photo: Michael A. Eaddy
If you think fake dating in paradise sounds like fun, you’re going to love Priscilla Oliveras’ ISLAND AFFAIR. We always enjoy featuring books that showcase our quirky island; this one is perfect for the beach. We had the opportunity to ask Priscilla a few questions about her Key West inspiration, what’s coming in book 2 and what she’s reading these days.
Q: Where did you grow up and where’s home these days? Why did you decide to set ISLAND AFFAIR in Key West?
A: My dad was in the Navy, so our family lived in multiple places, from Panama to Texas to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Florida. We moved to Key West the summer before my 7th grade year, and I lived there until I graduated high school and left for college. These days, home is in north central Florida, but I’ve always wanted to take readers to the island I’ve thought of as “home” since my adolescence. With the KEYS TO LOVE series, I finally get a chance to do that.
Q: As Key West opens back up after closing to tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic, what’s one place, thing or experience that visitors shouldn’t miss in Key West?
A: Wow, it’s hard to only pick one. To pack as much as possible in one evening, I’d say head to Mallory Square’s Sunset Celebration. That way they can be awed by nature’s nightly watercolor painting across the horizon, entertained by a bevy of street performers, and then wander over to El Mesón de Pepe for a tasty meal and dancing.
Q: Island Affair is book 1 in your KEYS TO LOVE series, what can you tell us about book 2? Will it follow characters we’ve already met, travel up the Keys?
A: In Book 2, we’ll definitely see more of the Navarros and another Navarro familia dinner. ANCHORED HEARTS is Anamaría’s second-chance romance with her high school sweetheart, Alejandro Miranda, who left Key West right after graduation and is now an award-winning adventure-commercial photographer. Their story takes place in Key West, with a few different local spots highlighted. Readers will get to touch base with Luis and Sara, spend a little more time with Enrique (who’s good friends with Alejandro), and even meet Enrique’s potential love interest.
Q: We often get asked for light or funny reads. What might you recommend for someone who is looking for a bit of escape?
A: For readers who enjoy rom-coms, a few of my definite recommends are Mia Sosa’s THE WORST BEST MAN, Farrah Rochon’s THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT, Lyssa Kay Adams’ UNDERCOVER BROMANCE (book 2 in the fabulous BROMANCE BOOK CLUB series), and debut author Yaffa S. Santos’ A TASTE OF SAGE. Three other June releases I’m excited about are Vanessa Riley’s A DUKE, THE LADY AND A BABY, Kristan Higgins’ ALWAYS THE LAST TO KNOW, and Jasmine Guillory’s PARTY OF TWO.
Q: At what point in your career did you get your MFA (had you already published a novel)? What advice would you give writers considering an MFA?
A: My MFA thesis manuscript actually became my first published novel, HIS PERFECT PARTNER. I’d been writing off and on for about twenty years before I started my MFA program at Seton Hill University (SHU). By then, I had reached a time where my kids were grown (two off to college,) and I could really focus on my writing, professionally. SHU’s program proved to be a turning point for me, definitely in a positive way.
For those considering an MFA, my first advice is to do your research; find out what type of creative writing the program encourages. Not all, in fact not too many, encourage genre fiction. SHU’s Writing Popular Fiction (WPF) program is all genre focused, that was important to me as a romance author. Plus, it’s a low-residency program, which allowed me to enroll and take classes while living outside of the Greensburg, PA, area, and around my day job schedule. Finally, I’d also consider your post-graduation goals. Meaning, do you want to teach, publish, edit, all three? Will the MFA program(s) you’re considering help you achieve your goal(s)? For me, SHU’s WPF program helped me hone my craft, learn about the business, and practice juggling author life responsibilities like deadlines, while also providing a credential to teach at the college/university level.