Q&A: 'STEMinist' romance author Ali Hazelwood talks new books ahead of Columbus visit

Since 2021, Ali Hazelwood has released four "STEMinist" romance novels that center the experiences of women who work in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.

Her most recent, "Love, Theoretically," will be followed by her first young adult fiction novel, "Check & Mate," in November.

However, the neuroscience professor-turned-writer, who is known only by her pen name, doesn't think she's very productive.

"It feels like a lot, but I think it's because of the publishing timing," said Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy, but now lives in the U.S.

"I write two books a year, and this is my full-time job now. ... And to me, it actually feels like I'm kind of a slow writer compared to other writers who publish three, four or five books a year. I am very in awe of them."

It seems her fans feel differently; when she released the cover of yet another forthcoming book, "Bride" (2024), on TikTok, one reader remarked, "YOU KEEP US SO FED!"

The New York Times bestselling author will continue to serve up excitement when she appears at the Columbus Book Festival at the Main Library on Saturday for a sold-out conversation.

Hazelwood spoke to the Dispatch about everything from "The Queen's Gambit" and werewolves to movie deals and Taylor Swift.

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Question: What has the response been to 'Love, Theoretically'?

Ali Hazelwood: You know, I am not a hundred percent sure because I really insulate myself and make sure that I don't see reviews or anything like that. But I've been on tour, and that's when you get to meet readers, and that has been amazing. It’s really my favorite thing. ... Everyone has been so kind and amazing, and they brought me friendship bracelets, which is my favorite thing ever.

Q. Can you tell me more about these friendship bracelets?

Hazelwood: Let's start with Taylor Swift. So, you know she came out with 'Midnights.' And there is a line in my favorite song on the album ('You’re on Your Own, Kid') that says, ‘So make the friendship bracelets.’ And that's why people have been starting to make friendship bracelets when they go to her concerts. But it has spread a little bit, and I have made friendship bracelets for the readers, even though I didn't have enough for everyone. But I think it's more of a cultural thing right now. And I think readers do it for a lot of authors, but it felt so special for me.

Q. Did a particular situation cause you to stop reading reviews?

Hazelwood: It wasn't one specific thing that influenced me. I realized that there are reader spaces and author spaces, and I just don't want to put myself in those reader spaces. They are for them. And I want them to feel free to say whatever they want. And that's why I don't really know very much about what the actual reception to the book is. It doesn't really matter because, once the book is out in the world, it's for the reader.

Q. Why did you decide to venture into the young adult fiction market with 'Check & Mate'?

Hazelwood: It wasn't really a decision that I made consciously. I really wanted to write a book about chess and chess prodigies, and people who have this enormous talent and have to learn how to deal with it. … And when I started writing it, I ended up making the characters 18 and 20 (years old) because those were the ages that fit best. I sent it to my agent. … And she was like, ‘I think this is a YA book.’

Q. Were you inspired by 'The Queen's Gambit' TV miniseries on Netflix?

Hazelwood: I love 'The Queen's Gambit,' but I pitched this book to my agent before it even came out … Initially, my agent had told me, ‘I'm not sure about a book about chess. I don't know that I would be able to sell it. It might be hard to place it in the market.’ And once (the TV miniseries came out), my agent told me, ‘You know, now I think that there might be interest.’

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Q. Did you grow up writing for fun, or did you get complimented on your ability to write?

Hazelwood: Never. But I also never really wrote. I was a very voracious reader, especially of romance novels. But it wasn't something that I ever thought I would do. I have an older sister, and I feel like she was always the writer and the one who was more creative, and I was considered the one who was more scientifically gifted. .. It's one of those things that you grow up and internalize. I had never seen myself as someone who would be able to write a story. I would tell myself stories and I would picture stuff, like when a book would finish, I would want to spend more time with the characters, but it never occurred to me to try and write it.

Q. What is the biggest cultural difference between Italy, your hometown, and the United States?

Hazelwood: The thing that I was kind of shocked (by) is just that the speed and the pace of life is very different. I remember I was in the lab in the first few days that I was in the U.S., and people would eat lunch at their desk and keep on working through lunch. In Italy, you would take a break and you would go and have lunch with your colleagues, your friends or even by yourself and just rest for a couple of hours, and then you would come back and maybe work later. Generally, the pace of life is speedier and more structured here in the U.S. So, that was a little bit of an adjustment for me.

Q. In an interview, you mentioned you were keeping your writing career a secret from your former colleagues. Did they ever find out?

Hazelwood: Yeah, by the time I left, all my colleagues knew what I was doing. (One day), I got a text from my favorite colleague telling me, ‘What else have you been hiding?’ They found out because I did an event locally around my university where I was working, and the bookstore advertised it. One person saw it, then everyone knew it because that's how gossip is in academia. To be fair, I was being sloppy when it came to hiding it.

Q. A lot of your stories would work well as movies. Have you been approached about adapting one of your books?

Hazelwood: Yeah. The thing that's closest to happening is 'The Love Hypothesis.' So, it's been optioned by MRC (Film), and I've read a script and I thought it was amazing. The writer was fantastic. I thought it was way more fun than the book, actually. I was very jealous. It would be really cool if it were to happen. But there is a writers strike right now, so things are stalling, and rightfully so.

Q. Your forthcoming book 'Bride' will feature vampires and werewolves. Is that a big departure for you?

Hazelwood: It's the book that I've been wanting to write the whole time. I remember when I signed my first book deal, it was for three 'STEM romcoms.' I was a new author and my publisher took a chance on me and they said, ‘This is what you're going to write for the next three books.’ And I did it and I was very happy ... and they were fun to write. … And then, when we renewed my contract, my agent said, ‘Well, now we can negotiate. What do you want to write?’ And I immediately said, ‘I have this vampire/werewolf story that I want to write.’ And my agent is the most nerdy, supportive, amazing, encouraging person in the universe. And she was like, ‘Let's do it.’ … So, now I get to write these amazing paranormal books. When I was growing up, I was reading not just 'Twilight,' but also there are a lot of paranormal authors that have been very formative to me. So, it's just such a nice thing to be able to go back to that genre that was so meaningful for me when I was growing up. And I'm so excited about that.

ethompson@dispatch.com

@miss_ethompson

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Q&A: Ali Hazelwood talks career ahead of Columbus Book Festival visit