Booktok Author Lana Vargas On Breaking Stereotypes In Romance
Lana Vargas, author of Summer in Phoenix and The Darkness that Follows Us
TW: Talks about depression, anxiety and grief
As a writer, Lana Vargas believes that every woman deserves to experience a great love story. Growing up as a Hispanic woman, she never saw her ideal representation in the romance novels she read. Yet, as she continued reading, a thought lingered in the back of her mind: What if I wrote a book that featured someone like me? Vargas successfully captures this vision in her romance novels, Summer in Phoenix and The Darkness that Follows Us.
Lana Vargas, a Mexican-American Romance author born and raised in California, achieved significant success with her novel Summer in Phoenix, landing her in the top 40 on Amazon. Loaded with grief and lost love, Summer in Phoenix follows 2 Ex-Best Friends, Elliot and Emory, as they reunite after five years of no contact. Forced to live in the same house for the entire summer, they must confront unresolved feelings and the true reason why Elliot never reached out. Her second novel, The Darkness That Follows Us, follows playboy Andrew Cortes as he navigates his depression after the passing of his little brother. To stop his mother from pestering him about settling down, he enters a fake-dating arrangement with his friend, Kat Harrison. Soon, their pact evolves into a genuine romance. The novel earned an award for Best Romance Novel from the judges at the Wolf Media Festival in June.
She was a little girl when she was inspired to write. “I wrote my first short story when I was ten,” she remembers. “But before that, I was just writing in my journal as every little girl does.” However, the first story Vargas took seriously was one she wrote at 12, which eventually became her debut novel, Summer in Phoenix. Vargas continued saying she never intended to publish, it was simply a thought in her head that needed to be free. “It was just something I was passionate about,” she says. “It was one of those stories that kind of sticks in your head for years.” Vargas' "what ifs" and the lack of representation in other romance novels inspired the characters and stories she now writes in her own novels. With no intention to publish, she handed her story to someone in the publishing industry. Upon reading her novel, the publisher was eager to help Vargas bring it to the public. From there, her career as a published romance author set sail as, she likes to call it, a “happy accident”.
Listening to her story, I was captivated as she delved into her journey as an author. In her latest book, The Darkness That Follows Us, released on April 11, 2024, she explored various themes, including mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. “I wanted to touch on those topics because it touches on topics that romance books usually don't," she says. “I was nervous. What if people don‘t like it?” After publishing her second novel, she was grateful she did when she started hearing the responses. “I’ve had people reach out to me saying that they felt like they were healing within. They (the readers) felt like they were being healed with those characters.”
As Vargas continued her story, her dreams and aspirations were truly inspiring. The BookTok author wrote her story with everything in mind, including incorporating her cultural heritage. Vargas expressed that while Hispanic characters are usually characterized well, there are still harmful stereotypes in Romance novels. “Usually Hispanic characters are the side characters, or they're the comedic relief,” Vargas says. In Vargas' novels, however, she wants her stories to be different. “I wanted my books to have them (Hispanic characters) highlighted to where they get their great love story.”
Since her novels were published, girls have reached out to the author, expressing how they felt seen by her. Vargas recalls the proud moment when a group of girls also expressed their wish to have had her books while growing up. “If I can have someone read my book and feel like they’re going to get the guy in the end,” she says. “Then I feel good.”
While her dreams and aspirations are impressive, the influence on her writing was just as admirable. Inspired by authors like Lauren Asher, known for The Fine Print, and Ana Huang, acclaimed for The Twisted Series, Vargas aimed to infuse diversity by creating multifaceted characters in her own stories. Her influence even goes as deep as personal loss. “Losing my mom was definitely a personal experience that influenced my debut novel,” she says. “It’s pretty much the reason why my debut novel exists actually.” Listening to Vargas share this felt personal, which was exactly the point. “My debut novel was curated around grief,” she says. “My main character evolves around grief and experiencing all of the emotions around that.” Vargas said losing her mom and going through that loss made her not only grow as a writer, but as a person as well.
Vargas, like every author, has faced her own challenges and obstacles. For her, it’s imposter syndrome. “Getting out of my own head has been the most challenging part and honestly trying to get over imposter syndrome,” she says.
Vargas has shared people’s reluctance to discuss imposter syndrome more openly. She addresses it on her TikTok, acknowledging how it often affects her, replacing her thoughts with doubts about her writing and herself. “Sometimes, it’s hard to not listen to your own thoughts,” she continues. “You have to believe that what you’re writing is the best you can write at the time.”
Continuing her journey as a writer, we delve into a crucial question: How are Latinx authors represented in the literary world? When I raised the question, Vargas expressed her concern. “I definitely think we’re underrepresented, that’s for sure.” She says.
While Latinx authors are making steady progress, Vargas confided that she recently read an article stating Latinx individuals account for approximately 6% of the overall publishing industry. That’s 3 Latinx authors out of 50 in the industry. The numbers become more concerning when considering representation at decision-making levels: only 2% in editorial roles and 3% in executive positions.
Once I heard the numbers, I was dumbfounded. A single thought crossed my mind: How could the numbers be so dismal? While the stats were concerning, I knew Vargas would rise above them. “I try to lift other authors up, so we can lift that number up because I want to see more Latina authors on the shelves,” Vargas says. Vargas aims to empower other Latin authors by providing them with platforms.
She’s even faced roadblocks from the marketing aspect of the industry as a self-published author. “I don’t know if it’s specifically because I’m Latina or because I’m an Indie author,” she says. “But the marketing aspect of trying to get my book out there, it’s definitely harder.” Vargas believes Indie authors deal with these obstacles daily, striving to gain recognition for their books.
Vargas has shared her journey, filled with hopes of establishing herself as a prominent Latin romance author. Reflecting on her experiences, she has a message for aspiring Latin writers everywhere. “I always say write the representation that you want to see, as much as you have people telling you not to,” Vargas says. She said she can’t tell me how many people told her to not make her characters Hispanic because they “don’t sell.” Yet, she’s glad she did it anyway. “If I didn’t, the book wouldn’t feel like me,” Vargas says.
Lana Vargas with her book, The Darkness that Follows Us
In her future works, Vargas is even entertaining the idea of diving into Fantasy genres. “I’ve been thinking about it for years,” she says. “My friends have been nudging me in the direction of fantasy, so we’ll see in the future.”
Though her journey has been full of ups and downs, she feels enriched by the rewarding aspects of writing. Vargas expresses she felt she was doing something right with her writing, despite feeling little in the industry with millions of other writers already published. “When readers tell me that they feel seen with the characters in my books or the situations that they go through, I just feel like I'm doing something right and it helps me keep going,” she says. “It’s fulfilling.”
At the end of our interview, I was in awe of the romance author. It wasn't just because both of her books have been in the top 20 of Amazon’s Bestseller List, but because of her resilience against those who doubted her as an author and a Mexican-American woman. Despite the voices urging her to change the ethnicity of her characters, Vargas stands as proof to other writers that you don’t have to succumb to others' uncertainties about what you want to write.
Whether Vargas is at her home office or at a cafe, she’s diligently typing away on her laptop, her creativity flourishing as she brings her ideal characters and stories into the spotlight. She mentions that every time she sits down to write, her process involves three essentials: an outline, background music from various artists, and an energized Red Bull. For Lana Vargas, nothing else exists when she writes. The world fades away until it’s just her and characters in a world she created. When she types, one feeling soars above all else: joy.
