April 18, 2024 • 23 mins
A big thank you to New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Lynn Solomon for joining me to talk about her upcoming Young Adult release, Past Present Future, which is the sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow. The book releases June 4th, but pre-orders are currently available!
Follow Rachel:
- Past Present Future - Barnes and Noble Edition (sprayed edges and second epilogue)
- Past Present Future - Third Place Books Signed Edition
- Rachel's Instagram
- Rachel's Website
- Rachel's Newsletter
Books discussed in the episode:
- Finley Donovan Series
- People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
- Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
- Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon
- Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kristen Bahls (00:09):
Welcome back.
I'm Kristen Bahls and you'relistening to Where I Left Off -
A Bookish Podcast, and today I'mjoined by the author of
Business or Pleasure The EXTalk, Today, Tonight, Tomorrow
and so many more Rachel LynnSolomon, and today we're talking
about her upcoming young adultrelease Past, Present and Future
.
Thank you so much for joiningme today, Rachel.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (00:31):
Thank you for having me, Kristen.
I'm really happy to be here.
Kristen Bahls (00:34):
Oh, I'm so happy to have you.
I've been loving your books,but I always ask every author
that comes on what are youcurrently reading right now?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (00:43):
Yeah, so I am currently reading well,
reading the audiobook, orlistening to the audiobook of
the latest Finley Donovan book.
I am just obsessed.
They are these comedic murdermysteries that really just have
you kind of at the edge of yourseat, laughing but also stressed
, and there's a bit of romanceas well, and they're just such a
(01:05):
blast especially on audio.
Kristen Bahls (01:07):
Yeah, my friend Paige actually went to an event
with the author and so she'sbeen telling me about them.
So they're definitely very highon my TBR and I kind of like
how they don't fit like onespecific genre and, like you
said, they have a little bit ofeverything.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (01:22):
Yeah, for sure.
No, it's a really fun genremashup.
Kristen Bahls (01:25):
So what is something that you're passionate
about that might surprise yourreaders?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (01:30):
So I don't know if maybe passion is the
best word, but something thatI've gotten into lately is birds
, and I think part of the reasonis I live in Amsterdam and you
know I walk or take publictransit everywhere.
I would be biking if I were notafraid for my life, because
(01:51):
everyone is just far moreconfident than I am.
But there are just so manydifferent birds here, you know,
just different from the onesthat I grew up with in Seattle,
and I really love seeing a birdin the wild that I haven't seen
before and then like looking itup and finding out what it is.
There are gray herons, which Ihad never seen before and
(02:13):
they're just incredible becausethey're huge and they're so
still that sometimes if you'rejust walking by you don't even
notice them or you think it's astatue because they just don't
move for minutes on end.
And I especially love this kindof this time of year in the
spring, because you see all ofthe ducks paired up.
Sometimes you get to see theirnests and I think just because
(02:34):
Amsterdam is a city that I meanthe water is so central to how
the city runs that you, just youare so much closer to the avian
wildlife.
So I've been joking to myhusband and my friends like be
careful, I'm going to get intobirding.
But I think it's a legitimaterisk and I'm already there.
Kristen Bahls (02:55):
And you can put, like some bird references or
even a main character that hasthat as their hobby in your next
book.
You never know where it couldshow up.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (03:02):
Yeah, I guess.
So I mean, they're just so cool, they're so interesting.
Kristen Bahls (03:07):
I love that.
Speaking of writing a littlebit more, are there any tropes
that you haven't written yetthat you think you would want to
add into future novels?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (03:17):
I have never written Best Friends to
Lovers.
Yeah, it's such a great onewhen it's done well.
I mean, like People We Meet onVacation is just god tier when
it comes to that.
Because I didn't.
I honestly didn't even think Iliked the trope that much until
I read that book, and it's justso well done.
So I actually have a YA in inprogress.
(03:40):
I mean, I have a few chapterswritten, but I'm not going to be
able to work on it until laterthis year.
That is best friends to lovers,but I think why, like, I would
love to do it in adult as well,because I think it just hits
differently.
I mean, it can be great in bothage categories, but I would
like to do.
There's a difference betweenbeing lifelong friends when
you're 17 versus lifelongfriends when you're 30.
Kristen Bahls (04:03):
Oh my gosh, that'll be so cool.
So is your actual work inprogress.
Okay, so are you working kindof on two things at once, like a
little bit with the YA that youhave to shelf and then another
book, or what's kind of yourfocus right now?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (04:16):
I can usually only focus on one thing
at a time, and it's usually justwhatever the most pressing
deadline is.
So at the moment, I'm workingon my next adult romance, which
is actually set in Amsterdam.
Uh, and that one has been.
It's been a lot of fun, it'sbeen a challenge, because I've
never written something, um,that wasn't set in Seattle,
(04:36):
where where all my other booksare set, um, and even though
I've lived here for three years,it's just, you know, I want to
(05:00):
do the city justice and I wantto make sure I'm portraying it
in both a positive light whilealso showing all the weird I'm
like I've.
I actually think this, thiscould be an okay book, and I got
to that point yesterday, so I'mcurrently feeling good.
Um, and then my way project isso that adult book is scheduled
for next year.
