1st Place Winner in the Chicklit Category of the Romance Reads 2024

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Author bio: Reading and music are everything to LJRae0828. She loves ice cream and is obsessed with true crime. Her favorite seasons are spring and fall. Music inspires a lot of her writing, no matter the genre. She enjoys writing and reading about strong female MC's. Her stories are sure to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions with twists & turns, but you will laugh, maybe cry, and definitely yell at her flawed characters. She prefers happy endings in books. It may not be realistic but that's what's she thinks is great about books.

Story title: Imperfect Fit

Premise/Blurb: A jilted, curvy accountant joins a gym on a journey of self-love. The last thing she plans for is to fall for her grumpy trainer.

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Who needs men, anyway?Certainly not Joanna Lozano. The youngest of five and the only girl, she has learned at a young age the importance of survival in a man's world. It's what drives her to be a successful accountant in the corporate world of Chicago. When her boyfriend of six years unceremoniously dumps her--though her pride is wounded--she accepts the rejection as an opportunity to rediscover herself, starting with a reluctant agreement to join an eight-week fitness boot camp.Sage Kingston is a straightforward gym owner who appreciates and lives by the monotony of his life. His only goals are to provide and care for his young son after his divorce left him jaded. He doesn't have the time or patience to play games that come with dating or relationships. Who needs that headache, anyway?Yet, with a new season of boot camp at his gym underway, he's instantly attracted to the curvy and feisty participant, Joanna. However, his work is cut out for him since she's not easily charmed or swayed by his bulging biceps or six-pack abs. But even Joanna can't deny the mounting tension after each draining and sweaty training session. As they grow to know each other, so does their affection and both must deal with overcoming their hurt pasts and decide if unexpected love is worth the risk.

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What inspired you to write this book?

For a while I had been thinking about writing in a different genre, I typically write dark romance but infuse humor through side characters or scenes that help bring levity to my stories. So, when a writing community I love and follow on Wattpad (Bootcamp Mentors) announced a Nanowrimo initiative back in 2022, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to take the leap and write a Romcom.

What was the inspiration behind the main character and their love interest?

Writing is very cathartic for me and growing up, I've dealt with body image issues and general feelings of inadequacy at different points in my life and as a Latina I wanted to write a FMC I felt could represent those struggles with a familiar background or perspective--adding the chaotic, but mostly well meaning culture nuances her family and friends bring to the story.

Sage has his own struggles with putting his needs first as a single father who's been burned by love. But his young son helps him remember to have fun and not take life too seriously. He also represents someone Joanna never imagined herself being with, not just because of how attractive he is, but he's just a genuinely good guy and he seems too good to be true.Ultimately, I wanted to showcase that it's just as important to embrace and enjoy the journey (with all the stops, detours and bumps) of self-love for both of them as much as it is to reach the destination.

What sparked your interest in writing, and how did you end up writing on Wattpad?

I've been an avid reader from childhood, but writing never crossed my mind. I stumbled across Wattpad during a-middle-of-the-night feeding with my baby a few years ago, so I joined as a reader initially. I then joined a prompt challenge and it sparked this genuine desire to write. Writing helped me during a time I was struggling with postpartum and it's been such a great outlet for me. 

Do you have a favorite scene in your story? If so, what makes it special to you?

Ahh, there's too many to choose, but if I had to pick one, I'm going to go with the 'meet cute' when Joanna has a humiliating fall on a treadmill at the gym Sage owns. It's something I would never recover from personally, but I loved writing it and I think it sets the tone for making her relatable and hard not to love and root for.

How do you create and develop your characters? Do you base them on real people, or are they entirely fictional?

Mostly fictional, but all of my main characters have little pieces of me whether it's a funny quirk or trait. I do base side characters from people I meet or have met though.I love to make my characters relatable and as real as I can with their flaws and their (occasional) bad decision making.

Do you have any favorite romance authors, on or off Wattpad, who inspired you to write romance stories? Feel free to name up to three people and some of your favorite stories they authored.

It's always so hard to narrow it down. Off Wattpad, I love Danielle Lori and her The Made Series, and Ana Huang.On Wattpad I love anything from @AMLKoski, @emilyarenfroe and her Hitman series and The Silent Mate, and anything from @still_just_me who is a multi-genre talented writer and inspires me to improve with my own writing.