Get ready to learn more about the book Snowed In With Summer in this discussion with sapphic author Tiana Warner.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Tiana Warner about Snowed In With Summer, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Forced Proximity category in the 2024 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Snowed In With Summer?
Something about a story in the Yukon on the winter solstice really called to me. First, I love traveling to the places I write about, so this was an excellent opportunity to do some fun and adventurous research. Second, the cozy lodge and 18 hours of darkness really set the stage for a spicy cabin romance! How could I resist?
Who is your favorite character in the book?
Other than the huskies? I like the protagonist, Avery, and I feel similar to her in that she is both an adventurer and a homebody at the same time. I also enjoyed writing a bisexual character, seeing as I’m bisexual myself, so it felt very authentic to write her.
What part of Snowed In With Summer was the most fun to write?
Ooh I loved writing the flirty scene where they play Strip Crazy Eights. Much more fun than Strip Poker, and with the same results. Writing the building sexual tension while they play a weird game was a lot of fun.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I did my favorite form of research and took a trip! I booked a mid-winter vacation to Yukon and did all the activities the characters do in the book – dog sledding, ice fishing, snowmobiling. It was a blast! I also consulted a few sources to learn about the area and its history, but my favorite part was definitely embarking on the same adventure as the characters.
Where do you usually write, and what do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I write at a pretty wooden desk in the living room that brings me a lot of joy. It’s close to the fireplace to keep me warm, and it has tall shelves filled with books and notebooks. I believe house plants are a key to happiness, so there’s an ivy plant perched on top, which is growing quite long and slowly engulfing the desk. I also have a Himalayan salt lamp behind my laptop to cast a warm glow over the space, a kalimba for if I have the urge to take a random musical break, and some other miscellaneous stuff. I think having a desk that fills me with joy and is centrally located in the house really helps me to bring my best self to my work.
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
My best writing is done first thing in the morning, and my breakfast is always the same: oatmeal with hemp seeds, chia seeds, almond butter, cashews, walnuts, and blueberries. That with organic coffee, which I like to grind myself from organic beans, and you’ve got the recipe that powers most of my manuscripts!
Do you have a pet who helps/hinders your typing?
I’m in my “dog foster mom” era. Currently, I’m fostering a young Lab mix from the Vancouver animal shelter, and he’s a total sweetheart. I think my foster pups tend to hinder the writing process a little because they always seem to want something when I’m trying to focus, but I’m okay with that – they bring me so much joy that it’s an okay trade if it slows down my work a little. 🙂
Do you feel bad putting your characters through the wringer?
Oh yes. Particularly when it comes to Fantasy novels, when characters have to die or get seriously injured. At the end of my Valkyrie trilogy (the third book is yet to be released with Entangled Teen), I really had a hard time with deciding which characters would live or die. It’s a terrible feeling when you realize one of your beloved characters has to die. You don’t want to do it, and you scramble to find a way out, but you know what needs to happen. Ouch.
Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters?
I meeeean… Cate from “From Fan to Forever” is loosely based off a middle-aged actress who I have a serious crush on, so I was kind of already in love with her before I even started writing it. Other than her, I’ve fallen in love with the characters from my Mermaids of Eriana Kwai series because I’ve spent so much time with them – it’s been a decade since Ice Massacre came out(!!) and I’ve never stopped creating other content based on those characters, so they really feel like part of me.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
I love unputdownable thrillers, though I can’t read them too often because they tend to scare the bejeezus out of me. But give me something like Gone Girl or Verity, and I will stay up late reading it and scream about it to everyone who will listen.
What books did you grow up reading?
Tbh I was a horse girl and obsessed with horse books. This totally shaped my love of reading and writing though – my favorite horse series had like 100 books in it, and it set me up to read voraciously. I think a lot of kids who read that voraciously end up wanting to write something of their own one day.
Do you only read books in one genre or do you genre hop?
I genre hop, including non-fiction. Contemporary, fantasy, thriller, historical, YA, whatever! I don’t care what genre a story is in, as long as the story’s good. I find it exciting to try books in different genres.