And then I have a YA projectthat hasn't been announced yet.
(05:22):
Um, that's the best friends tolovers one and that will be
coming out in 2026.
And I'll start.
I have a few chapters, but I'llstart really working on it
later this year.
Kristen Bahls (05:33):
Nice I was gonna say on your Amsterdam book, the
Rom- Com.
I think that one thing that youdo particularly well is always
just kind of creating like avisceral reaction.
I've never actually been toSeattle, but reading your books
I feel like I'm there.
So I have no doubt that thisnew one will be perfect set in
(05:54):
Amsterdam.
So talking a little bit moreabout your upcoming novel Past,
Present and Future.
So this is the second novel.
So this is the second novel.
The first is Today, Tonight andTomorrow, and then this is a
second in the duology.
So what inspired you to kind ofcome back to and continue a
(06:14):
Rowan and Neil story?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (06:17):
The short answer is the readers.
So this book came out in 2020.
I drafted it in 2017.
So it's been a long time sinceI was, you know, in that, the
headspace of that first book andit will.
So it was released.
I should specify it wasreleased in July 2020 and,
leading up to the book, when theworld shut down, I just assumed
(06:37):
it was doomed.
I it was my favorite thing I'dever written.
And I was like, well, you know,and it was my favorite thing
I'd ever written, and I was like, well, you know, it'll be out
(06:58):
there and we'll see what happens, but my hopes and expectations
were quite.
Well, my hopes were somewherein the middle.
I books, you know, romanticcomedies were providing that for
so many readers.
And even though this bookportrayed a version of the world
that was not possible to accessat the time because it's about
(07:19):
two seniors on the last day ofhigh school that play this
citywide scavenger hunt, slash,assassin game and they are
longtime academic rivals theyend up teaming up and, of course
, realizing that they've been inlove with each other this whole
time.
I heard from a lot of teens whowere kind of robbed of that end
(07:39):
of high school experience andit was just really meaningful to
hear that they were able toescape and find some joy in that
book.
And then was just reallymeaningful to hear that they,
that they were able to escapeand find some joy in that book,
Um, and then I just continued tobe super lucky and it's very
hard to explain.
I think publishers are alwaystrying to figure out why a book
resonates with readers more thanthan another.
Um, but Today, Tonight,Tomorrow is the book that I
(08:01):
heard the most from readersabout Um and I also.
The one thing I kept hearing waswhat happens to them afterward,
because I purposefully didn'twrite an epilogue.
It ends, it takes place in 24hours and we really don't see
what happens after that day.
Um, and in my head I wouldalways just, I always just
(08:22):
assumed that they would betogether forever, because, as a
romance writer, kind of have tobelieve in that.
Yeah, so when people ask me, Iwould just kind of jokingly say
like, yeah, you know they neverbreak up and they die together
in their sleep in their 90sholding each other.
But the more people asked, themore I just started thinking
(08:42):
about it and I was going through, you know, some upheaval in
terms of um, you know, movingand completely uprooting my life
from Seattle to Amsterdam.
Um, that obviously caused a avery exciting thing that I'm
super super grateful for, butnot without challenges.
Uh, and I had just been sohappy when I was drafting Today,
(09:06):
Tonight, Tomorrow, and I reallyI wanted to try to recapture
that, but I also didn't want thesequel to feel like a cheap
money grab.
I think that's just a very easyway that people brush off
sequels that they don't like,and I was very scared of that,
so I didn't want to write ituntil I felt like I had a solid
idea.
Yeah, and I knew that if I wroteit, that it would take place in
(09:30):
college and that it wouldfollow them on this long
distance relationship, but Ididn't really know what they
would specifically be doing inthe book, and it actually wasn't
until the title came to me thatI really felt like I had to do
it, because the title was justkind of a perfect parallel of
the first one of the first one,and I actually I think I emailed
(09:56):
my team about the possibilityof writing this book.
I want to say it was in 2022,maybe like end of 2022.
And then it was originallygoing to come out last year, but
that didn't happen because of,you know, other book deadlines
and I just again like reallywanted other book deadlines, um,
and I just again like reallywanted to do it justice.
Yeah, I tend to put a lot ofpressure on myself.
This is just a theme with me, um, but I also I didn't want to
(10:22):
announce the book until I wascompletely done with it, because
I wanted to make sure, eventhough I was doing, even though
the initial idea was sparked bypeople asking what happened to
Rowan and Neil after the lastchapter, I wanted to write it
for myself first, without anyother voices in the room, and
feel like if I could get itright for myself, then hopefully
(10:43):
the readers would see that I'd,you know, done the best that I
could with these characters andjust given them all the care
that they deserved.
Kristen Bahls (10:49):
I agree and I at first, whenever I saw there was
a sequel, I was like how are yougoing to take that subplot of
the how like that was what madeit so special was having the how
and the competition and thekind of enemies to lovers.
And then, as I was reading it,like from the first page, I just
realized, okay, this is reallygood and I like how you took the
long distance relationship andyou still included a lot of the
(11:11):
struggles to make it morerealistic, but it never felt
forced at any point and youstill added some other fun
little twists that I don't wantto ruin for readers that really
keep the plot moving along.
