Interview: Jennifer Moffatt’s Bump, Set, Sparks
Bump, Set, Sparks book cover, and Jennifer Moffatt’s headshot.
The Writing Owl: Do you believe that the success of a show like Heated Rivalry pushed readers to seek love stories with a sport theme?
Jennifer Moffatt: Heated Rivalry gave sports romance a bit of a spotlight for sure, but more importantly, I think it gave queer romance in general a boost. It’s so fantastic to see such a wide audience appreciating, rooting for, and being inspired by queer joy. It seems like another wave in the revolution, kind of like the popularity of Red, White & Royal Blue. It’s so beautiful seeing a queer romance story so widely enjoyed, and the feeling I got while reading that book is one of the reasons I became a writer.
The Writing Owl: What inspired you to create the characters for this book?
Jennifer Moffatt: Don’t tell anyone, but I don’t really enjoy doing research for books! So a beach volleyball story was perfect because I played volleyball for thirty-plus years, and a lot of Jess’s thoughts and feelings came from my experiences in that world. Vivienne sort of sprung from Jess, because she’s the embodiment of everything Jess wishes she could be. I also wanted to write about a community of women and non-binary athletes coming together to support one another in lots of beautiful ways, even when they are technically rivals on the court.
The Writing Owl: Do you ever think about expanding this universe and diving into other characters in the story?
Jennifer Moffatt: I actually got to do this with my Falling Hard series, and revisiting beloved characters was such a joy. I would love to write more of Jess and Vivienne. Without spoiling the ending, I think their adventures could be continued, and I would jump at the chance to write more in this world.
The Writing Owl: What do you think the market is like right now for WLW stories?
Jennifer Moffatt: Unfortunately, I think it is lagging far behind MM stories. Bump, Set, Sparks didn’t do nearly as well as my last book, Flirty Dancing, a MM romance. This appears to be a part of a wider trend that often gets discussed online. But it is still important to tell all kinds of stories about all different identities, and that’s what I aspire to do. The popularity of queer romance is a recent phenomenon and I hope the range of stories people are interested in will keep expanding. Even with the existing trends, WLW stories are reaching more readers than ever and that gives me hope.
The Writing Owl: What do you have coming up in the future that we should get our readers excited for?
Jennifer Moffatt: My sixth book, Hero for the Summer, comes out June 2027. I am really excited about this one because it is set in my hometown of Kelowna, BC, Canada—the heart of a stunningly beautiful valley of forests, vineyards, and sparkling lakes. It was such a joy writing about my favorite places—wineries, beaches, coffee shops, a queer bar—while also making my main character a firefighter to honor the heroes that protect us from wildfires every summer.