Earlier this month, VPM multimedia reporter Keyris Manzanares interviewed author Abby Jimenez as part of the PBS Books Author Talk series in support of the annual Library of Congress National Book Festival. Each year in Washington, DC, the National Book Festival brings together authors, novelists, historians, poets, children’s writers and illustrators together with the public to celebrate books.
Abby Jimenez is a #1 New York Times bestselling romance author. Her novels have sold over 1.5 million copies and been translated into 28 languages. Her latest novel, Just for Summer, is featured at this summer’s festival.
An avid reader herself, Keyris was already a fan of Abby’s books, so when PBS Books reached out back in June to ask if she would have a conversation with Abby, Keyris immediately jumped at the opportunity.
VPM caught up with Keyris after the interview to ask her a few questions about her conversation with Abby.
VPM: How did you prepare for this interview? Have you interviewed authors before?
Keyris: This was my first author interview! I started with just reading the book – I was familiar with Abby’s books through BookTok – a community on TikTok that focuses on books and literature. Once I got a copy of Just for Summer, I read it in just five hours on a flight to Los Angeles. I was glued to the book because of the approachable writing style and character narratives.
VPM: What were you most excited to ask Abby about?
Keyris: I was excited to ask Abby about how she came up with the pre-date surveys she includes in her books. I thought it was a neat way to show the thoughtfulness of one of the characters, Justin, and add creative breaks in the book.
VPM: What was something that you learned that surprised you?
Keyris: I was surprised at how much research Abby does to write her books. This book opens conversations about toxic parental relationships, mental health and putting yourself first. So, it was interesting to hear that Abby has a panel of counselors, psychologists and doctors that she works with to develop character personalities, issues and possible scenarios they will face.
VPM: If this book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the protagonists?
Keyris: My vote would be for Simone Ashley from Bridgerton and Jacob Elordi from Euphoria!
At this year’s National Book Festival, Jimenez will be one of 90 amazing authors, poets and illustrators, including Doris Kearns Goodwin, James Patterson, Rachel Khong, Meg Medina and many more.
Interested in going to the National Book Festival? It will be held in the nation’s capital at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 24, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.). The event is free and open to the public. More information is available at loc.gov/events/2024-national-book-festival
For more than 10 years, PBS Books has been sharing the voices of dynamic, diverse authors as they attend book festivals. This year, VPM was proud to join PBS in promoting the 2024 4 National Book Festival at the Library of Congress.