Yeah, I was gonna ask youwhenever you start really second
(11:34):
guessing yourself, is there anykind of tactic that you use to
kind of keep going?
Is it just writing it foryourself first and then just
kind of showing it to friendsand getting feedback and
adjusting, or do you have anylike specific tactics for kind
of inspiring writers?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (11:46):
Whining to my friends tends to work really
well.
They're really good at, youknow, positive affirmations.
Sometimes you just need somecheerleading no, but I will.
Often I feel like, you know,critique partners and, like my
author friends, really are thebest when they're helping with
brainstorming.
That is just invaluable, Ithink.
(12:07):
And then also, you know, myeditor and my agent will help
with that as well.
But sometimes you're just soclose to a project and you can't
see the very obvious wayforward until someone points it
out.
And this happened with Past,Present, Future.
Actually, someone suggestedsomething that completely
changed the book and then adifferent friend suggested
something with my Amsterdam bookand I just it's something that
(12:30):
now I'm like how did I not seethat?
But you're just too close to itand it's you need that outside
perspective sometimes.
So, yes, definitely talking itout with other people helps, um,
kind of just taking a break and, like you know, getting some
fresh air exercise so I'm notjust locked in my my little room
all day, and also sometimes, ifI'm really struggling with
(12:53):
something, it's a good, it's asign that well, obviously it's a
sign that it's not working, butit's usually a sign of
something deeper that's wrong.
Like, if I'm dreading writing acertain chapter, then why is
the reader going to enjoyreading it if I didn't like?
Kristen Bahls (13:09):
Writing it.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (13:10):
So usually I need to go back to the drawing
board and figure out okay, whyam I not excited about this
chapter and what can I dodifferently?
Kristen Bahls (13:18):
Do you tend to like really plot out your novels
, or are you a little bit moreof a pantser?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (13:24):
No, I do really heavily outline.
My outlines are probably, Iwould say, like 7 to 10,000
words or so, because they oftenhave like chunks of dialogue
that just come to me as I'mworking on them.
But I mean, with this book I'mworking on now like I've
re-outlined it four times in theprocess of between drafting and
(13:44):
now revising, because I justcouldn't figure out like what
the plot was where the tensionwas out, like what the plot was
where the tension was Um.
So yeah, I do, I I often startwith an outline.
Almost always by the midpointthings have changed and I need
to go back and re-outlinebecause it just kind of not I
don't want to say it goes offthe rails.
(14:04):
It just goes in a direction thatI hadn't planned and I actually
think that's really fun becauseI know that some pantsers don't
outline because they want to besurprised, and even though I do
really heavily outline, I havenever written a book that hasn't
gone in a direction that Ididn't expect, and that's really
exciting.
Kristen Bahls (14:23):
That's smart and I feel like you could probably
say that for so many things inlife.
As soon as you have a plan,something's definitely not going
to, you know, always goaccording to that plan.
But of course it helps to have,you know, a little bit of an
outline for sure, Talking alittle bit more about the book.
So what influenced yourdecision to add some of the more
mature themes to this novelversus the first one in the
(14:47):
duology?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (14:48):
A few things.
I mean, they are like 19 in thebook, so it is a bit more
mature.
They're in college, they havemuch more freedom, much more
independence, they're notconstantly reporting to their
parents.
And I also think college is atime where you are figuring out
a lot of stuff about yourselffor the first time as a result
(15:09):
of that freedom and not for thefirst time, um, as a result of
that freedom and not you knowthe, the leash has kind of been
snipped and you, yeah, like you,have to figure out how to do
your laundry and how to probablyfeed yourself every day.
If, if those weren't weren'tthings that you were used to
doing, um, in high school, um.
And I think it's also a timewhere people find, you know
(15:35):
they're changing atmospheres andchanging friend groups and just
if everything you know, it'ssuch a period of of vast change
that mental health can canchange a lot as a result.
And then, with regard to becausethis book is definitely I know
it has more sexual content thanToday, tonight, tomorrow, and I
guess that is also because theyare kind of on their own.
(15:57):
But also I think there'ssomething really valid as like
validating as a teenager, assomeone who is like late in high
school or in college, likereading this book and seeing two
people who are in arelationship work through, um,
you know, some communicationdifficulties around intimacy.
um, I don't think that anythingin the book is not suitable for
(16:18):
YA , a YA audience or you knowI don't think my YA publisher
would have would have publishedit, true, but I do like I do
really stand by it and I thinkthat the conversations that they
have as two people who are in arelationship are not ones that
we get to see a lot of in YA,where everything just ends with
them like getting together andthere's no, there isn't really
(16:42):
that struggle around, aroundthat kind of intimacy.
And I think those conversationscan be so important to see on
the page, to help, whether it'slike helping someone see, have a
model for how to maybe navigatethat, or like, whatever age you
are, I think they can feel veryempowering.
I mean, that was a whole, thatwas kind of my whole drive
(17:06):
behind Business or Pleasure.
Kristen Bahls (17:12):
Definitely I was going to say um same thing in
Business or Pleasure that noteverything goes perfectly the
first time, and there are a lotof things that they both have to
talk to in conversations thatthey have to have.
