Zuri Day Shares Her Journey, Creative Process, and the Power of Real Love
PHOTO: Zuri Day, bestselling author and romance icon, brings passion and purpose to every page she writes.
Romance, Resilience, and Writing With Heart
Bestselling author Zuri Day discusses her inspiration, creative process, dual writing identity, and the evolution of romance fiction, offering honest insights, personal stories, and advice for aspiring romance writers.
Zuri Day doesn’t just write romance—she embodies it. With over sixty novels to her name and a literary voice that is both lush and relatable, she continues to reign as one of contemporary romance’s most beloved and versatile storytellers. Whether she’s crafting sizzling love stories in Las Vegas or building unforgettable family sagas in the vineyards of California, Zuri delivers exactly what readers crave: authenticity, heart, and characters who leap off the page with passion and purpose. Her books don’t just entertain; they reflect real-life complexities, tackle meaningful issues, and celebrate the enduring power of love.
In this candid and entertaining interview, Zuri opens up about everything from her creative process and dual writing identities to the roots of her inspiration and the ever-evolving landscape of the romance genre. Her insight is as compelling as her novels, and her passion for storytelling is infectious. At Novelist Post, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on a writer who continues to elevate romance fiction with every book she writes. Readers, get ready to fall in love with Zuri Day all over again.
Zuri Day is a master of heartfelt storytelling, blending depth, desire, and authenticity into unforgettable, emotionally rich romance novels readers adore.
What initially inspired you to start writing romance novels?
Saving my career! LOL. My alter-ego, Lutishia Lovely, was three books into what at the time was a controversial contemporary fiction series that mixed sex with salvation. Including explicitly intimate scenes and strong language within a religious setting generated a lot of pushback. The publishing team wasn’t sure the world was ready for the Hallelujah Love series. My editor believed in both me and my writing and asked if I could write romance. I quickly said yes, having been a voracious reader of romance since sneaking into my older sister’s collection at the age of thirteen. There was a learning curve. Writing romance isn’t as easy as it looks. As a hopeful romantic, however, and a Libra, the sign for relationships, I am a natural for love, partnership, and happily ever after. PS: The Hallelujah Love series survived and went on to be an award-winning, bestselling success.
What was the most challenging book or series you’ve written, and why?
Great question. The Sin City Series, featuring the Breedloves, required me to stretch as a writer. The Drakes of California became a successful Harlequin debut, with a warm, powerful, memorable family that readers could both relate with and fantasize about. Once it ended, I knew creating a family that was as captivating as that bunch wouldn’t be easy, a family with strong values, a sexy aura and unique personalities yet completely different from their predecessors, the Drakes. But when I went from the state of California to the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada, created the fictional town of Breedlove, Nevada, and tapped into an indigenous, nature-centered yet sophisticated Breedlove blueprint, surrounded by all the lights, cameras and action to be gleaned from Sin City…I thanked the Drakes for their service and fell in love with the Breedloves!
“Writing romance isn’t as easy as it looks.” — Zuri Day
Can you tell us about your creative process when developing new characters?
Basically, I just hang out in my head with whoever shows up, usually unexpectedly and uninvited. Sometimes they come in as fully developed, three-dimensional characters. At other times they come in bearing storyline gifts but keep their personalities, motives, backgrounds and other character-building necessities a secret. They take me on fact-finding missions with information that often ebbs, flows and morphs as the story is written. With the former, there are actual conversations/debates about who they are and their preferred subject matter. About the significant other and specific details surrounding their relationship and how it unfolds. When feeling especially creative I foolishly give my two cents about this or that surrounding what “they’ve” told me. The character’s perspective usually wins. I know this sounds crazy. It is. And wonderful, too…
How do you balance writing under both your names, Zuri Day and Lutishia Lovely?
Almost twenty years in and honestly, I’m still figuring that out! I do know that separating the genres is a gift I had absolutely nothing to do with. To this day there are readers who still don’t know we’re the same person. Readers tell me the “voice” is completely different. I don’t try to do it. It just happens.
“People are people wherever we go.” — Zuri Day
What personal experiences, if any, have shaped your portrayal of love and relationships?
How much time to you have? Seriously, I have grand examples of what true love looks like. My maternal grandparents, Grandma Amanda and Papa Nash, called each other “podna,” translated partner, until death they did part. They lived on a grand farm in the south, with all the prerequisite animals and a bountiful garden. Papa Nash was a semi-pro baseball player, avid horse rider and knowledgeable farmer. He inspired the old cowboy in Solid Gold Seduction and the character Cyrus in Stuck In the Country With You. Traits of Grandma Amanda are in every female character over sixty-five. My parents have been together for seventy-five years. No, that is not a typo. While I’ve not yet secured that “forever love,” I’m surrounded by couples whose love journey is not only inspirational but educational. Their long-term marriages show that it’s not about being in a relationship where there are no problems. It’s about deciding that no matter the challenge, separating is not an option. Remaining loving and in love is the goal. The Zuri Day brand tag is “Real life. Real love.” I don’t write about perfect people and/or relationships. I write about partners who are perfect for each other
How do you maintain freshness and excitement across long-running series like The Drakes of California?
Diverse storyline concepts and interesting, full-bodied new characters with diverse backgrounds who join the clan. In the first part of the series, the southern CA Drakes run a vineyard and high-end hotel and spa, a storyline inspired by my years spent living in southern CA’s wine country, Temecula, CA. The vineyard was the common thread but each storyline tackled different real life conflict, from stalking to sexual assault, to the lack of good, affordable health care for everyone. Mid-series the focus shifts to their realtor cousins in northern CA, which opened up a whole new canvass on which to paint.
“There will never be anything that replaces a soft couch, a refreshing drink, and a good book.” — Zuri Day
What is your favorite setting to write about, and what draws you to it?
Right now, it’s fictional small towns. I grew up in that type of environment, where everyone knows and looks out for each other. The close proximity provides a plethora of juicy scenarios involving Nosey Nancys, Messy Melissas, Stud Stanleys, and other unforgettable personalities that most readers can relate to, whether from the country, a small town or big city. Basically, people are people wherever we go.
How has the romance genre changed since you first started publishing?
The industry is unrecognizable from when Zuri Day debuted in 2008. The rules have lessened, genres and subject matter have greatly expanded (the controversial Hallelujah Love series now seems almost tame). The literary field is wide open to anyone with an idea, computer and internet and human writers now compete with AI. The number of books published each year is astronomical while the reader pool has shrunk. There are so many distractions vying for our attention—social media, podcasts, streaming services, life. Still, there will never be anything that replaces a soft couch, a refreshing drink, and a good book.
“To thine own self be true. What you believe about yourself is magic. All else is doo-doo!” — Zuri Day
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to build a long and successful career in romance writing?
- Do it because you love it, because it’s a passion, something you’d do for free.
- If possible, diversify. Writing in different genres not only creates multiple streams of income but provides options on career direction and challenges growth as a writer.
- Cherish the ups/successes and quickly forget failures/down times. If in this game for any length of time, you’ll experience both.
- Don’t follow what’s popular. To thine own self be true. What you believe about yourself is magic. All else is doo-doo! 🙂
