Zoe Allison Interview - The Christmas Competition

Photo Content from Zoe Allison

Zoe Allison lives in Scotland with her husband and two children, having been brought up in a mixed race family in Yorkshire.

Growing up, Zoe enjoyed stories about falling in love. But rather than being rescued by a knight in shining armour she imagined herself fighting dragons alongside him, battling supervillains as heroic allies, or teaming up to dive into perilous waters and save the day.

As an adult, Zoe became a doctor. But as time passed she craved a creative outlet to counter the soul sapping burnout that her career inflicted upon her, and also to achieve the happy endings that were so often lacking in the real world. She wanted to create heroines who represented her and her values, as well as heroes who truly love women—men who find their true love inspiring, want to connect with her as a soulmate, and fully open themselves to her on an emotional level. And so, Zoe began to write romance.

       

Greatest thing you learned at school. 

Being a book nerd is awesome, no matter what anyone says!

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill? 

I never thought of myself as a creative during my childhood and early adulthood because I went down the science route and chose to go to medical school. Then when my children were small and I hadn’t read fiction in years I won a Sarah Morgan eBook, and reading it reignited my love of romance books. I read more of her works and it inspired me to write my own romances. It was only then that I remembered my love of creative writing coursework at high school and how I’d gotten an A grade for my English Language qualification. I realised that the creative writing bug had been there all along!

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre? 

I think my favorite romance book (though it’s very hard to choose!) might be The Dating Game by Sally Thorne. It has the perfect enemies to lovers tension (one of my favorite tropes) plus is set in a very vividly portrayed literary world. It also has a nice sprinkling of spice which I prefer in the romances that I read (though I do also read closed door).

My favourite book outside my genre is probably One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night by Christopher Brookmyre. It’s about a school reunion on an oil rig going wrong when terrorists take over and there’s a brilliant dichotomy between that dark situation and the comedy of old schoolmates meeting up as adults! I also love the Scottish humor in the book (the author is Scottish).

If you could have written one book in history, what book would that be? 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love the book and I also love all of the TV/movie adaptations, especially the 1995 one which is a comfort watch of mine.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book? 

Social media! It’s the bane of my life. It’s hard to get the balance between doing the right amount of posting on my author accounts and then getting caught aimlessly scrolling.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why? 

The chapter where Nisa and Kerr have started to build bridges and they go for a wild swim in a nearby loch. The first kiss scene takes place on a picnic blanket at the loch-side post-swim and the I loved the idea of that scene so much that I commissioned my first piece of character art based on it—and the finished product was gorgeous.

Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes? 

The Snow Crystal trilogy by Sarah Morgan. The first in the trilogy was the book I won an eBook version of and it sparked a renewed love for reading romance and that lead on to me becoming inspired to write romance. Without that first book I might not be a romance author today.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us? 

I think storytelling is a form of therapy. For me writing romance is like a balm for the soul and it soothes the burnout of my career in Medicine. I escape into my stories and can sculpt the happy endings that often elude us in real life. I think of it as sending out positivity and it feels good to be creating little sparks of joy in the world.

Can you tell us when you started THE CHRISTMAS COMPETITION how that came about? 

Our village (also in Scotland) used to have a house decorating competition every Christmas and interested parties would enter their houses and then judges would walk round on a specified evening pre-Christmas to decide the winner. Each year I noticed that a couple of main contenders (not too far from one another) would add more and more outlandish decorations to their houses year on year and it sparked an idea—what if two houses owned by love interests were in competition with each other to win the contest? And the idea for The Christmas Competition was born!

What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product? 

I was absolutely ecstatic to be accepted and when I first saw the cover I was blown away because it was so gorgeous and exactly what I had wanted.

MEET THE CHARACTERS
Nisa Ansari is a nurse in the Scottish Highlands whose husband left her because he said her big personality was "too much". Unfortunately her hopes of a reconciliation were somewhat dashed when he then started a relationship with the ex-girlfriend of Nisa's neighbor across the street - her much hated neighbor, the grumpy town veterinarian Kerr Murdoch. As with many things in life (including "The Incident" which occurred a couple of years previously), Nisa blames Kerr for this turn of events. Then when the inaugural town Christmas house decorating contest is announced, and Nisa believes that Kerr might be attempting to sabotage her winning, she declares war. War which results in some seriously inconvenient chemistry…

QUOTE
When he didn’t immediately answer, heat flushed through my body. I bent to open the letter box and yell through it, “Don’t pretend that you can’t hear me, Kerr Murdoch!”

