✨ Getting to Know the Author

1. For readers meeting you for the first time, who is Samuela Owens Reid in your own words?

As I like to say, I’m a civil litigation paralegal by day and an author by early evening because (let’s keep it real), I’m more than likely not making it past 10PM. On a smaller, more personal scale, I’m a lover of light and happiness–I find joy in most things, always look at the glass half full and consider myself to be a forever optimist. I think that best captures the essence of my persona, haha.

2. You’ve worn many hats—teacher, paralegal, single mom. How have those life experiences shaped the stories you want to tell?

I hope the only other hat I will ever wear is that of being a full-time author (joking… but am I?). I think that each of these experiences plays a role in who I am as an author and how I approach writing. From being a teacher, I take a critical and revision focused approach. From being a paralegal, I’m very deadline driven and, of course, the work itself has influenced by debut novel, Sweetening the Deal, thematically. From both of these and as a single mom, I think the biggest way it shapes my story is that I want to communication strength and resilience in everything that I write. One common reflection in early reviews is that the main female character in my debut, Somer, is a power-house, and I LOVE that people have come to that conclusion.

3. What first pulled you toward writing romance and legal drama?

📖 About Sweetening the Deal

4. Sweetening the Deal blends romance with legal drama. What inspired this story, and why this mix of genres?

Off the record, I met a really hot attorney in the course of doing my work.

In all seriousness, I was wrapping up my first year of being a paralegal when this novel idea came to me. I’d just had an amazing review and people kept asking me, “are you planning to go to law school?” I would jokingly reply “and who’s paying for the law school tuition?” Sadly, my firm did not offer me a deal like one in the story but conversations like that definitely inspired the story. I also take a lot of inspiration from Suits–I love the story line in the show and the romance between some of the characters. I feel like my book takes the romance in Suits to the next level.

5. What does the title Sweetening the Deal mean to you, both romantically and thematically?

This title came to me and it clicked into place–it’s been the same from the beginning to the end. For me, it signifies two things. It of course speaks to the literal deal that is central to the plot, but I think it also speaks to the relationship between the two main love interests. This relationship is non-toxic and very “sweet,” even with all of the tension in the books.

6. What was the very first scene or idea you wrote for this book?

I think it’s important to say that I am a chronological writer and a staunch believer in outlining. That being said, I knew from the get go that I wanted a club scene–something that reminded me of the taboo, sexual tension in stories like those of Sara Cate in the Salacious Players Club series. The Opal Room scene is hands down my favorite!

❤️ Romance, Law & Real Life

7. How does your background as a paralegal influence the realism of the legal elements in your story?

I think that my background as a paralegal is an asset to this story. Not only do I have a ton of knowledge on legal situations and life in a law office, I have access to the knowledge of all my attorneys. This unfortunately means I give the poor attorneys heart attacks every once in a while, when I bring them insane legal scenarios and questions that make them sweat, haha. While I tried my best to be accurate in the book, some elements are changed for the sake of the plot and time lines, especially, are sped up. Believe me when I say, no one wants to read an ACTUAL legal procedural. *boring*

8. Romance often thrives on tension—how do you balance emotional stakes with professional or legal conflict?

I think in the novel the biggest way to balance the two is to be sure to show accountability and consequences whenever possible. In the real world, you can’t go about doing half the things you can in the book and putting into satisfying endings or consequences when possible creates a necessary balance.

9. What themes were most important for you to explore in this book?

In this book, I wanted three things for certain: female empowerment, a non-toxic relationship (is this even a theme) and a murder/mystery/trial subplot. Fingers crossed these are all communicated effectively in the book.

🌟 Characters & Representation

10. How do you approach writing characters that feel authentic, layered, and emotionally real?

For me, it’s important to write characters who are amazing but are also flawed. Somer, for example, is a powerhouse female main character but she also struggles with self-doubt, which is true for so many women in their own lives. For the main male characters, who each have their own POV, I worked to distinguish each of their voices and to give them each their own vices and desires, ensuring that they are more than one-dimensional.

11. Are there parts of yourself—or people you know—in the characters of Sweetening the Deal?

Teddy, one of the main MMC’s, is inspired by an attorney I used to work for. The situations Teddy undergoes are completely fictional but his kind, playful nature is akin to that of the attorney I worked for. Somer has some parallels to my own life but I promise she isn’t me!

12. Why is representation important to you as a Black, bilingual author writing contemporary romance?

I want more contemporary romances that reflect all voices and walks of life, in all types of spaces. While I love reading genres that are dedicated to certain voices (for example, urban fiction), I also love see diverse characters in all types of storylines. I make it a point to be inclusive of all races and cultures in my books and I am also working to ensure that I am adding LGBTQ and disability rep in my novels moving forward.

