“What’s romance with out a little danger?” L.C. Rosen teases in his signature witty manner—a query that feels as a lot a problem to his readers because it does a mission assertion for his newest YA novel, You’ve Goth My Coronary heart (out since September 9). Recognized for his celebrated works like Camp and Emmett, Rosen returns this spooky season with a darkly humorous, eerily romantic story that blends mistaken id, digital intimacy, and goth aesthetics right into a love story that’s as haunting as it’s heartfelt. In true Rosen style, it’s a narrative that balances concern and pleasure, proving that falling in love—particularly as a queer teen—is each exhilarating and terrifying.
Set towards the small-town chaos of Sleepy Hole’s Halloween celebrations, You’ve Goth My Coronary heart introduces readers to Grey, a self-aware and anxious teen whose summer time takes an exciting flip after a wrong-number textual content opens the door to romance, thriller, and hazard. With a closeted ex within the background, a brand new goth rival for consideration, and whispers of a serial killer stalking native homosexual teenagers, Grey’s journey is equal elements suspense and swoon-worthy romance. Via laughs, chills, and heartfelt moments, L.C. Rosen delivers a narrative that captures the queer teen expertise with humor, nuance, and authenticity.
At CelebMix, I had the possibility to take a seat down with Lev Rosen and dive into the inspirations behind You’ve Goth My Coronary heart—from the accidental-connection romance at its core, to the playful but haunting Halloween backdrop, and the trendy anxieties and thrills of digital intimacy. We additionally explored his strategy to breaking stereotypes in queer literature, navigating the publishing world, and giving teen readers characters who really feel actual, messy, and completely lovable.
Learn on as Rosen opens up about storytelling, love, and the dangers that make each unforgettable.
“You’ve Goth My Coronary heart” blends goth tradition, mistaken id, and queer romance with each humor and suspense. I’m curious—what was the preliminary spark for the story? Was it the title, the tone, or a personality you simply couldn’t shake?
Hello! It began as a joke, truthfully. The unique title was You’ve Goth Mail. I had recognized I wished to do a pagan e-book—and possibly a goth e-book—for ages, however I didn’t have an thought of what that may be till I made that joke, after which a complete idea poured into my mind.
Had been there specific movies, tales, or cultural influences that formed this novel? How did you reimagine them to create one thing related for right now’s YA readers?
Properly, clearly, You’ve Acquired Mail was an enormous affect—as have been all its predecessors, going again to the unique Hungarian play Parfumerie, and variations like The Store Across the Nook. My favourite, although, is the musical She Loves Me, which I used as a mannequin for this one—taking the aspect characters and basic vibe and making it trendy and queer.
That truthfully wasn’t that arduous; folks right now discuss on social media on a regular basis, and on the apps it’s typically nameless—or not less than, everyone knows somebody could possibly be catfishing us at any time. Individuals fall in love anyway. I really like that about folks—how even after they’re tremendous skeptical, they will nonetheless fall in love. That’s timeless, however the web a part of it’s nonetheless fairly new.
Talking of contemporary twists, Grey’s story begins with a wrong-number textual content, capturing trendy intimacy. What drew you to discover that premise, and the way did you make sure the on-screen romance felt emotionally grounded and plausible?
I knew that for the story to work, we needed to open with them falling in love, so the opening part is totally their texts over the summer time. That was, I believe, an enormous gamble. However I wanted to point out this very particular type of relationship—and even when plenty of us are acquainted with the way it would possibly really feel, it nonetheless wanted plenty of grounding to make the remainder of the e-book work. I used to be additionally actually fortunate that my writer was open to the thought of a visible form of framing for the texts—artwork on the web page that basically makes it clear that is texting, separate from actual life. A digital honeymoon part.
As for why I wished to discover it—properly, the thought, as I stated, got here first. However all of us discuss this manner now. We textual content, and, like I stated, we fall in love with strangers. Isn’t that enjoyable? Isn’t it additionally insanely harmful?
And that brings us to Grey himself—he’s self-aware, anxious, humorous, and quietly courageous. How did you discover his voice, and have been there points of his insecurities or quirks that resonated with you personally?
In my rom-coms (and one anti-rom, still-com), I attempt to play with the queer male stereotypes that have been form of thrust at me in youth. Jack is a slutty femme punk kind, Randy is an annoying theater child, and Emmett is a condescending prep. However Grey is the stereotype I really form of was—the offended goth (although I used to be additionally deeply condescending). It’s at all times enjoyable and arduous to take these much less sympathetic archetypes and make them really feel worthy of affection, however Grey was a battle as a result of he’s so defensive, offended, and type of misplaced.
It additionally felt true to what I do know teenagers right now should be coping with—the pandemic, local weather change [and] conflict. I really feel fairly misplaced and offended myself. However as a teen? Making an attempt to think about their future right now? That’s going to make you offended. So plenty of it got here from that.
Shifting a bit to the e-book’s tone, “You’ve Goth My Coronary heart” manages to be spooky, humorous, suspenseful, and romantic unexpectedly. How did you stability these tonal shifts whereas preserving the emotional core? What guided your strategy to creating such a vivid, goth-meets-small-town Halloween world?
