Q & A with Sarah Echavarre Smith, author of On Location.
- Tell us about ON LOCATION!
It’s a sweet and sexy romcom about Alia, a
Filipino-American television producer who gets to make the series of her
dreams: a show about Utah’s national parks. It’s the career break she’s been
working years for, but she’ll have to navigate working with the hottie who
ghosted her and a diva host to make her professional—and romantic—dreams come
true.
- What inspired you to write this novel?
So many things! My love for
travel mostly but also the pandemic and subsequent quarantine too weirdly
enough! Like everyone else last year, I was stuck at home dreaming about all
these places I wished I could visit. Southern Utah is one of my favorite
destinations with its breathtaking desert landscape and jaw-dropping red rock
formations. I used that as the setting for the book and came up with the actual
idea for the plot around that. It’s also an ode to a couple of my favorite TV
series, Rock The Park and UnREAL. Very different shows, I know!
But I love the adventure aspect of Rock
the Park and how it highlighted the national parks in each episode. And I
adore the reality TV drama of UnREAL.
That inspired some dramatic moments and characters in ON LOCATION.
- Do you relate to the heroine, Alia, in any way?
Absolutely, I can definitely
relate to her struggle as a woman working in a male dominated industry and
constantly trying to prove herself. I’ve worked in similar situations in the
past, and the frustration you feel when people are constantly doubting and
undermining you just because you’re a woman is very real and very upsetting. I
also relate to her closeness with her family and her experience as a
Filipino-American, since my background is also Filipino-American.
- What was your favorite part of writing the book? What was your
biggest challenge?
My favorite part was writing
the tension between Alia and Drew. I love their meetcute (it’s my favorite I’ve
written so far), and building off of their instant chemistry and turning it
into conflict and banter as they work together was really fun.
My biggest challenge was learning
about the outdoor television industry! When I pitched this idea to my
publisher, it was kind of a whim and I wasn’t sure they would go for it because
it was a bit out there. But then they did and after the excitement of getting
the contract wore off, I thought, “Crap...now how do I pull this off?” haha.
Luckily I have a couple of friends who work in the TV industry so I spent some
time interviewing them to get a better idea of how things operate. I watched
tons of episodes and behind-the-scenes footage of Rock The Park, a TV show that follows two hosts as they explore
national parks in the US. I also watched the entire series UnREAL to get some inspo for behind-the-scenes TV production drama.
I think ON LOCATION ended up being an excellent blend of romcom, TV drama, and
nature show.
- What
do you hope readers will take away from reading ON LOCATION?
I just hope that my book can
be a fun escape. Life is stressful and full of uncertainty, and if reading my
book can be a pleasant distraction for people and bring them a small bit of
joy, that means the world to me.
And I also hope they show some love for the national parks! I think the
national park system is a treasure, and I would be so happy if reading ON
LOCATION inspired people to visit a national park or support them in some way
by volunteering or donating
On Location by Sarah Echavarre Smith
Published by Berkley
Sep 21, 2021
In ON LOCATION, Alia Dunn has
finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up at TV's top
outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network executives to
bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah's national parks.
It's a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia's passion for
travel and the outdoors as a kid.
Alia is thrilled--until she meets her newest
crew member, Drew Irons. The same Drew she had the most amazing first date with
two weeks ago--who then ghosted her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously
thick forearms and who loves second-guessing her every move on set in front of
the entire crew. It's not long before the tension between them turns hotter
than the Utah desert in the dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to
major feelings.
But when the series host goes rogue one too
many times, jeopardizing the entire shoot, Alia realizes that she'll need to
organize one hell of a coup to save her show--and she'll need Drew's help to do
it. It's the riskiest move she's ever made. If she pulls it off, she'll end up
with a hit series and her dream guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could
lose both.
ABOUT ON LOCATION
Nothing like a rocky start between
enemy coworkers stuck together on location to prove that love isn’t just a ploy
for ratings—it’s a force of nature.
Alia Dunn has finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up
at TV’s top outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network
executives to bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah’s
national parks. It’s a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia’s
passion for travel and the outdoors as a kid.
Alia is thrilled—until she meets her newest crew member, Drew Irons. The same
Drew she had the most amazing first date with two weeks ago—who then ghosted
her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously thick forearms and who loves
second-guessing her every move on set in front of the entire crew. It’s not
long before the tension between them turns hotter than the Utah desert in the
dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to major feelings.
But when the series host goes rogue one too many times, jeopardizing the entire
shoot, Alia realizes that she’ll need to organize one hell of a coup to save
her show—and she’ll need Drew’s help to do it. It’s the riskiest move she’s
ever made. If she pulls it off, she’ll end up with a hit series and her dream
guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could lose both.
SEE LESS
ABOUT ON LOCATION
Nothing like a rocky start between
enemy coworkers stuck together on location to prove that love isn’t just a ploy
for ratings—it’s a force of nature.
Alia Dunn has finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up
at TV’s top outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network
executives to bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah’s
national parks. It’s a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia’s
passion for travel and the outdoors as a kid.
Alia is thrilled—until she meets her newest crew member, Drew Irons. The same
Drew she had the most amazing first date with two weeks ago—who then ghosted
her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously thick forearms and who loves
second-guessing her every move on set in front of the entire crew. It’s not
long before the tension between them turns hotter than the Utah desert in the
dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to major feelings.
But when the series host goes rogue one too many times, jeopardizing the entire
shoot, Alia realizes that she’ll need to organize one hell of a coup to save
her show—and she’ll need Drew’s help to do it. It’s the riskiest move she’s
ever made. If she pulls it off, she’ll end up with a hit series and her dream
guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could lose both.
SEE LESS
ABOUT ON LOCATION
Nothing like a rocky start between
enemy coworkers stuck together on location to prove that love isn’t just a ploy
for ratings—it’s a force of nature.
Alia Dunn has finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up
at TV’s top outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network
executives to bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah’s
national parks. It’s a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia’s
passion for travel and the outdoors as a kid.
Alia is thrilled—until she meets her newest crew member, Drew Irons. The same
Drew she had the most amazing first date with two weeks ago—who then ghosted
her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously thick forearms and who loves
second-guessing her every move on set in front of the entire crew. It’s not
long before the tension between them turns hotter than the Utah desert in the
dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to major feelings.
But when the series host goes rogue one too many times, jeopardizing the entire
shoot, Alia realizes that she’ll need to organize one hell of a coup to save
her show—and she’ll need Drew’s help to do it. It’s the riskiest move she’s
ever made. If she pulls it off, she’ll end up with a hit series and her dream
guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could lose both.
SEE LESS
ABOUT ON LOCATION
Nothing like a rocky start between
enemy coworkers stuck together on location to prove that love isn’t just a ploy
for ratings—it’s a force of nature.
Alia Dunn has finally gotten her big break. After years of working her way up
at TV’s top outdoor travel channel, she gets the green light from network
executives to bring her dream project to life: produce a series about Utah’s
national parks. It’s a touching tribute to her late apong, who sparked Alia’s
passion for travel and the outdoors as a kid.
Alia is thrilled—until she meets her newest crew member, Drew Irons. The same
Drew she had the most amazing first date with two weeks ago—who then ghosted
her. The same Drew who has the most deliciously thick forearms and who loves
second-guessing her every move on set in front of the entire crew. It’s not
long before the tension between them turns hotter than the Utah desert in the
dead of summer, and their steamy encounters lead to major feelings.
But when the series host goes rogue one too many times, jeopardizing the entire
shoot, Alia realizes that she’ll need to organize one hell of a coup to save
her show—and she’ll need Drew’s help to do it. It’s the riskiest move she’s
ever made. If she pulls it off, she’ll end up with a hit series and her dream
guy . . . but if it all goes wrong, she could lose both.
SEE LESS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Smith is a copywriter turned author who
wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love
of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie’s stash of
romance novels. She’s been hooked ever since. When she’s not writing, you can
find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her
lumpia recipe.
She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and her adorable cat, Salem.
PRAISE
“A vivid, romantic adventure about identity, equality and
the poignant connection between people and places. Sexy, smart and pure
escapist—I want to live in a Sarah Smith novel!”—Samantha Young, New
York Times bestselling author
“On Location is a sassy, sexy read with a swoon-worthy hero and a
smart heroine, who have a sizzling hot chemistry that is off the charts! Set
against a picturesque national park backdrop, this fun, flirty,
enemies-to-lovers romance is a wickedly wonderful ride!”—Jenn McKinlay, New
York Times bestselling author of Paris is Always a Good Idea
“On Location gave me a much needed escape to gorgeous Utah with
a lovely cast of characters, and I knew I was in the most capable hands! Sarah
Smith knows how to write steadfast heroines, swoony heroes, a love story to
root for, and the best kissing scenes.”—Tif Marcelo, USA
Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away
“Smith sensitively showcases how Alia’s Filipino heritage effects her personal
and professional goals. Fun, sexy, and uplifting, this is sure to appeal to
lovers of light romance.”—Publishers Weekly
“Full of soft moments and searing heat, On Location transports
you to a space in the middle of breathtaking natural wonders where you, too,
will fall in love. Sarah Smith delivers a funny, poignant novel where
happily ever after is only the beginning of the adventure. This is the travel
love story we all deserve!”—Denise Williams, author of How to Fail at
Flirting