And it doesn't mean that justbecause it didn't go perfectly
the first time, that it can'tget there with a little bit of
work.
Um, and communication for sure.
Well, good to know.
And if you could compete,compete, do you think that you
(17:33):
would be able to win?
Uh, the howl, the scavengerhunt?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (17:37):
Absolutely not no, I mean my, like you know
, skills in games, kind of startand end with anything word
based.
So you know scrabble is.
I could win Scrabble but notmuch else.
I'm not super coordinated and Ialso don't think I I don't have
(17:59):
the like competitive nature.
I think to go running aroundthe city to to figure out the
scavenger hunt clues.
So yeah, I think I'd be quitebad at it.
Kristen Bahls (18:09):
Whatever you were making the scavenger hunt clues
, did you just kind of go off ofmemory because you've lived in
Seattle, or did you kind of haveto do some research and walk
around and figure out how youwere going to structure them?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (18:22):
Yeah I did a lot of research, a lot of
exploring.
There were so many things in myearly drafts that didn't make
it into the final book.
I had, like maps.
I mean I had, you know, it'sbasically that meme with like
the you know, murder map, exceptit was just weird things in
Seattle, um, and it was actuallykind of a bummer because there
were some things in my earlierdrafts and actually some things
(18:43):
that are in the final that areno longer there, um, so it's
sort of this weird time capsuleof a Seattle that doesn't quite
exist anymore, at least the waythat I wrote it.
So it's very interesting to nowthat I don't live there,
because I spent the first 30years of my life in Seattle,
going back and seeing it change.
So I wrote this book as a loveletter to Seattle and I do, like
(19:05):
, feel, really, I feel reallyattached to that version of it.
Kristen Bahls (19:08):
I agree it's really interesting to be able to
, you know, just see all thedifferent landmarks and places
that you include in both novels,and especially in this one, as
they go off to New York andBoston and you get to talk about
both of those places and kindof their new environments.
But I was going to say that onething I really enjoyed about
(19:29):
the book was both Neil andRowan's roommate situations, and
that not to ruin anything inany way, but they, when they get
there, the roommates, maybearen't the personalities that
they were expecting.
Did you have a similar roommateexperience?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (19:49):
I actually did, and I remember writing this
or like drafting this, andthinking I wanted specifically
Neil.
I wanted to give him just aroommate that would be the
complete opposite of him andit's like a he's just this, I
mean.
Yeah, it's kind of like a himbo, I guess.
But he is he's very much agolden retriever and he's one of
my favorite characters, forsure.
But yeah, my freshman year ofcollege I had a roommate who was
(20:13):
she was on the rugby team andshe was just very like I am 4'10
and she was, you know this,like very tough, um, like rugby
player, and you know we werealways very pleasant with each
other but just ran in verydifferent circles and like I
went to one of her rugby matchesand it was so scary, um.
But then there was one timewhere I had like a bad breakup,
(20:36):
freshman year, and you know Iwas just like crying and she was
like very sweet, like you know,like you know kind of like
patting my back and like isthere anything you need?
And just I think that thosemoments between people who just
have this really just onlyconnected by the of roommates,
(20:58):
roommate selection, like thatproximity, can inspire some
great kinds of closeness.
Kristen Bahls (21:04):
Yeah, I agree, I had a very interesting
experience myself.
I think everyone can definitelyrelate to that.
And so so many things in thisnovel.
And if it okay, so if it werejust a random saturday in the
spring, what do you think thatNeil and Rowan would be doing
right now?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (21:24):
Now I think , well, if it's a Saturday, then
they're definitely visitingeach other at one of their
schools and probably justexploring the city.
I feel like they just love togo out and see new things and
you know, there is a version ofHowl in the book that they kind
of create for each other, so Ithink they would be doing
probably something similar inone of their cities.
Kristen Bahls (21:47):
I agree, and is there anything that you would
like readers to know more aboutthe book going in?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (21:55):
That's a great question.
I think just that it's a littlemore serious than Today,
Tonight, Tomorrow, but there isabsolutely still a happy ending.
The epilogue is one of myfavorite things that I've ever
written and I really like.
I'm so grateful for the readersthat have stuck with these
characters and the readers whoare just picking up the book and
(22:17):
learning about them now,because they are 100% of the
reason that I was able to dothis and, yeah, I really, I
really hope they enjoy the kindof the next chapter for them.
Kristen Bahls (22:29):
And if they pre order it through the link on
your Instagram, then you willalso personalize it with some
Seattle doodles, correct?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (22:39):
Yeah, yeah, so they get.
There are a few options forjust some little little fun
things.
They can pre order throughThird Place Books in Seattle for
signed copies that will alsocome with character art that
I'll be revealing soon.
And there's also a Barnes andNoble exclusive edition which is
not signed but it does comewith sprayed edges that they're
(22:59):
blue and they have a littlespace needle on them.
It's super cute and there is abonus second epilogue that I
think will also be verysatisfying.
So kind of a pick, pick,whichever one is most appealing.
Kristen Bahls (23:15):
I don't know.
Now I really want to read thesecond epilogue, so that's
probably going to win it out forme.
Thank you so much for takingthe time to talk to me today,
Rachel, and that's it.
