We’re so back! After a mini hiatus from author interviews, THP’s book team is officially back with Noué Kirwan! She has just released her sophomore novel, Frequent Fliers, a contemporary adult romance featuring two seatmates: Melanie “Lanie” Turner and Dr. Ridley Aronsen as they fly between New York City and London.
Frequent Fliers explores long-distance relationships and finding love after loss. Be sure to check out our in-depth review of Frequent Fliers by Noué Kirwan here!
It’s time to embark on our exclusive author interview with Noué Kirwan. Let’s get into all things Frequent Fliers, the characters, and traveling!
Welcome to The Honey POP! We’re so excited to chat with you today. To get things started, what are three fun facts you’d like to share?
a. I’m a Virgo
b. I’ve met Beyoncé (!!!)
c. I cannot sing (like, at all) but I don’t let that stop me, lol!
Frequent Fliers
Congratulations on the release of Frequent Fliers! How do you feel now that your second novel is out in the world?
I’m excited! It was a bit of a journey (no pun intended) from the idea phase to the execution to where we are now, with it about to be out in the world.
Can you describe your journey writing Frequent Fliers compared to your debut with Long Past Summer?
The Frequent Fliers journey was a little bit harder. Long Past Summer appeared almost fully formed in my head, and I wrote the first 30k words over a weekend. With Frequent Fliers, the idea itself came to me quickly but the formulation of the characters, backstory, and the full plot, took some work.
Noué Kirwan’s Characters
How much of yourself do you see in Lanie and Ridley?
I see myself more clearly in Lanie, in the fact that she’s traveled a lot‒specifically back and forth to the UK, and in her Caribbean heritage with family that live in South London. Ridley is a little more of a departure for me. But I see him in his love and devotion to his family and his struggle to do the right thing by them.
Other than our two beloved main characters, do you have a favorite character from Frequent Fliers?
I really love Lanie’s BFF, Narcisa, for how plain-spoken she is, but I honestly think my favorite secondary character is Gemma. Lanie’s cousin is comfortable with who she is and clear about what she wants out of her life.
Love, Loss, And Long Distance
We’re so glad that Lanie and Ridley’s long-distance relationship gets its happily ever after. In your opinion, what are some things that can make or break a long-distance relationship?
I think one of the biggest keys to making a long-distance relationship work is open and regular communication. Your partner can’t necessarily see your face or hear your inflection to glean your moods or concerns. They won’t know when you’re stressed, lonely or unhappy, etc. unless you tell them. So, it’s imperative to talk all those things out. I believe when you don’t, it leaves space for misunderstandings or hurt feelings that can easily fester, if left unchecked.
Frequent Fliers also touches on finding love after the loss of a partner. How did you decide on the obstacles your characters would face? Specifically, Bea’s reaction to finding out about her dad and Lanie’s relationship.
Interestingly enough, I talked about Ridley with my own dad, and he gave me some ideas and a father’s point of view (not that he always agreed with Ridley). But regarding Bea’s reaction to Lanie, that just felt very organic to me. As Ridley himself says, Bea’s in a very sensitive, transitional moment in her life, moving into her teenage years, dealing with the loss of her mom, and being outside after months of being stuck in a bubble with only her dad and grandparents. Any further intrusion on what she probably saw as the comfortable stasis of her current life could easily be seen as a threat. Lanie was the embodiment of that disruption.
We’re suckers for a wedding celebration in a book, but we also love how you continued Lanie and Ridley’s story even after Gemma and Jonah’s wedding. Did you make any major changes to the timeline as you were writing, or did you originally plan for this ending?
I always knew that Gemma and Jonah’s wedding itself would be an important focal point for the book as it was part of the reason Lanie and Ridley met. And it was always going to occur toward the end of the book. But I also knew it would be important to Lanie (and by extension, Ridley) that the book would move past that point. The story isn’t about Lanie’s relationship with Jonah and Gemma; it’s about her and Ridley. Still, how far the book would continue past the wedding did change a little bit.
Traveling
You’ve said you’re a nervous flier but an avid traveler. Where are some of your favorite places to travel? What cities are still on your bucket list?
I’m in love with London and Paris. I really enjoyed exploring Mexico City and Istanbul, but I have so much yet to see. But my bucket list is chock-full of other destinations too: Beijing, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Moscow, Mumbai, Rio, Singapore. There is so much more of the world I’d still love to explore.
You were just at the Steamy Lit Con this weekend. Can you talk about what your experience was like?
The conference’s mission is very specifically about celebrating diversity in romance and in the romance community, and if there was one word I’d use to describe the conference, it would be “community.” The sense of community there is so strong and welcoming. The writers and readers are so welcoming. It’s also just a lot of fun! Writing is usually a very solitary endeavor, so being at conferences and the like allows opportunities to see other writers you know and to get to know writers you’ve always admired. For example, this year, an icon in the romance community, Ms. Bev‒Beverly Jenkins was there. It was such an honor to see her. Just to be able to say hello and breathe the same air as her, LOL! That was a real highlight.
What’s Next
The release date for Frequent Fliers is nearly here! What are your plans for the rest of 2024?
Get to work coming up with some new ideas. Also, with luck, I’ll get to meet some more readers.
Are you working on any new projects? If so, can you give us a hint about them?
I am. I’m thinking of doing something that’s a small departure from Long Past Summer and Frequent Fliers in style, but hopefully, it’s a detour that readers will still enjoy.
I think one of the biggest keys to making a long-distance relationship work is open and regular communication. […] So, it’s imperative to talk all those things out. I believe when you don’t, it leaves space for misunderstandings or hurt feelings that can easily fester, if left unchecked.
Noué Kirwan on Frequent Fliers and long-distance relationships
You can order a copy of Noué Kirwan’s Frequent Fliers here!
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