🖋️ Writing Process

13. What does your writing routine look like while balancing work, parenting, and life?

I have two specific times of day when I write: during my daughter’s dance practices (which last about 2 hours) and after bedtime, from about 9 to 10 PM. I have very set routines. When my daughter is at class, it is a coffee shop with a latte to get in writing mode. At home, some sort of caffeinated bubbly beverage, storm ambience videos, and low lighting. I find that by having set times when I know I’m a productive writer, there is less pressure and I’m still able to reserve energy for other fun activities!

14. Are you more of a planner, a discovery writer, or somewhere in between?

I am absolutely a planner. I love the Save the Cat method and plot every book using those beats. I let the story develop from there, of course, but I keep the outline at my side all through writing to make sure I am keeping a steady pace and that the scenes I’m writing are intentional.

15. What part of writing this book came most easily—and what part challenged you the most?

I found the character development for Teddy to come quite easily for me–Calixto needed more development and I had to play around with him quite a bit. The most challenging part was writing the muder trial subplot. Trying to figure out red herrings, foreshadowing, and avoiding plot holes was more difficult than I imagined. Kudos to all the mystery and thriller writers out there–it’s tough!

📚 Reader vs. Writer Journey

16. How is your journey as a writer different from your experience as a reader?

Interestingly enough, I don’t primarily read romance, especially contemporary romance. My go to genres are thriller and mystery, or romantasy. I have ALWAYS love a good romance subplot, though. I also read a lot of literary fiction. I would say the biggest difference between me as a writer and a reader is when I read, I’m reading for “vibes,” whereas when I’m writing, I’m intentionally trying to be layered and evocative.

17. Has writing romance changed the way you read romance books?

Yes, absolutely! I am way more in tune with how romances develop (slowly v. quickly) and how power dynamics work in relationships. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so conscious of it now, because I get the ick so much more easily now. 

18. As a reader, what do you look for in a love story—and how do you try to deliver that as a writer?

I am always looking for stories where the relationships show a love so deep that I can feel it through the pages. I also want stories where the main male character supports the female main character, or at least stories where the female main character doesn’t have to change everything she is in order to be with the main male character. In my books, I really try to avoid the miscommunication trope to ensure that the love is healthy and what’s best for both characters!

19. Is there something you didn’t fully appreciate as a reader that you now deeply respect as a writer?

I never appreciated how much it takes to wrap up different storylines, and just how many storylines there are to wrap up. Ensuring that every character has some sort of beginning, middle and end, and that all major plot points resolve is more difficult than I ever thought before.

🛠️ Work in Progress & Publishing Journey

20. What has it been like preparing Sweetening the Deal for release while juggling real-life responsibilities?

… My eye hasn’t stopped twitching in the last month. Just kidding (mostly). It’s been tough, to say the least. There is so much fun in publishing but there are so many pieces to coordinate and because there is significant financial responsibility, there is financial pressure too. It’s definitely not for the weak!

21. How do you stay motivated and confident during the drafting and editing stages?

I think it’s important to have a critique partner or at least family and friends who are looking for that finished product. Having my critique partner kept me pushing, even when I felt so tired I didn’t think I’d make it to the next day!

22. What excites you most—and what makes you nervous—about releasing this book?

I am so excited for the reviews! I am also so scared for reviews haha. I know that I can’t 

please everyone so I’m just hoping for *mostly* everyone. I can’t wait to hear that someone fell in love with a character.

23. What do you hope readers take away from Sweetening the Deal when it releases?

I would love for readers to walk away and say, “wow, that FMC was strong, and I love 

that for her.” I would also love for readers to see how non-toxic the relationship is, and 

note that it can still exist while being a spicier read, too.

🔮 Looking Ahead

24. You’re working on a contemporary romance and legal drama series—what can readers expect from future books?
    
    

I writing very diversly, genre-wise! Some other projects in the works include a latin-inspired Romantasy (set to release early 2027) and a genre bending novel that is a mash-up of a contemporary romantasy and thriller.

25. Are there tropes, themes, or dynamics you’re especially excited to explore next?

Book 2 in the Blackwell & Blackwell series has a single mom trope, which I’m excited for! Book 4 in the series has a Hmong lead and it explores Hmong New Year, which I think will be so fun!

🖤 Just for Fun

26. If Sweetening the Deal were adapted, would you want it as a movie, a series, or a limited run—and why?

If this were ever adapted, I think it could be a movie. Realistically, I’d love it to be a lifetime movie, for nostalgia’s sake. I think a TV show would be too close to Suits!

27. What kind of vibe best describes this book: cozy, spicy, dramatic, heartfelt, or a mix?

I think the vibes of this book are a mix of heartfelt, spicy, and suspenseful (who-dunnit vibes).

28. What’s one fun or unexpected fact about you or your writing process readers might not know?

I call this book the birthday book! My firm closed early on my birthday in 2024. I left and went to a coffee shop where I drafted the entire outline and chapter one!

💬 Final Note

29. When readers close the final page of Sweetening the Deal, what feeling do you hope lingers the longest?

Satisfaction. I LOVE the epilogue of this book, and the way it explores who is in the FMCs corner and what everyone has gained in the book.