It’s not every day you encounter an author whose work feels like a warm hug and a gentle nudge toward self-discovery, all rolled into one. Alison Cochrun has a remarkable talent for crafting queer romance novels that are as deeply insightful as they are charmingly funny. Her stories often explore the messy, beautiful journeys of finding love while simultaneously finding yourself, tackling themes of mental health, identity, and the power of human connection with grace and wit.
Join us as we dive into the mind of Alison Cochrun, exploring her unique approach to storytelling, the inspiration behind her beloved characters, and the exciting new journey that awaits readers in Every Step She Takes.
About Alison Cochrun
Alison Cochrun is a former high school English teacher and Lambda Award-winning writer of queer love stories, including The Charm Offensive, Kiss Her Once for Me, Here We Go Again, and Every Step She Takes. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with her wife, her son, and two very needy dogs. You can find her online at AlisonCochrun.com or on Instagram as @AlisonCochrun.
Thanks for talking with us, Alison. Let’s get started.
Every Step She Takes features Sadie, a 35-year-old on a journey of late-in-life self-discovery and coming out. What inspired you to tell this particular story, and what unique challenges and joys did you find in exploring a “late bloomer” narrative?
For me, writing a late bloomer narrative was only a source of joy, because I was a late bloomer who figured out my sexuality “late in life.” I didn’t come out as a lesbian until I was 33, so in many ways, Sadie’s journey is my journey. I hear from queer readers all the time that they’re tired of “coming out” stories, and while I completely understand why they want more varied representation, I also get a little protective of coming out stories when I hear this.
When I started questioning my sexuality, I didn’t have any examples of people coming out in their thirties to turn to. I’d read hundreds of teen coming-out stories, but I hadn’t read anything that reflected my experience, and it made me feel like there was something wrong with me that I hadn’t figured it all out sooner. So for me, it’s important to tell stories that normalize different coming-out journeys, because that’s what I needed to see five years ago.
The novel is set on a queer women’s tour along Portugal’s Camino de Santiago. What drew you to this specific setting, and how did the physical journey of the Camino inform Sadie’s emotional and internal journey?
I trekked the Portuguese Camino in May 2022, and it was hands-down one of my all-time favorite experiences — beautiful, transformative, and so much fun. Even as I was doing it, I knew I would want to write about it someday, but it took me a while to find the right characters and the right story for that setting. When I initially began writing Sadie’s late bloomer story, it had a different concept and setting, but I quickly realized that her internal journey was the perfect parallel for the journey of the Camino. Once that clicked together, the book practically wrote itself.
Sadie drunkenly confesses her secrets to Mal on a plane, only to discover Mal is on the same tour. This “meet-cute” sounds both hilarious and deeply vulnerable. Can you talk about crafting that initial encounter and how it sets the tone for their relationship?
When I was initially drafting the scene, I definitely chose the circumstances of their “meet-cute” based on what I thought would be the most fun to write, and I did have a ton of fun writing this scene. But as the story progressed, I realized that Sadie’s accidental vulnerability in their first encounter allowed me to bypass some of the more shallow conversations where the characters are getting to know each other and jump right into their deep and meaningful connection, which was even more fun to write.
Without giving away too many spoilers, what was the most rewarding aspect of writing Sadie and Mal’s story, and what do you hope readers will take away from their unique romance?
Throughout the story, Sadie casts herself as the naive and inexperienced one — the one who is still figuring things out — and she turns to Mal for guidance and support as she navigates her sexuality and the Camino. Ultimately, though, Mal is just as lost and clueless as Sadie in her own way, and they’re both essentially coming-of-age as they fall in love with each other. So I hope readers will walk away with this sense that it’s okay to question yourself at any age. There’s no expiration date on becoming your most authentic self, and you’re never “too late.” You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
You’ve spoken about how writing The Charm Offensive helped you process your own sexuality. How does your personal experience inform the authenticity and emotional depth of your queer characters and relationships?
