Tay Marley Interview - The Summer of '98 ~ JeanBookNerd

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Tay Marley is the author of The QB Bad Boy and Me, the Wattpad sensation that has amassed over 30 million reads and which is now available in print. Tay resides in New Zealand with her husband and three children and can often be found with a cup of coffee watching a Marvel movie, or spending time with family and friends.

Tell us your latest news.
I just recently became a first time home owner! My husband and I bought our first house so that’s the big news at the moment.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
A major influence in my writing life is my Nana. She was an author for Mills and Boon in the seventies and since I was little, her and my grandfather have read to me and encouraged my writing, read everything I’ve written and kept it. So that’s been a huge influence for sure.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Every time someone messages me to say how much they appreciated my book and my writing, it’s surreal and so rewarding. It never grows old or loses its value. I can’t get over how fulfilling it is to get such beautiful feedback.

What do you hope for readers to be thinking when they read your novel?
I hope for them to be thinking of the scenes, imagining the visual and relating to the characters in some way.

In your new book; THE SUMMER OF ‘98 can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it.
It’s an instant love story about Leroy and Ellie who just know, straight off the bat, they’re into each other. Ellie goes to stay with Leroy for the Summer and they get to know each other in person, by spending real time together and then they get news that challenges the unconditional love they have for each other.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
I didn’t necessarily have any distractions that were bad. This book was easy to write, I was working on it constantly. But I do have three young children so I did have to work around them and be a parent first.

What part of Ellie and Leroy did you enjoy writing the most?
I loved doing a story that wasn’t slow burn for a change. It was always meant to be unique in how they work so well together. I mean, plenty of real life relationships work well and there’s no drama and angst getting together. I wanted to write that

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I’d introduce Cass to Mason from She’s With Me by Jess Cunsolo. They both deserve better. Haha.

TEN FAVOURITE BOOKS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberly
On The Come Up by Angie Thomas.
The Bible!
Verity by Colleen Hoover
The Wrong Side of Kai by Estelle Maskame
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Chasing Red by Isabelle Ronin
Hit The Spot by J. Daniels
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

What’s the most ridiculous fact you know?
Blue whales have such big veins that a human could swim through them. True story.

What according to you is your most treasured possession?
My kids of course.

Best date you've ever had?
I’ve been married for seven years and I didn’t really go on dates as a teenager but when hubby and I do have date night, my favourite thing is Indian food in front of the fire, movies, just being together.

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
There isn’t a time that I’d want to be in more than the time I’m in now. I’m grateful for the good and the bad moments that have brought me to where I am.

If you wrote a journal entry today, what would it say?
Day three of unpacking the new house, we can finally use the kitchen and walk through the living area. I’m exhausted, my back is sore, but we’re making progress.

Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today?
Becoming a mother changed a lot for me!

What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
Having an accident that results in the loss of my hands. Haha.

What was the best memory you ever had as a writer?
The time Cody Christian congratulated me on my book and said to keep him updated when I said I’d want him to be Drayton if my book was ever adapted into a movie.

WRITING BEHIND THE SCENES
I love an outdoor view when I’m writing. If the fire is going and it’s raining outside, even better. I could not ask for better writing conditions. Haha. Coffee is essential and a good playlist depending on the mood of the scene.

Because my books are set in the US and I’ve never even visited the states, my books require a lot of research. I’m talking a lot. Whenever I start a book, I choose the location first, hop online and spend hours researching the area. I’ll go on real estate sites and find houses for sale in that area so I can get an idea of what the homes look like and the street names etc and then I’ll use google maps, street view and just click my way through the streets to get a good understanding of the aesthetics and the description to use.

Next comes researching the distance between locations and forms of transport. How long will it take character A to get to the mall from her house or to school. I google the walking and car travel time. I research local restaurants and sights. I like it to be as accurate as possible so I do spend a lot of time throughout the book, researching.

Before Drayton and Dallas, there was Ellie and Leroy . . .

With the prequel to her smash hit The QB Bad Boy and Me, rising star Tay Marley returns to tell the story of Drayton’s parents and the summer that changed everything . . .

Sometimes home isn’t a place, it’s a person. From the moment their eyes met, Ellie knew he would be her destiny. Handsome and ripped, there’s just something about Leroy Lehay, Baylor University’s soon-to-be star quarterback, that makes him impossible to resist.

Consumed by a passion neither one of them can quite understand, Leroy and Ellie spend the summer together. Left senseless and overwhelmed by his touch, Ellie experiences a world of desire she could never have imagined.

Safe in Leroy’s arms, Ellie begins to see a life beyond high school: going to college, starting her own business, having a family. But when life-altering news shakes them to their cores, Leroy and Ellie must discover if their passion is enough to help them get through what might possibly be the greatest challenge of their lives.

You can purchase The Summer of '98 at the following Retailers: