Samantha Young is the author of the new novel A Cosmic Kind of Love. Her many other books include Much Ado About You. She is from Scotland.
Q: What inspired you to write A Cosmic Kind of Love, and how did you create your characters Hallie and Chris?
A: I was in the middle of reading an astronaut’s autobiography and of the few astronaut autobiographies I’d read I realized they shared similar characteristics and charisma that I thought would make for a great romantic hero. Realizing I’d never read a romance about an astronaut before, I decided to change that and write one instead!
I first started with Chris’s story since he inspired the idea —who he was, what his motivations were, his past, his present and where he needed to go—and from there I created Hallie.
I wanted them to be similar in some ways but opposite in so many ways that they’d not only have great chemistry but they’d help each other grow throughout their journey together.
Q: As you noted, Chris is an astronaut--did you need to do much research to write his sections of the novel, and if so, did anything especially surprise you?
A: I had to deep dive into the autobiographies I already owned, so they were super helpful for research, and I also got a lot of great information from NASA’s webpage and social media.
The most surprising thing for me was how dangerous continued space travel is on the body. Astronauts experience significant bone loss and a lot of pressure is put on their cardiovascular system. Not to mention their exposure to radiation.
When Chris goes through rehabilitation upon his return, the physical impact on his body is a huge part of the equation when he contemplates whether he’ll return to space.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I knew what the major conflict would be and how it would end as I began writing it; however, I did end up rewriting the epilogue. I am a plotter but sometimes once characters are fully actualized on the page, certain plot points or ideas just don’t make sense for them anymore.
My original epilogue didn’t feel like it belonged to Chris and Hallie. It felt too neat and tidy, and, dare I say, a little cheesy. I wanted to give them a more realistic epilogue that showed true intimacy and connection between them. So that’s what I did and I love their happy ever after.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: I hope readers will take away the idea that before you can truly take care of another person in a relationship, you first have to learn how to take care of and be true to yourself.
And that it doesn’t matter if you’re 20, 40, or 60, if there’s something you want to change in your life or something you want to learn about yourself, it’s never too late to do it.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’ve just finished up a grumpy vs. sunshine rom-com for Berkley (to be announced!). I adored every single second of writing, and now I’m working on the final novel in my romantic suspense series, The Adair Family Series, which is set in my beloved Scottish Highlands.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Only that if readers adore online, slow burn, opposites attract, friends-to-lovers romances with a unique hook, then A Cosmic Kind of Love is the book for them. ;)
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment