INTERVIEW | HELEN COMERFORD DISCUSSES HER DEBUT NOVEL 'THE LOVE INTEREST'

Helen Comerford’s debut novel, “The Love Interest,” released today, blends romance, action, and self-discovery in the unique world of Nine Trees. Inspired by societal pressures she faced as a content singleton, Comerford created Jenna Ray’s story to challenge traditional roles. Nine Trees, inspired by Kent’s seaside towns and a climate crisis-driven evolution, sets the stage.

Jenna, a relatable teen without superpowers, is thrust into the role of a superhero’s Love Interest. Her journey of self-determination and resistance against societal expectations aims to inspire readers. Comerford’s feminist perspective, British setting, and diverse characters offer a fresh take on the YA superhero genre, emphasizing representation and empowerment.

Supported by her dog Cocoa Bean, Comerford’s writing process is dynamic and determined. Fans can look forward to action-packed rom-coms, including the sequel to “The Love Interest,” promising more heartfelt and thrilling adventures.

On publication day, we catch up with Helen to find out more…

What inspired you to write “The Love Interest” and create the unique world of Nine Trees?

The concept for The Love Interest came to me when I was a happy singleton facing a deluge of messages from popular culture, and society in general, that I should be in a relationship. Instead of running outside and screaming ‘I’m happy as I am!’ or ‘This pressure drives people into unhealthy relationships!’ or simply ‘Stop telling me what to do!’, I grabbed a notebook and crafted Jenna’s story.

Developing Nine Trees, and the world it exists in, was less rage-filled. I’ve lived in a lot of places, but often came back to Kent and the South East coast of England. Nine Trees is an amalgamation of the seaside towns of my youth. The EV, the accelerated evolution of the earth which gives the heroes their powers, is what makes the Nine Trees universe different to our own. It is inspired in part by the climate crisis, but also comes from my belief that everything in nature is connected, people, animals, the weather, the planet itself. I asked myself what this connection would look like if we could see it and decided it would be electric blue …

Can you tell us more about Jenna Ray as a protagonist and how her journey unfolds in the story?

I find heroes incredibly endearing, especially teenage ones who are trying their best to do the right thing and making mistakes along the way (eg Spiderman). Whilst Jenna doesn’t have powers, she does have a bit of a hero complex and gets herself into trouble trying to save someone from a burning building. She’s rescued by Blaze, a brand-new superhero, and as the first person he saves, the world decides for Jenna that she will be his Love Interest.

I wanted to create the role model I needed when I was in my teens. Jenna Ray is strong enough to know what she wants and to resist the world as they push her into the role of Love Interest. It’s a story of self-determination and it would have been very short if Jenna got her own way at the start; there are disasters and villains that bring her and Blaze together, not to mention an attraction to Blaze that Jenna can’t quite ignore.

The concept of the Love Interest plays a central role in the story — what themes or messages were you hoping to convey through Jenna’s reluctance to embrace this role?

I love superhero stories and have spent hours watching (or reading) heroes saving the day. However, women, especially love interests, aren’t, historically, treated well in this genre. They are there to be threatened, kidnapped or even killed as a way to move the story on. It felt good to have a young female character look at this expectation and go ‘No thank you, I don’t think that’s for me.’ I hope that Jenna’s mission for self-determination will inspire readers to believe that they don’t have to conform to certain roles or tropes. It’s a bit cheesy, but hopefully the main takeaway is that we can all be heroes in our own way.

How did you develop the relationship between Jenna and Blaze, and what challenges did you face in portraying their connection authentically?

Nice question! In a plot full of action scenes and dramatic moments, the key to crafting Jenna and Blaze’s relationship was making sure that there were quiet moments where they could talk, or laugh; where they could learn about each other and just be together. That’s how love grows in the real world, so that became a priority for me. They were also some of the easiest scenes to write – yes writing superpowered pigeons is hilarious, but two people interacting and falling for each other will always be my favourite.

What do you think sets “The Love Interest” apart from other YA novels in the superhero genre?

I know that The Love Interest could happily share a shelf with TJ Klune’s The Extraordinaries series, (which I LOVED, and can recommend if you want a queer coming of age story with a neuro-divergent protagonist) as they both walk the line between superhero action and romantic-comedy. But, I think my story is one of the only feminist, British (it’s very British, Jenna drinks tea constantly), superhero rom-coms that centres people of colour. The Love Interest is basically my whole heart strewn through a hundred thousand words and wrapped in a beautiful cover.

Can you speak to the importance of representation in literature, especially for Black British characters, and how you approach this in your writing?

I’m mixed heritage, Black Caribbean and white British, and growing up I didn’t see characters that looked like me, or families that looked like mine, in the books I was reading.

You can’t be what you can’t see and it’s vital for young readers to see themselves represented in every type of story, especially stories crafted to empower and entertain. Joy is revolutionary, love is revolutionary and everyone should be able to see themselves in stories where these are centred.

I plan to write a lot of stories, most of them will be joyful and full of love, and all of them will have Black British and mixed heritage main characters.

How did your own love of feminism and super-powered stories influence the creation of “The Love Interest”?

I grew up watching the X‑Men cartoon every Saturday morning and adored Storm, a powerful Black woman who could fly. I am a superhero NERD, so when I decided to write a feminist tale of self-determination, the superhero genre’s love interest was the obvious trope to subvert.

Along with righting the wrongs committed against the Love Interests of the past I managed to squeeze almost everything I love about the superhero genre into The Love Interest; stakes, superpowers, inexplicable explosions, overdramatic bad guys, crazy costumes, tense romantic moments, plucky sidekicks … I could go on.

Can you share any insights into your writing process and what readers can expect from your future projects?

My writing companion has four legs, a love of cheese, and an uncanny knack of appearing at times when I should stretch my legs or take a break. Her name is Cocoa Bean and she’s a staffie. With Cocoa’s invaluable support, I’m starting to define what my writing process is. I write a fast and mostly terrible first draft, sort out the plot in the next draft, find my characters again in the third and then just keep rewriting until it shines. I think the key to my process is to just keep going; I’ll put down something I know is sub-par because it means I’ve got something to fix later.

Next up from me is The Love Interest’s sequel, which I’m having a lot of fun writing. Then I’ll be leaving Nine Trees for pastures new. I think it’s safe to say I’ll be staying in the realm of action-packed rom-coms though, so if you like The Love Interest, you won’t be disappointed.

Read our review HERE.

The Love Interest is available to purchase now. Click HERE to grab you copy!