Sometimes when you get a no, you turn into a New York Times Best Selling author.
At least, that’s what happened for author Farrah Rochon.
Her novel, Almost There-A Twisted Tale, was the first time the renowned author wrote young adult and was an instant success in the long running series of Disney’s Twisted Tales.
Here’s what the book is about:
What if Tiana made a deal that changed everything?
Sometimes life in the Big Easy is tough. No one knows that better than Tiana, though she also believes that hard work can go a long way. But when the notorious Dr. Facilier backs her into a corner, she has no choice but to accept an offer that will alter the course of her life in an instant.
Soon Tiana finds herself in a new reality where all her deepest desires are realized: she finally gets her restaurant, her friends are safe and sound, and most miraculous of all, her beloved father is still alive. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted… .
But after a while, her hometown grows increasingly eerie, with new threats cropping up in unlikely places. Navigating through this strange new New Orleans, Tiana must work alongside Naveen and Charlotte to set things right―or risk losing everything she holds dear.
This book flips the Disney story of The Princess and The Frog. And Rochon was the perfect author to write it. She’s a huge Disney fan and even has a relationship with Princess Tiana.
“It’s funny because it was first like a downer,” she said. “Because I had initially approached Disney to do the adult Tiana romance for the Meant To Be series. And they have three books in (that series) now. People don’t usually approach Disney, they recruit the people that they want. But I’d found out about this series before the first book was released in it from someone who writes for Disney. My agent and I just like approached them and we put together this whole pitch thing, Farrah is from New Orleans and she’s a big Disney person. And there’s this other reason she loves Disney and I sent pictures of the other reason I love Disney. And they responded, we don’t want her to do that, sorry.”
But that wasn’t the end. “In the next breath, they were like we have this other young adult series and we’ve been looking for someone to write the Tiana book. And we want it to be a Black woman to write it. The editor had just read my Boyfriend Project book like the month before because she had gotten it for her book of the month. It was kind of like kismet for both sides,” she said.
Rochon had never written a young adult novel, she made her name as an adult romance novelist. Her Boyfriend Project series is one of her notable series. But when you’re talented and a big fan of Disney with the inside track to said Princess, readers get a book that is a gripping page-turner that’s hard to put down.
Rochon has written over 40 novels. The Boyfriend Project is a three-book series that was released in the summer of 2020.
The stories follow three friends who met when one of the women live-tweets her horrible date and the other two realize they’d all been dating the same man.
The books in the series are, The Boyfriend Project, The Dating Playbook and The Hookup Plan.
Here’s what the books are about:
The Boyfriend Project: Samiah Brooks never thought she would be “that” girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she’s been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah — along with his two other “girlfriends,” London and Taylor — have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men and no dating.
For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she’s always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?
The Dating Playbook: When it comes to personal training, Taylor Powell kicks serious butt. Unfortunately, her bills are piling up, rent is due, and the money situation is dire. Taylor needs more than the support of her new best friends, Samiah and London. She needs a miracle.
And Jamar Dixon might just be it. The oh-so-fine former footballer wants back into the NFL, and he wants Taylor to train him. There’s just one catch—no one can know what they’re doing. But when they’re accidentally outed as a couple, Taylor’s game plan is turned completely upside down. Is Jamar just playing to win … or is he playing for keeps?
The Hookup Plan: Successful pediatric surgeon London Kelley just needs to find some balance and de-stress. According to her friends Samiah and Taylor, what London really needs is a casual hookup. A night of fun with no strings. But no one—least of all London—expected it to go down at her high school reunion with Drew Sullivan, millionaire, owner of delicious abs, and oh yes, her archnemesis.
Now London is certain the road to hell is paved with good sex. Because she’s found out the real reason Drew’s back in Austin: to decide whether her beloved hospital remains open. Worse, Drew is doing everything he can to show her that he’s a decent guy who actually cares. But London’s not falling for it. Because while sleeping with the enemy is one thing, falling for him is definitely not part of the plan.
One of the things that sticks out and delights readers of this series is the friendship of the three heroines.
“It was not by design. I plot my books out very thoroughly before I start writing,” she said. (That’s a bit of an understatement, Rochon could teach a class on plotting and the students would be on pace to earn a PhD.) “It was in the second scene that I wrote, they’d had Moscow mules after they told the guy off, it was so easy to write and the chemistry between the three girls was just like so much fun. I was like, I like this so much, I’m going to go back and re-plot this book so that they have more scenes like this.”
In 2024, Rochon is starting a new series and dropping another Disney book.
Her next Twisted Tale puts a spin Brave. Fate Be Changed will be released on April 2. Here’s what the book is about:
If you could change your fate, would you? Merida understands that as princess of Clan DunBroch, she has certain obligations—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Especially when one of those obligations means losing her freedom by becoming betrothed to a man she has never met. Merida balks at this tradition, but her mother Queen Elinor insists that Merida must do this to embrace her role as future queen.
Determined to chart her own path, Merida follows magical wisps to a witch’s cottage, where she is given a magic pastry and promised it will incite “a great transformation” in her mother. But instead of feeding Elinor the pastry, Merida eats it herself.
Merida awakens in the past, a now-teenage Elinor holding a knife to her throat and accusing her of espionage. She’s been transported to a time when the Clans MacCameron and DunBroch are bitter enemies. And it just so happens that the timing of Merida’s arrival has kept Elinor and Fergus from meeting.
Will Merida be able to bridge the rival clans, help her parents fall in love, and change her own fate?
And for the adult romance fans, Rochon is whisking us away to “Barkingham Palace” with Pardon My Frenchie.
Ashanti Wright is thrilled over the success of her doggie daycare, Barkingham Palace. But handling the business and taking care of her teen twin sisters is a lot. And now that the antics of her adorable French bulldog and poodle bestie are blowing up on social media, things are even more chaotic than usual. And they only get worse when the world’s worst dog hater shows up.
Thad Sims is not a dog person. He’s barely a person’s person. But after his grandmother is transferred to a senior living facility that doesn’t accept pets, the former army officer agrees to care for her annoying standard poodle, and his first move is taking Puddin’ out of daycare.
Now Ashanti’s beloved Duchess is bereft of her companion, social media is outraged, and Ashanti’s business is hanging in the balance. Her only option is to make nice with the surly, sexy Thad at all costs. But it’s gonna take a tiara-wearing Frenchie, a well-dressed poodle, and a whole lotta treats to teach these humans a few new tricks about falling in love.
Follow Rochon’s adventures at Disney and around the world (she’s a traveler and a huge Broadway fan) by visiting www.farrarochon.com and across social media platforms @farrahrochon.