The book tackles everything from colorism to the troubles of coming of age to self-liberation.
What is the first thing ever that you remember writing?
It was YA fiction, and it was calledThe Truth about Megan Riley.
Asha Bromfield is the author of the new novel ‘Hurricane Summer’.Credit: KYLE KIRKWOOD; St. Martin’s Publishing Group
It was actually the novel that landed me my first agent, before I got into acting.
What is the last book that made you cry?
I really loved Junauda Petrus’The Stars and the Blackness Between Them.
Her work is stunning.
I thought her writing was so beautifully haunting and poetic.
Which book is at the top of your current to-read list?
I love anything written by Eckhart Tolle, and I’m currently readingFear, by Thich Nhat Hanh.
They are incredible gems if you are looking to deepen your spiritual practice!
Where do you write?
I like to mix it up.
I wroteHurricane Summeralmost everywhere Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, L.A. My bedroom and coffee shops.
Looking back, they probably thought I was dedicated to writing a crazy essay!
Which book made you a forever reader?
ThePrivateseries, by Kate Brian.
There was so much great world-building, and I loved the nuanced depiction of the women.
I hope to write a novel like that one day!
What is a snack you couldn’t write without?
It’s not really a snack but I’m generally obsessed with tea.
Or should I say, multiple hot cups of tea!
I just think it sets the mood and helps to invoke this feeling of openness when I’m writing.
My favorite blend is burdock root, damiana, moringa and dandelion root!
If you could change one thing about of your book, what would it be?
I’m actually really happy with my debut exactly as it is.
I think the beauty of this novel is that it’s a story about the beauty of destruction.
The messy, complicated parts of us are a part of what makes us whole.
There is purpose in our journeys and our stories.
There is so much power in using our voices, even when they shake with fear.
Nothing is perfect, and that’s what makes us human.
That’s what makes this journey so beautiful.
I think this book reflects that, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.
What is your favorite part ofHurricane Summer?
My favorite part of this book is how it amplifies the message of liberation, self-reclamation, and forgiveness.
It’s the beginning.
I want to teach young women that their voices are powerful.
What was the hardest plot point or character to write?
But it was necessary for their healing, and I wanted to verify I did those scenes justice.
She becomes the hero of her own life.
Write a movie poster tag line:
How beautiful it was, to be destroyed.
