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    The summer months are a perfect time to lose yourself in the pages of a juicy page turner. Even if your bank account or PTO balances are coming up short, the right book allows you to easily escape without ever leaving your zip code. Tia Williams, author of award-winning books like A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, Seven Days in June and The Perfect Find, has released another hit that is guaranteed to make you blush, laugh and think critically about unexpected romantic love connections, masking trauma and more. Just like the characters Williams expertly creates, this book has layers.

    The Virginia native turned Brooklynite opened up to us about the energy she channeled when penning The Missed Connection, why reading about Black women being loved boldly is healing and how her teenage daughter inspired her book’s protagonist, Sasha. The wife and mom of two who was a top beauty editor in her former life for major outlets like Elle, ESSENCE (Yes, she’s an ESSENCE alum!) and Glamour even dished on her must-have products to maintain a dewy, sexy glow in the summer heat.

    ESSENCE: Congratulations on the release of your latest novel, The Missed Connection! Why this book now?
    TIA WILLIAMS:
    I wanted to write a true escapist fantasy. A colorful, funny, sexy, glossy, intensely romantic escape from the news. Outside, our world sometimes feels like it’s falling apart. All I want is to get lost in a delicious story. I was channeling this energy while I was writing The Missed Connection (TMC).

    ESSENCE: How does TMC deliver the type of sexy, honest and romantic storytelling we crave?
    WILLIAMS: The premise is super-sexy and romantic. Sasha hires a detective from her past to track down “Seat F,” a mysterious stranger she sparked with on an international flight. A love triangle ensues! While writing the Sasha-Seat F-Wes triangle, I thought a lot about timing. How, when it comes to love, it can 1) ignite sparks with the right person, 2) propel you towards the wrong person, or 3) do both, simultaneously. In love, timing rules us all.

    ESSENCE: Topics surrounding mental health and healing from past trauma are woven into TMC. Was this intentional or did it just sort of happen while you were writing?
    WILLIAMS: I loved writing a Black female protagonist who actively wears a mask. Her polished, perfectly-put-together energy is masking past trauma. Because of an incident in her past, she’s extremely closed-off…from other people, but also, herself. And along the way, she learns that this coping mechanism is a simply a Band-Aid – and that in order to live fully, she needs to confront what haunts her. I wanted to write a character healing her emotional wounds because, aren’t we all?

    ESSENCE: How important is it for Black women to read about other Black women experiencing love, romance and sexual pleasure?

    WILLIAMS: Reading about Black women being loved boldly and indulgently is healing. It just is. With every book I write, I try to raise the bar in terms of aspirational love. I had a reader tell me that reading one of my books inspired her to divorce her husband! It’s an extreme example, but reading the words helped her realize what she did and didn’t deserve. Powerful stuff.

    ESSENCE: The protagonist in TMC, Sasha Cruz, is a successful casting agent who is flawed (Which we love because who isn’t?). Who inspired her character?
    WILLIAMS: I’ve always been obsessed with Hollywood history and the acting world. I think casting directors are fascinating. You need to understand human psychology to instinctively understand who’s perfect for a role. How does that person move through the world? I started with that question, and Sasha was born! Sidenote: she’s Afro-Latina because my half-Dominican daughter demanded representation! 

    ESSENCE: The sex scenes are steamy!

    WILLIAMS: Writing sex scenes is a delicate thing. It can go so wrong, so fast. I have three sex scene rules. First, it must move the plot forward. The scene should reveal something new about the characters or escalate the narrative tension. Second, avoid using old-school phrases like “throbbing manhood” or “dewy mound.” Third, add a touch of realism. Your characters should fumble a little, giggle, get it wrong. The messy stuff is so sexy.

    ESSENCE: What can readers learn about taking calculated risks from TMC?
    WILLIAMS:
    Sasha finds love, but her choice surprises her—it’s not who she expected. She pushes herself outside her comfort zone, and the world opened to her. Once you get out of your own way, magic happens.

    ESSENCE: Now, for perhaps the most important question of this interview: What are your must-have summer beauty products?
    WILLIAMS:
    1) Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40: This lightweight tint is packed with good-for-you ingredients, and leaves a radiant, complexion-boosting finish. Obsessed.

    2) Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix: I have almost all the shades! They add just enough color, and smell incredible.

    3) Tom Ford Soleil De Feu Eau De Parfum: Heavenly. If you’re looking for a scent that gives “upscale Cannes beach club circa 1985,” this is she.

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