As Echoes of Love, the second book in The January Rose Chronicles, prepares to release on June 30th, we sat down with romance author Emily Rose Brlevich to talk about balancing family life and writing, creating rockstar romances, favorite book tropes, music, character inspiration, and the emotional heart behind her stories.
From school pickups and voice memos to tea-fueled writing sessions and original song lyrics, Emily shares an honest look behind the scenes of her writing journey.
1. A Day in the Life Balance
Q: Your bio mentions the beautiful chaos of family life, school runs, and being a brand rep with your daughters. How do you find the quiet moments to slip away into the world of your characters and write?
Emily: This some days, even weeks, can prove extremely difficult. Some days I might only get in half an hour of writing once the housework is done and while I wait for school pickup to arrive.
When things pop into my head and I don't have time to write it into my manuscript, you'll find me scrambling for my phone to either make a voice memo or write it down in my notes until I can get back to my computer.
A lot of the time this happens while I'm shopping or waiting at school pickup. When we have a weekend with nothing planned, which isn't very common, I try to organize an activity or movie for the kids so I can get a little extra time to write or research.
2. The Reality TV Vibe
Q: If the characters from The January Rose Chronicles were forced to go on a reality television show together, which show would it be, and who would win?
Emily: Maybe something like I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
I think Aries would win because he always seems to be so level-headed in high-stakes situations. But then again, maybe Phoenix would win because he likes to treat everything with a fun attitude and always has a joker side to him.
3. The Glam Factor
Q: As a qualified makeup artist, do you ever find yourself mentally designing the makeup looks or aesthetics for characters like Ariana or Delaney while you're writing them?
Emily: Definitely. I do it all the time and then spend so much time describing them before realizing readers probably don't need a full detailed description.
When writing Ariana's makeup looks, I chose a red lip as her comfort color. For me, it's like body armor and makes me feel powerful, which is exactly what I wanted to portray for Ariana.
4. The Ultimate Romance Mix
Q: If you had to pick romance tropes you'll always auto-buy, what would they be?
Emily: I love a second-chance romance.
I also love bad boy x good girl. My favorite movie is A Walk to Remember and I loved the dynamic between those characters.
I also love a good redemption arc.
And honestly, I have to add one more—the illness trope. If a character is sick and falls in love, I'm there. That trope is my go-to when I need a good cry.
5. The Gateway Book
Q: What was the first book that made you fall in love with reading?
Emily: I don't remember any specific books. I just always remember loving stories.
Growing up, books were always around me. Even now, I still have some of them and have passed them on to my girls.
6. The Comfort Read
Q: What book can you reread forever?
Emily: I've fallen in love with Siena Trap's books during my reading journey and would happily reread them over and over again.
I've recently started rereading them in audiobook format, which is great because I can listen while still following along with the physical book whenever I want.
7. The To-Be-Read Pile
Q: What books are currently waiting on your TBR?
Emily: I'm probably one of the only people in the world who hasn't read the Off-Campus series yet. I know, I know!
They're on my list, along with the Boys of Tommen series and the Chestnut Springs series. Since adaptations are coming, I'd love to read them beforehand.
8. The Soundtrack of Writing
Q: Do you listen to music while writing?
Emily: Surprisingly, no.
When I'm drafting, I usually have a TV show or movie on in the background. Music tends to muddle my thoughts.
When I need songs for my book playlists, I step away from writing and spend time researching songs that fit the mood and characters. Sometimes I'll even look for female covers of songs originally sung by men, or vice versa, depending on the POV character.
I also love that this helps showcase smaller artists trying to make a name for themselves.
9. The Happily Ever After Guarantee
Q: What makes romance your ultimate genre?
Emily: I am a hopeless romantic and I love love.
It sounds corny, but nothing makes me happier than seeing two people in love. I love the warm feeling romance ignites within readers, myself included.
10. From Book One to Book Two
Q: What can readers expect from Echoes of Love?
Emily: Book two dives much deeper into the characters.
Ariana wasn't a huge character in Book One, so readers really get to know her, watch her grow, and see her relationship with Hendrix develop.
Book two also tackles some hard-hitting subjects that artists and rockstars face within the industry, including drugs and alcohol, and how those struggles affect the entire group.
