2021 Mentee Interviews

Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you, what do you write, and what are you working on right now?

I’m Brazilian, multiracial, and very gay. My interests are writing and being gay. I write adult contemporary romance and I’m still working on revisions for my WTMP project, which is a lesbian age-gap romance set in a wellness retreat in the snowy Andes.

What kind of stories are you interested in exploring in your career as an author?

I want to write many, many stories about queer women of color, and as someone who was born and raised in Brazil (and still lives here), I just want to write stories about the Global South that are about our people swooning and falling in love and having petty interpersonal drama with happy endings. I’m tired of Afro-descendent women from Latin America being either exotic background or vaguely ethnic love interests in other people’s stories, so I’m interested in writing about myself and the women around me in all their full humanity.

What's the best thing about you as an author?

I only talk shit about myself. Gushing is Jas and Jen’s job.

How have you developed as an author during this mentorship period? Is there anything that you didn't think before about the craft that you think now?

Honestly, I was a baby writer before getting into this mentorship. This is the first novel I’ve ever finished and this is the first serious revision I’ve ever done. It’s been hard but I think with the help of my mentors I’ve become much better at weaving character arcs and plot together.

If every book is a book baby, then it takes a village to raise a book. Are there any people who stand out to you as people who helped you in your writing journey?

Too many, but I especially want to mention my friend Yan Yan who was the only person who had my pages before I submitted them to the program. I don’t think I would have gotten in if she hadn’t given me such perfect feedback on how to improve my first chapters and she basically wrote all my pitches, she made them so much better than I ever could have. So, all of the credit for me getting chosen for the program goes to her. And of course, Jen and Jas have really done so much of the work of helping me raise this baby, including and most importantly, listening to me talk endlessly about how much I hate revising and everything I write is garbage.

What do you think is the biggest necessity for a group of writing friends?

People who will let you air your opinions on the discourse of day in private. At least one Taylor Swift stan.

Any parting words for young writers looking for guidance, or a community?

As someone who suffers from intense social anxiety, I know just how hard it is to jump in and find a group of writers, but even if you find just one person who understands what you’re trying to do and how hard it is, it’s worth it. Find that one person with whom you can share your journey, because it’s a long, draining journey, but also because you will want to share the moments of joy with someone who understands each win and is ready to cheer you on.

What about your own craft, interests, and abilities drew you to your mentee and their work?

In literature and in life, we are drawn to sincerity, introspection, and beauty. Thais's writing is some of the most thoughtful we've ever read. Her stunning, sparking romance dives deep in every way: into her characters' internal landscapes, gorgeous South America and its more complicated political realities, and her glittering, impactful prose. Her attention to the details that make up a life is astounding, and we were sucked into her world immediately. Did we also mention the sex is hot? The sex is, um, very hot; which is fun to read, of course, but also speaks to that same level of intimate, purposeful, intricacy. Connection, freedom, and self-exploration are the point.

Do you have a message for anyone interested in your mentee's work?

The f/f romantic landscape has been expanding all the while (thank god), and Thais's work will be an unforgettable and unique addition to this space. If you want pining, angst, melancholy in one moment, and passion, fire, and irresistible connection in the next, her writing will pin you down.

Thais's novel is also notable in the way it depicts kink dynamics. Few other books in the f/f space tackle the topic of consent within BDSM through such a responsible lens. It is so important to have stories like this, stories that show readers both the possibility and power of erotic relationships while also examining what we owe to each other; how we can fully care for one another both emotionally and physically.

Read her work as an escape to the Andes, and read it to ground yourself in these beautiful women who want so much; to be loved, to build better worlds, and to find the places and people they will always belong to. We are so enamored by Thais's incandescent novel, and you will be too.