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We Went Accidentally Viral?! With Special Guest Author: Carolyn Hawkins · Fated

• Tay: Welcome to the podcast where your next favorite story is already written in the stars. April: We're your new book besties, April. Tay: And Tay, here to get your book craving started and satisfied. April: Why? Tay: Because around here it's faded. April: So grab your current read, maybe a cozy drink, and hide your TBR list because today we are joined by none other than author Carolyn Hawkins. Tay: We are so excited to have you. my gosh. Hello, hello. Thanks for joining us. We're Carolyn Hawkins: So excited to be here. Yay. Hi. Tay: so excited. Yes. my gosh. April: Mm. We are Carolyn Hawkins: Peace. Tay: And we have copies of your books here and we're just ready to April: We do. Tay: delve in and go all about it. April: Yes. So for listeners who are meeting you for the first time, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you kind of became an author. Carolyn Hawkins: Of course. Yeah. So well, I don't know how I became an author. Perimenopause, I think, maybe. Some sort of midlife crisis. Tay: That is a life changing event, girl. So yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: psychosis. I don't know. No. so I'm Carolyn. I am from Austin. Well, I'm originally from Michigan, but I've been in Austin, Texas for over 20 years. so I very crazily Bloated up my car, moved down here at 23 with no job, and my best friend. And somehow it worked out. I met my husband here, who is a Texan. So Texan by marriage, if not by birthright. And yeah, I you know, I've I've been I've been writing since I was 13 years old. So this is very much I went to school for it. My degree is in journalism with a minor in lit. Very much what I wanted to do, but by the time I graduated college, I was making more working as a part-time teller than I would have as a full-time journalist. So I just kind of ended up staying in corporate America and building a career that I loved for a lot of years. And COVID definitely like caused a lot of burnout. And I switched roles twice and then was fighting with a coworker. April: no. It happens. Carolyn Hawkins: As one does. and Tay: we're seeing some parallels here. Carolyn Hawkins: was like, you know, I gotta, yeah, Garrett is very much like people will ask me, are any of the characters based on anyone in real life? Only Garrett. And really the character isn't more so the relationship with Garrett and Emma is very much drawn from me fighting with my coworker whose name is Jared. so I needed to channel that energy somewhere, right? Like I needed to get it out or was gonna end up in HR. So I started writing and here we are. April: Love that. That's so great. Tay: I do. I love that so much. What a cool backstory though, as far as like, you know, just packing up your life, moving across country and settling yourself in Texas. And two for us, I mean, you have a lot of parallels that kind of fit with us in in weird little like so our best friend, aka April's sister, Adrienne lives in Michigan right now. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: And so, yeah, and so for Carolyn Hawkins: that's so funny. Tay: us, it's like, my gosh, like we know Michigans. Earth, like we know people from there. So that's really cool that Carolyn Hawkins: Yes, yes. Tay: you know you are settled into Texas. Yes, 20 years definitely makes you honorary at that point. Yeah. I would even say like a yeah. Yes, 100%. She'd be like, the time Carolyn Hawkins: I think Emma would allow me to call myself a an Austenite. April: I think so. Tay: and place, yes, definitely makes you an Austinite. So that's definitely very cool. Love Carolyn Hawkins: Mm-hmm. Tay: to hear your backstory a little bit. So you kind of talked about like the leading up. But really what was the moment that made you think, Okay, I am gonna sit down and I am gonna write this thing? Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah, so it was last May 2025. I had written probably like 3,000 words in that, you know, like psychosis state from fighting with Jared. And my best friend actually came into town that June for we went and saw Amy Dawes when she was in Austin for seven-year itch. And we just had a girls' weekend of doing book things. Like she came in, we went to the signing, we went to Flutter, we, you know, went to book people, did all did all the bookish Austin things at the time. And so I'm like, okay, I have this unhinged idea for a book. Let me tell you. And so I told her my plot idea, and she's like, that's good. I'm like, right? So she kind of gave me the confidence to start actually like. writing it and she laughed that week. I started writing. I wrote my first draft in about three weeks, April: Wow. Tay: Wow. Carolyn Hawkins: which was like a fever dream. And sent it to her and she read it and I was like, I know it needs a lot of work, but I feel like the bones are good. And she's like, yeah, the bones are definitely good. So yeah, then I'm like, okay, I gotta find an editor now. Yeah. April: That's so awesome. Well, shout out to your bestie. Gosh. Tay: Yeah, that's really great that she gave you that motivation to like, you know what, let's put it on paper. Like you said, you were at 3,000 words at that point and Carolyn Hawkins: Yes. Tay: you had a really good idea. So you're like, you know what? I just need April: Mm-hmm. Tay: to like commit and do the time and just write it out. So that's really awesome. That's and that's great to Carolyn Hawkins: Yep, exactly. April: Yeah. Tay: hear because I'm sure there's other listeners right now that are sitting there going, like, how, how am I gonna write this thing? What should I do? And I'm, you know, hey, that's experience just put it on paper, write as much as you can and then you can weed out the rest. Carolyn Hawkins: I literally like I have so many, I go to the writing club at Flutter here in Austin and definitely my best advice is just write it and get it out. Like don't worry about if it's good. Just get the story on the paper because the magic is gonna happen in editing. Like your first draft is always gonna be awful. So just like get it out, get it there so you have something to work with. because that's literally half the battle. It's so easy to get in your head and like. stress about that first draft. and and that's I feel like the biggest hurdle for some people just to get started is that first, first draft of finishing. April: Agreed. Yeah. Tay: We love Flutter. We think Flutter is awesome. That is such a Carolyn Hawkins: No Tay: cool bookstore. And Laurelyn Page is awesome. I love her books, but she is so funny. Me and April have a backstory with her. our Carolyn Hawkins: my god, I wanna hear it. I wanna hear it. Tay: very first book Bedanza has a friend Carolyn Hawkins: Mm-hmm. Tay: group. we went to it was like a meet and greet night. Would you say that's what it was? It was like April: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Tay: a meet and greet night. And Laura Lynn