Megan Maxwell, an intimate dialogue with the queen of romance novels
With more than 60 published books and over 6 million copies sold, Megan Maxwell is one of the most influential writers of the romance genre . Her works, such as the series "Ask Me What You Want," have been adapted for film and television and are known for their focus on female empowerment and exploration of sexuality from a female perspective. In a luxury hotel in downtown Buenos Aires, the bestselling Spanish writer welcomes Clarín upon her return to Argentina after ten years away.
Megan Maxwell came with her daughter, Sandra Miró, who is also a writer and has published ten books. For the author, this is a source of great pride. She says: “If I had been a baker or a shoemaker, I would have been just as happy. But I'm delighted that she's joining me in the trade.”
Before becoming a writer, Maxwell was an avid reader, a habit she imitated from her mother , who voraciously read romance novels. Little Maxwell was curious about what kept her mother so engrossed for hours. For her, the main success of her novels is due to her readers: “ I can write 200 books , and if people don't like them and don't want to buy my book, they won't buy it. They're the ones who decide. It's not the publisher, and it's not me,” she says.
In book sales analysis, romance is among the most purchased in Argentina . Its commercial success often turns the month around for publishers. However, despite drawing crowds, it is disparaged in the cultural sphere as "commercial."
"There are many cultured people who think that when something sells a lot, be it a book, a song, or a movie, it's because it's commercial. I mean, what does it matter? If it's commercial, it's because people like it and because that subject matter or whatever resonates with them . And if I get people to read it through my novels, where's the harm?" Maxwell tells Clarín .
Megan Maxwell. Photo Juano Tesone.
Adding to this prejudice about the romance genre is another criticism: that of "entertainment" as something banal. "There are many people who still believe that romance novels aren't literature. It seems that to be considered literature, they have to be something full of bombastic words or cryptic," the writer explains.
And then she says: “When I was younger, I used to go to bookstores to buy books for my mom. I remember arriving and asking, 'Do you have any Julie Garwood books?' They'd give me strange looks and then say, 'Yes, downstairs, in the back.' They were hidden. Nowadays, when I go to a bookstore and see my book and other friends' books at the top, I say, 'Wow, that's great!' There's been a change because readers are the ones who decide what they're going to read .”
This phenomenon is reinforced by the fact that female readers have become more willing to read erotic novels regardless of the perspectives of others. "In the past, the landscape has changed a lot because, in the past, many women would cover the book when they read an erotic novel. Nowadays, if you want to read an erotic book as a woman or a man, you don't give a damn what the other person thinks," she reflects.
–Do you think feminism contributed to these changes in reading habits?
–Feminism has helped, yes. In Spain, when romance and erotic novels started to gain popularity, it was called porn for moms. I think it's a horrible, very offensive word, because I've never heard of porn for dads. Thank goodness everything has changed.
In Spain, when romantic and erotic novels first became popular, it was said to be porn for moms.
–Do you remember what the writing process of your first novel was like?
–I wrote the book called Almost a Paperback because I didn't have a computer. My friends would come over, and I'd have the papers on the table. They'd ask, "What's that?" and I'd reply, "It's almost a novel." And when I finished it, that's what it was titled. I gave it to my mother and aunts to read. Also, when I had free time, I'd start writing, and since I wasn't under any pressure, it would take me eight or nine months to finish a book, until I ended up with about twelve manuscripts in my drawer.
–Could your mom perhaps be your first editor?
–Yes, of course. But my mother wasn't objective. To her, everything was beautiful. I was excited, but I knew I needed to read something else. It was they who encouraged me to send them to publishers. Because when I picked up a book and looked at the back cover, it said "law degree," "degree in something else." I thought, "What if I don't have a degree in anything? Who's going to publish me?" But I sent it. Naturally, they said no, but, oh my friend, when I get a "no," that warrior side of me comes out. So I kept trying to get a "yes" until I got it.
Megan Maxwell. Photo Juano Tesone.
–Did you take writing courses to accompany your work?
–Yes, I saw a novel-writing course and signed up. The professor asked us all what kind of novel we were going to write. I said I was going to write a funny, chick-lit novel like Sex and the City . And he said, “You have no vision for the future; no one is going to publish that book for you. That’s only published in the United States or England.” And I replied, “What do I care? I write whatever I want. And since no one is going to publish me, no one is going to stop me from writing whatever I want.” Anyway, we took the course, and on the last day we had to submit the first chapters of a novel. I already had twelve novels by that point. The professor didn’t receive my final essay, and he thought it was strange because I was very diligent. He called me on the phone: “You haven’t sent me your last essay.” I replied, "Look, I've written a 300-something-page book, and there are 30-something students. If each student has written a 300-page book for you, you could die." I remember him saying, "No, I want to read it because I've been following the whole story, and I want to know what you did at the end."
