by Kachi Parado

A few posts ago, we raved about The Boyfriend Backtrack and how the story was such a refreshing take on the whole wedding proposal plot. We were so enamored by it that we couldn’t help but want to know a little more about the author, Dawn Lanuza.

Dawn Lanuza works for the music industry by day and writes meet-cutes and snappy comebacks by night. Follow her at AuthorDawnLanuza and @dawnrunsfast.

Hi, Dawn! What inspires you to write? What’s your favorite genre and book?

For me, I think it all began with films, shows, music, books—they have always been my main sources of inspiration even as a child. I spent a lot of alone and quiet time as a kid, so I guess that’s when I also started weaving scenarios in my head.

As for my favorite genre, I’m more of a fiction reader and romance has always been a given for me. I think I go through phases, though when I was younger I was more interested in historical stuff, so I had an obsession with period films and that also made me try some historical romances. But I think it’s always easier for me to connect with young adult and contemporary reads.

The concept of The Boyfriend Backtrack is new and different. How did the idea come about? Were there bits of the story that happened to you?

Thank you. I actually wrote the first draft of The Boyfriend Backtrack after I graduated from college. So I guess this was sort of my way of saying goodbye to my college experience. I guess that’s why (I hope) it felt nostalgic, and sort of reflective because by the time that I was writing it, I was imagining scenarios of the future that only made me think: what if we overlooked an experience or a person from the past just because we were trying so hard to get somewhere? That’s where the rest of the story unfolded in my head.

Nothing specific in the book happened to me, but I guess the shared experience is that I went to a dormitory open house during my freshman year too.

How did you create Regina? In what ways can you identify yourself with her?

I don’t like to admit this, but bits of Regina were me. Were.☺ And that made it difficult for me to write about her because it started to feel like I was working out my issues the same time that I was trying to work out hers. So yeah, it took me five years to finish the book. Haha.

When I started working on it again a year ago (I probably didn’t look at it for two to three years), that was when I was able to step back and distinguish her character from me. Now she’s just Regina and I’m me.

The Boyfriend Backtrack is now on Amazon and the printed copy will be available around March. How do you feel about being published and are you planning on writing another book?

Yes, I actually just finished a new novella as part of #BuqoYA, Mina V. Esguerra’s online writing class. I think about 30 of us finished writing our stories so that’s a lot of new stuff to read from local authors this year! ☺

I feel happy to finally get to the point where I’m writing and publishing. There’s still plenty of stuff that I need to learn but this is a dream that I’ve always had but somehow couldn’t figure out how to fulfill, so now that I’m here, I feel excited. ☁

The Boyfriend Backtrack is available both on Amazon and Smashwords.