Confession time: I accidentally wrote a book full of literally everything I used to hate, and now I’m obsessed.

I want to share some behind-the-scenes chaos from writing 13 Days in My New House. Honestly, the way this book came to life is curiously mad.

First of all, I used to be a certified dark romance hater. At least, I was until I wrote my own. Now? It’s pretty much the only genre I read, and I’ve even started dipping my toes into pitch-black territory. The second thing I absolutely despise is long chapters. I need them short and snappy because finishing a chapter gives me that sweet, sweet hit of dopamine. Fun fact: that’s exactly why my first book, Before the Light, has a chapter with literally zero words.

I also never wanted to write about villains, psychopaths, or anything too unhinged or extra spicy. Too much spice usually ruins the plot for me, or worse, means there is no plot at all. But… something weird happened, and I have zero explanation for it. I ended up doing every single thing I swore I hated.

It all started on March 31st. I was standing in the shower when this total powerhouse of a hook randomly harassed my mind: “I killed my husband. Not because I’m a psycho or a bad person. I killed him because he wanted to kill me first.”

I had no clue what the book was actually about yet. I assumed it would be a domestic thriller, kind of like a Freida McFadden novel. I was so wrong. That same night, the story started playing in my brain like a movie. I saw Paul and Rhea. I saw them arriving at this secluded house in the woods, stepping inside. I saw the layout, the furniture colors, the lawn, the bathroom. I saw absolutely everything. The next night, the magic really hit, and the dialogue and plot twists just started unfolding.

Originally, I promised myself I wouldn’t start anything new. The final book of my Luna’s Diaries trilogy was dropping on June 2nd, and I was supposed to dedicate all my time to marketing. But honestly, I was so emotionally devastated by the end of that soul-shattering trilogy that I desperately needed a distraction. So, just two days after that initial quote popped into my head, I sat down and started writing 13 Days in My New House.

I had the title, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull off the cover. Luckily, I’m one of those rare writers who can actually illustrate. I have a five-year degree in Fashion Design from my time living in Italy, which included two years of architecture courses. So, I grabbed my iPad, opened Procreate, and started drawing. Since my favorite color is teal and my website uses that palette, I decided to stick with it but add a splash of red. It took me about 6 to 8 hours to draw the house, and then of course, I had to bring Paul and Rhea to life too.

Once I started writing, I got completely lost in it because the entire story was burning a hole in my head. Again, it was full of tropes I used to hate, but I wrote them anyway and ended up loving every single ounce of it.

The timeline was absolute madness:

• March 31st: Started writing.

• April 2nd: Finished the cover, submitted the pre-order on KDP, and got approved the same day.

• April 8th: Hit the 20k word mark.

• April 10th: Broke my personal record by writing 8k words in a single day. I forgot to eat, I was completely running on empty, but I was so hyped because these characters felt so incredibly real. It felt like a chaotic mini-vacation inside that house.

• April 16th: Finished Chapter 10 (Day 10). I had to pause and mentally prepare myself to write from Paul’s perspective.

• April 17th: Finished his chapter. Honestly, I had to double-check if I grew a penis overnight because writing from the POV of a literal psychopath is not easy!

• April 20th: Opened up my ARC reviewer sign-ups.

When I finally wrote the last chapter, I actually cried. I have no f*cking clue why. I think I just never truly understood the appeal of a villain. In the books I used to read, villain dynamics just felt like toxic obsession and possession, not actual love. I never felt it. But for the first time, writing this, I got it. Villain love hits completely different. It’s more powerful because there are no limits, no hesitations, no regrets, no shame, and no fear. It is all in. It’s pure emotional freedom. The epilogue definitely drops some major doubts, especially when you read that very last sentence, but I still believe in the power of how a villain loves. It really made me reflect a lot.

On April 22nd, which also happens to be my daughter’s birthday, I typed “The End.” The final count was 87k words and 358 pages.

When I was going through the next few drafts, I panicked that the excessive spice was going to ruin the story. I counted 23 spicy scenes in just 13 chapters! I thought about cutting some out and even ran a social media poll asking readers if that was too much. The vote was a total 50/50 split, but I couldn’t bring myself to delete a single page. In this book, the spice is the plot. There is a specific reason why they both use sex as a weapon and a distraction.

My husband reads all my books, and I was terrified to let him read this one. I was convinced he’d think I was a total sicko. Instead, I sent it to a reader in the UK first, who absolutely devoured it in 24 hours. She loved it, and I finally exhaled. I know people who hate dark romance with excessive spice are going to absolutely loathe it, but that’s totally fine. Every book that deserves a 5-star review is bound to get a 1-star review too. I’m ready for it.

Finally, against my better judgment, I let my husband read it. I don’t know why he decided to treat it like an instruction manual instead of a fiction novel, but let’s just say we now permanently have a jar of cherry jam in our fridge.

Overall, writing this 13-day countdown story was a completely consuming, wildly fun experience. Seeing your early reviews lets me know it has the potential to reach so many people. It completely messes with your head, which is exactly the kind of book I love to read and write.

My hands are already itching to start the next one. Honestly, I’ve already started it and have the title and cover locked in my mind. But I’m fighting the urge to binge-write it right now. At the end of June, I’m going home to Italy to visit my parents and spend some quality time with them. Once 13 Days in My New House drops on August 4th and school starts, I’ll dedicate all my time to the new project. Plot twist: it’s actually going to be a contemporary romance, nothing dark at all! I want to explore different genres and see where my passion takes me.

Want to track the madness daily? Check out my Instagram highlights for sneak peeks. Don't forget to enter the giveaway on my TikTok and Instagram to win a signed paperback of 13 Days in My New House, or, if your are into emotional damage, check out my pinned posts to win Luna’s Diaries trilogy (TikTok, Instagram)

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