–Yes. I sent it to him. The next day he called me: “I loved it.” Having someone who isn't your mother, your aunt, or your cousin say that gives it a little more value. “What if I publish it?” he asked me. “How?” And he started laughing. He said: “I'm an editor who offers these browsing courses. And the day I told you you didn't have a vision for the future and you replied that you wrote whatever you wanted, I said: 'This girl has something to say.'” He published my first novel.
–Despite criticism, romance is at the top of the best-seller list. What feedback do your readers give you?
–In Spain, they always tell me: “Megan, you're the Justin Bieber of bookstores.” I find it really funny. They tell me: “When you publish your book, you save the month.” I'm incredibly excited. And not just with my books, but also with those of other colleagues. Besides, romance novel readers don't read one book a month; they read five or six. So, romance novels are what save us, but in the newspapers, they seem to still be considered second-rate. We're here to defend them.
–In other interviews, you've said that you have a very close bond with your readers.
–Well, I manage my social media, and they know it.
Megan Maxwell. Photo Juano Tesone.
–Could you share any reading feedback that has impacted you?
–So many things have happened to me. Once, a girl wrote to me: “Megan, I have cancer and I’m going to get chemo. I’m taking your book, Frogs Fall in Love Too.” I was reading it there, laughing my head off. My chemo buddies asked me what I was reading. Since they reviewed it so much, they asked to buy the same book. The next day, they had a book club. The reader sent me a photo, and they were all hooked on chemo with the book. Just thinking that I made those five people smile was a lot for me.”
–Many thank you for helping them “empower themselves.”
–Yes, many women tell me: “Thanks to your books, I realized I had to take a different direction in my life.” A husband also wrote to me, all pissed off: “My wife has empowered herself and divorced me. I hope you pay her alimony.” But they usually tell me very, very nice anecdotes. In fact, I met one of my best friends today thanks to my books.
–Do you draw inspiration from stories from people close to you when writing?
–Sometimes, yes. My friends tell me things, and I often say, “I’ll keep that to myself,” but I change the name depending on the circumstances. Or I see someone and say, “Oh, I want to write a book about you.” Do you know who Can Yaman is? He’s a Turkish actor who was very famous in a soap opera. My friends insisted I see him, and even though I didn’t have time, I saw him and thought, “Wow, he’s amazing. I’ll write a book about this guy.” I was physically inspired by him for my next book. There are many things about myself in my novels that only I know, and I also think it happens to other writers: depending on how you wake up, that’s how the book progresses that day.
In my novels there are many things about me that only I know, and I also think the same happens to other writers.
–If you wake up in a bad mood, does a character die?
–Yes, I say: “Someone dies today.”
–But your books have happy endings. What's the significance of those endings?
–I write happy endings because I know my readers want to unwind. All they need is for me to upset them even more. I try to make them smile. I think happy endings are necessary because life already offers plenty of unhappy endings.
–You're now presenting the tenth installment of Maxwell's Warriors . How are you working on expanding the saga?
–After writing Wish Granted , I didn't think I'd write ten books. I wrote the story for myself, which is why the protagonist is called Megan. I created a story about what I would have liked my life to be like if I'd lived in the 13th century. Then I decided to write the second installment. But with this issue, I want to finish. There will be more warriors, but from a different series. I don't want to kill Duncan and Megan. I want them to be happy with their grandchildren and daughters.
–The Ask Me What You Want saga will be adapted into a film. How are you experiencing that process?
–As a reader, when they adapt a story I like, I want to see what I've read, and that doesn't always happen. With Ask Me What You Want , there are people who haven't seen what they read reflected. Keeping everyone happy is very complicated. I tried to get them to listen to me as much as possible; sometimes they listened to me and other times they didn't. Now, with the second film, they've promised me they'll listen more. When I wrote the book, I thought of Paul Walker for the protagonist. Unfortunately, he died in an accident.
- She is a renowned and prolific romance writer who lives in a beautiful little town in Madrid. Her mother is Spanish and her father is American. She has published more than fifty novels, as well as short stories and tales in collective anthologies.
- In 2010, she won the Villa de Seseña International Romantic Novel Award, and in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, she received the Dama de Clubromantica.com Award. In 2013, she also received the AURA, an award given by the Yo Leo RA (Adult Romance) Meeting, and in 2017, she won the Letras del Mediterráneo Award in the romantic novel category.
- Ask Me What You Want , her debut in the erotic genre, was awarded the Three Feathers for best erotic novel by the Passion Prize for Romantic Novels and brought to the big screen by Versus Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures Spain.
Clarin
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