Kate Stayman-London’s debut novel, “One to Watch” (2020, Dial Press), was hailed as a best of the year from Time, NPR and other outlets. Her second novel, “Fang Fiction” (2024, Penguin Random House), became an instant bestseller. Last year, it was announced she’s working on a TV adaptation of that love letter to romantacy with acclaimed filmmaker Diablo Cody.
On top of all that, the novelist-screenwriter-political strategist is dropping her highly anticipated third novel on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Described as a cross between TV’s “The West Wing” and rom-com “When Harry Met Sally,” Stayman-London’s “See You Next Tuesday” is an enemies-to-lovers tale of two campaign staffers “who agree on their politics but disagree on everything else.”
The book follows the to-be-lovers, Anya (Type A, driven) and Gabe (handsome, golden boy), through a decade of election highs and lows — including in Nevada — “with breakneck banter, sizzling chemistry and clear-eyed optimism,” according to publisher Penguin Random House.
Neon: What inspired you to write this book?
Kate Stayman-London: Before I became a novelist and screenwriter, I spent more than a decade working in politics. I worked my way up from a scrappy intern and volunteer to eventually become the lead writer for Hillary Clinton’s digital team in 2016. I went into that campaign sure I was going to write a novel about my experience, but after the election, I was too devastated to write about politics. When Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee in 2024, I felt this surge of joy and hope, and I had to write about it — I spent the next six months furiously writing the first draft of “See You Next Tuesday.” … I wanted readers to get a sense of how it feels to be in that world — the exhilarating thrills of working on the campaign trail, and of falling in love.
What is your connection to Nevada?
I absolutely love Las Vegas (and I don’t even gamble!). It’s such a great political town. My first job out of college was working for the Letter Carriers union, and our national convention was in Vegas that year — just imagine bright-eyed 23-year-old me with 10,000 mailmen on the Strip! When I was a broke grad student, one of my best friends was working for Harry Reid’s campaign, so I’d drive up from L.A. in my ancient Volkswagen to party with her on weekends. Nevada is such a diverse, vibrant, exciting place — and it’s been wonderful to watch the people of Nevada claim their political power as one of the most influential states in the nation. It’s exactly the sort of location I wanted to capture in “See You Next Tuesday.”
What do you hope readers take away from this book?
I always want my readers to come away from my work feeling empowered. With this novel, I hope readers will see that even when our politics feel so dark, you really can create change in your community by working for a local campaign (or even running for office!). I wanted to demystify the world of politics, to show how exciting and fun it can be. And of course, I hope readers will connect with Anya and Gabe’s love story, and the novel’s themes of grief and found family. We all have to weather such difficult losses in our lives (both electoral and personal), and I’ve found the only way through that pain is to lean on the people you love.
What is the most surprising thing you learned while writing this?
Honestly, the most surprising thing was that I still wanted to write this book after the results of the 2024 election! I was so afraid I’d hate working on this story, that I’d find it upsetting or even depressing — but it was the opposite. With how dark everything felt around me, this story became a lifeline. For the past two years, “See You Next Tuesday” has been my comfort and my escape – I hope readers will feel the same way.
What’s next for you?
Oh, my gosh, so many projects on the horizon! I’m also a movie and TV writer, so I’m cooking up some fun things in that space, and of course I’m working on another novel! I can’t reveal any details yet, but readers can rest assured that I’ll always write stories about smart, funny, ambitious women falling in love.