As a longtime fan of Tia Williams, I’ve been anxiously awaiting her new romance release since I finished listening to her outstanding 2021 bestseller, , for the second (or was it third?) time. The wait was worth it. In , Tia unspools an enchanting, time-bending romance where a recent transplant to modern-day Harlem meets a mysterious stranger who changes her world in ways she could have never imagined. I asked Tia about the inspiration for her story, how she picked her narrators, and why she chose Harlem as the setting for Ricki and Ezra’s once-in-a-lifetime love.
Margaret Hargrove: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is fantastic, and wow, what a gorgeous cover! It’s a beautiful love story about a young woman who moves from Atlanta to Harlem to open her own flower shop, and she meets a handsome musician who is not quite what he seems. What inspired you to write this story?
Tia Williams: I thought of the idea in the middle of an insomnia moment! It came to me out of nowhere, fully formed. Smaller details ended up evolving and changing, but I initially had these core elements: a handsome pianist with a secret, a free-spirited florist who flees her family for Harlem, destined lovers, and the brownstone where it all goes down. The story flirts with some mystical elements, which is a new thing for me.
The past and present collide in unusual ways in your novel as we time travel back and forth between the early 1920s and 2024. Without giving too much away, there’s also an element of magic realism to this story. Your previous romances have been solidly contemporary. What made you want to blend romance and fantasy and tackle such a vast timeline?
Modern Harlem is vibrant and exciting in its own right. But many landmarks of the '20s have been lost to time, either due to the natural evolution of a city, or gentrification. Harlem has seen so many ups and downs over the past century. But the shadow of those Jazz Age sights, sounds, and stars is everywhere, if you really look. I wanted to point out that, sometimes, history is right under your nose.
Harlem feels almost like another character in this story. Through flashbacks to the Harlem Renaissance and scenes set in modern-day NYC, you do a great job of capturing Harlem’s glamorous past and present. Why did you choose Harlem as the setting for this story, and how did you research Harlem’s rich history?
I’ve lived in Brooklyn my entire adult life, and all my novels have been set there. I wanted a new challenge. And modern Harlem has such a cool, chic vibe. But I’m also a huge fan of the Harlem Renaissance. I love the fashion, literature, It-girls and boys, all that 1920s glamour. I knew I wanted to weave in the Renaissance somehow. So, I came up with a Jazz Age-era scandal that has modern-day consequences for Ricki and Ezra. I did have involvement! My publisher sent me audition recordings of the finalists, and I chose my favorite female and male actors. It was my first time working with a dual-narration project, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would the listener get distracted with two different voices? Long story short, Mela Lee and Preston Butler were so flawless, so evocative—and they absolutely nailed the nuances of their characters. Now, I can’t imagine it any other way! I’m such an enemies-to-lovers fan. I can’t help it; the tension and crackling energy between two people with a contentious past? It’s so delicious! I’m also a sucker for forced proximity. One bed, you say? What could possibly happen? It’s always a fun trope to explore, as a writer, reader, and listener.
