The Essentials With Author Ashley Poston: Disney, Local Bookstores and ‘A Novel Love Story’

How the South Carolina native turned her childhood writing hobby into a full-time career as a New York Times best-selling author.

Growing up in a small town in South Carolina, Ashley Poston found community in writing. “I got picked on as a kid because I had a pretty bad speech impediment where I stuttered a lot, and so I turned to writing,” Poston tells Observer of her earliest writing days in grade school. “I found most of my people online in the fanfic community, and they helped me sort of figure out who I was.” That creative space also helped Poston fine-tune her writing skills across multiple genres, earning her local awards for playwriting before she even graduated high school. While studying English at the University of South Carolina, Poston started working as a graphic designer and marketing designer for publishing companies before ultimately signing with an agent and publishing her first YA novel in 2017.

“After six YA books, 2020 happened, and I didn’t have any more contracts. I had this idea that I did not think would go anywhere, so I asked my agent, ‘Do you think anyone would read about ghosts in this day and age?’” Poston’s agent gave her the green light, and that idea eventually developed into 2022’s The Dead Romantics—Poston’s first foray into adult romance, and a New York Times bestseller. Since joining the adult contemporary romance space, Poston has written a new, magic-based romance novel each year, the latest of which hit shelves in June 2024. 

“A Novel Love Story is about a professor of English who finds herself lost in the fictional town of her favorite romance series,” Poston explains. “It’s kind of my take on a portal fantasy, and so I wanted to see what that looked like in a romance genre.” Though the main character finds herself in a fictional town, Poston draws inspiration from the very real town of Rhinebeck, New York. “There are so many nice hiking trails, and the middle of town is really lovely with one of my favorite bookstores, Oblong Books, and a candy shop owned by Paul Rudd,” Poston says of her go-to stops. “It’s so beautiful, and I hope people enjoy a small vacation to the Hudson Valley and to a town that doesn’t exist with this book.”

Poston will have another romance novel out next June, but in celebration of her latest launch, Observer asked the author to share her current essentials—from her favorite spots in Columbia, SC, to the books she’s reading (when she’s not writing, of course).

Morning skincare routine:

I have very cystic acne-prone skin, so I just recently found the best process. It’s usually just a light wash on my face and then some moisturizer. Obviously, I put sunscreen on, but I had been looking for a good sunscreen, and I finally found Beauty of Joseon. It’s a Korean skincare line, and it’s the only sunscreen that doesn’t break me out. I have to switch up the cleanser and moisturizer depending on the season, but right now, I’m on the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser and the Daily Facial Moisturizer.

What she’s binge-watching:

I dodged spoilers for so long, and then they finally hit me the other day, but I’m still binge-watching the last episodes of the new Bridgerton season.

What she’s reading: 

I’m a Carley Fortune superfan, and This Summer Will Be Different is my favorite book of hers yet. I also really enjoyed the last book in the Lovelight Farms quartet by B.K. Borison called Business Casual. The entire series is lovely, and if you’re looking for a good kind of Stars Hollow romance series to get into, it’s so good—they’re my comfort reads, where you just snuggle into them, and you know everything is going to be okay.

Favorite vacation spot:

This is so cringey at this point, but I really love Disney. I am a nerd for theme parks in general, so I just get myself a Mickey pretzel and vibe when I’m there. I absolutely have a system where I try to stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort, because it has a Skyliner to both Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Then I always try to hit up the big attractions first or get FastPasses for some of the attractions, but the one ride I always have to do is the Rise of the Resistance, because I’m a Star Wars girlie.

What she’s traveling with: 

Usually, I am a carry-on person, but right now, I have a book tour, so I had to check my bag. I’m pretty loyal to my Away luggage, but I’ve gotten in so much trouble with the built-in charger because I always forget to take it out. The first thing I put in my bag is a hair brush, then I have a three-in-one charger for my iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods that I never go anywhere without, and I cannot live without my Hobonichi planner. 

South Carolina favorites:

I’m based in Columbia, and I always go to Cool Beans. I went to the University of South Carolina, so that coffee shop is like my old stomping grounds. There’s also The Dragon Room that just opened; it’s Asian fusion and the food is so good. And I always stop at the bookstore—well, three bookstores—Ed’s Editions, All Good Books and a new one called Queer Haven.

The one thing in her wardrobe she refuses to part with:

I have this threadbare Motion City Soundtrack T-shirt that’s definitely the thing in my wardrobe that’s ancient and wise, and I absolutely still wear it. It’s just so soft at this point and so worn, and it’s just one of my favorite shirts.