I often joke that I’m a bit of a narcissist when it comes to my books, because I always infuse my characters with bits of my own personality, and sometimes, with more than bits. Sometimes, my main character is a not-so-thinly-veiled self-insert. And while I don’t think that’s what people mean when they say “write what you know,” I do think writing from personal experience lends my characters a certain level of authenticity. Queer people are not a monolith, and it’s impossible to represent every kind of queer person or every type of queer relationship. There will always be queer people who read my books and don’t relate to them at all. But I think by telling stories that ring true with my own experiences, I’m able to find some readers who relate in a really deep and meaningful way. And that’s pretty cool.
Your writing has been praised for its mental health representation. Why is it important for you to include these elements in your stories, and how do you approach writing about mental health with sensitivity and accuracy?
I write queer books because I am queer, and I write about mental health because I struggle with anxiety and depression, and to me, it’s hard to imagine what a love story would look like without those things. But in the same way that it’s impossible to speak for every queer experience in a single novel, it’s also impossible to speak for every mental health experience.
When my debut, The Charm Offensive, was coming out, I was terrified readers were going to hate the mental health representation. I was worried Dev’s depression wouldn’t look like readers’ depression, or Charlie’s anxiety wouldn’t mirror their anxiety. Since then, though, I’ve learned that all I can do is write from that place of truth and make sure I’m writing with care. I ensure I’m doing that by talking to people in my life about their experiences, and by asking beta readers and sensitivity readers to read my books before they’re published with an eye toward mitigating potential harm.
Your characters often feel incredibly real and relatable, with their quirks and vulnerabilities. What’s your process for developing such nuanced protagonists and love interests? Do you ever find yourself surprised by where a character takes you?
I’m always surprised by where the characters take me, and that is one of my favorite things about the writing process! I once heard someone describe writers in two different categories: architects and gardeners. Architects are the writers who plot out everything in advance and follow meticulous outlines as they draft, always knowing exactly where the story is going. I’m more of a gardener: someone who has to dig into the characters and the story and learn as I write it. If my characters feel nuanced, it’s because I spend the entire drafting process (and most of the revision process, honestly) trying to figure out who they are.
Romance readers often cherish specific tropes. What are some of your favorite tropes to explore in your writing, and why do they resonate with you? Are there any tropes you find challenging or less appealing to write?
As a writer, I don’t necessarily have a favorite trope; my favorite thing about writing queer romance is the way it allows us to play around with and subvert some of the more heternormative tropes in romance. For example, Kiss Her Once for Me is the closest I’ve gotten to the fake-dating trope, but instead of falling for the perfect fake-fiance character, she falls for his sister. That said, there are a few that tend to crop up in my books a lot, like forced proximity, second-chance, opposites attract, and, of course, only one bed. I just can’t help myself with that “one bed” trope.
Writers look for inspiration in the stories of their fellow authors. Who are the authors you go back to over and over to devour their stories?
There are so many authors who inspire me, it would be impossible to list them all! I love reading Timothy Janovsky’s romcoms for their humor and their incredible pacing. No one moves a story like Timothy, and he’s truly one of the funniest people I know. Anita Kelly writes the most gorgeously written, character-driven romances, and I swear reading their books makes me a better writer. Rachel Runya Katz is someone who balances romance and heavy topics so beautifully, and I wish I could write with the depth of Kennedy Ryan, one of my favorite romance authors. I’ve also been on an intense historical romance kick lately, and I’m loving Alexandria Vasti and Joanna Lowell.
To close, what can you tell us about your upcoming pipeline of books? What can your fans look forward to in the near future?
My fifth queer romcom is currently in the works, but I can’t say anything about the plot quite yet (mostly because my books change tremendously throughout the drafting process). But I can say that it probably won’t come out until 2027, unfortunately, because I’m currently pregnant and planning to take some maternity leave at the end of this year. To make up for it, though, I have some fun little side projects I’m hoping to share more about soon!
And there you have it, Bookstr besties! Thank you so much to Alison for her wonderful answers and heartwarming perspectives. Be sure to pick up Every Step She Takes from your favorite retailer or one of the links above.
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Find Every Step She Takes on our Love is in the Air Contemporary Romance bookshelf on Bookshop.
