BOOK BLITZ & INTERVIEW ~ REMEMBER WHEN TRILOGY BY T. TORREST

Years before Trip Wiley could be seen on movie screens all over the world, he could be seen sitting in the desk behind me in my high school English class. 

This was back in 1990, and I cite the year only to avoid dumbfounding you when references to big hair or stretch pants are mentioned. Although, come to think of it, I am from New Jersey, which may serve as explanation enough. We were teenagers then, way back in a time before anyone, himself included, could even dream he’d turn into the Hollywood commodity that he is today.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you who Trip Wiley is. But on the off chance you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, just know that these days, he’s the bad boy actor found at the top of every casting director’s wish list. He’s incredibly talented and insanely gorgeous, the combination of which has made him very rich, very famous and very desirable.

And not just to casting directors, either.I can’t confirm any of the gossip from his early years out in Tinseltown, but based on what I knew of his life before he was famous, I can tell you that the idea of Girls-Throwing-Themselves-At-Trip is not a new concept. 
I should know. I was one of them. 
     And my life hasn’t been the same since.

“You know how sometimes, your high school crush grows up to be an insanely famous movie star? Okay, probably not. But I do.”~Layla Warren
Back in high school, Trip Wiley’s fanbase only encompassed the denizens of the nothing little suburb of Norman, New Jersey. 
Ten years later, all that is about to change.
In the summer of 2000, Layla Warren is enjoying her career as a journalist in New York City (well, sort of), while Trip spends most of his time grabbing Hollywood by the balls. 
In the days before what will turn out to be his skyrocketing fame, they’ll find themselves confronted with some life-altering choices. 
Remember When 2 is the second story in an NA romance trilogy. It will bring you back to that exuberant and riotous time of life in your twenties when you struggled to figure out your place in the world and the person you were meant to be…
…and the person you were meant to be with.

I’ve been in love with Trip Wiley since I was sixteen years old.
Yep. That Trip Wiley. 
Academy award-winning actor, known philanthropist, People’s Sexiest Man Alive two years running…
Yeah. 
It’s not like I’m some delusional stalker-fan. It just so happens that he was my high school sweetheart back in 1991. In the years since, he’s simply been The One That Got Away. We just can’t seem to get on the same page at the same time.
Our timing may have sucked, but the feelings had already been confirmed. Years ago.At least his were.He doesn’t know that I had chosen to love him back. I need to fix that.And I need to do it now.
Remember When 3 is the third and final book in the Remember Trilogy. It’s a story about taking chances and following your heart…
and knowing that sometimes, you just have to learn when to let go.

F: First of all, thank you so much for doing this interview! 

T: Thanks for having me!  

F: For those who aren’t familiar with your work, can you tell us a little bit about your books? 

T: The Remember When trilogy is a New Adult romantic comedy about a woman looking back to her high school crush… who has since grown up to become an A-list Hollywood movie star. It takes place in 1990-91, so there are a ton of hilarious 80s references (but it also has a lot of heart, too). 

F: What inspired you to write Trip and Layla’s story? And why have it set in the 80s and 90s? 

T: I had a dream one night; a girl was having a conversation with her father, wondering what her life would have been like had she actually stayed in touch with her high school sweetheart who was now [actual hot actor]. I woke up with a great first line in my head, and the story took off from there. I’ve written every word of all three books just to get to that Layla/Dad convo in RW3. And since the story is basically told from present-day, I needed a time to flash back to. What sillier decade than the 80s?

F: Agreed! What was the hardest scene for you to write about? 

T: Without question, the sex scene in the first RW. It took me months. I kept going back to it, adding or changing it a little, then I’d walk away for a few days (or weeks!). It was really important to get the balance right. I mean, they were teenagers, for godsakes! It needed to be sweet and awkward and scary and funny… but most of all, passionate without being smutty. All that work finally paid off, because I’m really happy with the end result.

F: How important is music to your stories, and what are your current top 5 songs you listen to?

T: Well, my new book is about a rock star, so the music will be extremely relevant to the story. But normally, I’m not an author who has to have music to be inspired. I’ll throw on some tunes from whatever year I’m writing about, just to help me get back to that time, but I tend to block everything out while I’m writing anyway. 

As far as some favorite songs? Off the top of my head:
Elvis Costello- Peace, Love and Understanding.
Bob Dylan- Don’t Think Twice
Three Dog Night- Shambala
The Beatles- Here Comes the Sun
ELO- Mr. Blue Sky

F: Ohhh love The Beatles! Definitely can’t go wrong with them. If the Remember trilogy were turned into a movie, which actor and actress would you see play Trip and Layla?

T: I get this question a lot, and I’m normally hesitant to answer. Only because it’s kind of off-putting when an author splashes her “character inspirations” all over Facebook, or worse, right there on the cover. Nine times out of ten, I don’t find their guys attractive, and it completely ruins the story for me. I like to use my own imagination when reading, so I’ll trust my readers to think for themselves, too.

Having said that, I’ll compromise and give you my Layla: Leighton Meester is my hands-down first choice, but Minka Kelly is a close second. 

F: Nice! *looks up Minka Kelly* I can definitely see Leighton as Layla. What’s the weirdest and/or funniest thing you’ve had to look up for your books?

T: What year Cool Ranch Doritos came out. 

(and for those interested, it was 1987) 

F: What character in the books is your favorite, or the one you can relate most to?

T: Well, I obviously relate most to Layla, but how could Trip not be my favorite? (Crud. I also love Layla’s dad, Cooper, and Lisa, and I have a huge soft spot in my heart for Rymer.)

F: Would you ever consider writing a Trip and Layla novella or a story about other characters in the trilogy?

T: Well, I’m sort of in the middle of writing a “spinoff” right now! My next book stars a peripheral character from the RW books, as all my stories tie together on some level. Trip and Layla’s life together will play out in the background of future books, and by the time the entire Norman Series has been released, any curiosity should be satisfied. 

I have considered a novella to explain Trip’s “lost” years out in Hollywood, but seeing as Layla and he weren’t together during that time, I didn’t think there’d be much interest. The magic is when they’re together. I might still write it, though. Who knows. He’s an interesting character and I love getting inside his head.

F: If you ever do write one on Trip’s years out in Hollywood, I’d definitely read it! It’s always great to learn more about his character and knowing in the end, he and Layla are together. 

 Hmm…let’s see.

Use 5 words to describe the Remember When books.

T: Funny. Sweet. Frustrating. Swoony. Nostalgic. 

F: What’s next for you? Could you give us a sneak peek?

T: Up next is “Down the Shore”, starring Layla’s cousin Jack as a contractor-turned-musician in a struggling Jersey bar band in 1995. It turns the whole “rock god” plotline on its head, and I think you’ll absolutely fall in love with it. Livia is a piece of work… and Jack is smoking hot.

F: Oooh sounds fascinating! Oh and here’s a teaser pic T. revealed a few days back!