What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
Wild Notes began as a restless ache I could not ignore: the longing for someone you know you should never desire. Even before the story took shape, that tension pulsed through me—music humming in the background, New Orleans thick in the air, and two souls fighting a losing battle against a pull that had already claimed them. Stories of longing, emotional risk, and those breathless pauses before the world tilts have always pulled me in. My favorite love stories are tangled with history, brimming with restraint, fear, and aching need—where a single glance can spark a storm, every silence is heavy with meaning, and one touch can unravel years of careful distance. New Orleans made this story pulse with something deeply personal for me. I grew up wrapped in its rhythm, beauty, contradictions, and soul.
The city is both sensual and haunted, and I refused to let it fade into the background of Wild Notes—I wanted it to breathe through every page. Its music, heat, storms, secrets, and raw emotion shaped this book from the inside out. Miles and Willow arrived in my mind already sparking with chemistry, but it was their raw vulnerability that kept me close. Beneath the temptation, this story is about what happens when two people can no longer hide from themselves—when desire, loyalty, timing, and fear crash together. More than anything, I wrote this book to capture that electric instant when wanting turns into truth, and when two people must finally confront what they have tried so hard not to name.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
For Miles, I’d choose “St. James Infirmary” by Dr. John. He has that same smoky, wounded, dangerous quality—a little swagger, a little sorrow, and a lot buried beneath the surface. For Willow, I’d choose “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” by Irma Thomas. She’s emotional, defiant, tender, and much stronger than people give her credit for, and that song carries all of that beautifully. For the two of them together, it would be “Fire on the Bayou” by The Meters. That song is pure heat, rhythm, temptation, and trouble, which feels exactly right for them. And for their storm-trapped, one-bed hotel room moment, I’d pick “Such a Night” by Dr. John—because that scene is all atmosphere, danger, hunger, and the feeling that once the line is crossed, nothing is ever going back to normal.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Romance will always be my first love, both as a reader and a writer. I’m especially drawn to stories with emotional depth, sharp chemistry, strong character voices, and relationships that feel earned. I love contemporary romance, forbidden romance, second-chance love stories, Southern-set romances, and yes, mafia romance too. So the answer is yes—the genre I most love to read is absolutely the one I most love to write.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
My TBR pile is always a little unruly, which feels very on-brand for me. It’s usually a mix of contemporary romance, Southern fiction, mafia romance, and a few beautifully written novels I keep promising myself I’ll savor slowly and then end up devouring in a weekend. I’m always drawn to books with a strong sense of place, layered characters, and prose that makes me stop and reread a sentence just because it’s that good.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
My favorite scene to write was the hurricane hotel room scene. That was the moment everything I love about Wild Notes came together: forced proximity, buried desire, emotional danger, and two people running out of places to hide. One storm, one room, one bed, and years of tension finally pushed to the surface. It felt moody, intimate, and deeply New Orleans—the emotional heart of the book.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I do. I love writing with a big mug of chicory coffee nearby, and I’m forever jotting down lines on scraps of paper, receipts, sticky notes, or whatever happens to be closest when inspiration hits. Music is a huge part of my process too—I usually build a playlist for a book before I’m even deep into drafting it. And when I’m really in the zone, I absolutely pace around the room acting out dialogue like no one can see me.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Mine would probably be: tell the truth, even when it’s messy. That applies to life, and it definitely applies to writing. The stories that stay with me are the ones willing to be honest about desire, fear, regret, hope, and the risk of loving someone anyway.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
That love is rarely neat, but that does not make it any less real or worthwhile. I hope readers come away remembering that some of the most powerful love stories are the ones that ask the most of us — the ones that arrive with history, risk, scars, and a little ruin, and still feel worth choosing.
Scarlet V. Haines is the author of the new book Wild Notes
