How Laura Taylor Namey Sits Down & Writes
This instant 'New York Times' Bestseller will have you longing to visit England and drooling over the perfect Cubano.
For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.
Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.
A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is perfect for fans of Love & Gelato and Don’t Date Rosa Santos. It’s also a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick
We caught up with Laura and asked her about her writing process, her favorite Cuban dish, and her interest in all things celestial.
Q: Where do you like to write the most?
Rather than an office, I prefer to write all over my house. Sometimes that’s in a big stuffed chair in my bedroom, and most often, on my family room couch with my feet up on an ottoman, a cozy quilt, and plenty of coffee and tea.
Q: When do you like to write the most?
I definitely do my best drafting early in the morning.
Q: When it comes to drafting, do you prefer writing on a computer or freehand?
I am all about the laptop. I only write anything freehand if I’m out and a line or inspiration point pops into my head. I might jot down some tidbits in a notebook I purchase for each book.
Q: Are you more of a plotter or pantser?
Both—I am what’s known as a “plantser!” I always know my ending and the major beats of my story. But I’m not always sure what the road looks like connecting them. That’s the fun part.
Q: Stephen King has a great line in On Writing that says “the scariest moment is always right before you start. After that, things can only get better.” That scary pre-start moment often inspires procrastination in writers. Suddenly, you have to clean your entire house, do the laundry and play Candy Crush for an hour before you can actually start writing. Is there anything you need to do before you can actually sit down and work?
This is totally me. I usually have to check e-mails and make sure nothing is due, pressing, or needed from anyone on my team, or my critique partners. Then...onward!
Q: Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what music? Is your choice of music inspired by the project you’re working on?
I make a Spotify playlist (and share it) for each of my books as I’m plotting and writing. Whether or not I listen to this music while drafting always depends on the particular scene I’m on. Sometimes, having quiet or moody tunes humming in the background is just the thing I need to really “feel” a scene. Other times, it gets in the way and silence is best.
Q: Some writers believe you have to write every single day. Is that true of your process? How often do you write/how long for each session?
I don’t subscribe to the “you must write every day” notion at all. While I take advantage of momentum, sometimes enjoying a few days off to rest helps me to come back to a project with new—and more capable—eyes. Cognitive distance and self-care are important parts of my process.
I tend to be a slow drafter and a quick revisor. When I’m in the thick of drafting, I usually work five to six days a week, and anywhere between six and eight hours per day. The rest of my day is spent on promotion and reading.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give an aspiring author?
Read fifty books in your chosen genre and age group. Then, choose your top five and try to analyze what it is about these texts that impacted you the most. Read for prose quality, pacing, characterization, plot devices, and emotional arc tools. Try to articulate then emulate what these authors, in particular, did to make you feel something.
Q: Where do you normally find story inspiration?
I find so much inspiration in people and emotions. Often, I’ll plot an entire story about a unique or quirky character with a gift or special desire that speaks to me. I am also big on constructing stories around the joys, hurts, or triumphs found in day-to-day life. I like to illuminate and explore universal feelings in new and unique ways.
Q: A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is such a delight. Miami is so vivid and present in this story. How did you go about writing the city almost as present as the main characters?
Thank you! I traveled to Miami almost yearly growing up and I have so much family still living there. I love Miami and its vibrancy and diversity. I love the Cuban culture, the color, the music, the tropical heat, and oh, the food! My cousins helped me with some Miami details when I couldn’t go back to check up on them myself.
Q: The food in A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow had our stomachs rumbling. What is your favorite Cuban dish?
This is so common on Cuban household tables but my mom’s arroz con pollo is one of my favorite dishes. Amazing.
Q: What are some of your favorite rom-coms? Did any of them inspire A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow?
Cuban Girl was inspired in part by the movies, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Chocolat. For books, so many! I love Don’t Date Rosa Santos, Tell Me Three Things, and Anna and the French Kiss.
Q: In the book, Orion is trying to find Lila's signature tea. Do you have a signature tea?
I sure do and I won’t spoil it because it’s the same as Lila’s! A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is getting a custom tea blend from Friday Tea in Seattle. My blend is called Sweaters and Stars and it is my new favorite.
Q: In A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow there's a cosmic connection between the characters’ names—Orion, as well as Lila's nickname being Estrellita. Are you interested in astrology? How did that come into play in your writing?
I am more interested in all things celestial. I love stargazing and there’s a fair bit of that in my book. Orion stuck out to me as such an interesting, strong name. And Lila was always going to be Estrellita because she is a bright and burning star in her small world and rarely stops working and striving. She also carries the risk of burning herself out. I truly loved the emotional and narrative possibilities the dual star names opened up for Lila and Orion in their romantic arc. Stars are full of wonder and wishes.
Q: Lila's journey to England was brought about by a trifecta of loss—her beloved Abuela, her boyfriend breaking her heart, and her best friend leaving and doing the same. The story gave enough space for her to process each of these relationships separately. Did the emotional weight of grieving these losses equally play into any of your planning for the structure of the book?
Each of these things happened to me as a teen in some way, but not all at once. Also, while I was drafting, my beloved tía who inspired the character of Abuela in my book, passed away. I suddenly became a part of Lila in a very present way and this was an extremely difficult time. I tried to channel the rush of love and grief and emotion into my words. Instead of a general tribute to my Cuban family, this book became a sort of memorial. A place to rest and reconcile the spirits of my loved ones. I am so grateful to have this now.
Q: What was the last romance book you loved?
I adored The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon which comes out early next year! A must read!
Pick up your copy of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow at bookshop.org, IndieBound, or Barnes & Noble. Happy Reading!
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