Two Debuts in One Year: Zakiya N. Jamal | Sparks Fly & if We Were a Movie
What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show · Laura R Yamin
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Show Notes
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If you love late-bloomer romances, sex-positive storytelling, and YA coming-of-age vibes, today’s episode is for you.
In this conversation, I chat with debut author Zakiya N. Jamal about her two 2024 releases — the YA romcom If We Were a Movie and her upcoming adult romance Sparks Fly. We dive into the behind-the-scenes of book packaging, the realities of writing two debuts in one year, and why she wanted to flip the virgin-trope on its head. We also get into her writing process, K-drama obsession, telenovelas, Turkish dramas, and the book recs she’s currently loving.
📚 Books Mentioned
If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal — YA Romcom | \Coming-of-Age | First Love| Audio ✅
Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal — Contemporary Romance | Late Bloomer | Virgin Trope Flip | Sex-Positive | Audio ✅
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson — Thriller | Campus Drama | HBCU Setting | Audio ✅
Mate by Ali Hazelwood — Paranormal Romance | Werewolves | Steamy | Audio ✅
🕒 Timestamps
[00:00] — Intro + Overview of Zakiya’s debuts
[01:00] — What If We Were a Movie is about
[02:00] — How she ended up releasing two debuts in one year
[03:00] — What book packaging is + how it works
[06:00] — Transitioning to her adult debut Sparks Fly
[07:00] — Rewriting the virgin trope: crafting a sex-positive late-bloomer heroine
[09:00] — Dating culture, late blooming, and real-life parallels
[10:00] — Plotting vs pantsing
[11:00] — Writing under contract + deadlines
[12:00] — Her favorite part of the writing process
[13:00] — Self-care: K-dramas, sitcoms, telenovelas, Turkish shows
[16:00] — Book recommendations she’s loving
[17:30] — Romance recs + non-romance reads
[18:00] — Where to find Zakiya online
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