Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Hannah Reynolds (Summer Nights and Meteorites)!
Meet the Author: Hannah Reynolds
Hannah Reynolds grew up outside of Boston, where she spent most of her childhood and teenage years recommending books to friends, working at a bookstore, and making chocolate desserts. She received her BA in creative writing and archaeology from Ithaca College, which meant she never needed to stop telling romantic stories or playing in the dirt. After living in San Francisco, New York, and Paris, she came back to Massachusetts and now lives in Cambridge.
About the Book: Summer Nights and Meteorites
From the two-time Sydney Taylor Honor author comes another sweet Nantucket-set summer romance, perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and K.L. Walther.
Jordan Edelman’s messy dating days are over. After a few too many broken hearts, and a father who worries a bit too much, she’s sworn off boys—at least for the summer. And since she’ll be tagging along on her father’s research trip to Nantucket, she doesn’t think it’ll be too hard to stick to her resolution.
But hooking up with the cute boy on the ferry doesn’t count, right? At least, not until that cute boy turns out to be Ethan Barbanel. As in, her father’s longtime research assistant Ethan Barbanel, the boy Jordan has hated from afar for years. And to make matters worse, Jordan might actually be falling for him.
As if that didn’t complicate her life enough, Jordan’s new summer job with a local astronomer turns up a centuries-old mystery surrounding Gibson’s Comet—and as she dives into her research, what she learns just might put her growing relationship with Ethan in jeopardy.
Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Growing up, my dad used to take me to a field near our house to watch meteor showers. I knew I wanted this novel to be the relationship between a girl and her father, and so it was natural for me to draw on some of my own experiences — aka the dad is super into space and science. I thought it would be fun to make the heroine, Jordan, fall for her dad’s assistant, especially if she already resented him for getting a lot of her father’s attention — it made the set up very fun and filled with instant tension.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
I loved writing Jordan, who is prickly on the outside to hide how soft she is inside, and how hurt she can get. It’s hard for my favorite character in each book not to be the POV one, but I also especially love the triplets — three thirteen year old menaces who inspire loving fear in everyone who meets them.
YABC: What research did you do to write this book?
One of my favorite things that I’ve been hearing from readers about Summer Nights and Meteorites is that they learned things from it – and that’s great to hear, because I learned so much while writing it. I researched the history of women in astronomy, from Maria Mitchell, a Nantucket women who was the first American to discover a comet, to the Harvard Computers, a group of woman at the turn of the 20th century who documented the stars. This whole book is about women astronomers, so I needed to learn a lot about them!
YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer my entire life. As a teenager, I wrote fanfiction, which was the first place I found a writing community, and then I went to college for creative writing. I feel incredibly lucky that I get to have the career I’ve dreamed of since I was little.
YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?
I love banter! My favorite thing to do is to write the two main characters getting to know each other through sharp, witty exchanges… which inevitably turn romantic at some point. A book with great banter and chemistry is my favorite, and so I loved writing fierce, alternative Jordan and preppy, wealthy Ethan as they got on each other’s nerves… and realized how much fun they had doing so.
YABC: What is your favorite writing space?
In my apartment, I write on the couch with the sun spilling over me, but I’m also a huge fan of writing in cafes. I live in Cambridge, a college town, so there’s a million different places to go. That’s also great because I have local writer friends, too, so we often combine a coffee date with a writing one.
YABC: How do you plan to celebrate the launch of your book?
Boston locals can find me at Porter Square Books (Cambridge edition) at 7pm on Thursday, May 23, where I’ll be in conversation with author Jenny Howe. (There will be treats). I love in-person events so I’m very excited for this one! I also plan to have many, many good meals with family and friends (it’s getting to be rooftop season, so if I can be constantly outside, I will be). I’m also taking a day off to go to the beach and relax – a must during such a busy time.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I have another YA book in the works! It’s kind of a new and different story, but I’m super excited to share it – and like all my books, it’s very romantic, and filled with a bit of mystery. Follow me on Instagram @HannahElisaWren to stay up to date on all my book news!
Title: SUMMER NIGHTS AND METEORITES
Author: Hannah Reynolds
Release Date: May 21, 2024
Publisher: Putnam, Penguin Teen
Genre: Contemporary YA
Age Range: 13+