Thanks for listening to Where ILeft Off - A Bookish Podcast.
You can sign up for Rachel'snewsletter and purchase her
novels through the links in theshow notes.
Tune in next time Find hernewsletter and purchase her
(23:42):
novels through the links in theshow notes.
Tune in next time.
Bye.
Welcome back.
I'm Kristen Bahls and you'relistening to Where I Left Off -
A Bookish Podcast, and today I'mjoined by the author of
Business or Pleasure The EXTalk, Today, Tonight, Tomorrow
and so many more Rachel LynnSolomon, and today we're talking
about her upcoming young adultrelease Past, Present and Future
.
Thank you so much for joiningme today, Rachel.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (00:31):
Thank you for having me, Kristen.
I'm really happy to be here.
Kristen Bahls (00:34):
Oh, I'm so happy to have you.
I've been loving your books,but I always ask every author
that comes on what are youcurrently reading right now?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (00:43):
Yeah, so I am currently reading well,
reading the audiobook, orlistening to the audiobook of
the latest Finley Donovan book.
I am just obsessed.
They are these comedic murdermysteries that really just have
you kind of at the edge of yourseat, laughing but also stressed
, and there's a bit of romanceas well, and they're just such a
(01:05):
blast especially on audio.
Kristen Bahls (01:07):
Yeah, my friend Paige actually went to an event
with the author and so she'sbeen telling me about them.
So they're definitely very highon my TBR and I kind of like
how they don't fit like onespecific genre and, like you
said, they have a little bit ofeverything.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (01:22):
Yeah, for sure.
No, it's a really fun genremashup.
Kristen Bahls (01:25):
So what is something that you're passionate
about that might surprise yourreaders?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (01:30):
So I don't know if maybe passion is the
best word, but something thatI've gotten into lately is birds
, and I think part of the reasonis I live in Amsterdam and you
know I walk or take publictransit everywhere.
I would be biking if I were notafraid for my life, because
(01:51):
everyone is just far moreconfident than I am.
But there are just so manydifferent birds here, you know,
just different from the onesthat I grew up with in Seattle,
and I really love seeing a birdin the wild that I haven't seen
before and then like looking itup and finding out what it is.
There are gray herons, which Ihad never seen before and
(02:13):
they're just incredible becausethey're huge and they're so
still that sometimes if you'rejust walking by you don't even
notice them or you think it's astatue because they just don't
move for minutes on end.
And I especially love this kindof this time of year in the
spring, because you see all ofthe ducks paired up.
Sometimes you get to see theirnests and I think just because
(02:34):
Amsterdam is a city that I meanthe water is so central to how
the city runs that you, just youare so much closer to the avian
wildlife.
So I've been joking to myhusband and my friends like be
careful, I'm going to get intobirding.
But I think it's a legitimaterisk and I'm already there.
Kristen Bahls (02:55):
And you can put, like some bird references or
even a main character that hasthat as their hobby in your next
book.
You never know where it couldshow up.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (03:02):
Yeah, I guess.
So I mean, they're just so cool, they're so interesting.
Kristen Bahls (03:07):
I love that.
Speaking of writing a littlebit more, are there any tropes
that you haven't written yetthat you think you would want to
add into future novels?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (03:17):
I have never written Best Friends to
Lovers.
Yeah, it's such a great onewhen it's done well.
I mean, like People We Meet onVacation is just god tier when
it comes to that.
Because I didn't.
I honestly didn't even think Iliked the trope that much until
I read that book, and it's justso well done.
So I actually have a YA in inprogress.
(03:40):
I mean, I have a few chapterswritten, but I'm not going to be
able to work on it until laterthis year.
That is best friends to lovers,but I think why, like, I would
love to do it in adult as well,because I think it just hits
differently.
I mean, it can be great in bothage categories, but I would
like to do.
There's a difference betweenbeing lifelong friends when
you're 17 versus lifelongfriends when you're 30.
Kristen Bahls (04:03):
Oh my gosh, that'll be so cool.
So is your actual work inprogress.
Okay, so are you working kindof on two things at once, like a
little bit with the YA that youhave to shelf and then another
book, or what's kind of yourfocus right now?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (04:16):
I can usually only focus on one thing
at a time, and it's usually justwhatever the most pressing
deadline is.
So at the moment, I'm workingon my next adult romance, which
is actually set in Amsterdam.
Uh, and that one has been.
It's been a lot of fun, it'sbeen a challenge, because I've
never written something, um,that wasn't set in Seattle,
(04:36):
where where all my other booksare set, um, and even though
I've lived here for three years,it's just, you know, I want to
(05:00):
do the city justice and I wantto make sure I'm portraying it
in both a positive light whilealso showing all the weird I'm
like I've.
I actually think this, thiscould be an okay book, and I got
to that point yesterday, so I'mcurrently feeling good.
Um, and then my way project isso that adult book is scheduled
for next year.
And then I have a YA projectthat hasn't been announced yet.
(05:22):
Um, that's the best friends tolovers one and that will be
coming out in 2026.
And I'll start.
I have a few chapters, but I'llstart really working on it
later this year.
Kristen Bahls (05:33):
Nice I was gonna say on your Amsterdam book, the
Rom- Com.
I think that one thing that youdo particularly well is always
just kind of creating like avisceral reaction.
I've never actually been toSeattle, but reading your books
I feel like I'm there.
So I have no doubt that thisnew one will be perfect set in
(05:54):
Amsterdam.
So talking a little bit moreabout your upcoming novel Past,
Present and Future.
So this is the second novel.
So this is the second novel.
The first is Today, Tonight andTomorrow, and then this is a
second in the duology.
So what inspired you to kind ofcome back to and continue a
(06:14):
Rowan and Neil story?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (06:17):
The short answer is the readers.
So this book came out in 2020.
I drafted it in 2017.
So it's been a long time sinceI was, you know, in that, the
headspace of that first book andit will.
So it was released.
I should specify it wasreleased in July 2020 and,
leading up to the book, when theworld shut down, I just assumed
(06:37):
it was doomed.
I it was my favorite thing I'dever written.
And I was like, well, you know,and it was my favorite thing
I'd ever written, and I was like, well, you know, it'll be out
(06:58):
there and we'll see what happens, but my hopes and expectations
were quite.
Well, my hopes were somewherein the middle.
I books, you know, romanticcomedies were providing that for
so many readers.
And even though this bookportrayed a version of the world
that was not possible to accessat the time because it's about
(07:19):
two seniors on the last day ofhigh school that play this
citywide scavenger hunt, slash,assassin game and they are
longtime academic rivals theyend up teaming up and, of course
, realizing that they've been inlove with each other this whole
time.
I heard from a lot of teens whowere kind of robbed of that end
(07:39):
of high school experience andit was just really meaningful to
hear that they were able toescape and find some joy in that
book.
And then was just reallymeaningful to hear that they,
that they were able to escapeand find some joy in that book,
Um, and then I just continued tobe super lucky and it's very
hard to explain.
I think publishers are alwaystrying to figure out why a book
resonates with readers more thanthan another.
Um, but Today, Tonight,Tomorrow is the book that I
(08:01):
heard the most from readersabout Um and I also.
The one thing I kept hearing waswhat happens to them afterward,
because I purposefully didn'twrite an epilogue.
It ends, it takes place in 24hours and we really don't see
what happens after that day.
Um, and in my head I wouldalways just, I always just
(08:22):
assumed that they would betogether forever, because, as a
romance writer, kind of have tobelieve in that.
Yeah, so when people ask me, Iwould just kind of jokingly say
like, yeah, you know they neverbreak up and they die together
in their sleep in their 90sholding each other.
But the more people asked, themore I just started thinking
(08:42):
about it and I was going through, you know, some upheaval in
terms of um, you know, movingand completely uprooting my life
from Seattle to Amsterdam.
Um, that obviously caused a avery exciting thing that I'm
super super grateful for, butnot without challenges.
Uh, and I had just been sohappy when I was drafting Today,
(09:06):
Tonight, Tomorrow, and I reallyI wanted to try to recapture
that, but I also didn't want thesequel to feel like a cheap
money grab.
I think that's just a very easyway that people brush off
sequels that they don't like,and I was very scared of that,
so I didn't want to write ituntil I felt like I had a solid
idea.
Yeah, and I knew that if I wroteit, that it would take place in
(09:30):
college and that it wouldfollow them on this long
distance relationship, but Ididn't really know what they
would specifically be doing inthe book, and it actually wasn't
until the title came to me thatI really felt like I had to do
it, because the title was justkind of a perfect parallel of
the first one of the first one,and I actually I think I emailed
(09:56):
my team about the possibilityof writing this book.
I want to say it was in 2022,maybe like end of 2022.
And then it was originallygoing to come out last year, but
that didn't happen because of,you know, other book deadlines
and I just again like reallywanted other book deadlines, um,
and I just again like reallywanted to do it justice.
Yeah, I tend to put a lot ofpressure on myself.
This is just a theme with me, um, but I also I didn't want to
(10:22):
announce the book until I wascompletely done with it, because
I wanted to make sure, eventhough I was doing, even though
the initial idea was sparked bypeople asking what happened to
Rowan and Neil after the lastchapter, I wanted to write it
for myself first, without anyother voices in the room, and
feel like if I could get itright for myself, then hopefully
(10:43):
the readers would see that I'd,you know, done the best that I
could with these characters andjust given them all the care
that they deserved.
Kristen Bahls (10:49):
I agree and I at first, whenever I saw there was
a sequel, I was like how are yougoing to take that subplot of
the how like that was what madeit so special was having the how
and the competition and thekind of enemies to lovers.
And then, as I was reading it,like from the first page, I just
realized, okay, this is reallygood and I like how you took the
long distance relationship andyou still included a lot of the
(11:11):
struggles to make it morerealistic, but it never felt
forced at any point and youstill added some other fun
little twists that I don't wantto ruin for readers that really
keep the plot moving along.
Yeah, I was gonna ask youwhenever you start really second
(11:34):
guessing yourself, is there anykind of tactic that you use to
kind of keep going?
Is it just writing it foryourself first and then just
kind of showing it to friendsand getting feedback and
adjusting, or do you have anylike specific tactics for kind
of inspiring writers?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (11:46):
Whining to my friends tends to work really
well.
They're really good at, youknow, positive affirmations.
Sometimes you just need somecheerleading no, but I will.
Often I feel like, you know,critique partners and, like my
author friends, really are thebest when they're helping with
brainstorming.
That is just invaluable, Ithink.
(12:07):
And then also, you know, myeditor and my agent will help
with that as well.
But sometimes you're just soclose to a project and you can't
see the very obvious wayforward until someone points it
out.
And this happened with Past,Present, Future.
Actually, someone suggestedsomething that completely
changed the book and then adifferent friend suggested
something with my Amsterdam bookand I just it's something that
(12:30):
now I'm like how did I not seethat?
But you're just too close to itand it's you need that outside
perspective sometimes.
So, yes, definitely talking itout with other people helps, um,
kind of just taking a break and, like you know, getting some
fresh air exercise so I'm notjust locked in my my little room
all day, and also sometimes, ifI'm really struggling with
(12:53):
something, it's a good, it's asign that well, obviously it's a
sign that it's not working, butit's usually a sign of
something deeper that's wrong.
Like, if I'm dreading writing acertain chapter, then why is
the reader going to enjoyreading it if I didn't like?
Kristen Bahls (13:09):
Writing it.
Rachel Lynn Solomon (13:10):
So usually I need to go back to the drawing
board and figure out okay, whyam I not excited about this
chapter and what can I dodifferently?
Kristen Bahls (13:18):
Do you tend to like really plot out your novels
, or are you a little bit moreof a pantser?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (13:24):
No, I do really heavily outline.
My outlines are probably, Iwould say, like 7 to 10,000
words or so, because they oftenhave like chunks of dialogue
that just come to me as I'mworking on them.
But I mean, with this book I'mworking on now like I've
re-outlined it four times in theprocess of between drafting and
(13:44):
now revising, because I justcouldn't figure out like what
the plot was where the tensionwas out, like what the plot was
where the tension was Um.
So yeah, I do, I I often startwith an outline.
Almost always by the midpointthings have changed and I need
to go back and re-outlinebecause it just kind of not I
don't want to say it goes offthe rails.
(14:04):
It just goes in a direction thatI hadn't planned and I actually
think that's really fun becauseI know that some pantsers don't
outline because they want to besurprised, and even though I do
really heavily outline, I havenever written a book that hasn't
gone in a direction that Ididn't expect, and that's really
exciting.
Kristen Bahls (14:23):
That's smart and I feel like you could probably
say that for so many things inlife.
As soon as you have a plan,something's definitely not going
to, you know, always goaccording to that plan.
But of course it helps to have,you know, a little bit of an
outline for sure, Talking alittle bit more about the book.
So what influenced yourdecision to add some of the more
mature themes to this novelversus the first one in the
(14:47):
duology?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (14:48):
A few things.
I mean, they are like 19 in thebook, so it is a bit more
mature.
They're in college, they havemuch more freedom, much more
independence, they're notconstantly reporting to their
parents.
And I also think college is atime where you are figuring out
a lot of stuff about yourselffor the first time as a result
(15:09):
of that freedom and not for thefirst time, um, as a result of
that freedom and not you knowthe, the leash has kind of been
snipped and you, yeah, like you,have to figure out how to do
your laundry and how to probablyfeed yourself every day.
If, if those weren't weren'tthings that you were used to
doing, um, in high school, um.
And I think it's also a timewhere people find, you know
(15:35):
they're changing atmospheres andchanging friend groups and just
if everything you know, it'ssuch a period of of vast change
that mental health can canchange a lot as a result.
And then, with regard to becausethis book is definitely I know
it has more sexual content thanToday, tonight, tomorrow, and I
guess that is also because theyare kind of on their own.
(15:57):
But also I think there'ssomething really valid as like
validating as a teenager, assomeone who is like late in high
school or in college, likereading this book and seeing two
people who are in arelationship work through, um,
you know, some communicationdifficulties around intimacy.
um, I don't think that anythingin the book is not suitable for
(16:18):
YA , a YA audience or you knowI don't think my YA publisher
would have would have publishedit, true, but I do like I do
really stand by it and I thinkthat the conversations that they
have as two people who are in arelationship are not ones that
we get to see a lot of in YA,where everything just ends with
them like getting together andthere's no, there isn't really
(16:42):
that struggle around, aroundthat kind of intimacy.
And I think those conversationscan be so important to see on
the page, to help, whether it'slike helping someone see, have a
model for how to maybe navigatethat, or like, whatever age you
are, I think they can feel veryempowering.
I mean, that was a whole, thatwas kind of my whole drive
(17:06):
behind Business or Pleasure.
Kristen Bahls (17:12):
Definitely I was going to say um same thing in
Business or Pleasure that noteverything goes perfectly the
first time, and there are a lotof things that they both have to
talk to in conversations thatthey have to have.
And it doesn't mean that justbecause it didn't go perfectly
the first time, that it can'tget there with a little bit of
work.
Um, and communication for sure.
Well, good to know.
And if you could compete,compete, do you think that you
(17:33):
would be able to win?
Uh, the howl, the scavengerhunt?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (17:37):
Absolutely not no, I mean my, like you know
, skills in games, kind of startand end with anything word
based.
So you know scrabble is.
I could win Scrabble but notmuch else.
I'm not super coordinated and Ialso don't think I I don't have
(17:59):
the like competitive nature.
I think to go running aroundthe city to to figure out the
scavenger hunt clues.
So yeah, I think I'd be quitebad at it.
Kristen Bahls (18:09):
Whatever you were making the scavenger hunt clues
, did you just kind of go off ofmemory because you've lived in
Seattle, or did you kind of haveto do some research and walk
around and figure out how youwere going to structure them?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (18:22):
Yeah I did a lot of research, a lot of
exploring.
There were so many things in myearly drafts that didn't make
it into the final book.
I had, like maps.
I mean I had, you know, it'sbasically that meme with like
the you know, murder map, exceptit was just weird things in
Seattle, um, and it was actuallykind of a bummer because there
were some things in my earlierdrafts and actually some things
(18:43):
that are in the final that areno longer there, um, so it's
sort of this weird time capsuleof a Seattle that doesn't quite
exist anymore, at least the waythat I wrote it.
So it's very interesting to nowthat I don't live there,
because I spent the first 30years of my life in Seattle,
going back and seeing it change.
So I wrote this book as a loveletter to Seattle and I do, like
(19:05):
, feel, really, I feel reallyattached to that version of it.
Kristen Bahls (19:08):
I agree it's really interesting to be able to
, you know, just see all thedifferent landmarks and places
that you include in both novels,and especially in this one, as
they go off to New York andBoston and you get to talk about
both of those places and kindof their new environments.
But I was going to say that onething I really enjoyed about
(19:29):
the book was both Neil andRowan's roommate situations, and
that not to ruin anything inany way, but they, when they get
there, the roommates, maybearen't the personalities that
they were expecting.
Did you have a similar roommateexperience?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (19:49):
I actually did, and I remember writing this
or like drafting this, andthinking I wanted specifically
Neil.
I wanted to give him just aroommate that would be the
complete opposite of him andit's like a he's just this, I
mean.
Yeah, it's kind of like a himbo, I guess.
But he is he's very much agolden retriever and he's one of
my favorite characters, forsure.
But yeah, my freshman year ofcollege I had a roommate who was
(20:13):
she was on the rugby team andshe was just very like I am 4'10
and she was, you know this,like very tough, um, like rugby
player, and you know we werealways very pleasant with each
other but just ran in verydifferent circles and like I
went to one of her rugby matchesand it was so scary, um.
But then there was one timewhere I had like a bad breakup,
(20:36):
freshman year, and you know Iwas just like crying and she was
like very sweet, like you know,like you know kind of like
patting my back and like isthere anything you need?
And just I think that thosemoments between people who just
have this really just onlyconnected by the of roommates,
(20:58):
roommate selection, like thatproximity, can inspire some
great kinds of closeness.
Kristen Bahls (21:04):
Yeah, I agree, I had a very interesting
experience myself.
I think everyone can definitelyrelate to that.
And so so many things in thisnovel.
And if it okay, so if it werejust a random saturday in the
spring, what do you think thatNeil and Rowan would be doing
right now?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (21:24):
Now I think , well, if it's a Saturday, then
they're definitely visitingeach other at one of their
schools and probably justexploring the city.
I feel like they just love togo out and see new things and
you know, there is a version ofHowl in the book that they kind
of create for each other, so Ithink they would be doing
probably something similar inone of their cities.
Kristen Bahls (21:47):
I agree, and is there anything that you would
like readers to know more aboutthe book going in?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (21:55):
That's a great question.
I think just that it's a littlemore serious than Today,
Tonight, Tomorrow, but there isabsolutely still a happy ending.
The epilogue is one of myfavorite things that I've ever
written and I really like.
I'm so grateful for the readersthat have stuck with these
characters and the readers whoare just picking up the book and
(22:17):
learning about them now,because they are 100% of the
reason that I was able to dothis and, yeah, I really, I
really hope they enjoy the kindof the next chapter for them.
Kristen Bahls (22:29):
And if they pre order it through the link on
your Instagram, then you willalso personalize it with some
Seattle doodles, correct?
Rachel Lynn Solomon (22:39):
Yeah, yeah, so they get.
There are a few options forjust some little little fun
things.
They can pre order throughThird Place Books in Seattle for
signed copies that will alsocome with character art that
I'll be revealing soon.
And there's also a Barnes andNoble exclusive edition which is
not signed but it does comewith sprayed edges that they're
(22:59):
blue and they have a littlespace needle on them.
It's super cute and there is abonus second epilogue that I
think will also be verysatisfying.
So kind of a pick, pick,whichever one is most appealing.
Kristen Bahls (23:15):
I don't know.
Now I really want to read thesecond epilogue, so that's
probably going to win it out forme.
Thank you so much for takingthe time to talk to me today,
Rachel, and that's it.
Thanks for listening to Where ILeft Off - A Bookish Podcast.
You can sign up for Rachel'snewsletter and purchase her
novels through the links in theshow notes.
Tune in next time Find hernewsletter and purchase her
(23:42):
novels through the links in theshow notes.
Tune in next time.
Bye.
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