We chat with author Neely Tubati Alexander about In A Not So Perfect World, which is a delightful Caribbean-set romp about an ambitious designer of apocalyptic video games with a strategy for (almost) everything who discovers what happens when her best-laid plans go off course…
Where did your love of writing originally come from? Did you have a fave book growing up that sparked your career choice?
I always knew I wanted to write. English was always my favorite subject in school and the one that came most easily to me. For years, I had this someday dream of writing a book, but it wasn’t until 2020 and being home at the height of Covid that I started to dedicate real time to it. And from there, I just kept the momentum going!
I was an on and off reader growing up. I would go through years where I barely read and then others when I read several books. I’ve only gotten back into reading consistently since 2020. Reading has certainly made me a better writer.
As a writer and storyteller, how does your Indian heritage play a role in your ideas and characters?
Representation in my novels is incredibly important to me and I certainly look for it in the industry as a whole. That said, I believe we need more stories of diverse love. The more we read about different types of people, whether via race, gender, sexual identity, etc. the more we can relate to the people around us. I am happy to play a small part in bringing these stories to the world, but also to create a bridge that shows we all have the same wants and desires, challenges and heartbreak, regardless of differences.
How did the idea for ‘In a Not So Perfect World’ come about, and what was the process for writing it?
My husband and I visited Turks and Caicos a few years back and I knew it would be the perfect spot for a romantic getaway in a story! In LOVE BUZZ, the characters don’t actually spend much time together on the page, so with my next book, I wanted to create an environment where they spent A LOT of time together. And what better way to do that than have them sharing a suite on a tropical island?
Where did you draw inspiration from when creating your lead character Sloane?
I knew I wanted a heroine in STEM, and the more I learned about gaming, the more I knew this was a big arena that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I also really loved the idea of moving on from heartbreak and what that might look like and who the “right” guy might be to make her do so after being afraid to jump again for so long. The characters built somewhat naturally from there.
What do you want readers to love most about ‘In a Not So Perfect World’ when it is released?
One of the things I learned through my debut, LOVE BUZZ, is that this is not for me to say. One of the best surprises of the publication process with that book was people reaching out to me with stories of how they connected with it. That they were turning thirty and felt like they were in Serena’s exact position or they had lost their mother as well and felt the camaraderie of Serena’s grief. The best part of writing a book is the way it meets people where they are, and thus what resonates differs from person to person. So, in that same way, I hope readers find that piece of connection to their real circumstances, whatever it may be.