11. The Rockstar Life
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing the contrast between fame and vulnerability?
Emily: The life of a rockstar isn't always sold-out arenas and screaming fans.
Real-life rockstars have quiet, vulnerable moments too, and I wanted to showcase that side of fame. Famous people are still people who deal with things privately, and reminding readers of that is important.
12. Small Towns vs. Big Lights
Q: How much of your own perspective influences Ana's story in Kissing in the Spotlight?
Emily: Honestly, my idea of a small town came mostly from movies.
Australia's version of a small town feels different than the American version. My interpretation was based on imagining what that experience would be like.
13. The Early Spark
Q: Have any of your childhood poems or song lyrics made their way into your books?
Emily: Not directly.
However, I have incorporated my songwriting skills into my books. Every book contains original lyrics.
One of the songs in Melodies of the Heart was actually written with help from my daughter, who wanted to learn about my songwriting process.
Writing lyrics from a character's perspective is much harder than people realize because you're writing from experiences that belong to fictional people rather than yourself.
14. Plotter vs. Pantser
Q: How do you approach a new project?
Emily: I have a document where I outline the characters and plans. I include images of what I think they'll look like and continue adding to it as I write.
I know where I generally want the story to go, but sometimes the characters take me somewhere unexpected and I have to go back and adjust my plans.
I already have ideas written down for a brand-new series once The January Rose Chronicles is complete.
15. The Writing Setup & Routine
Q: What does your writing space look like?
Emily: My desk is currently a fold-out table in my living room, and honestly, it's perfect.
I like having the TV on while I write, and being in the living room makes it easy to write a few lines here and there between chores and taking care of the kids.
I don't really have a set creative time because inspiration shows up whenever it wants to.
16. The Fuel
Q: Coffee, tea, or something else?
Emily: Tea. Always tea.
There is always a cup of tea beside me when I'm writing.
17. The Hardest Part
Q: What comes easiest to you, and what is the most difficult part of writing?
Emily: The hardest part is definitely writing intimate scenes.
I don't want them to be boring, but I also don't want them to feel unrealistic. Since my books aren't dark romances, I don't want those scenes to suddenly feel completely different from the rest of the story.
The easiest part is coming up with plot ideas. I always have a million story ideas running through my head. I also love creating characters.
18. The Cast
Q: If you could spend one day with one of your characters, who would it be?
Emily: That's such a hard choice.
Probably Phoenix. His story hasn't been told yet, but from what readers have seen so far, he's fun, charming, and I know he has a deeper story beneath the surface.
Although honestly, I'd love to spend a day with all of January Rose. Their love of music and brotherhood would be amazing to experience.
19. Writing Healing
Q: Your books tackle trauma, healing, and loyalty. How do you balance those heavier themes with hope and romance?
Emily: I believe everyone deserves a happy ending.
It can be difficult knowing where to draw the line between trauma and romance, but that's part of the art of being a writer.
Book two is definitely heavier emotionally, and I had to make sure those moments remained grounded in contemporary romance without becoming too dark.
Some of the emotions I draw from come from my own experiences. While the events may not have happened to me personally, I use those emotions to help shape what my characters feel.
20. The June 30th Countdown
Q: What does release day look like for you?
Emily: Honestly, it usually feels like a normal day except for the endless butterflies.
My girls are excited for me, but they don't fully understand what publishing a book means. My husband is proud of me, but he's not a reader, so he doesn't quite share the excitement either.
I struggle with celebrating my successes. That probably comes from childhood and never really feeling celebrated for achievements.
It's heartbreaking but honest.
I do usually treat myself to something small, though. A chocolate is always a good choice.
Where to Find Emily Rose Brlevich
🌐 Website: www.emilyrosebrlevichwrites.com
📚 Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/ebrlevichauthor
📖 Pre-Order Echoes of Love: https://amzn.asia/d/09oVspCS
🛒 Previous titles are available through Amazon.
Final Note
In addition to writing her novels, Emily has also taught herself how to create her own character art, which she uses to bring the cast of The January Rose Chronicles to life.
As Echoes of Love approaches its June 30th release, we can't wait to see where the music, romance, and heart of this series take readers next.
