Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Darby Baham. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Darby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

As an author, I feel like I have two missions. The first is to be a great storyteller; to craft a universe that you as the reader want to immerse yourself in because you feel like I’ve given you all the tools to be able to do so. I want all your senses to be engaged when you’re reading one of my books. So, if the main character has a chill run down her spine when she’s next to her potential partner, for example, I want my reader to have that very same experience, almost as if they’ve plugged themselves into the storyline. If my hero is listening to music on his headphones, I want my reader to be able to recall what that song sounds like and immediately know why it would be important in this scene. These are the kinds of things that ground me in my writing and are universal to what I want anyone who picks up one of my books to feel.

The second of my missions is to make women like me feel seen and believe that love is possible for them, yes them! When I say women like me, that encompasses a variety of groups: Black women, plus sized women, ambitious women, women who’ve often succeeded in their careers but maybe not so much in love, oldest daughters, college graduates, recovering perfectionists, etc. I could keep going, but the list might be too long lol. The point, though, is that these women (like me) often are not centered enough in love stories. Sometimes they’ve been relegated to the side character if even written about at all. I’m thankful to have seen growth in the romance industry in telling these stories, all thanks to the pioneers who came before me (and are still out here writing!) like Ms. Beverly Jenkins, Tia Williams, Olivia Dade, Helen Hoang, Talia Hibbert, Farrah Rochon, and more. But the truth is there’s still more left to do. And if I can play any small part in reminding these women that they too get to have the all-encompassing, forever passionate, safe space love that allows them to be their full selves, then I plan to do that for as long as I possibly can.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve been a published author since 2022 when my debut novel was released by Harlequin Special Edition. The Shoe Diaries was the first book in my romance series with Harlequin, called The Friendship Chronicles, and followed the story of a young Black woman living in Washington, DC, thriving on the outside but completely unfulfilled. When a friend of hers becomes chronically ill, she decides to try to figure out what really makes her happy through a series of risks, all intended to push her out of her comfort zone. What she doesn’t plan on in the beginning is giving her ex from college another chance as one of those risks. However, she eventually realizes that not only does she still love him, she’s also learned to trust herself through her risk experiment, and she’s ready to take what she considers the biggest risk of them all.

Since that first book, Harlequin has published three other books of mine (Bloom Where You’re Planted, London Calling, and Her New York Minute), all part of the same series, but with each book following a different friend in this group of dynamic women. My latest book, Falling for the Competition, is set for release November 26, 2024, and book #6 will be out in summer 2025.

Even before I was published author, however, I have always been a writer. As a kid, I was the little girl sitting next to my dad at his keyboard, writing poems. I then grew up to have a short stint as a reporter, writing for publications like the Times Picayune in New Orleans, Heart & Soul Magazine, and Sister 2 Sister Magazine. I went on to start a career in nonprofit and government communications, expanding my skills to become an editor and designer as well. And along the way, I started a personal blog that covered relationships, politics, and shoes, which ultimately led me to an opportunity to contribute some columns for The Washington Post’s relationship vertical.

Today, I am proud to say I’m an author, storyteller, and deputy director of strategic communications at a nonprofit that focuses on criminal justice research and reform. All of the work I’ve done throughout my career has led me to each of those titles, and I’m just excited to see what the next 20 years has to hold.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an author is when I hear from readers who say things like, “I couldn’t put your book down once I started reading it because I just had to see how it ends.” or “I didn’t expect to cry at the end of this book, but their love story really resonated with me and gave me hope for a future love like that for me.”

That kind of feedback makes all the long nights and times when I’ve had to say no to events for friends and family completely and totally worth it. It reminds me of the power in words and how I can impact someone’s life just by authentically writing what resonates with me and hoping that some other folks out there can relate. It’s what my favorite authors have always done for me as well; so I keep writing in hopes that I’m able to be that beacon of light or escape or hope (whatever!) for others too.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I always say it took me over 10 years to write my first book. That’s true… and it’s not. I wasn’t writing every day for 10 years, but it took me 10 years to push past my doubts and fears that I was never going to get a book deal, various pitch rejections from literary agents, inertia, life challenges such as a medical scare I had in 2015, and even just my inability to stop editing my own words as I wrote them. However, in 2016, I committed to myself that I was going to stop letting anything hold me back. I moved to New York. I focused on really getting the story I wanted to tell right. I had a good friend who regularly reminded me that it wasn’t my job to edit myself, it was my job to get the story written, and then to let it go. And by 2019, I had a brand new book written plus a literary agent who believed in me and my writing. In 2020, I signed my first deal with Harlequin and then another in 2023.

What all of that taught me was the power in not giving up. There were so many times in those 10 years when I could have just stopped forever and said, “You know what? Maybe this isn’t for me.” But each time I considered it, something happened that would remind me what I was pursuing this dream for–not just for me, but to be someone who could touch the lives of readers like some of my favorite writers have done for me all my life. I call those experiences I had God’s whispers to keep going, and I’m so glad I did.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.darbybaham.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darbybaham/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarbyBaham/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darbybaham/
• Twitter: https://x.com/darbybaham

Image Credits

Photo credit (for the images in the green dress): Fred Gonzales