We chat with author Samantha Saldivar about Play You For It, which is sizzling sapphic romance where sparks fly between a sports journalist and her latest source—the first woman to be named head coach of a Division 1 men’s basketball team—but are they willing to risk their careers for a shot at love?
Hi, Samantha! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey, I’m Sam! I’m a writer and avid sports fan who started my career in broadcast journalism as a news producer. During my time in local TV news, I covered everything from election nights to the Olympic Trials. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and studied journalism at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!). These days, I work for a tech company and live with my wife and our very spoiled dog.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but for a long time I pursued that through journalism, whether I was writing for the school paper, radio, or TV. I wrote creatively in my free time as a bit of an escape, but it took me a long time to find my own voice, craft characters, and believe in what I made from my imagination and not just what I got from interviewing people. I do think my past in journalism was a fantastic foundation and is often an inspiration for my books.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
- The one that made you want to become an author: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Your debut novel, Play You For It, is out October 21st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Hmmm…secret sapphic love and basketball.
What can readers expect?
Readers are going to meet two women with a lot of chemistry but also a lot of ambition! Jordan and Beck are both determined to make a name for themselves in the sports world – Jordan as the first woman to coach a D1 men’s basketball team and Beck as a sports reporter – and they really have to push, grow, and take risks to get there, separately and together. This book is absolutely about their love story but also about two people trying to find their place and succeed in a world that wasn’t always set up for them.
Where did the inspiration for Play You For It come from?
I was inspired by Becky Hammon making history as the first woman to coach an NBA team when she stepped in for Greg Popovitch during a San Antonio Spurs game in 2020.
This book was also heavily inspired by my time in sports journalism at the University of Oregon. I worked for campus television and radio and interned at a regional sports network. I spent tons of time on the sidelines, in press boxes and post-game interviews, which informed Beck’s storyline as a reporter as well as the actual basketball and behind-the-scenes that take place throughout the book.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
One thing I really liked about writing Jordan and Beck’s relationship is that they really understand each other’s worlds! They’re both incredibly passionate about basketball and pretty competitive, so the scenes where that is front and center are really fun. There’s also a bit of a forbidden, secret romance element because reporters (Beck) can’t fall for the people they cover (Jordan), so the element of them trying to resist each other and navigate the ethics of a relationship was also fun to explore.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
One of my biggest challenges was probably just balancing the basketball and sports action with the romance! I think just peeling away some of those layers and keeping readers in mind helped. Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It’s been a really positive experience! I took what I think is a pretty traditional path – getting an agent, working through edits, going on sub, and more rounds of edits after landing with my publisher. It’s come with its share of slow periods, waiting, and learning, but I’ve felt really lucky to have an incredibly supportive team behind me at Dell and with my agent.
What’s next for you?
My second sapphic sports romance, Running Home to You, is coming out May 19, 2026. It’s more of a sweeping love story that follows two college softball players and their tumultuous relationship over a decade.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
Oh man, it usually depends on what I’m writing! But I really enjoyed reading There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib while I was working through edits on Play You For It. I also devoured The Blue Sisters by Coco Mellers while on vacation this summer and, as an older sister, it really resonated!
