We chat with author Tia Williams about Audre & Bash Are Just Friends, which follows two teens who can’t forget they’re just friends in this sweet, funny, electrifying romance, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon.
Hi, Tia! When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
From the moment I could read, I was obsessed with writing. I’d read my favorite books over and over again, and copy my favorite lines into school notebooks. I didn’t realize that I was teaching myself how to write fiction! I actually wrote my first “book” in second grade in one of my mom’s Steno Pads. The book was called “Peter and the Crystal Bunny,” and I even taped my second-grade photo to the back and wrote a little About the Author section: Tia, 7, is probably the youngest riter you know.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Cordoroy by Don Freeman
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Your latest novel, Audre & Bash Are Just Friends, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Funny. Heartwarming. Emotional. First love.
What can readers expect?
A sweetly romantic journey to falling in love for the first time, during one sizzling-hot Brooklyn summer! It stars Audre, a type-A overachiever (president of her class, captain of debate team, thriving student therapy business…). She’s good at almost everything, except having fun! So she hires the new bad boy in town, Bash, to teach her how to have a good time. Antics ensue!
Where did the inspiration for Audre & Bash Are Just Friends come from?
Audre is actually a returning character! Audre & Bash Are Just Friends is a spinoff from my adult novel, Seven Days in June. In that book, she’s a precocious, witty 12-year-old daughter of the female protagonist, Eva Mercy. And she became the fan favorite! Readers thought she was funny and quotable, and I’d always get DMs asking when she’d get her own book! I decided it’d be fun to catch up with her four years later, as a sixteen-year-old navigating first love.
Did you always have in mind to explore Audre when Seven Days In June released in 2021?
Not at all! I had no idea that she’d be a fan favorite. I wrote her as sort-of an audience proxy; the person in the room who was wiser than everyone else. She had Eva and Shane’s number!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Audre’s best friend Reshma. She was a character unlike any others I’ve written—but I see Reshma-types all over NYC. She’s the child of famous, wealthy, absent parents, trying to figure out how to live with little-to-no guidance. She gets into trouble and makes risky decisions, but she’s got a great heart.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
My biggest concern was that I wouldn’t know how to write teens in a convincing way. But my sixteen-year-old daughter (and her friends!) were extraordinarily helpful. Especially with slang, and anecdotes about high-school scandals!
What’s next for you?
I can’t say too much, but I have an adult novel coming out in summer 2026. It’ll be a juicy one!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
- Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
- The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
