If you are looking for your next LGBTQIA read to be a rom-com, Cale Dietrich has the perfect read for you. My Roommate From Hell brings chaos and love to readers in a way that will keep them entertained from the first to the last page.
We spoke to Dietrich about the inspiration behind his book, what it’s like to write a rom-com, and what’s next for him as an author.
Eulalie Magazine: What inspired you to write about an Earth/Hell exchange program?
Cale Dietrich: This evolved over time! The initial idea for this book was to write a royal roommate story about an ordinary guy forced to share a room with an obnoxious, oblivious prince. I loved that idea, but as I thought about it more, I decided that adding a paranormal element would make it even more fun. The idea of having an Earth/Hell exchange was born after I chose to make the prince character the prince of hell, and the exchange program made the most sense to me.
Eulalie Magazine: Is there a reason behind choosing to have royal characters or characters with royal titles in your books?
Cale Dietrich: For sure! For my previous novel, it was because I thought that a royal romance would be a good way to write a contemporary romance with a big fantastical element. For My Roommate From Hell, it’s because I sold the books in a two-book deal, so I was trying to think of ways to make the premises work together, so if someone liked one of the books, they would also enjoy the other.
Eulalie Magazine: Would you consider My Roommate From Hell to be a rom-com? Did you write it with that in mind? Or did the humor from it just appear as you started creating the characters?
Cale Dietrich: 10000% yes! One of the most fun things for me was taking romantic comedy tropes and dialling up the comedy aspect that is inherent when your romantic lead is a demon from hell. I think it’s very funny to use tropes like fake dating and give them a demonic twist. They’re even funny to me when you play them “straight,” because then you could be like “oh yeah, this guy has horns.”
Eulalie Magazine: Did the story come to you first, or did you think of a character and then create the world around them?
Cale Dietrich: I think they came to me at around the same time. For comedic reasons, it makes a lot of sense to pair a chaotic demon character with an incredibly uptight human. But Owen is also a character I can relate to a lot, and it does feel like he came to me rather than it being a deliberate choice. So I’d say it’s a mix of the two.
Eulalie Magazine: How important do you think it is to uplift queer voices and encourage new queer authors to share their stories?
Cale Dietrich: I think it’s incredibly important, especially at a time like this, given the political climate! Reading books about diverse characters creates empathy for people who might be different from you, which is always a good thing. The more queer books, the better!
Eulalie Magazine: Are there any plans for future books?
Cale Dietrich: Yes! I’m working on a few different things that I’m really excited about. I would love to write another paranormal rom-com, but that depends on how My Roommate From Hell performs – so fingers crossed it does well!
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). In addition to Eulalie Magazine, you can find her work published on Tell-Tale TV, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.