Krista and Becca Ritchie are a dynamic writing duo from Peachtree City, GA, who have spent their entire lives loving all things writing, science, and storytelling. The identical twins have a knack for writing heart-racing romance with action and adventure at their core and have dozens of books that prove these authors’ expert writing abilities. Their newest book, Destructively Mine, is the second in the Webs We Weave series, a new adult romance set in a scenic coastal town that provides the perfect backdrop for the steamy and complicated relationships of two con artists.

What’s one piece of writing advice that has always stuck with you?

Just keep writing. It was one of the first pieces of advice we heard, and it may seem so simple but it stuck with us from an early age. The only way to get better at writing is to keep writing. It’s a muscle you strengthen over time, and as you write more, you’ll naturally develop your own voice in storytelling.

Tell us about an unexpected item that you keep on your writing desk.

Krista tries to be a minimalist at her desk, so there’s no distractions. There’s not much on it that would be considered unexpected or interesting. Becca, on the other hand, has a lot of mementos that we’ve been given from readers over the years. She is surrounded by Addictedverse paraphernalia.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

We are a bit of both. We like to plot about 10 chapters ahead but it’s a sparse outline with a lot of room for organic growth and pantsing.

What’s the hardest scene you’ve ever written and why?

We don’t love to kill off characters, but there is a loveable side character that meets a fatal end in the Addicted series, and writing his death was very challenging in an emotional way. We’ll say the majority of Long Way Down destroyed us. That book grinded us through an emotional blender.

What’s a genre you’d love to write in, but haven’t tackled yet?

Most likely romantasy. We previously wrote and published a young adult sci-fi/fantasy, but we’d love to sink our toes into strictly romance fantasy. We love the genre so much and have written quite a few fantasy books before we became published authors, so it’d be nice to return to it.

What music do you listen to when you write (if any)? Share the playlist for Destructively Mine.

We love listening to music while we write! We try to find songs that fit the tone of the book. For Destructively Mine, that consisted of lots of moody rock. Here’s our Spotify playlist!

What’s one word you’d use to describe your writing style?

Emotive.

Do you have a hack you can share for overcoming a particular writing hurdle? (i.e. writer’s block, perfectionism, fear, etc.)

For writer’s block, we love taking a step back and trying to pull from the usual places we find inspiration. Finding new music to write to or searching for some sort of visual photo on Pinterest does the trick in sparking new ideas. But when those tactics fail, we have to sit down and talk it out with each other. There’s nothing like the creative power of two brains. So we’d recommend finding a writing partner or even a friend to bounce ideas off.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned about publishing that you wish you knew earlier?

You’ll have to pivot. The industry changes so much and so rapidly at times that success you had might not be around forever. This career has hills and valleys and it’s important to keep an eye out on the changing landscape and know how to pivot with it.

What’s your favorite writing podcast?

We don’t listen to many writing podcasts. We love pop culture and comics, so that’s what we’ll usually be listening to. We’re fans of The Town, House of R, and The John Campea Show.

What’s the last thing that happened in the real world that sparked a fiction idea for you?

Krista recently went to an exclusive country club, and being around that atmosphere definitely sparked inspiration for the wealthy, coastal country club vibes in Webs We Weave series. Maître d’ was a frequent word she heard over that weekend.

How do you handle reviews—do you read them, or avoid them?

Early reviews we will read, but once the book is published, we tend to avoid most reviews. We’ve grown thicker skin over the years, but we’re still people pleasers at heart and reading negative reviews can feel like we let our readers down. But we always remind ourselves that reading is subjective and one person’s favorite book is another’s DNF.

What’s a book you read recently that made you rethink something about writing or storytelling?

Krista: Kristin Hannah’s The Women was a gut wrencher for me. Her books in general always make me rethink how we can weave powerful, emotional storytelling together in authentic ways. She’s not afraid to make her characters make mistakes or make real, complicated decisions that aren’t always the most likeable.

What’s a TV show or movie you’ve been obsessed with lately that has killer storytelling?

The Pitt might seem like an average medical drama, but the care and crafting of those characters and seeing the relationships unfold in the course of one day is honestly brilliant storytelling. We’re also so impressed by the writing of School Spirits. There are monologues in that show that pack such a powerful punch.

If you were organizing a writing workshop, which three authors (dead or alive) would you invite?

The Brontë sisters and Mary Shelley.

Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Former con artist Phoebe took her best friend Hailey’s advice to start fresh in a new town away from her old life. But just as things begin to fall into place, Phoebe finds herself in new trouble. She is falling hard for Hailey’s brother, Rocky, but is fake dating the extremely wealthy and influential Jake Waterford. To make matters worse, her mother comes swooping in with her own agenda for Phoebe’s love life. To regain control and fix the mess her mother has created, Phoebe must reenter the criminal life she left behind to protect her friends and her future.

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