Footsteps sounded and some movement became apparent behind the small glass window in the door. It rushed open with a blast of warm air and then he was standing there, wearing a fitted black T-shirt that hugged his biceps and a pair of soft-looking black and gray checked fleecy trousers. No socks. Why did his bare feet look sexy? Oh my God, woman. Pull yourself together.

I opened my mouth but the sound died in my throat because he was looking at me darkly, lips parted, as he raked his gaze down my figure and back up again. I couldn’t tell if he was taken aback by my odd shoes or wanted to murder me, or both. Even so, something about the look in his hooded, broody eyes, framed by the dark knit of his brow, made something flicker in my chest.

I tossed my hair over my shoulder in an effort to get my mojo back and his dark eyes widened, his throat bobbing. “What can I do for you, Nisa?” he asked, his voice even deeper than usual. And kind of scratchy. Perhaps he was coming down with a cold.

I took a brave step forward, pressing my index finger right in the middle of his chest for emphasis. His chest seemed to push back, making my finger tingle. I couldn’t help but notice the definition of his muscles.

Oh my goodness, why was he so solid? Was he wearing armor under there? The press of my finger stretched the material of his black tee tighter across his chest, accentuating the line of his pecs, and my eyes about stood out on stalks as I dropped my hand like I’d been burned.

Kerr Murdoch is the introverted town veterinarian who, in Nisa’s words, has a “handsome grumpy face, black wavy hair, dark chocolate-colored eyes, and a ridiculously good physique for a town vet”. Kerr enters the Christmas decorating contest in memory of his late mother, who used to love Christmas decorations. But his arch-nemesis Nisa, whose house overlooks his, is getting more and more extravagant with her Christmas decorations. They’d never seen eye-to-eye since “The Incident” but he didn’t think she’d do all this just to spite him... Surely she can’t blame him that his ex is now living with hers, and they’re both facing a Christmas alone?

QUOTE
Nisa looked away from my house without reaction, and in the split second that my heart sank at her lack of reaction, she did a double take, staring over at where my inflatable Santa, twin to hers, bobbed happily in the light winter wind.

Her face turned to stone and I lip-read an expletive that would have had old Mrs. Henderson clutching at her pearls and made me feel a bit less guilty about how tired she’d appeared prior to the look of thunder she now sported on her face.

I held my breath as I awaited her next move.

Nisa shoved her bag back into her car, slammed the door shut, and began marching in my direction.

“Shite,” I muttered, ducking down and literally commando crawling across my living room floor to make it to the hallway without her spying me through the window on her approach.

I’d just made it into the hallway and clambered to my feet when the doorbell rang, followed immediately by a second, and then a third ring by the time I reached the door. I grasped the handle and painted a neutral expression on my face as I pulled it open.

A wisp of citrusy floral scent danced briefly with my senses but wafted away as quickly as it came, before I had chance to fully register it. My eyes settled on her—the shiny dark mane of her hair studded with tiny jewels of snow, which I just realized had begun to fall. Her face was like stone, but her almond-shaped eyes were fierce and alive.

What is the first job you have had? 

My first job was age 16-17 working in a sports store. I was on the section that sold trainers (sneakers) despite not knowing anything about trainers!

What is your happiest childhood memory? 

Watching Saturday night TV with my family. We would watch things like gameshows, The A Team, and The Golden Girls.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

Science and English Language were my favorites. I loved doing experiments in Chemistry and I also loved reading and analyzing texts such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? 

I think I would stick with the 80s, the era in which I was actually a kid. I don’t think I would like to grow up with the pressures of social media and that didn’t exist in the 80s.

Name one thing you miss about being a kid. 

Not having to do any adulting! It was nice to not take responsibility for the grown-up stuff but just concentrate on what was fun.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? 

How tired I am and how much I want to go back to bed! Also, coffee.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

Flying over a volcano in a light aircraft in New Zealand with just my husband and the pilot.

What's your most missed memory? 

When my kids were tiny. I’ve loved every stage of them growing but as time goes on, I miss the baby cuddles.

Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today? 

Getting signed for my first book and realizing that I was a creative person after all, and perhaps an ok writer!

