Author interview: Ashley Dill

Ashley Dill is a US based writer of contemporary romance, and I’ve been privileged to be part of her ARC team for her new release coming out on 30th January. More about that later! But first, let’s find out a bit more about Ashley.

Ashley, welcome! Can you share a little bit of your journey with writing? Is it something you’ve always done?

At this point, it feels like “always,” but the truth is, I didn’t start playing around with fiction until I was sixteen. I wrote two novels in high school then let go of the dream of being published for more “sensible” pursuits. But, I was still cataloguing ideas in my head during my eleven year hiatus. It took a debilitating back injury to slow me down enough to dream again. After spending months on the couch, I got sick of reading and scrolling social media. I slammed Charles Martin’s The Letter Keeper shut and said “no more reading!” It only took ten weeks to draft Hold Back the River.

Now tell us about your first book, ‘Hold Back the River’. Is the title based on the James Bay song? (I love James Bay!) What was your main inspiration for the story?

I have been asked about James Bay so many times! Actually, no, I had never heard of Bay or the song prior to naming my debut. I was doing research to make sure there wasn’t like some huge bestselling novel with the same name. I did add the song to my book playlist though!

I loved the way that Pat and Jules were flawed, but worked through a lot of pain to find hope for the future together. What, for you, are the most important ingredients for a powerful romance?

This is a huge question I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I think one of the most powerful things in a story is hope. Hope that love can and does prevail. Hope that humans can be fully seen yet fully treasured. I love reading a book and thinking, “well, dang, how the heck are they going to bounce back from that?” But their love is refined in the fire, their belief system jerked inside out, their focus forced onto painful things they wish to bury. When we read stories like that and walk with our beloved character friends as they find life and belonging after the pain, we realize we can too. I truly believe this is an underestimated value in fiction. From the youngest moments in our lives, we learn to think and solve alongside Nancy Drew or beat the odds with Percy Jackson and his friends or challenge our imagination with Anne Shirley. Adult books should be the same—a chance to grow beside a fictional friend. And for me, what us adults need most? Hope. 

Now onto your upcoming release, ‘The Blooms that Broke Us’. I have to say, I loved this even more than your debut. A second chance romance with both believable reasons for why the couple broke up, but compelling ingredients for their reconciliation. Was it quite different writing this compared to HBTR? How did you come up with the story?

This story was wildly different to write than Hold Back the River. Hold Back the River was very straightforward. I did very few revisions because I knew exactly what I wanted to say. But The Blooms That Broke Us gave me a run for my money. I wrote about 200,000 words on that project, and published about 113,000… if that tells you how much deleting and rewriting I did. Part of that problem was Jack. It took me a really long time to get to know him and hear his voice and understand why he operates the way he does. Also, marriages are sticky. The situation was sticky. And the motives had to be tight to pull off every single plot point. The Blooms That Broke Us looks literally nothing like the first draft from October 2022. Plot point for plot point completely changed. I was absolutely drained by the time I sent this book to ARCs. 

I won’t name themes here so I don’t spoil anything, but my process always starts with a theme. I know what impression I want to leave on my readers and I toy with a storyline until I can achieve that goal. This is one of the reasons I did so many rewrites of The Blooms That Broke Us. I was telling a great story, but wasn’t hitting the theme like I wanted to. 

What are your main priorities as a romance writer, which you always aim to deliver to your readers?

I could name a lot of things here. I think now that I’ve got two books under my belt, I’m discovering what is me. Like, some writers are really funny and others write such beautiful lines, you just want to slow down and read every page twice, ya know? But those things aren’t me. I’ve found I love writing emotionally hurt characters and leaving a crumb trail for my readers to follow toward the resolution. Like, unanswered questions are my absolute jam. I’ve had readers message me and say, “No freaking way!” when they learn what happened or finally get answers and that is my favorite thing ever. But to answer more directly, as a rule, I will always write something binge-worthy, great kisses, good chemistry, shippable characters, rounded themes, and takeaways. If I don’t hit those goals, I trust my team to clue me in prior to publication and by golly, I’ll take it all the way back to the drawing board. 

Which authors inspire you? Do you have a favourite book you return to?

Not a favorite book, but Charles Martin is my favorite author and his stories are masterfully themed, which you’ve learned means a lot to me.

What are you excited for in 2024?

My work in progress! I’m trying something different and I’m lowkey terrified but also so pumped I don’t sleep well. Lol. I don’t know when pub date will be, but late 2024 is my aim.

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The Blooms That Broke Us is released on 30th January 2024. You have to read it! My full review is on Goodreads here. I’ll give you the short version below:

Dill’s writing is a refreshing antidote to the saccharine idealism of a lot of romance today. What’s the fascination with cinnamon roll male characters? What I loved in this story was the reality of two flawed characters, making very real mistakes, and dealing with pain… Ultimately, I love what was at the heart of this book: a core belief in the need for forgiveness to hold a marriage together. With sky high divorce rates, we need a message like this more than ever. We don’t need help falling in love; we need help to stick it out when it gets tough.

While you’re waiting for that release date, make sure you check out Hold Back the River. Thanks, Ashley, for answering all my nosy questions, and most of all, for your beautiful writing. All the best for release day!

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