Hello music lovers, we present to you @galarussauthor.

Some of you may have seen her works on this platform or know her from her socials. We dug deeper and asked her many questions so you'd know more from one of our favorite music-themed book authors.

Without further ado 🥁 For anyone meeting you for the first time, who is galarussauthor?

galarussauthor: Gala Russ is a pen name I use for my Wattpad profile. I created it in November 2019 when I joined Wattpad to start posting my first story,' Love Novice' as I was writing it. I was looking for a community of readers and writers and a place to sharpen my writing chops. I'm so lucky I joined as I found so many amazing people who taught me, supported me, and are now friends (I even met some of them in person at Wattcon in November 2022 in LA). I'm also a mom, a wife, and have two cats you'll see featured frequently on my Instagram account (I'm galarussauthor there as well).

Your introduction about Love Strings says, "it was a storm." Why?

galarussauthor: When I was writing the final chapters of 'Love Novice,' I realized it wasn't the end of the story for that couple (Amélie and Ben) and planned to next write the sequel to it-'Love Graduate.' I'm a huge planner, and after spending eight months on completing 'Love Novice,' I determined to finish book two faster. 

However, in one of the final chapters of 'Love Novice' Angie, Amélie's best friend, and Mike, Ben's best friend, met for the first time. The sparks flew. Mike and Angie had to become a couple. I ended up writing the first chapters of their story as I was finishing 'Love Novice.' They were so insistent I tell their story. I abandoned my original plan for Amélie and Ben's second book and wrote a good chunk of theirs. 

They woke me up at night. I spent many all-nighters trying to type up the story they were telling me. So much music and lyrics and emotions. I was drenched in the feels between Angie and Mike. That's why I call the beginning of writing that story a storm. 

In the end, it took me 18 months of on and off writing to complete it and three months of editing to get it to the current state. I love it. Different in its fiery lust to love format, it still is uncomfortable and sad, and joyful all at the same time. I'm very proud of Angie and Mike's journeys

How did you end up learning four languages? Was it from your childhood?

galarussauthor: I learned English in middle school, but Spanish and German at Uni, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Linguistics and Education. Reading translated works always made me wonder what the story was like in the original. I also sang in a children's choir, which exposed me to memorizing lyrics in many languages. Once I learned a couple of languages, the rest were much easier to pick up. I studied eight languages over the years, but am only fluent in four.

You mentioned you are an omnivorous reader. What are your top five books? They can be in Wattpad or off.

galarussauthor: I can't choose five favorite books. Impossible. Between all the genres I read and how my tastes change, that is not an option. How about I tell you about five books that directed my life in certain ways? 

The first one would be Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The kiddo version. It was the first book I read myself cover to cover without any adults. I still remember the beautiful illustrations and how I begged my mom to let me stay up late to finish it. I was six. 

The second book was Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. I read it over a summer when I was eleven and was eager to tell my literature teacher about it at the beginning of the school year. She was terrified that I got my hands on a book so inappropriate for my age. There was murder and prostitution in it, sure, but I didn't really care. That was the first book I read that made the suffering of the characters feel real. 

The third book would be Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I read it at 14. It was the first unabridged novel I read in English. I've re-read it a multitude of times since and came to see its flaws and idiosyncrasies but then I was so invested the mystery and the outcome. Manderley was alive to me.

The fourth would be Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice that I read when I was twenty. I have never read speculative fiction or stories that had non-human characters before (apart from Isaac Asimov's sci-fi with robots, or creatures in the fairy-tales). It introduced me to a whole world of paranormal and, subsequently, fantasy worlds I now enjoy reading regularly. 

Fifth would be Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover (I think, or one of the books in that series). She wrote it on Wattpad and that was the first time I found out about Wattpad and came here to read that story. Several years later, when I was searching for a platform to post my stories on, Wattpad popped up and I knew the name from having read Colleen's story here. If I ever meet her, I'll be sure to thank her for bringing me to Wattpad, a place I found my home as a beginner writer.

You are a Bootcamp Mentee graduate class of 2022. Congratulations on getting selected. How was the experience for you? What would you advise those planning to apply or polish their script for a chance to be a 2023 mentee?

That was a transformational experience for me that boosted my confidence greatly. I applied with 'Love Novice' in 2021, participated in all the workshops, but wasn't selected. In 2022 I'd just finished 'Love Words' in March and was in love with Angie's fiery independence and her passion for music as well as Mike's steadiness and unwavering belief in her. 

There was a rawness to these characters and I wanted a mentor who could help me dig deeper and show Mike and Angie's full potential, yet keep the core of their lust-to-love adventure. I was looking for mentors who would be comfortable with the mental health side of the story and would appreciate all the music and lyrics. 

Taylor moonraess chose me and made me explain why the characters did what they did, made sure I 'got' them (we did mood boards, aesthetics, playlists). We talked for hours getting to the core of who the characters were. She helped me slow down the beginning and both cut and add chapters. 

I didn't win a Watty but I know I can start and finish a full round of edits and not be defeated by the process. 

I love and recommend joining the BootcampMentors community on Wattpad and Discord, even if you are not planning to submit your story for the core mentorship program. The resources, workshops, and the supportive community are worthy on their own.