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go? 

It’s a toss-up between being a kid watching the Saturday night TV with my family (or Christmas morning!) and being on maternity leave with my second baby and my toddler.

If you could be born into history as any famous person who would it be and why? 

Currently I would choose Hannah Waddingham, because she is beautiful, talented, funny, and an all-round powerhouse.

At a movie theater which arm rest is yours? 

Right side

What event in your life would make a good movie? 

There are a number of events from when I was a junior doctor but I think it would make a pretty harrowing movie!

What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh? 

Watching season four of Ted Lasso with my husband. I laughed out loud at the scene where the Diamond Dogs had a reunion!

What is your greatest adventure? 

My husband and I went on a tour of the north and south islands of New Zealand when we were younger, and also on a separate trip we learned to scuba dive in Australia. Both were amazing adventures.

Long time nemeses and rival neighbors butt heads in a fierce competition for first place in their neighborhood’s Christmas house-decorating competition in this high-spirited holiday romance.

The local rumor mill in Nisa Ansari’s small highland town is swirling about the downfall of her marriage, and in desperate need of a distraction, she enters her town’s Christmas house-decorating competition. The competition comes with the added bonus of getting on neighbor Kerr Murdoch’s last nerve. It’s the least she could do, considering her ex-husband left Nisa for Kerr’s girlfriend. And maybe if Kerr smiled or cracked a joke—just once!—his girlfriend would’ve stayed, and Nisa wouldn’t find herself alone during the holidays.

Introverted Kerr has trouble feeling comfortable around people he doesn’t know well. Newly single, he decorates his house in remembrance of his mother, who always had a soft spot for Christmas lights. But when Nisa’s and Kerr’s decorations end up nearly identical, he incurs Nisa’s wrath.

This means all-out war, complete with gaudy wreaths, twinkle lights, and too many reindeer to count. Never mind that Nisa can’t keep her eyes off Kerr’s toned forearms. Or ignore that he’s a pet-loving veterinarian with a heart of gold. After conceding to her husband’s wishes for years, Nisa is determined to get her way. But as Christmas draws near, Nisa must decide what she actually wants: the familiar rivalry she’s had for years with Kerr, or opening herself up to the chance to fall in love with someone new.

You can purchase The Christmas Competition at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison.

Please comment below and share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Patrick Ness Interview - Piper at the Gates of Dusk

Photo Credit: Stephen Daly

Born in Virginia and raised in Hawaii and the state of Washington, Patrick Ness is the author of seven novels and a short story collection. He has won the Carnegie Medal twice, The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and the Costa Children’s Book Award. In 2012 his bestselling novel A Monster Calls became the first ever to win both the Kate Greenaway and Carnegie Medals. His books are published in more than 20 languages. He lives in London.

         

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
It’s the odd thing that in school, when I wrote a story, I was very surprised that people often responded how I hoped they would. They’d laugh or they’d be shocked or they’d like it. I can’t sing at all, but I imagine it’s how people who sing well feel when they sing. Maybe I might be good at this… It was a big surprise. I never expected it.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Genuinely, all I ever dreamed of was holding a hardcover book in my hand that I’d written. I never thought it was possible, but I wrote a book anyway (see below for key advice!). And one day, the box came in the mail, and there was my book. Honestly, that was the peak moment. Everything since has been extra cake!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
My advice is always: “Real writers don’t write, they write anyway.” You don’t think someone will ever publish your book? Write one anyway. You don’t think anyone will ever film your screenplay? Write one anyway. That’s truly how it works. Real writers write anyway. And that’s how the magic happens.

Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
In high school, I read a book called JITTERBUG PERFUME by the author Tom Robbins (who recently passed away). I’d read all the books I was “supposed” to read growing up, plus a huge helping of stuff I liked to read and stuff I had to sneak (like Stephen King, lots of Stephen King). But Jitterbug Perfume was the first “proper” novel I read that dared to be playful and a little bit rude and clearly have fun with its story and its writing. That was a revelation. I thought, “We’re allowed to do this?” And I never looked back.

