Shirlene Obuobi is a Ghanaian American cardiologist, cartoonist, and author of the novels “On Rotation” and “Between Friends & Lovers.” Her new paranormal summer romance, “Die for Me,” has just been published, and she answered the Book Pages Q&A via email.
Q. Please tell readers about your new book, “Die for Me.”
“Die for Me” is a genre-bending paranormal romance about a 38-year-old Black female interventional cardiologist who finds herself enchanted by a sophisticated 27-year-old man with a dark secret.
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Q. You are a cardiologist, a novelist and a cartoonist. How do you balance a high-stakes job as a doctor with not one but two creative outlets?
The real answer? I wasn’t quite balancing, so I recently transitioned to part-time with my cardiologist job. Also, the real answer: I’m doing everything that I love. I find medicine – and particularly hearts – fascinating. I love educating others; my social media page is half dedicated to providing heart health education.
I’ve been drawing and writing since I was a child. When I was five years old, I’d tell everyone who would listen that I was going to be a doctor, an author and an artist when I grew up, and I have the fortune and privilege of being able to say that I’m following every one of my childhood dreams.
Q. Do you ever find yourself noting something in your work as a doctor and thinking it would be interesting to write about?
All the time. I often say that one of the most important things you can know about a patient is who they love and who loves them. I’m a cardiologist, and so I often see patients after a traumatic event, such as a heart attack. You really get to see how people behave when faced with their mortality, loss of function, how their families manage fear, etc. I get to observe a lot of extremely human dynamics.
Q. What is something you wish people knew about doctors?
Oh, man. As physicians, we are the face of all of healthcare’s ills. Most of what drives patient dissatisfaction is due to the incentive structure in the business of healthcare. We’re burning out en masse, taking massive pay cuts to leave patient-facing care or transitioning to models that make us inaccessible to most patients but allow us to practice in a way that feels more ethical. I think there’s an expectation of healthcare workers to be superhuman and ever-sacrificing … when the reality is that a lot of us are overworked, traumatized humans whose compassion fatigue can make us not always so pleasant.
Q. Is there a book or books you always recommend to other readers?
I love the Xenogenesis trilogy by Octavia E. Butler. It’s so odd, so creative, and such a pointed commentary on human nature. I’m overdue for a re-read, but it’s one of those series that changed me as a writer and a person.
Q. Do you remember the first book that made an impact on you?
“Bud, Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis and “Heaven” by Angela Johnson. There weren’t that many middle-grade books featuring young Black kids when I was growing up, especially with sweeping, emotional storylines that didn’t center our oppression. I wore these off the bone.
Q. Do you have any favorite book covers?
I love the cover of “Circe” by Madeline Miller. I also am obsessed with the cover of Regina Black’s “The Art of Scandal.”
Q. Is there a genre or type of book you read the most – and what would you like to read more of?
I read a lot of romance as part of my job now, but prior to becoming a romance writer, I read broadly without regard for genre. I really love sci-fi/fantasy – two of my favorite authors are N.K. Jemisin and Octavia Butler – but haven’t had as much time to read them! I’m also a huge fan of any books that play with genre, and so speculative fiction and magical realism also intrigue me.
Q. Which books are you planning to read next?
I’m currently listening to Terah Shelton Harris’ “Where the Wildflowers Grow” on audiobook, and am reading Kennedy Ryan’s “Reel” in hardcover.
Q. What do you find the most appealing in a book: the plot, the language, the cover, a recommendation? Do you have any examples?
I’m a character girl. I will happily read one hundred pages of backstory if it feels well done. I love an arc that shows growth. Better yet, if it’s a multigenerational epic: One of my favorite books is Min Jin Lee’s “Pachinko,” which I think has one of the most heart-wrenching, beautifully rendered character arcs I’ve encountered.
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Q. Are you someone who must finish every book you start – or is it OK to put down the ones you don’t connect with?
I definitely put books down, but usually with the expectation that I’ll pick them up again! My limiting factor isn’t usually the book – by the time I’ve decided to read, I’ve probably researched it enough that I know I’ll like it. I am, however, a prose snob, and so if I don’t like the prose within the first chapter or so, I will accept that a book isn’t for me.
Q. What’s your comfort read?
I’ve read the Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin so many times (and would read it again if my TBR wasn’t so long right now.)