You have an insightful book about editing. How did you come about that? What inspired you to want to share your discovery?

galarussauthor: I'm a learner by nature. I also worked as a teacher and a tutor for several years. There's immense joy in grasping new concepts for me. There's even a greater one in sharing that knowledge with someone else, especially if I can make the journey to understanding easier for them. 

The project started as a way to blog about what I was learning and document my discoveries in case others found the information useful. I modified my entries over time adding examples and resources, although I didn't add much with last year. 

I hope I can resume and include the resources I've found. I have a lot to learn still and I'm always happy to share what I find out.

Which do you prefer most: novel or lyric writing? Why?

galarussauthor: The lyrics/poems are a different format and takes lots of repetition and manipulation to get just right, even if sometimes they seem deceptively short and easy. I go through days and weeks of working on them. Each poem has dozens of versions before I get to the final one. There isn't usually much real estate in a poem, so being concise, having multiple meanings, and still hitting the emotions is tricky. 

Novel writing is a much lengthier process. One novel takes me months to complete, but it allows for a deeper dive into a theme, feelings, and hopefully will bring the readers a longer hiding spot from the world and a deeper place to explore their own emotions. 

Another difference is that poems are only for me, so I let myself go wild and experiment a lot. With novels I have higher expectations, so I get into my head about them more and that's not always a good thing. Poems provide a break from that and remind me to trust my gut and go for it in my novels as well. 

I see myself continuing writing both. 

Tell us about Angie Fisher and Mike Stavros from your book 'Love Strings.' Can you give us any spoilers about future books or spin-offs based on their story?

galarussauthor: Angie Fisher and Mike Stavros appeared in my Love In Chicago Series in my first book 'Love Novice' as best friends of the couple that started it all (Ben Leonards and Amélie D'Amico). I love writing wonderful best friends, and Ben and Am needed the extra support to get through the dramatic events of their lives. While I was writing Mike and Angie as side characters I had no plans for a spin off until the end of the book when they met on the page and sparks flew.

 Angie is a musician who has to be on the road a lot. She had to give up a dream of becoming a concert pianist because of a hand injury. But thanks to Amélie's dad who persuaded her to learn how to write songs, she didn't give up on music. Angie doesn't believe in plans and wrings every minute out of her life doing the things that bring her joy. Like Mike 😉

Mike is a structural engineer who spends nights and weekends at a Taekwondo dojang, a place that's his home away from home. When his parents got divorced and his mom moved him and his baby brother to Chicago from LA, Mike decided he was the head of the family and tried to be perfect to make up for his dad's faults. Angie sweeps Mike off his feet and shows him that there are wonders outside of the regimented path he planned on pursuing. Like her 🥰 

The electricity between Angie and Mike is undeniable and you'll feel it in their first handshake that opens chapter 1. But they have to figure out if their lust is enough and how they can navigate their changing careers, obligations, and families while keeping alive the fire they started.

Why did you portray Mike as a mama's boy : ) How did this element affect his relationship with Angie, a live-in-the-now kind of girl. Tell us more about that first kiss!

galarussauthor: Mike and Angie's first kiss was an addition during my edits with Taylor who suggested I slow down the first three chapters, and while they are still very much full of lust, the under the table incident got cut short to build tension, and instead of me showing Mike and Angie in bed at the start of chapter 3, I added the shoelaces and the first kiss scene. 

Originally the chapter started with the line you'll find after the kiss '...and the final note of my cry flies into the ceiling.' 

Slowing things down built tension and anticipation, so when Mike and Angie got to that kiss in chapter 3, it was earned. And hopefully you can feel all their crackling passion and the release too.

The chronological order of my Love In Chicago Series is: 1) Love Novice (Ben and Am) 2) Love Strings (Angie and Mike) 3) Love Graduate (Ben and Am again!) 4) Love Words (Linda and Artem) 5) Love Expectations (Phillip and Nata) 

Although all books are standalone, the main characters from other books appear as side characters in others. That's why if you'd like to read what happens in Angie and Mike's life after Love Strings ends, you will find a lot of them in Love Graduate.

We asked one of your readers to send in a question about what they would like to know more about you or your work.

ChrisBuono: Congrats! Qs? Hmm.... Q "You've mentioned about hoping to one day have your poems set to music, and that in "Love Strings" those "lyrics" are yours. Do you play any musical instrument? If not, would you learn to do so for your poems to go lyric in song? And how's your singing voice? Would you ever sing your own song(s)?" Best with the Q&A!

galarussauthor: I play some basic piano and I sing. Dabbled in guitar, but can't really play it. I've been in choirs on and off since I was eight years old. Singing my own songs would be a fun challenge, but I'd rather have someone professional compose and play it. 

Thank you so very much for the opportunity to share my story and my stories with you. If you're into transformational, emotionally charged character journeys, songwriting, sizzling chemistry, the hero who falls first, some international flare, and a dose of tears, read Angie and Mike's lust-to-love romance 'Love String' and hopefully the rest of the Love in Chicago Series.

Till the next one, music lovers ❤️