Penguin Random House; Michael Buckner Taylor Jenkins Reid has a new novel,Atmosphere, out June 3 The book follows a female astronaut as she joins one of the first NASA teams to send women to space, but is largely grounded in relationships The author spoke to PEOPLE about her inspiration, adapting her books for the screen and whether she'll ever stop writing novels Taylor Jenkins Reid's new book is out of this world — sometimes literally. Atmosphere, out Tuesday, June 3, from Ballantine Books, is a love story in several directions. There's the love protagonist Joan Goodwin has for the stars, which have fascinated her since she was a child; the love she has for her sister and her niece Frances, to whom she's basically a second mom; and the love that develops for one of her fellow astronauts after she joins a NASA crew preparing to send women to space for one of the first times. And the author promises the book continues to follow many of the same themes her readers have loved in her previous bestsellers, too. To date, Jenkins Reid has written nine books, includingDaisy Jones & the Six, now ahit TV showstarringRiley Keough;Carrie Soto Is Back, whichSerena Williams is executive-producingas a TV series; andThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which is in production as a movie. Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty "I knew that I wanted to continue to write about women and male dominated spaces, analyzing the rules for women and how they're different for women than they are for men in those spaces is interesting," the author says ofAtmospherefor a story in this week's PEOPLE. "But also I'm so curious about the types of women that thrive in that environment. I see Daisy Jones and and Karen inDaisy Jones & the Sixas great examples of that." For more on Taylor Jenkins Reid, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere. For readers who have fallen in love with Jenkins Reid's all-too-human characters — and are anxiously awaiting news of who will play their favorites in the upcomingEvelyn Hugofilm — that may be because that's where it all starts for the author, too. "As far as I'm concerned, plot is something I have to do to get to release the book," the author admits. "But all I care about are these people. I've always said like I don't really care what happens. I always care who it happens to." Trying to figure out how those characters drive the story is what Jenkins Reid calls "one of the most fun parts of my job. I get to just sit and think and think about people, and how they work, and how certain traits work in tandem or in conflict. That's what I'm driven by. I want to bring Joan Goodwin to life. That's my goal. And then the rest of it is just a way to do that." Penguin Random House That fascination with people is what first led Jenkins Reid to Los Angeles, where she originally aspired to become a casting director. She worked in casting for about four years — which is where she met her screenwriter husband Alex — before she realized "I wanted to be the person creating the character." The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! And now that she gets to watch her books make it to the screen. "To get the incredible experience of having such unbelievable casting for my characters, I mean, there is no Daisy Jones except Riley Keogh," Jenkins Reid says, adding that she "checked out of her body" when she heard Williams was attached toCarrie Soto. But as much as she loves having "a foot in both worlds, and I'm incredibly privileged to be able to produce some of these adaptations," Jenkins Reid isn't stepping away from the page anytime soon. "The majority of my time in my day is is writing books that I'm proud of. That's the form that makes the most sense to me," she says. "And just looking back on me trying to find my passion, it was books where I knew I had found it. And that has not changed." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Atmosphereby Taylor Jenkins Reid hits shelves on June 3 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold. Read the original article onPeople