Can you tell us when you started PIPER AT THE GATES OF DUSK, how that came about?
I never expected to write more in the world of Chaos Walking. Honestly, I always said “never say never” but I kind of meant never. And then one day I got an idea about the Pied Piper story and about the kid who gets left behind. Kind of annoyingly, actually! Because I never intended to go back to Chaos Walking, yet there the idea was. Sometimes that’s just how it goes. And out came Piper at the Gates of Dusk.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
That they can surprise you. If you get your characters talking or acting, then they can do things you never expected. It’s a real joy and real help for plot and storytelling. Let your characters be free. You’ll be amazed where they take you.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT PIPER AT THE GATES OF DUSK

• 1. The title is taken from a chapter in The Wind in the Willows called “Piper at the Gates of Dawn”. Pink Floyd used this chapter for the title of one of their albums, and I changed it from dawn to dusk because it’s book one: we’re entering the darkness…
• 2. Burly the Mayor may remind of certain Mayors that have already existed in the world.
• 3. Ben, one of the main characters, is named after another character in the Chaos Walking series (who also makes an appearance in Piper).
• 4. It’s the shortest Chaos Walking book so far, and the truth is, it’s harder to write a short book than it is a long book!
• 5. The next book in the trilogy, The Vault of Heaven, is a lot longer.
• 6. A certain horse you may remember from the original trilogy also makes a cameo appearance.
• 7. Jim Kay – the amazing illustrator of A Monster Calls – drew the incredible endpapers that you’ll find in the hardback.
• 8. The character Bessie Jaye got her name from the winner of an auction benefitting trans rights charities.
• 9. The battlemore is, and has always been, basically a battle rhinoceros. Rhinos are my favorite animal.
• 10. I stole the name Kilfoyle from a friend, because it’s just too good a name not to be used fictionally. They’re both teachers, but the similarity ends there.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? 

 I was a kid in the 70s and 80s. They were both okay.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? 

Try to be a happy person today.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

First trip to Australia when I was 21. Solo and amazing and mind-blowing. I wrote a short story based on it.

Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew? 

I stand up for trans people all the time on my social media. I think it’s what anyone decent would do.

First Love? 

My kindergarten teacher, Mrs Nishimoto. I loved her with a passion that only a five year old can muster.

What is your happiest childhood memory? 

 Basically anything involving Hawaiian shave ice (I live there as a kid)

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

Math, because it was controllable, and I was an anxious kid.

Two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness makes a thrilling return to the world of Chaos Walking with this launch of the extraordinary New World trilogy, in a deluxe package with sprayed edges and endpapers illustrated by Jim Kay.

It’s been twenty years since the monstrous war that almost tore New World apart, and there’s a new generation on the planet. Todd and Viola’s sons Ben and Max have known only peace growing up on the family farm outside a bustling human settlement. They dream of the usual things, like school and adventure, until the nightmares begin . . .

A sudden sickness has infected the young people of New World with Noise in the form of their worst thoughts about themselves. Some suspect the Spackle, the indigenous people with whom humans have a very uneasy truce. Others wonder about a connection to a mysterious object looming in the sky. And then, one by one, the children of New World begin to disappear.
Ben, with his mother’s logical mind, and Max, with his father’s courageous heart, become caught up in separate quests for answers, journeys that will test their beliefs in their parents, each other, and in their very existence on the planet.

Patrick Ness makes a masterful return to New World in this timely work of science fiction, one that looks at the interplay of fear, power, and propaganda, and at the stories we tell ourselves.

You can purchase Piper at the Gates of Dusk at the following Retailers:

        

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness.

Please comment below/share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Jen Marie Wiggins Interview - The Good Bride

Photo Content from Jen Marie Wiggins

Jen Marie Wiggins's first book, the gifty nonfiction title Married AF: A Funny Guide for the Newlywed or Bride, was published with Sourcebooks in 2022. She has a background in advertising and public relations, and her writing has appeared in Southern Coastal Weddings, Savannah Magazine, Savannah Homes, and elsewhere. The Good Bride draws much of its inspiration from the devastation and rebuilding struggles of Mexico Beach, Florida, a place near and dear to Jen's heart.

       

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I always wanted to be a writer, but was very afraid of the idea. I journaled and wrote stories that I wouldn't show anyone. The itch was always there. Around the time I turned 40, I finally decided that I was going to do the thing. I was going to speak about it, get serious and go all in. Once I did, things started to line up (well maybe not perfectly, ha) but I got my first story published, I found an amazing writing teacher, got in a writing group and from there, my confidence grew. It's been a long twisty journey, but I feel this is what I am supposed to be doing.

