About Lindsay Maple
Lindsay Maple was born and raised in the prairie provinces of Canada. She studied psychology for three years at the University of Calgary before realizing it wasn’t for her, cutting her losses, and moving to British Columbia. It was there she built her family, complete with a loving husband, two busy little boys, and a giant tortoise named Doug. Lindsay manages a local hot yoga and fitness studio while teaching several classes per week, including goat yoga. When not inundated with laundry, she can be found hiking in the old growth forests, drinking wine with Doug in the backyard, or baking her famous chocolate-chip banana muffins. For Lindsay, writing has always been a cathartic release, and now it serves as her best source of self-care.
I grew up in rural Canada, where it felt like everyone was the same — Same skin colour, same religion, same cultural background. When I moved to British Columbia I was suddenly surrounded by a gorgeous tapestry of people from all over the world who spoke other languages, had varied religions, and had different customs than I was used to. I was lucky enough to meet a lovely Punjabi Sikh family through my husband’s work who introduced me to their culture. Multigenerational families made so much sense compared to the often counterproductive individualistic nature of my own culture, and Indian weddings looked gorgeous but sounded a tad overwhelming (coming from someone who was overwhelmed by her backyard wedding of eighty people). How would I have fared, joining a family who, on the outside, seemed so different from my own? That’s when I came up with the idea for (Not) Your Basic Love Story.
I began studying. I read books by Indian Canadian and American women, read blog posts about cross-cultural relationships, and interviewed women who married into large Indian families. After the novel was complete I had several rounds of sensitivity readers who loved the story and felt it represented them well.
Becky and Dev’s story explores the ups and downs of learning about one another, figuring out what is most important in their relationships and their families, and finding a middle-ground where everyone could be happy and fulfilled. These things are necessary for any relationship, not just those where the couple is from different cultures. Through learning about another culture I had the opportunity to explore my own through a different lens. I also learned that while there may be many differences in culture, religion, and language, there is a commonality between us all that transcends any differences we perceive — that love is what matters most.
My journey to publication began with a PitMad like, included a reunion via a critique partner match-up, and ended with me signing a contract with Alex at Rising Action Publishing Collective. Through the editing process and cover design, I’ve been included every step along the way to ensure our vision for the story matches and we end up with a novel we’re all proud of. The cover captures the essence of (Not) Your Basic Love Story, which also doubles as a love letter to Vancouver.
Cover design by Ashley Santaro
Title (Not) Your Basic Love Story
Authors Lindsay Maple
Target Audience Adult
Publication Date August 23rd 2022 by Rising Action Publishing Collective
Find It On Goodreads ● Rising Action Publishing Collective
Stubbornly independent Becky isn’t looking for love, but when sparks fly on a flight to Mexico she learns her carefully planned life might be the opposite of what she needs. What begins as a fun vacation fling with a tall, sexy stranger turns into so much more.
The problem? Dev and Becky couldn’t be more different. Back home in Vancouver, Canada, their relationship grows, and their two worlds collide.
Can a roommate-hating city girl with a diet of chicken nuggets and cheap wine make it work with a vegetarian, non-drinking, Sikh man who lives with his rambunctious multigenerational family in the suburbs?
As Becky navigates her way through a culture she knows nothing about, she is faced with one of the most important decisions of her life: change her plans for how she’d imagined her happily-ever-after, or walk away from love.
(Not) Your Basic Love Story is a RomCom about acceptance, compromise, and love being the only thing that truly matters.
