Ann Rose: On Loving the Wrong Person for You

Ann Rose is a typical Taurus—loyal but stubborn, which means being an author is perfect. While asking the private group chat for ideas on what to include in this bio, Ann was reminded that some of her greatest qualities are her awesome best friends from high school—a fact she couldn’t argue with. She loves dark chocolate, sarcasm, her family, tacos, and her cats—obviously not in that order. Ann also writes young adult novels under the pen name A.M. Rose. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

In this interview, Ann discusses going from agent to author with her new romance novel, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean, her hope for readers, and more.

Name: Ann Rose
Literary agent: Eva Scalzo
Book title: The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean
Publisher: Berkley, Penguin Random House
Release date: September 17, 2024
Genre/category: Romance
Elevator pitch: On the day of her wedding—a day where everything already seems to be going wrong—Amanda Dean recounts all her disastrous past relationships, bringing us closer to who might be waiting for her at the end of the aisle if she’s willing to risk her heart one more time.

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What prompted you to write this book?

This question could be answered in a couple of ways. What inspired me to write this book? Or what was my intention of writing this novel? I think I want to address the second, since inspiration comes in so many forms, and for me I don’t have lack of ideas for stories. (Just ask my agent.)

But when it comes to the intention behind this book, I really wanted to craft a romance story that highlighted love in all its forms. There isn’t just one type of love, and just because you love someone doesn’t mean they are the right person for you.

Amanda’s story isn’t straightforward. It’s messy and complicated because in real life that’s what romance is. It’s hard, sometimes it will make you feel defeated and sometimes it will make you feel better than you have in your entire life. And unlike many traditional romance novels, we don’t know who Amanda’s love interest is until the end. So, it’s really a journey of love and all its possibilities.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

The idea itself didn’t change much from inception to completion. This was one of the first novels I actually sat down and plotted out in its entirety before I even started writing. I had a really clear vision of what Amanda’s journey was going to look like.

It’s funny because when I started writing, I didn’t even intend to share this story with anyone. I just had it in my heart that this was a story I wanted to tell, and if it wasn’t for my wonderful agent, Eva Scalzo, who told me I had to send it to her I’m not sure we would be sitting here today. She was really the one who saw the potential in Mandy, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for that.

As for the writing process, I had to look back into my files, because I wasn’t even sure how long this took from when I started—especially since my outline was done with pen and paper. But the oldest file I have for this idea is from 2021 and then it went out on submission (I think) in 2023. So, it took some time.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

This is likely going to sound really silly. In my day job, I’m an agent. I’ve listened in on calls where editors gush about my clients’ books—and rightly so. My clients are brilliant, wonderful writers, and an absolute joy to work with. But this was the first time someone was gushing about my book. Growing up I’d gotten so used to hearing how I would never be smart enough, or good enough, that I was in complete disbelief when Eva called me while I was waiting in carline and said we got an offer. I honestly was like—are you sure it’s for me?

I didn’t expect to cry in my car.

So, while this process isn’t new to me, it’s completely new for me. And I feel beyond lucky for the team of people who are working with me during this process. They have been so completely wonderful!

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

This novel plays with structure in a way that I’ve never done before. And when I plotted it, I had a vision for what that would look like, except executing it from front to back with that vision was way more difficult than I expected. I finally had to admit defeat and write the story more or less chronologically, and then break it up and shift it in the shape it needed to be—and even after I did that, I had to do it again, and again. My entire wall still has all the sticky notes on it so I could visually shift things without shifting them in the novel. At the end of the day though, all the extra effort I think was worth it.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

Wow. That’s a great question. I, of course, hope that readers enjoy the story—I think that goes without saying. But I also hope that they take away that love can be messy and complicated and sometimes it doesn’t work out, but if you keep putting yourself out there anything is possible. Just ask Mandy.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

It’s going to sound cliché but write the book of your heart. Don’t rush it or worry about trends or timing—those things come and go and come back around. But the process of writing is so deeply personal that you should love the words you are putting on the page.