was doing turret readings. And I Carolyn Hawkins: my god. Tay: They were tarot cards, but they were like explicit tarot cards. Like I mean, like, I mean, like April: But yeah, they were very explicit. Tay: the first one she flipped over, I think was like a card of sevens, but it was just like penis all over the page. And I'm like, okay, this is gonna April: Mm-hmm. Tay: be fun. We are gonna have a good time. And like she was flipping it and reading all of our tarots, and it was just pure joy. Like we couldn't have sat at a better table for our very first night of this long book conference. with this experience. So that forever April: Yeah. Tay: lives in my memory. And every time Carolyn Hawkins: Cheese. Tay: I see her at another book event, I always go to her table and bring that up. Like Carolyn Hawkins: I love that. my God. April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: I'm sure she loves it. Like that. So in the midst of writing the first draft of my first book, she was teaching a writing course at Flutter. So April: Mm. Carolyn Hawkins: at that I joined it and that so I I joke that like accidentally viral was very much born in Flutter. Like I worked through all my edits of like making it something worth reading with her voice in my head, like from that class. So yeah, that's awesome. April: Aw, okay. So give us your completely unhinged elevator pitch for your debut, okay? Like sell it to us like we are your besties at two AM. Maybe we've had some drinks. Carolyn Hawkins: Okay. I have to hold it. Okay, so I have my, well, I guess I'm gonna do my normal elevator pitch. I don't know if it's unhinged enough, but we'll we'll go for this. Okay, so this is my debut, Spicy Rom com. It features Emma, who's a disgruntled IT employee who vents about her job on social media, and Michael, who's the brand new CEO of his father's company. They meet by chance, have a whirlwind weekend romance because very steamy and not knowing the entire time that she actually works for him. so when that secret comes out, everything gets very, very messy in the best way. April: In the best way. Tay: yeah, in the best way. We love that. that was a great pitch. Claps, snaps, all the things. That April: Yes. Tay: was very good. and you hit it. You hit all the plot points, especially too, because me and April have indulged and now finished and read your book. and I will say Emma's Carolyn Hawkins: I wanna hear all your thoughts. Tay: Emma's a spicy, spicy girl. She is like, you know what? April: Love her. Tay: I'm not gonna let you pass like anything by me. Like, you know, and then two, she's very independent. she's very, you know. I guess I don't know. She's not gonna let anybody stop her from pursuing her dreams. And kind of after hearing, you know, your kind of backstory a little bit, I think that's April: Mm. Tay: an interesting parallel of like you deciding, hey, you know what? Fuck it. I'm gonna write my book. I'm gonna do it. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: I'm gonna do the thing and I'm gonna put it out there. And yes, I'm in the banking world right now. But guess what? We're gonna manifest and we're gonna get out of it. So she's like, you know what? I'm gonna be social media viral and I'm gonna post something. And I don't and Carolyn Hawkins: Yes. Tay: that's why I think though it's accidental that and that's like a perfect title to Carolyn Hawkins: Mm-hmm. April: Mm. Tay: your book. Cause genuinely I think she didn't expect it. She was just like, I'm just gonna post this for Fonsies, you know, and then you know, Carolyn Hawkins: Yes. Tay: her one toilet clip. And now y'all gotta read Carolyn Hawkins: Ha ha ha. Tay: the book because like I don't wanna give too much away on that because that was too funny. And then sitting there too, I think. In a COVID world where we all of a sudden were zooming and teamsing and that was like all the way we're communicating, I could totally believe that would happen, like on a call, just 'cause people were so comfortable to the point of Carolyn Hawkins: I like it has not happened April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: to me, but like I absolutely have friends where like they've had I mean I have friends in education who like had someone join a virtual interview from the bathroom. And it it absolutely happens, I think, 'cause Tay: that is so bad but so funny for content. Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: We're too attached to work. That's the horrible thing about virtual work. Like it's the convenience is fantastic. I say that I work remote. I work 100% from home now. I switched jobs in the spring and I was hybrid and now 100% from home. And it's so hard. I had to train myself to like, nope, it's six o'clock. I'm walking away. It's so easy to be always Tay: Mm-hmm. April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: on when your work is in your home. April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Yeah, you gotta create that like April: I agree a hundred percent. Tay: separation, put it into two buckets. This is my work time, this is my lifetime, April: Mm-hmm. Tay: and they're completely two Carolyn Hawkins: Yep. Tay: objective things. Carolyn Hawkins: Exactly. Tay: Very cool. Well, so as a reader yourself and a writer, are you more of a slow burn or are you more of a love it's like love at first sight kind of a person? Carolyn Hawkins: You know, I like both. Variety is the spice of life. I do love a slow burn. I my third book is definitely gonna be more of a slow burn. I'm very excited to write it. I think April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: that'll be because my first two are not slow burns at all. Tay: Mm-hmm. April: Ha ha ha. Carolyn Hawkins: I'm very excited to get to write all that tension and like build up. Like I think it's gonna be so fun. I will say if the slow burn burns too long, like if if it's 80% and nothing's happened, I'm as a reader, I'm gonna be frustrated. So April: Yeah. Tay: my gosh. Yeah, April's done that to me. Carolyn Hawkins: I wouldn't yeah, yeah. April: We know all about that. Yeah. There was a book that Taylor was reading and she was like, I'm over it. Tay: Yeah, April did that to me. She recommended me a book. It was like a total cock block the entire time. I was like, Jesus Christ. I'm like, get to the thing. April: She's like, why do they kiss? Tay: I know. I was like, when do they kiss? and she was like, I swear it's so good. I'm like, stop. I'm April: Yeah. Tay: kidding. Like, you are holding me back right now. I am dying. So thank you for write out, you know, the second book. Yes, can be a slow burn, but the first book, I gotta have some fun right out the gate, all right? Get me hooked. April: Yeah. Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: Yes, we gotta have some fun. Well and my second book is Spice in the Prologue because past Carrie was like, let me make a funny joke about banging in the bathroom. And then present Carrie was like, no, what have I done? Tay: no. April: But that's so good. Sometimes like those are the books that just really draw you in though because like that's what you know most romance readers, most of them, right, who are looking for like these Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. April: types of stories, they want the spice. And spice right off the bat, if it's good, like it's good. So Carolyn Hawkins: Yes, yes Tay: Yeah. Now you so graciously sent us your book. So we appreciate April: Yeah. Tay: this so, so much. You did not have to do that. but we do want to talk about this cover Carolyn Hawkins: Happy to. Tay: a little bit. It is so cute. I we also saw April: my gosh. Tay: the new one in the post for that, and they mesh so well. So thank you for that. but the Carolyn Hawkins: Hmm. I will I'm actually April: So good. Carolyn Hawkins: I have to admit I'm gonna yeah, the little the little wink tossed it. April: yeah, we love that too. Tay: It's person perfect. And then the bat scene, like everything is so innately Austin. And I mean, as Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. Tay: a Texas girly, we love this. Like this is so cute. So who does your design for this book? Carolyn Hawkins: I so I actually this is things you learn as an indie author and how kind of Tay: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: chaotic it can be. my original cover designer got like a big girl job and stopped freelancing. So I am gonna give book one a facelift because my OCD could not handle. April: Like any differences. Tay: Yes. Carolyn Hawkins: the characters have obviously aesthetic, like artistic differences because two different artists did them, right? April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: so I've got Stacey Hart, who is an author herself, who did the cover for book two, and she's gonna give book one a facelift for me that I very much I actually just sent her the brief. I'm like, I wanna pull like kind of the South Congress, like maybe Auditorium Shores, like two as the full background. is kind of my idea, but we'll see what she comes back with to sort of, you know, keep keep April: That's amazing. Carolyn Hawkins: some of this, but get it in her style, get it in her aesthetic as an artist. So they'll they'll match match. But we'll be keeping the blue. It'll still have a blue, blue overall color to it. she's so good. Tay: I love that you used her. She is one of my favorites. I love that she's an author herself, but then also does the freelance art. some of my favorite work that she has done was with Candy Steiner. She did like a I think it was like a what do they call those mystery cover or I forget what they there's like a term for it. discreet cover. And her discreet Carolyn Hawkins: Discreet. Yeah. Tay: covers were beautiful. I just love them so, so much. Carolyn Hawkins: So good. Candy's who I reached out to in a panic. Well, I reached out to Laurelyn and she's like, I don't know, because she doesn't do like the cartoon, you know, for hers, but Tay: Mm-hmm. April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: she gave me a couple people to look into and then I DM'd Candy and I was like, please help. I'm like, I, you know, I'm like, I've got the schedule for, you know, my second book and my cover designer because I had her all booked and she had to cancel. Tay: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: So she gave me a couple names, one of whose was Stacy, so that's how I found her. And it's it's been awesome. Tay: She does a lot of people in the book community and she's very affordable too. I don't think she like gouges anybody on her art, which is incredible. Carolyn Hawkins: No, yeah. April: Mm-hmm. I love that. Carolyn Hawkins: Very reasonable. Yeah. No. I'm feel super privileged to be working with her. And I mean, she's been so helpful too, because she's like an author as well. So she's Tay: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: like, Okay, let me give you this perspective. And like when we were planning like what color each book is gonna be, she's like, Okay, well, let's think about all four because people are gonna stack them together. And I would have April: yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: never in my like even thought that far ahead. So I'm like, my God, you're so right. Okay, let's decide on the colors, the overall colors of each book so they look good together. she's been such an amazing help and love and appreciate her so much. April: All right. So accidentally viral Tay: Mm-hmm. April: is a CEO billionaire romance. And as you can imagine, Taylor is feral right now because she loves CEO billionaire romances. Like when we first started talking, we looked up the book. We're like, my gosh. I was like, Taylor, this is right up your alley, hands down. because she loves billionaire romances, like so many do. So was billionaire romance, is that like a favorite genre of yours? Or Carolyn Hawkins: I mean, I would say my favorite genre overall is contemporary rom-com. Tay: Mm-hmm. April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: but I do read a lot of billionaire. I definitely do read a lot, like I read Teal Swan, Laura Lynn, obviously, Kat Singleton. So I definitely read quite a bit of Billionaire. And but April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: really with it, I wanted to twist the typical billionaire trope. which if April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: you read it fully, I think you'll see exactly how I do that at the end. and you know, how I wanted I wanted because to me Emma was not someone who was going to give up her life for him, right? April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: So how do we and and even though that's the one thing that will I struggle with sometimes with billionaire is they'll write these really strong female characters that in the end still end up, you know, conforming to fit the the rich dude's lifestyle. So April: Right. Their life changes to fit his lifestyle. Yeah, I agree. Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: Correct. so I wanted to turn that on its head a little bit, but keep the, you know, the overall vibes of the hot rich dude. Yeah. April: Right. Well we all love it. Yes. Tay: My favorite. April: So what then are your top three tropes in a book? Like if you're just gonna go read a book, what are some things that you like to read? Carolyn Hawkins: my gosh. I'm feral for single dad nanny. It just April: Ooh. Carolyn Hawkins: hits every time. I don't know if it's because I don't have kids. I feel like the relationship gets so much deeper because you watch the, you know, the female main character fall in love with the kids as well as the man and like kind of how that April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: strengthens the relationship. So I I eat those up every single time. Any sort of force proximity, so good. And then who doesn't love my wife? Like April: So good. Yeah. That is top tier for sure. Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: Fake marriage. So good. Yes. Tay: Those are good tropes. Yeah. No, I was thinking of a couple of the ones that I'm like, I'm like, yeah. I was like, there's a lot of really good like nanny books that I really love. Tessa Carolyn Hawkins: It's so good. Tay: Bailey is a good one for those. Lana Ferguson, which we just met her and she's precious. all of her pictures are always character art or whatever. April: Yeah, similar. Tay: So we hadn't got Carolyn Hawkins: Yes. Tay: to see her in person. It It was like, we love your books. that's so cool. Carolyn Hawkins: she's adorable. I actually just met her at Kiss and Tal in Dallas as well. it's funny. Yes. Tay: yes, you were telling us about that. I didn't even know that was going on. And when me and April looked back to see the author lineup, I was like, wow. I was like, that was a that was, that was stacked. April: We missed out. What a fun time. Carolyn Hawkins: It was fun. It was a good time. I had I had Tay: Was that their first time doing it or have they done a few? Carolyn Hawkins: I think they've done it at least. It was my first time going. but I know Adrienne Hale, who she actually runs the writing club, she's gone before. So it it's April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: at least two or three years that they've done it. but yeah, it w it was a good event. It was just a day, which is nice. Like I'm I'm going in October to Vegas to the big like two-day love in Vegas. April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: con as a reader, just going and I'm like that'll be probably totally chaotic. I'll be so tired. I kind of like the April: How fun though. Carolyn Hawkins: day long, but yeah, we'll see. We'll see how I feel about it when I'm there. April: what has this journey been like for you as an author? Because it sounds like you have a lot of support like kind of around you, which I think is so great. And building your circle Carolyn Hawkins: my gosh, yes. April: for this is probably so important. Carolyn Hawkins: my god. Like I cannot say enough about how amazing the people in my life have been through this like whole journey. Like I have zero chill. I have zero chill. So I wrote this book and I'm immediately telling everyone, including everyone at work, which like dangerous line, but it was fine. and I mean I literally had This is this is gonna sound braggy. I don't mean it to sound braggy. It's just to demonstrate the support. I had two launch signings, one at Flutter and one at Finney's, the other romance bookstore here in Austin. And I had three friends fly in to show up. And then I literally like my book is still in the top 10 most sold of any title at Flutter from how many people came out and like. showed up and bought a copy and supported the store also. So it was, it was insane. The support has been insane. I can't say enough about like my friends and family. I just got an email yesterday from my aunt like, I read your book and left you a review on Amazon. I was like, well that's a little uncomfy, but thank you so much. April: I think I would rather have an aunt than like a grandma though. So good. Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah, yeah. Actually my grandma Loki, I would have been tot like well one of my grandmas. She was she was she would have been so into it and I would have been perfectly fine with her reading it, but she was also Tay: Yeah. She'd probably take it too far she's like, I love it so much. that thing he did, that was crazy. You're like, okay, hold on. we're gonna draw it back in. I love that Carolyn Hawkins: That would have been my grandma. I mean April: Ha Tay: you appreciate. Thank you for support, Nana. But like, April: Mm. Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah, there's a bit of my grandma in Grandma June. the the actually the line in the epilogue where she's talking about her grandma saying, I think I think I use this quote. My grandma's a few quotes that like stick him Yeah, park his boots under her bed anytime. That is something my grandma actually said. April: I love that. What a sweet little nod, too. I love things like that and learning things like that about books. I'm gonna ask this because you never know. There may be somebody out there who comes across this listening to this or watching it, where they kind of dream about writing a book of their own. where did like, I mean, we kind of talked about where did it start for you, but reaching out to like editors and things like that, that Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. April: had to be so nerve-wracking. Carolyn Hawkins: I well, so I I am conservative in the way that like not in my political beliefs, but in my April: Ha ha ha. Carolyn Hawkins: in the way I am with like I'm risk adverse. So I wanted to make April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: sure I found someone who was experienced, who and specifically in my genre, specifically in contemporary rom-com. April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: so what I ended up doing was read Z, which is definitely like you it's you can find cheaper alternatives. But again, like I liked the protection of because you kind of, as you're getting started in this, you read horror stories of like people like hiring an editor, never getting feedback April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: or getting feedback that they felt like was ran through grammarly and like not, you know. April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: so I really wanted to make sure I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I'm like, if I'm gonna do this, I know my big mouth is gonna tell everybody about it. I cannot be embarrassed with like the end quality of this product. So April: Right. Carolyn Hawkins: I sent my brief to like four different editors and I did they have you put like a sample chapter in so they can see your work and like decide they want to work with you too. and April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: the one I ended up picking was actually the most expensive. But April: Course. Carolyn Hawkins: she was the one who I could tell like truly read my sample. she commented on specific things that were in it and not in like the first line, you know. So and April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: I just got very, very good vibes from her. So I ended up moving forward with her. Her name's Nicole. Fisher, she worked for HarperCollins for over a decade. She was the dev editor on like It Happened One Summer, Hookline Sinker, Fangirl for Tessa Bailey and Octavia Hubert. So I knew like she knows she knows what I'm trying to do and she's gonna give me valuable April: Mm-hmm. Tay: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: feedback. And like I literally cannot like express how much she helped me make this book April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: good. and same with my second book. Like she's just phenomenal. So I think it's you have to jive on like a relationship wise, April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: but like also, you know, I think looking at their background and making sure that the books that they work on mesh what you're trying to do and what you're trying April: Right. Carolyn Hawkins: to create. so yeah, she's worth every penny. And Tay: No April: Love. Carolyn Hawkins: I'm I'm so thankful to her and like she put my book in her portfolio, which is wild to be able to go on her website and like see it next to Tessa Bailey's book that's like being made Tay: Mm. Carolyn Hawkins: into a movie. I'm like, who even am I right now? This is wild. April: Right. Carolyn Hawkins: so yeah, it somehow, not April: It's like I am connected to Tessa Bailey somehow, some way in the universe. Tay: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: really, but I'll take it. so yeah, I I'm really grateful for the platform of Read Z just because they vet like their people that are on there, like you have to have April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: a verifiable experience. And then you're kind of protected. So you're making this huge financial investment, right? In in April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: something that you may never see back. I mean, I hope to see it back one day, but I may not, and that's okay. It's purely April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: something I was doing for myself at that point in time. And you know, it it's just really, really thankful to have found her, to have found the collaboration. My copy editor I found through there as well. My original cover designer I found through there. Obviously that didn't work out as well for me. But the editing talent that I found, I cannot be more happy with. So yeah, that's where April: I love that. Carolyn Hawkins: I went. There's Tay: It's awesome. Carolyn Hawkins: a million ways to do it though. And they're like April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: it is definitely the expensive route. So I don't want to discount that, you know. April: Yeah, for sure. Carolyn Hawkins: Mm-hmm. Tay: But there's somebody out there that's probably listening and you're giving that an inspiration and you're being honest and upfront. And then two, that gives them, you know, hope of, you know, hey, like they may not even want to see that return either. But they're like, you know, j April: Mm-hmm. Tay: there's just something to say, I'm a published author, or I I did Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. Tay: the thing, I wrote a book, I put myself out there and 10 people may have read it, but like, hey, like, you know, but it sounds like April: Yep. It's ten people. Tay: It sounds like you're well past that. So you're gravy baby. Carolyn Hawkins: It April: Woo Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: yeah, I've the reception has been really, really awesome. Like, honestly, like it's one thing to have your friends and family read it and be like, my god, I loved it. That's so fun. It's another thing to have like strangers on the internet find April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: your book, love your book, review and rate your book. I'm like, it's just been the most amazing experience of my life. Like, truly, truly. April: I love that. Tay: So exciting. I gotta say I did. I love the book. At the very end, you had like iconic moments that I have to share. So April: Okay. Tay: you call people out at the end, which I think is so funny, but you said, believe in the romance magic, you muggle. That had me cackling. people, I'm sure, have opinions about April: Ha Tay: like how his career kind of changed at the end, but Honestly, how many times have we read books where the girl does the opposite? April: Mm-hmm. Tay: And I like that you touched on that. that to me just shows you know, we can change from a genre that seems to be exclusively one-sided. So that's really nice and a breath of fresh air that you chose to go that route. and it was fun Carolyn Hawkins: Yep. Tay: to for him to choose her ultimately, like her happiness and you know, her career. And that was so cool to see. but April: And that her happiness was his happiness, you know, Tay: Yeah. Yeah. April: instead of like Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. April: vice versa, yeah. Tay: But I do gotta ask. So like when you're writing this book and you kind of get towards that phase of like, is he choosing this? Did writing like a breakup or a third act breakup, did it devastate you? Like for your characters? Were you just like like I want them? Carolyn Hawkins: I think because I knew in my brain how they were gonna come together, it wasn't devastating, but I definitely tried to like put an emotional gut punch behind it, right? Like tried to make it feel authentic and whatnot. my second book actually, Natan Madison's story, is the one where I cried writing it. Like I cried thoroughly writing it. this. This one feels more light. Like, yes, they they go through stuff, but like it's more comedic relief to me in how it transpires April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: and like that emotional gut punch versus like book two and definitely putting more of that emotional gut punch in it just because of their story and like kind of how that book is themed. Like this book, my theme is corporate burnout. Like they're they're both. And and really my it took me two books to figure out my through line for this series. But my through line very much is like they're mirrors, like each couple is mirrors. They're both going through the same thing, but in very different ways. you know, Emma and Michael are both dissatisfied in careers they thought they were gonna love, right? And then how does that play into their love and how do they work through that to choose ultimately each other, but also a life that's gonna make them happier? and book two. Is mental health themed. So April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: and it's a lot of you know, childhood trauma that they both have to work through in very different ways that manifests in very different ways. but how they work through that together is definitely because of just the theming of it, is a much bigger April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: gut punch. Yeah. April: For sure. For sure. Tay: yeah, I thinking of that second book, what makes you most excited about writing his story and seeing what Nathan has in store for him? Carolyn Hawkins: my gosh, I love Nate so much. Like I love Michael, April: Me too. Carolyn Hawkins: but I love Nate. first of all, this is another probably favorite trope. It's probably number four. I love the Playboy that falls hard, right? Like, April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: Liz Tom Forty play along is like my you know, shining North Star of that trope. It's so good. April: Good. Carolyn Hawkins: so it was so fun to write because it's called Accidentally Cursed. it's not really a spoiler. You find out very easily, very quickly. He basically, you know, catches