Can you tell us when you started THE GOOD BRIDE, how that came about?
I started writing The Good Bride in 2019 after Hurricane Michael hit the small town of Mexico Beach, FL. The coastal town is on the panhandle and is a place where my family had vacationed and owned property for many years. We have so many beautiful memories there and the town was basically decimated by the wind and water surge from the storm, leaving the whole area completely uninhabitable. At that same time, Megan Markel and Prince Harry were getting married and I thought about what it would be like if this small struggling town got that same kind of attention. From there, my imagination took off. . .

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
My favorite chapter in the book is the one where my main character, Ruth (the bride) takes her estranged father on a beachwalk the morning of the rehearsal dinner. It's a really visually beautiful scene, yet there's this connection they are both trying to force. They seem to be struggling to make small talk, but each has their own agenda and while one thing is being said, there are many layers to the conversation. The chapter takes place at a point in the book where some nefarious stuff has already happened and later the reader will want to go back and reread that scene again with fresh eyes.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
That's a really good question. I knew I wanted to write a suspense novel where the main character was someone the reader could root for. Often in this genre, most of the characters turn out to be just awful. I love that while Ruth is struggling under the weight of the expectations of her sisters and she goes through all this crazy and terrifying journey, she's still able to find her voice and strength while retaining the virtues that make her who she is.

What were your inspirations for the character development?
My characters tend to be a blend of interesting characteristics in many people I know or who I have observed. Characters-like people-aren't all good or bad and it's that moral ambiguity, the moral compass that we all are operating from which makes a person interesting. One of the themes in this novel is good intentions versus the outcome of those intentions. All of the characters in The Good Bride are operating from this place where they believe they are doing "the right thing." It's the collision of those perspectives that creates conflict and makes a good story . . . and makes life interesting.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school? 

English was the only subject I really liked. In 11th grade, I took Advanced English and we read Anna Karina which is the world's thickest book. I was one of the only kids who actually finished it. I really loved the tragedy of it, and for me, it reinforced the power of words.

What is the first job you have had?
The first job I had as a kid was working at an A&W Rootbeer stand. It was the old fashioned kind where people drive up in their car and you put the tray of food on their window. I was 15 and actually wore roller skates to wait on people which is crazy. I made $2.13 plus tips...there is definately a good story in that somewhere.

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
I would go back to when my kids were babies and toddlers. I have three boys who are all teenagers now and life is a very different kind of crazy. When you are the mom of small children, there is so much worry and it feels overwhelming. (Like that point in your life will never end, but looking back it goes by in a blink.) I would soak up those moments again if I could.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before?
I would definately choose love with the promise of heartbreak. The older I get, the more I see there is a lesson behind every experience-good or bad. The colors of life are most vivid when you experience the pain, love, heartbreak, everything life has to offer. As writers, those emotions are we mine in our stories.

As seen on People Magazine’s Most Anticipated Books!

The Good Bride is in development for TV!

The Wedding of the Year turns disastrous in this twisty family drama full of lies and betrayals, perfect for fans of Laura Dave, Lucy Foley, and Ruth Ware.

One year after a devastating hurricane, bride-to-be Ruth Bancroft is marrying her perfect groom in a quaint fishing village on the Gulf Coast. The weekend is carefully curated, with the displays of pomp and social media magic meant to promote an area still struggling to rebuild as well as bring Ruth’s estranged family back together.

Yet as good intentions often go, this road to wed is hell and paved in complications. With tensions rising between the family and the bridal party, long-buried secrets come to light, and accusations start flying. Things officially spiral out of control when the oceanfront rehearsal dinner is rocked by a series of gunshots, and a high-profile guest goes missing. As the investigation gets underway, it turns out that everyone has something to hide.

Big Little Lies meets The Guest List in this gripping page turner that asks the big questions about messy family liaisons, modern media, and the lies we tell the world.

You can purchase The Good Bride at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Good Bride by Jen Marie Wiggins.

