First Book in the Hopeless Romantics Series Focuses on a Small Town Mayoral Election
Nina Bocci’s solo debut, ON THE CORNER OF LOVE AND HATE, pairs Emma Peroni and Cooper Endicott, two childhood friends who are now working in the public sector in Hope Lake, Pennsylvania. Her dad, the current mayor, will retire at the end of his term. Cooper is the heir apparent, if he can just repair his reputation around town for being the local lothario. And if there’s anyone who can run his campaign and help clean up his act, it’s Emma.
We talked to Bocci about her inspiration for ON THE CORNER OF LOVE AND HATE, what it’s like going solo, and what to expect from the next books in the series.
Your previous book co-written with Alice Clayton took your main character overseas to Italy. What inspired you to set On the Corner of Love and Hate in the US and in the world of local politics?
I really just wanted to write a book with a political race where the two candidates were so polar opposite that it was comical. I’m a firm believer that every election is important, and shouldn’t be skipped when it comes to our voting privileges. I didn’t want it to be obnoxiously political but have it be informative and maybe a smidge educational. By adding in the romance between Cooper and Emma, it (hopefully) alleviated some of the seriousness and made it funny. I really wanted this one to be about former friends who were forced to come together and admit when they were being nincompoops.
There’s a fair bit of detail on the inner workings of local politics in OTC. How did the political environment over the last few years impact the story? Have you worked in local politics, either officially or in a volunteer capacity?
I love politics, I’m sure much to my family and friend’s chagrin. When I was a senior in high school, I remember being visited by a state rep at a voter registration event. The volunteers drove home that we, as newly minted 18 year olds, were the future and could shape the way the government. Since then, I’ve volunteered in some way in every major election, and many of the local ones. My son (12) has been along for the ride since I was carrying in a Baby Bjorn and knocking on doors for signatures.
OTC is your solo debut. How different was the experience/your process this time vs. co-writing Roman Crazy?
I liked the experience of writing with Alice but this was all me, and I loved being able to explore any and every avenue on my own. I didn’t have to explain anything and if I had a thread that I was excited to write, I just went with it. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t write with someone again, I just have a lot of ideas on my own to play with. The other part was that as a publicist, I really had to try hard to not insert my own thoughts and listen to someone else. Sorry, Rachel!
Although OTC is a small town romance, its characters are more diverse than we often see in that subgenre. Was that a conscious decision for you?
Yes, while it’s romance, it’s a lot of women’s fiction too because I wanted it to be about everyone. Funny, romantic and relatable. love the characters, and I wanted them to be able to shine in their own way. The world is a big, beautiful diverse place and we need to see that represented everywhere and in everything.
OTC is the first book in a trilogy. What do we need to know about what’s to come?
Each of the books is a standalone but, the characters are all included in all the books. With each of the focus couples, Emma and Cooper, Henry and…, and Nick and…, there’s also one of the Golden Girls highlighted. In On the Corner, it’s Emma’s mom, Sophia who bestows her wisdom and sense of wild style on Hope Lake. In books two and three, you’ll meet more of the ladies who make so much of Hope Lake tick. I LOVED writing them so much!
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