feelings for her, but instead of admitting it to himself, he's like, I'm cursed. Clearly, she has cursed me. Hooking up with her has just destroyed my life. And now I have to break this curse. you know, it was it was very much the rom-com bits of of that and April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: how they manifest. I literally cannot wait for people to start reading it. I have a scene, I April: I'm excited. That sounds great. Carolyn Hawkins: have a scene because I gotta put my little bits of Austin in there, right? So I don't know if y'all have ever been to Esther's Follies, but the the gang goes to Esther's Follies for Emma's birthday. so there's a whole bit where Nate and Madison end up on stage for a magic trick that I think is just some of my best work. and I love Nate in that moment. he's like the the fun thing that what I always appreciate as a reader about the Playboy Who Falls Hard is you have this very two dimensional view of them, right? Like April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: they're funny, they're charismatic, they're goofy, you know, maybe a little bit, and then you get to see the depth in them. So getting to write that. was amazing. And then Madison, you know, she's got her own her own depth to her as well. So I feel like I really tried to level up my character work in this book and my craft. And for my next trick in book three, I'm gonna try to combine cause I feel like my plot in book one was like really, really solid and my characters in book two are really, really solid. So for book three, we'll try to do both things. April: I love that. I love that. Tay: that's all. Hey, I was I think I messaged you on Instagram and this and I try when I read books, y'all. for everyone listening, I really try to focus on the book and itself without like looking ahead or doing any spoilers. So like even with us knowing that we were gonna be interviewing you and even with knowing reading the book, I was very much as a reader just invested purely in book one. So I'm sitting there reading and I'm like, I love Nathan. I was like He is a good friend and he's calling this guy out on bullshit. Like that is my favorite. That is a ride or die. I but I want April: Ha ha. Tay: to know more about this ride or die. Like I don't know enough about him. So then I had messaged you and I said, I for sure need him. And she were less like, well, girl, do I have good news for you? Then I was like, April: Yeah. Tay: my God. I was like, good. Because I genuinely was sitting there like, if this mofo does not get his own book, she's gonna hear it. Carolyn Hawkins: He is Tay: Gonna hear it on this podcast. I'm gonna be like, this guy needs a book because he is too good not to share with the world. Because he definitely had April: Mm. Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. Tay: these just like, I don't know, like one liners, one zingers. I don't know. And then like he kept showing up at the right moments. So I'm like, that's a good April: Mm. Tay: friend. And I just I think like his character development. Now that you tell me it's gonna be emotional, I'm like, my gosh, like not prepared, but I'm also prepared. So thank you for that. April: Yeah woo. Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah, my yeah, you're welcome. Definitely my my beta readers have have cried some tears reading reading book two. So which I don't think they did for book one. so yeah, it's I'm hoping I do, you know, like you create this thing. I've spent months working on this thing. I've Wanted to really say something from a mental health aspect with it. And I'm hoping it resonates. So we'll be very anxious for feedback. I'm always feral for feedback. I'm like, there are writers that, you know, are like, I don't need to know everybody's opinion about my book. I'm like, no, I wanna, I wanna know, cause that's like also how I'll get better, right? Like Tay: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: hearing reader feedback. Obviously, you have to take some of it with a grain of salt because everybody just opinions April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: are buttholes. Everybody has one and some of them are, but April: Yep. Carolyn Hawkins: There's truth in them too, right? April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: Like and and that is where you'll hear where you can take your writing to the next level. So Tay: Yeah, I think probably probably a hard thing when you were talking about your editor, like I think an editor is probably the more scary than any beta reader could ever do to me. I'm like, bah, Carolyn Hawkins: Ha ha ha. Tay: like that girl's read all kinds of weird stuff. You go to her page, she's reviewed clippy Carolyn Hawkins: Ha ha ha. Tay: or like weird stuff. I'm like, okay, like sh you know, grain of salt. But then an editor, they've read it all. So like if they're critiquing your stuff, it's like, she's probably right. Like, but like it's also like, like my ego April: Well, Carolyn Hawkins: Mm. I try to listen Tay: is really yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: to everything Nicole tells me. Like we actually went back and forth in book two. There's this scene where Madison's like, I gotta go back to my apartment. I need to do laundry, which will make sense when you read it. And she's like, Why couldn't she just do laundry at his place? And I'm like, I feel like this is a valid reason I would go back home, like when I'm staying with a guy to do laundry. And I'm like, so I left it in and then And I have her cold read and like make sure like I've gotten it, you know, right after I do my big rewrite. And she's like, I thought the same thing about the laundry. So I was like sending it to my best friends. I'm like, do we think this is weird? Am I crazy? I feel like this is normal. And they're like, No, I think that's normal. And I'm like, okay, well, I'm just gonna add a little bit here. Cause my best one of my best friends is like. I mean, I would do it just because I want some space and some alone time. I'm like, okay, let me add a couple lines to like make that clear so no one else wonders why she's not just doing laundry at his place. So I always April: That is amazing. Carolyn Hawkins: try to make Nicole happy. I'm like, if she is thinking it, some reader somewhere is gonna think it. And if April: Right. Tay: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: I can make it, you know, I think that's the kind of thing that takes your writing from, you know, okay, that was that was fine to, this was this was good. Tay: we have some favorite quotes from your book. I am gonna April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: I love this. Okay. Tay: tell you mine. this cracked me up to the point of like, I was like, good God, I had to read it like three or four times just because I was like, that is a line. That is a line. Okay. So I don't want to get, well, y'all read the book, read the book, and you will understand the context of this. But this is the quote from