Please comment below/share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Ilana Long Interview - Pickleballers

Photo Content from Ilana Long

Ilana Long first heard about pickleball when her sporty friend confessed that she was addicted to a game that was “like ping-pong but standing on the table.” Shortly after, Long joined the pickleball craze despite her utter lack of hand-eye coordination. A stand-up and sketch comedy writer and actor, Long studied improv and performed at The Second City in Chicago. She is the author of Pickleballers, her debut romcom, the picture book, Ziggy’s Big Idea, and her essays appear in multiple books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

      

   

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
There were a few pivotal moments, the earliest being my first attempt at book writing at the age of nine. I wrote a children’s book called “What am I Missing” about a train in need of a conductor. It had a suspicious similarity to “The Little Train That Could”.

When I was in middle school, my parents took me to the doctor (I found the after-care note recently) because they were concerned I spent “too much time alone in my room reading.” That was around the same time I wrote to my favorite author, Zilpha Keatley Snyder and told her I wanted to be a writer. She replied in a lovely handwritten note, “If you want to be, you will be. You already are.”

I devoted myself to other pursuits for many years. But once my twins were born, I found solace and humor in writing for a monthly twin-mom newsletter. There, I found the funny side of parenting and remembered my fondness for writing.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
My favorite read is Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” because the characters are theatrical, and the writing is elegant and evocative.

But from a more contemporary standpoint, I really enjoy science fiction, especially anything about AI, time travel, and speculative fiction like Naomi Alderman’s “The Power” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go”.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I have to say it is finding and feeling a sense of belonging in a community of writers. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I meet up with other writers of all genres for a monthly brunch, and also have gotten to know some of my Berkley cohort of romance writers. It feels good to talk about writing and laugh and commiserate about the process.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
Be persistent. I sent 143 letters to agencies before receiving a yes. PICKLEBALLERS is my third completed novel, and the first to be published. It is a steep and challenging hill, and I spent many years writing as a hopeful side gig. But it only takes one agent to believe in your work, and one publisher to choose it.

If you could have written one book in history, what book would that be?
Macbeth. It’s fucking brilliant.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
I’m going to cheat here and offer two distractions:
My family. Somone always wants to know where I hid the ketchup. (For god’s sake, it’s on the door of the refrigerator, where we’ve always kept it.)
Pickleball. And... pickleball. And more pickleball.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
I love to write broad, situational comedy—hijinks and slapstick. My favorite scene to write was the sexy seatbelt scene in which Meg Bloomberg struggles to yank open a stuck seatbelt while straddling Ethan’s lap. And perhaps the strip-club wannabe Pickledance scene. I wrote both during the final revisions after I thought the book was complete. But when they came to me, the comedy flowed, and I think they are pretty funny.

Can you tell us when you started PICKLEBALLERS, how that came about?
The YA sci-fi novel I had written, the one about a tragic pandemic, ran into some bad timing when my agent sent it out in the spring of 2020. “I think people need a lift right now,” she had said. And knowing my background in stand-up and improvisational comedy at Second City in Chicago, she suggested, “Why don’t you write something funny about something you love?”

So I thought, What do I love?

Well. I love Love. And I love...pickleball! It’s like tennis but smaller, or like ping-pong…if you got to stand on the table. My own obsession with the sport actually began during the pandemic, when it was the perfect social and athletic way to play outside while standing 6 feet apart. And there are so many different sorts of folks on the courts, all ages and all walks, and people looking for friendship and companionship and love, and some really kooky behaviors that come out when the adrenaline is running high. So, naturally, it was the obvious choice for a topic, and I got very lucky with the timing, because I think a lot of other folks became pickleball-obsessed during the pandemic for the same reason.

What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
I remember I was in my classroom in Costa Rica, in between my high school English classes. My agent called with the news that Berkley Publishing had made a two-book offer, and I was so excited I shrieked and jumped up and down, laughing. A student from the classroom next door popped in to check on me because the teacher in the next room was concerned!

Immediately after, I called everybody in my family and shared the news. I could hardly teach the rest of the day, but my students shared in my excitement, and I’m sure they didn’t mind a little brain break!

WRITING BEHIND THE SCENSS
I love to do my meta-writing while swimming; in a swimming pool, or even better, in the still, cool waters of Phantom Lake near my house. Swimming gives me an uninterrupted forty-five minutes or more of thinking-time when I know I will not face disruptions.

During my swims, I like to run a scene forward like I’m watching a play. I have a background in improvisational comedy and in theater, and I studied improv at Second City in Chicago. My biggest take-away from my training and performances was that improvisation is not about acting. It is about reacting.