I’ve my editor to thank for lots of that tonal equilibrium. There have been variations that have been a lot darker—probably too darkish for a e-book that ostensibly is a romance with a cheerful ending. The serial killer plotline has been modified rather a lot. However I attempted to usher in this sense of darkish humor that basically linked issues collectively, and this perception that, whereas the world could be horrible at instances, that doesn’t imply you don’t discover magnificence in it. That was what I saved aiming for: the wonder.
Your work typically mixes humor, coronary heart, and darker themes whereas centering queer adolescence. How do you strategy portraying these emotional stakes in a manner that feels each sincere and accessible to YA readers?
It comes all the way down to remembering that your characters are actual folks, giving them plenty of depth and contradictions. I consider Walt Whitman rather a lot—this concept that every of us is a universe. We have now all this stuff in us—humor, coronary heart, darkness—and as a teen, they’re even nearer to the floor. Simply do not forget that, and the whole lot else falls into place.
Had been there specific scenes or characters in “You’ve Goth My Coronary heart” that you just particularly loved writing—or moments that challenged you creatively? How did you navigate these challenges?
I had a lot enjoyable arising with the Halloween homes and the entire Halloween Graveyard Truthful. I’ve been to occasions like that, however with the ability to create my very own—with none finances limitations—was plenty of enjoyable. As for challenges, I believe it was arduous to jot down the closeted ex plotline. That was tough, and I hope very sincere. However once more, to get by way of it, I simply tried to maintain my characters’ humanity in thoughts and allow them to be offended at one another, or give one another grace, at completely different moments.
Genuine queer illustration has at all times been a cornerstone of your storytelling. Throughout your profession, how has your strategy to YA advanced, notably in right now’s increasing however nonetheless scrutinized publishing panorama?
Properly, like I stated, I’ve been attempting to tackle these varied stereotypes in my comedies. Then I’ve my YA adventures, just like the Tennessee Russo collection, that are additionally very queer. I believe I’ve simply approached every e-book as its personal factor, not in relation to the e-book world. Doing that, I believe, simply results in disappointment and missed marks. I give attention to my characters and what I need the e-book to be. Persons are going to scrutinize as a lot as they need, it doesn’t matter what. Write the e-book for you—or for youthful you, as I do with these.
Taking a look at your work tempo, 2025 alone noticed three very completely different releases. How do you juggle such different worlds whereas preserving every story distinct? And whenever you step away from writing, how do you unwind and recharge?
Properly, it’s necessary to notice that the enterprise of publishing strikes slowly. Books, even when completed, are nonetheless not less than a 12 months out from publication, and typically they’re delayed by outdoors forces, as occurred with considered one of these. So it’s not like I wrote all of those in a single 12 months, or that I wrote none of them this 12 months—whereas they’re popping out quick and arduous, they weren’t written that manner.
With all my books, I get into writing them by absorbing outdoors media: watching motion pictures which have the vibe I need, listening to playlists, going to artwork exhibitions or galleries, and consulting analysis books, fiction, or artwork books that encourage me and get me into the headspace for the story I need to inform.
As for unwinding and recharging—I’ll let you realize as soon as I’ve achieved that.
Desirous about the larger image, which traits or themes in YA fiction excite you most proper now? The place do you hope queer literature will evolve subsequent, and are there specific tales you would like extra writers would sort out?
I’d like to see extra historic queer YA. I’m seeing some, and it’s all wonderful, however actually well-researched, non-speculative queer YA seems like one thing plenty of publishers aren’t taking a danger on. I additionally really feel like queer YA has to interact with queerness itself just a little extra. We used to have all these coming-out tales—it felt like the one story we have been allowed for some time—and now we have now all these romances. And there are lots of people on the market saying issues like, “It’s a rom-com the place the characters occur to be homosexual.” I can not categorical how a lot I hate ‘occur to’ in that context.
Particularly right now, the concept participating along with your queerness—or the way in which the world views your queerness—is someway dangerous, or makes you somebody whose “being homosexual is their entire character,” is one thing I come throughout and suppose is insanely unsuitable. The act of falling in love as a queer individual in a world the place folks actively don’t need you to is an inherently political act, and shying away from that won’t make it much less political or shield you from these folks.
On the flip aspect, I additionally recognize that possibly we want aspirational worlds the place it actually doesn’t matter—consolation tales to maintain us going—and I don’t begrudge anybody that. I simply suppose publishers see queerness, particularly in YA, as that consolation story and are afraid of really participating with queerness. That bothers me. And I nonetheless gained’t learn something the place the advertising supplies say somebody “occurs to be homosexual.” However that’s my private factor; I do know. I’ve seen that phrase an excessive amount of as an insult to different tales—I can’t unsee that.
Lastly, if Grey might ship one final textual content to his thriller stranger—one thing that captures what he’s discovered about love and concern—what would possibly it say?
“Hope is goth.”
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