fun in the sack. To getting sacked, he let me come and then he let me go. Carolyn Hawkins: I do feel that is April: Okay. Carolyn Hawkins: my magnum opus right there. Tay: Like that was that was just it was so poetic, but also so funny because it was like, Yes, girl, that is what happened. Like her inner April: Ha ha ha. Tay: monologue became every girl's inner monologue. It was like, yep, that we had fun. Now I'm sacked. I got I mean I I got to come, but now I'm leaving. So April: So funny. Carolyn Hawkins: A few times. Tay: You know, it's all about the scales, about ballots. So funny. I April: Ooh Tay: love you for writing that one. Thank you. It made me giggle. April: I know. See, that's very similar to mine. See, I was gonna choose the one that Taylor chose, and I saw what she picked, and I was like, I Tay: Uh-huh. April: have to pick a different one because it was so funny. But another one kind of going on like the rom con vibes there, when they're like about to you know, maybe, maybe something's about to happen. And she's like filling them up and she's like, judging by your abs, you don't eat burgers either. Yet here we are. And I was like, Stop, girl. It was so funny. Emma's the best. She had me laughing so many times in this book. Carolyn Hawkins: She is a character. I love her so much. Tay: She's everyone's inner monologue that you're like, did I just say that out loud? Yes. Yep. April: For real. No filter. No filter. Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: Zero filter on that girl, clearly. April: Yeah. Which it makes for such great moments in a book because she's saying what we as the reader are all thinking. And it's funny because she's also realizing that like this is her life and this is what's happening to her. It was great. I loved it. Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: I thoroughly enjoyed writing her. She was definitely the like most of my edits were working on Michael. cause April: Mm. Carolyn Hawkins: I joked with my best friend. I'm like, I kind of forgot to give him a personality on my first draft. And I'm like, he came out like just Ken. Like April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: he's just there. His job is just beach to look hot. I don't know. April: Yeah you have super cool Barbie and then you have Kim. Yeah. Tay: You're like, how do I get him to her level? Okay. Carolyn Hawkins: yeah, he's still very much like the straight man to her humor, right? As as every April: Right. Carolyn Hawkins: every comedian needs. But we did, you know, we gave him some layers. We gave him a little bit. April: I love that. And not only is Emma just like an awesome, really funny girl who's very realistic and just no filter, but she's also awesome at social media. And we saw like a lot of parallels kind of in your content. So like, did you or someone you Carolyn Hawkins: gosh. April: know like inspire her character? Cause social media is kind of hard. Carolyn Hawkins: It's so hard. I feel like April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: no one tells you that with self-publishing, you suddenly have to become an influencer. I don't know that I April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: signed up for this, but here I am. so April: Ha ha Carolyn Hawkins: really the inspo for her, like the vibe that I saw her content having is business causality on Instagram, who I think is freaking hilarious with her corporate feral screams and April: huh. Carolyn Hawkins: or feral corporate screams, however she does it. when I found her, like before ever writing this book, is she did the like day three in a new job versus year three. And April: Hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: like, so she was definitely a little bit of inspiration for Emma. She doesn't do like the skits like Emma does. So I had to give her her own, you know, twist and voice. but that's definitely kind of the the vibe I had for her contact. The very sarcastic and witty and April: Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: you know. very obviously hating on corporate America. April: And it leads for some great content in your story. shout out to her. I love it. Carolyn Hawkins: Yes. I know, right? Yeah. I definitely love to share reposter stuff and I'm like, Emma coded. April: This if Emma was real, this is what she would be posting right now. Tay: it's just neat though that you can draw inspiration from like that from real life. Like, you know, there's gonna be obviously things that you interact with every day. So seeing that social media kind of spurred a little bit of like that would make for an interesting personality in a book. let's give this girl a backstory. Like she's a social media person. I don't know much about her, but like If she was a character like Emma, what would she be like? And then I like that you kind of just took that. I don't know. It's it's neat to see how you could draw that from other things. So very cool. I'm gonna be looking up. I wrote down her Instagram so I could see as well. Carolyn Hawkins: Yes. She's hysterical. I yeah, I love her content. It is just if you've ever worked in corporate America, you will relate. April: now I know Taylor asked this, but I have to as well. So like Nathan, we know is coming. probably both coming for real and you know, but he is one of the realest characters in your book, right? So what are you most excited about about his story? Like I know we're talking about mental health rep, but Is there anything else in his story that you're most excited about? Carolyn Hawkins: my gosh. I mean I think I think this is the best spice I've ever written, for sure. Like book two. I have seen with an orange. April: Okay. Carolyn Hawkins: It's very fun. So I think like it's it's very, it's very hot. Like their connection is very hot. But I like it's sort of a reverse slow burn, because they like have, you know, there's spice in the prologue. they hook up, then they hate each other. So we've got that, you know, loathe to lovers April: Mm-hmm. Carolyn Hawkins: beginning, first act. And then, you know, when that breaks, it's always hot because it is. That's what we love about enemies to lovers. April: So good. The the yearning is there. Yeah. Carolyn Hawkins: Yes. but then like as, you know, sort of the mental health themes comes up, it really just deepening their connection. So I have a theme of mirrors and secrets that you'll see throughout the book. And they start trading secrets and just the emotional depth of when they start connecting and things, you know, move from physical to that different level of intimacy. that happens in the last third, I think is really, really fun and readers will Really enjoy, hopefully. I want to coin that turn, reverse slow burn. Yeah. April: I'm excited. Tay: Hmm. Spoiler alert, y'all, orange. Reverse slow burn. I like that. That's good. April: Yeah. Tay: we okay, so yeah, we're gonna be so excited for this book to come out. What is our release date for book two? It's October. Ooh. Carolyn Hawkins: So it's Accidentally