
Thank you for this opportunity to talk about my book! Does Love Always Win? is currently available to add on Goodreads and for pre-order.
From Creative James Media:
Does Love Always Win? by Diane Billas
Band geek and wannabe writer, Sam “Shorty” Daniel’s romantic relationships with guys are always a hot mess. She quickly finds out she’s not attracted to her newest boyfriend Zack, just like the rest of her ex-boyfriends.
When Shorty’s asked to show the snarky new girl Kristy around high school, Shorty’s immediately intrigued by Kristy’s wit, and they bond over their love of writing. They quickly become inseparable, and Shorty realizes why none of her other relationships worked out.
Just as Shorty’s about to break up with Zack, her bitter ex-boyfriend Bryan threatens to tell the entire school and Shorty’s conservative parents her secret. Shorty needs to overcome her ex’s ridiculous blackmail scheme to get her dream girl.
Get your copy from Creative James Media.
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