With just the right touch of drama and playfulness, Not Our Summer is a great summer read that explores the importance of second chances, self-discovery, and meaning of family.
We chat with author Casie Bazay about her debut young adult novel Not Our Summer, as well as book recommendations, writing, and so much more!
Hi, Casie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi there! I’m a former middle school teacher turned (almost) full time writer. I have two “specialties”: writing freelance horse health-related content and writing books for young adults (which may or may not have horses in them). I couldn’t imagine doing anything better! Outside of work, I love spending time with my menagerie of animals (horses, goats, dogs, cats and chickens) and being in nature whenever I get the chance. However, I also enjoy some indoor activities such as reading and watching movies (especially YA book to film adaptations). I’ve been married for almost 22 years and I’m the mom of two wonderful kids (ages 11 and 14) who aren’t impressed in the least by the fact that their mom is a soon-to-be published author.
How is your 2021 going in comparison to that other year?
It’s weird because the year that shall not be named was actually one of my best and worst years simultaneously . . . but 2021 is off to a great start. Oh wait, we’re actually over a third of the way through it already—how can that be? Anyway, 2021 has been a good year because, due to the pandemic, I’ve come to appreciate so many things that I once took for granted. For example: a solo shopping trip at Target, outdoor get-togethers with family and friends, or even just eating a meal that I didn’t have to cook myself.
And who am I kidding?—the fact that my debut novel releases this year automatically puts 2021 up there in the *best year ever* category.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The first books I remember reading were the Berenstain Bear series. I’m sure the cute illustrations had a lot to do with that and I was definitely a sucker for talking animal books when I was a kid.
The book that first made me want to become an author is The Giver by Lois Lowry. I don’t think I read it until I was in college, but that book was mind-blowing to me. I read it to my middle schoolers every year and most of them loved it too.
I just finished Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley and this book also blew my mind and automatically rocketed itself up to my *favorite books ever* list. It’s amazing and important and I think everyone should check it out.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I’ve loved writing from a young age, but aside from a few short stories I wrote in elementary school, I was mostly interested in writing essays and poetry. I took creative writing classes in high school and college, and I think writing a book was always in the back of my mind as a bucket list thing, but I didn’t actually work up the nerve to try it until after I left the teaching profession in 2010.
Your debut novel, Not Our Summer, is out May 11th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Fun. Humorous. Heartfelt. Surprising. Wanderlust.
What can readers expect?
I think readers can expect to go on a fun ride along with cousins-at-odds, K.J. and Becka—not just in terms of location, but emotionally as well. If you’ve been longing to get out into the world and travel again, Not Our Summer will help to satiate some of that hunger, I hope. And if you’ve ever dealt with a difficult family situation, maybe you’ll be able to relate to K.J. and Becka’s struggles. There’s also a nice little plot twist a little over halfway through the novel, so I think readers will enjoy that as well.
Where did the inspiration for Not Our Summer come from?
The inspiration for this story came mainly from two sources: my love and admiration for my grandparents (none of whom are still with me) and my love of nature and travel. I wanted to explore a difficult family dynamic with the backdrop of these beautiful and amazing destinations, and I think that plays out well in Not Our Summer.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
This was my first time writing a dual POV book, so that was a challenge at first. I wanted to create two distinct narrative voices in K.J and Becka (and also in Grandpa Eli’s letters), and that’s not as easy as one might think! It took a lot of revising in order to find their individual voices, but I think it all worked out.
Since I’ve traveled to most of the destinations that the girls visit in the story, describing those places wasn’t overly difficult. However, I haven’t been to the bottom of the Grand Canyon or white water rafted on the Chattooga River, so I had to do quite a bit of Youtube watching in order to write those scenes. Descriptive settings are super important to me, especially when characters are in such varied locations—I want the reader to feel like they’re right there with my characters!
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I would have to say that some of my favorite moments to write in this story were the really catty scenes between K.J. and Becka (which happen a lot at first). I’m a totally non-confrontational person, but it was fun to create this kind of drama on the page. I also loved writing the plot twist scene and my heart still races whenever I read it!
What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Like so many authors, my journey has been a long and winding one. I didn’t start writing my first book until I was 34, but I did decide early on that I wanted to go the traditional route to publication. This meant that I would write a total of four complete manuscripts over the course of approximately eight years before I would land my publishing deal for Not Our Summer. I queried literary agents (and a few publishers) for nearly five years, racking up over 300 rejections. If there’s one word that describes me, I think it’s determined!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best writing advice I’ve ever received was probably advice that could apply to just about anything: “dress for the job you want”. I heard this at a writing conferences I attended a few years back and it stuck with me. After that conference, I made the decision to treat novel-writing like a part-time job and not just a hobby. I began dedicating several hours every week day to writing or revising my books whether I felt like it or not—always keeping my end goal of traditional publication in mind.
The worst piece of writing advice wasn’t necessarily something someone told me, but a common misconception among writers, which is that outlining is completely necessary before writing a story. This belief held me back for a long time because I simply couldn’t figure out how to outline a story. To me, outlining hinders my creative process, and once I let go of that notion and discovered there was such a thing as ‘pantsing’, I felt free. Every one of my completed novels was written without an outline. Of course, that doesn’t mean I go into a story completely blind—I always have a basic plot as well as character ideas in mind—but I really enjoy discovering my the story as I go along.
What’s next for you?
More books, I hope! I have a YA romance completed and in revisions, and I recently started a YA thriller as well. While I’m pretty sure I’ll stick to the YA age category, I enjoy exploring several different genres, and I’d love to publish a variety of books at some point.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I certainly do. Here are my top five favorite recent reads:
- Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (because it’s amazeballs!)
- A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey (so cute and the writing is superb)
- As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl (so beautifully told and I loved the alternating timeline)
- Today, Tonight, Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon (because Seattle and the enemies-to-lovers trope, need I say more?)
- Lady Long Rider by Bernice Ende (an adult memoir, but so, so inspiring)
