Publishing World Discovers Iowa Pre-Med Student’s Fast-Paced Romance Novels

PHOTO COURTESY ESHA PATEL Esha Patel balances her studies as a pre-med student at the University of Iowa with writing romance novels for HarperCollins. Her latest books, Overdrive and Cross My Heart, which release in May, feature strong female protagonists competing in male-dominated sports.

Two years ago, during an ordinary college chemistry lecture, Esha Patel’s life took an extraordinary turn. Already accustomed to creating chemistry between the characters in her self-published Formula One romance novels, the University of Iowa student received an email from Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, offering her a book deal. “When I got the email, I was definitely shocked,” says Patel. “I thought, ‘This can’t be real.’”

PHOTO COURTESY ESHA PATEL Iowa pre-med student Esha Patel finds her Formula One racing novel Offtrack on the shelf at Barnes & Noble.

Now a third-year pre-med student, Patel has settled into the reality of writing for one of the nation’s most esteemed publishing houses. Following the traditional release of her first book, Offtrack, last fall, Patel is set for the U.S. publication this May of Overdrive, the next installment in her series, and Cross My Heart, a lacrosse romance novel.

Patel’s Formula One romance novels focus on protagonists who are strong women of color navigating the challenges of competing in a predominantly male sport—a topic about which Patel is passionate.

“Powerful female characters are a way to break boundaries and create room for people who want to see change happen, who want to see more women in the sport,” she says.

Iowa Magazine recently spoke with Patel at the Java House in Iowa City.

What inspired you to write a romance novel that takes place in a Formula One setting?

I really got into Formula One my senior year of high school. I saw my dad watching the races, then I started sitting down to watch them too. Normally, sports have large teams and drafts, so more people are competing. In Formula One, there are only 20 people in the entire sport. That’s it: two people per team. I thought, ‘This is a breeding ground for drama. This could make a really good story.’

The dynamic between these people can be weird: A lot of them are very close friends, but on the track, they’ll cuss each other out. I liked the duality of that, and the struggle of managing a relationship in those circumstances, whether it be a friendship or romantic relationship. In this world, you get on the track, and you can’t be nice. If you’re going to overtake someone, you have to go for the kill—even if you’re on the same team. Ultimately, the drivers are trying to get points for their team, but they are also racing for themselves.

You self-published four books prior to your deal with HarperCollins. What has most surprised you about working with a major publisher compared to your past self-publishing experiences?

The turnaround time. When I was self-publishing, I worked on my own schedule. I think the hardest part, as a college student especially, is hitting the deadlines.

When you’re writing 80,000 words, it’s hard to push that all off until the day before it’s due. It’s going to take a lot of coffee to get that cranked out. That’s why it’s been important for me to hold myself accountable and meet the deadlines.

In that way, it is very much like a job. With self-publishing, you’re already doing everything yourself, so having experience with that workload has definitely helped me in working with a major publisher.

Also, there is always a sense of uncertainty when you’re writing. You’re always doubting what you just wrote and want to go back and delete it. And then this crazy thing happened, getting picked up by HarperCollins, where it validated me a little bit. It’s helped me gain confidence as a writer, knowing that I have an incredible team behind me.

You are currently a pre-med student, which is not a literary field of study. How have your career aspirations shifted since signing with HarperCollins, if at all?

The book deal has made me want to combine the two: medicine and literature. When I talk about where I see my writing going, I bring up authors like Kimmery Martin, who wrote medical drama romance and was also an emergency physician.

I’ve started thinking about how my career can factor into my writing. I integrate physical and mental health into my books, and if I didn’t have my pre-med background, it would be a very different experience writing about my characters’ struggles in a sport that is so physical.

I wouldn’t say I’ve been swayed away from one thing or the other. I think everything has come together for me since signing with HarperCollins, and I can see more where writing would belong in my future as a medical professional.