Cursed comes out on October thirteenth, because what better day to release a book called Accidentally Cursed, even though it's Tay: Yes. Carolyn Hawkins: not fall or Halloween themed at all. April: I love that. Perfect timing. Yeah. Tay: Perfect on point. Yep. And we here at Faded, we obviously believe that there are things in life that are just faded. So looking back at your journey to becoming a published author, was there a moment that made you feel like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be? Carolyn Hawkins: 1000%. Like I always say everything in my life does feel a bit faded. just the fact that I'm in Texas is wild. Like the so my best friend Amber, who's the one who is like my alpha reader, she reads every version of my book, God bless her soul, all the bad ones and all the good ones so many times, and I drive her flipping nuts. I am in Austin because of her, but I didn't move with her. So when we were we were roommates in college and we decided we wanted to move somewhere fun for a year, let's just pick a place. And we ended up picking Austin on her insisting and came down here for spring break and she hated it. I loved it. So we didn't move, but then a year and a half later, my other Vestor in Brittany, her boyfriend at the time, now husband, enrolled in grad school at UT. she obviously wanted to continue dating him. And I wanted to move to Austin. So up we loaded our cars and drove down here New Year's Eve in 2005. And then, you know, we became Austinites. So and that felt very much like fate. Like, what are the odds that I would have, you know, and That led me to my husband, that led me to my career. That while, you know, I could gripe about it a lot. It afforded me like I I am a trailer park kid. I grew up literally in a trailer park. Like to be able to afford to invest in these books and bring these stories to life is not a reality I would have had without my career. so you know, everything that has happened has led me to what my dream was when I was 13. But I wouldn't have been open to the feedback I needed to hear. I there's no way I could have gotten that dev letter and done the work to make my book what it is at age 21. Right. Like I did not have the emotional maturity. I did not have this the all all those years in corporate America taught me the self-reflection I needed to be able to evaluate my work in a more objective way and not get so tied to it. Right. So yeah, I have no doubt like this is. the right time for me. This is happening for a reason. I'm glad I'm doing it now and not in my twenties because I think it's a much better product and book and way to tell stories than I would have back then. April: I love that. I mean Carolyn Hawkins: Mm. Tay: I am a firm believer in frontal lobe development. and we are not fully functioning adults until you're like 26. So everything before then is just a distant Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. Tay: memory. We need to focus on there and past. So you needed that Carolyn Hawkins: Yes, yes. April: Yeah. Tay: life experience, you needed all those things for you to finally go, this is it. I'm taking the jump, I'm doing it, I'm Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. Tay: writing the book. And you did, you did. We're we're proud of you. April: Yes. Tay: Two strangers Carolyn Hawkins: No thanks. Tay: on the internet who get to podcast with you for the day. April: Ha ha ha. Tay: we are so excited for your journey. for Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. Tay: our your readers and for l our listeners out there, where can they find you next? Are you going to any events in the future? Are you doing a book release for book two? Are you gonna be at Flutter? Tell us all the things. Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah, so I'm definitely gonna do some sort of signing up Flutter for accidentally cursed. So you know, they can subscribe to my newsletter on my website, CarolynHawkins.com. I'll sure I'll announce it. And I also have my events listed there, which I do have two things booked for 2027. so I will be at a plot twist fest in Longview, Texas on May 22nd. so very excited about that. And I will also be at a red dirt romance event in Oklahoma City in August. So two things on the books for 2027 April: I love Carolyn Hawkins: already. Hope to do some more. And then, you know, I pop up in Austin book events. So if you're if you're in Austin, if there's an author signing at Flutter, I'm probably gonna be there. I am devastated, devastated because the Sarah Kate. event on September 2nd. I am going to be for work out of town. And it's Amy Dawes who I love. you're going. I'm so jealous. April: work. Tay: I am wearing a red bow in my hair for that. Like daddy's girl, hello. I girl, I'm not going. I'm not going. I'm wearing it in in honor of. I wish I was going. I cannot, Carolyn Hawkins: Okay. Okay. April: An honor. Tay: unfortunately, in the middle of the week, make the day trip to Austin. I wish it was on like a Saturday or something, like when they do their like bookstore day. Cause those things I can come Carolyn Hawkins: Right? Yes. Tay: to, but I can't come in the middle of the week. But also too to the listeners out here, if Carolyn's at any of these, that's a twofer. You're gonna go see another author, but then you're gonna see Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah. Tay: her there too. So that sounds like bang for your buck, is what I'm listening. April: Ha ha Carolyn Hawkins: Yeah, I'm definitely I'm going to C Cove. that's at Flutter in September. So that'll be fun. 'cause love her. And April: Yay. Carolyn Hawkins: yeah, I usually I try to go just 'cause like I feel like also any opportunity to get to hear a published author speak to me is is a gift and a joy. And I love to hear their stories and, you know. Sometimes I'm like, my God, I do the same thing. Sometimes I'm like, I gotta get my stuff together. That's always fun. April: I love that. Well, Carolyn, it has been an absolute pleasure. And we are truly, truly so grateful that you came on our show. And we are so excited for your next chapter and next book and accidentally cursed and all things, Nate. We are excited. Carolyn Hawkins: I'm so excited. I can't wait to share them with the world. Thank you so much for having me. Genuinely, such such a good time chatting with you ladies. April: Yes. Well, all right, besties. That's it for today's episode. Tay: Make sure to follow, download, and share our podcast socials with other book besties. Please head over to Carolyn's page and pick up a copy of Accidentally Viral and soon Accidentally Cursed. And also sign up for that newsletter, Carolyn Hawkins: Peace. Tay: folks. You're not gonna want to miss where she's at and get a chance to meet this lovely woman. Thank you so much. April: Yes. Yes. And join us Carolyn Hawkins: Thank you. April: next week where we talk beginner books and ones that we recommend to fit that genre. Carolyn Hawkins: Mm. Tay: And remember April: We're glad you're here because Tay: It's faded.