The same goes for writing. In the dream state of swimming, my mind is free to learn how the characters react naturally to a situation. Sometimes I feel like I’m following them around to see what they’ll do. The only thing is, I have to work hard to remember what came to me during a swim, because it takes some mental repetition of an idea to ensure that I can still recall it by the time I towel off and get to my phone to voice-record my thoughts.

What is the first job you have had?
I’ll tell you about my worst jobs; Two “acting” jobs I took: One as a mascot for a publishing company in which I was inside a very hot furry bear costume for way too many hours, and also as the mascot for Mail Boxes Etc., in which the mail slot was right at chest level.

What is your happiest childhood memory?
Traveling in a motorhome and a rented van with my whole family around the US and Europe. The six of us packed into the tiniest vehicles possible, with my brother, the youngest, sleeping around the gear shift. It was miserable and wonderful, and we saw a lot of the world and I am now bitten by the travel bug.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why?
Drama, because I am a total ham.

What is your greatest adventure?
Adventure is a necessary spark in my life, and I try to reach out of my comfort zone as often as I can. One of my recent favorites was hiking in Guatemala to the top of Volcan Acatenango. There, I spent the night in a tent at base camp. All night, I listened to the thundering roar while I watched nearby Volcan Fuego explode in bright red showers. In the morning, we summited to Acatenango’s freezing pinnacle, and shivered, mesmerized by the sunrise over the expansive vista.

What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh?
Recently my husband Steve and I were checking into a flight, and I was lagging behind. The gate agent said, “Are you two together?”

Of course my incorrigible husband who has no respect for nada says, “I’ve never seen this woman before in my life.”

Well, clearly, we were together as we were wearing matching t-shirts a la Amazing Race, which I wore intentionally to annoy him. Gotta keep a marriage alive somehow.

The gentleman in line behind us said, “If you don’t want her, I’ll take her.”

By now the gate agents were chuckling and my husband said, “Okay, but she has expensive taste. And she can eat a lot,” which were both true statements.

Everybody grinned, happy to have made some light in a long day and we proceeded into the waiting area which was packed with passengers. We lollygagged around until we found two seats miraculously available.

Steve elbowed me and nodded at the guy from the gate agent line, who happened to be sitting across from us. Loudly, Steve said, “She’s right over here if you still want her.”

The guy looked up and made eye contact with us. A bewildered expression crossed his face.

“Honey.” I noted. “That’s not the same guy.”

Oh, how we laughed.

Or, for a more concise response to that same question:
I’m a big board and card game player, and I have a goofy sense of humor. I love to have friends over for drinks or dessert and pull out the silliest, raunchiest games and laugh our heads off.

What is your most memorable travel experience?
I sailed on a small boat around the Galapagos Islands and saw blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and had a run-in with a bull sea lion. The latter incident was super scary, but fortunately, a boatload of tourists pulled up behind us in the ocean and clapped and shouted until it backed off.

Any Camp stories you would like to share?
Oh yes. I was a camp counselor and drama specialist for many years, and one year, after the kids left, the camp hosted a nudist camp. The director asked me to take on the position of the boating instructor. With rowboats full of naked people. Need I say more? I plan to use this experience as fodder for my future writing, you can be sure.

A pickleball newbie looking to recover from life’s swings and misses crosses paddles with love in this debut romantic comedy.

Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle. When Meg’s ex turns out to be a total player, she and her bestie take off for a mood-lifting pickleball excursion to Bainbridge Island. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal, not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out.

No matter how Meg tries, she can’t shake her feelings for Ethan Fine. A charismatic environmental consultant and Bainbridge local, Ethan seems like the real dill. But when Meg discovers that Ethan is sabotaging her home court, she decides the match is over.

It’s time for Meg to take control of her own game. And maybe, just maybe…love will bounce back.

You can purchase Pickleballers at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Pickleballers by Ilana Long.

Please comment below/share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Ashley Herring Blake Interview - Make the Season Bright

Photo Credit: Craig Pope

Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author. She loves coffee, cats, melancholy songs, and happy books. She is the author of the young adult novels Suffer Love, How to Make a Wish, and Girl Made of Stars (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and the middle grade novels Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World and The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World was a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. Her YA novel Girl Made of Stars was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. She’s also the author of the adult romance novel Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date, and Make the Season Bright. and a co-editor on the young adult romance anthology Fools in Love.

      

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill? 

