What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write No Summer Hotter than You?
Friends to lovers and fake dating romances and rom-coms are some of my most favorite books or movies to consume. So, I knew I wanted to write these two aspects that I love right here in this book. A tip I often hear writers give to other writers is to write what we know. For No Summer Hotter than You, I wanted to write more than just two best friends fake dating through June. I wanted to add a flair of nosy aunts and their relentless matchmaking and family drama from my own experiences with my family.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of No Summer Hotter than You, what would they be?
For my female main character, Shoua, I’d say “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift. It fits her emotions best.
For my male main character, Anthony, it’d be “I Like Me Better” by Lauv.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
My favorite genres to read have always been romance or romantasy. Right now, my current favorite genre to write is contemporary fantasy.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
One of the books on my TBR is I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang. It’s a rivals to lovers YA romance and sounds like my cup of tea.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I have a lot of scenes I enjoyed writing. But, because this book is a fake dating romance, I’d say my favorite scene to write was probably when Anthony first asked Shoua to be his girlfriend. Writing his chapter and the moments that led up the “Will you be my [fake] girlfriend?” text was fun and I loved it.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I don’t have any particular special writing habits, but I like to write early in the morning. Typically around 5 AM. If I can’t wake up that early, I try to write first thing when I wake up. I don’t know why, but my creativity flows best when I do that.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
I wouldn’t say it’s a motto or a philosophy, but I’ve been telling myself “Just let go of what you can’t control” a lot these days. I used to worry and stress things that were out of my control, and that stress took a toll on my mental health. After having a mental health low this summer, I’ve been trying to be more mindful of what I stress over.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
In my book, I touched on the trauma of having a controlling and overbearing parent. This is an experience I’ve taken from my own life, growing up with an Asian immigrant family. If there was one thing I’d want to choose for my readers to remember from No Summer Hotter than You, it’d be that no matter how much our parents want to control us or dictate our lives, we are autonomous from them. We hold the power and decisions to make our own mistakes, and live the life we want.
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