Chicago-based intimacy coach and author Angie D. Lee is inviting readers into a heartfelt continuation of her beloved character Serenity Hayesโs journey with her new novel, The More Things Change.
The book launches November 15 at Connect Gallery in Hyde Park and explores themes of emotional connection, vulnerability, and rediscovering oneself after lifeโs transitions.
As an intimacy coach and licensed therapist, Angie brings a rare blend of psychological insight and storytelling depth to her work.
Her fiction draws from real emotional experiences: love, loss, and the complex work of healing. Her goal is to spark honest conversations about relationships, self-discovery, and community.
We caught up with Angie to talk about what inspired the book, why she chose to celebrate it on the South Side, and how her work in intimacy coaching continues to shape her storytelling and her mission to help people reconnect.
Q&A with Angie D. Lee
How did your real-life experience as an intimacy coach influence the way you developed the characters and their relationships in the book?
My work as an intimacy coach is woven into every story I write. I have a front-row seat to the inner lives of individuals and couples: real people navigating love, desire, healing, betrayal, confusion, growth, and everything in between. Week after week, I sit with people from every background and belief system, and what Iโve learned is that intimacy is universal, but how we experience it is deeply personal.
That exposure shapes my characters in a big way. I donโt write flat love stories or predictable relationships because real relationships are layered. Theyโre messy, beautiful, and challenging. They awaken us. And as someone people tend to open up to, even outside of sessions, Iโm constantly inspired by the emotional truths people carry.
Of course, client confidentiality is sacred. I never share specific stories or replicate real-life situations. Instead, I draw from themes I see in the human experience: emotional patterns, unspoken fears, attachment wounds, desires, and power dynamics. The result is characters who feel real and relationships that feel both complex and deeply relatable.
Why was it important for you to bring this story to a South Side audience, and what do you hope readers will take away from the event?
Bringing this story to a South Side audience matters to me because storytelling has always been a part of our culture, but somewhere along the way, we stopped gathering around it. In a world dominated by fast-paced living and social media clips, deep conversation is becoming rare. Short-form content is shaping how people think, but it doesnโt leave much room for critical thinking, emotional depth, or genuine connection.
Fiction, especially culturally rooted fiction, gives us something priceless: perspective. It allows us to step into someone elseโs world, understand their choices, and feel their humanity. That builds empathy, and empathy is how communities grow stronger. It reminds us we still belong to one another.
Hosting this event on the South Side is my way of bringing that back: spaces where we think together, feel together, and engage in meaningful dialogue. My hope is that readers walk away not just entertained, but awakened and ready to approach conversations about love, intimacy, and relationships from a place of curiosity instead of judgment. I want this experience to feel like community, where we can explore lifeโs themes with honesty, openness, and heart.
You wrote Something New in 2020, introducing readers to a memorable cast of characters navigating love and self-discovery โ including Serenity Hayes, a spirited young woman grappling with grief, healing, and the courage to open her heart again. What inspired you to return to that story five years later in The More Things Change?
The moment I finished writing Something New, I knew Serenityโs story wasnโt over. My writing process is deeply exploratory. While Iโm creating my characters, Iโm also learning them and peeling back their layers in real time. That discovery is part of what keeps storytelling exciting for me. Serenity always had more to say, more to confront, and more to reveal about herself.
Something New launched in the winter of 2020, right in the heart of the pandemic. Life was shifting in every direction: emotionally, professionally, and politically, and I didnโt want to rush a sequel just for the sake of momentum. I wanted to honor the integrity of the story. I chose to let readers sit with Serenity for a while, and I gave myself room to breathe, evolve, and observe the changing world around me. I knew that when I returned to her journey, Iโd bring a deeper perspective that would make the sequel more honest, layered, and worth the wait.
What are some common myths people have about intimacy that you often help them unlearn?
A lot of people think intimacy is just physical, such as sex or touch, but itโs really about emotional connection, trust, and feeling seen. Another myth is that conflict means a relationship is failing, when in fact navigating disagreements can deepen closeness. Many also believe their needs should mirror their partnerโs exactly, or that intimacy should always be effortless. In reality, intimacy takes self-awareness, communication, and intentional effort. Unlearning these myths opens the door to deeper, more authentic connections.
Whatโs one small step couples can take today to nurture intimacy even when life feels overwhelming?
Even in the busiest or most stressful times, one small but powerful step is intentional connection. That could be as simple as a five-minute check-in at the end of the day. Put phones aside, ask each other how youโre really feeling, and truly listen without judgment. It doesnโt have to be long or elaborate; consistency matters more than duration. These small moments of presence and curiosity build trust, emotional closeness, and remind couples theyโre a team, even when life feels chaotic.
Catch Angie D. Leeโs book launch for The More Things Change on November 15, 2025, at Connect Gallery in Hyde Park.
Learn more about her work at angiedlee.com.
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