I’ve always been a creative person. From an early age, I wrote poems and little stories, and I’ve always been drawn to music. I actually started college as a vocal major! I played music in a group for several years after college, but nothing quite fit until I was a little older and realized I really wanted to write fiction. I just love creating worlds (even those grounded in our own) and complicated characters readers can relate to.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. 

The most rewarding thing about being published is definitely the readers. I love interacting with them, either online or in person, and hearing their excitement. I’ve written across a few age categories, and it’s been so incredible to see how young readers to old readers need stories that help them see who they are, that they are loved, that they are okay. It’s such a great experience and I’m honored to be part of it.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing? 

I’d say write! To be a writer, that is the only qualification—write. Honing one’s craft is a combination of a few different things, of course, but first and foremost, one must write. Write often, write bad, write, write, write. The other thing I think is important is to have a community of writers around you. I have found all of my writing friends online, and they are invaluable to me as a person in general, but also as a writer. Creatives need other creatives around them who understand the process, can listen, and who they can also offer thoughts and support.

Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes? 

Oh absolutely. I would say the one that sticks out most in my head is FAR FROM YOU by Tess Sharpe. It’s YA thriller I read years and years ago, but it was the first book I ever read with a bisexual main character. Or any bisexual character, really. Reading about that experience really jumpstarted my own queer journey.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us? 

Storytelling is vital to humanity. Full stop. It is how we share our triumphs, our pain, our fears, our hopes. More than that, it is how we learn empathy. I fully believe reading broadly and diversely is a key to truly feeling what other humans experience, to learn compassion and empathy, without which, we’ll never change the world.

What were your inspirations for the character development? 

In MAKE THE SEASON BRIGHT, and honestly, any book I write, I love creating very messy characters. I want disasters. I want to read about someone who has absolutely no clue what they’re doing with their life—even if they think they do—and watch them fall in love, fall apart, and figure out how to love themselves. That is definitely true with Brighton and Charlotte in this book.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MAKE THE SEASON BRIGHT

• 1) Charlotte’s gray hair is one hundred percent based on my own.
• 2) Brighton’s singer/songwriter experience in Nashville is about fifty percent based on my own. I never had a band kick me out and then go viral, but I did give being a musician in Nashville a go once upon a time, and I also play guitar.
• 3) There’s a scene that includes Brighton’s fear of horses, which is also based on my own. Never been on a horse, never will.
• 4) I wanted everyone in this book to be queer—and they are!
• 5) As I created scenes, I really thought of my favorite holiday activities, and then worked the cast into those activities.
• 6) There are original song lyrics in the book, but I only included a few lyrics here and there, as I always feel like it sounds so strange when I try to put a whole song in a book that should be set to music. So I take shortcuts lol.
• 7) I made up the town name, as I always do—Winter River. But apparently, that is also the name of the town in Beetlejuice. Oops!
• 8) I set Brighton and Charlotte’s hometown in Grand Haven, MI right on Lake Michigan, because I have a writer friend whose mom has a house there and we’ve gone there for writing retreats. Very inspirational!
• 9) Two Turtledoves is the name of a series of holiday-themed singles events that take place in the book, and I think that name might be one of my greatest literary achievements lol.
• 10) Initially, my publisher wanted to change up the artist for the cover to set this book apart from my Bright Falls series, but in the end, decided to stay with the brilliant Leni Kauffman—best decision ever!

What is the first job you have had? 

I was a hostess in a local restaurant when I was fifteen.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

English/writing. I loved reading and writing. Go figure!

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go? 

I’d go back to college. I had a good experience, but looking back, if I knew then what I know now, as the saying goes, I’d do a lot differently.

What event in your life would make a good movie? 

Honestly, the last few years probably. I’ve gone through a lot of personal changes, all of them good, and had some adventures I think would make a fabulous biopic lol.

It's been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she’s doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado—it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet’s upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane’s sister Adele also brought a friend home—and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton.

All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas—and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she’s stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers—which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele’s mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won’t talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did.

After a few days, however, things start to slip through. Memories. Music. The way they used to play together—Brighton on guitar, Charlotte on her violin—and it all feels painfully familiar. But it’s all in the past and nothing can melt the ice in their hearts...right?

You can purchase Make the Season Bright at the following Retailers:

        

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake.

Please comment below/share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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