Today's guest: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Why we love her: When we heard Sarah Pekkanen raving, we knew Taylor Jenkins Reid had to be good. And, of course she is! Just read this book, you'll understand.
Her debut: Forever, Interrupted
The scoop: “Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”
Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.
Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.
Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.
Our thoughts: We fell in love with this love story.
Giveaway: Two copies. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. The winners will be chosen on Sunday, July 28th after 3pm PST.
Fun fact: Taylor signed a two book deal with Atria and has a second book coming out in the Summer of 2014. It's called After I Do. She also has a dog named Rabbit. Love that!
Where you can read more about Taylor: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: TAYLOR REID'S FOREVER INTERRUPTED
1. DO’S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do
Read books, write books, and perfect the art of talking about yourself. You have to know what's being written about in order to figure out what you want to add, you have to train yourself to be a great writer, and then, once you have a book to sell, you have to sell it yourself to agents and, eventually, readers!
2. DON’TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn’t do
Take it Personally. Take it Personally. Take it Personally. It's worth stating three times because it is the most important thing to do and yet, the very, very hardest.
3. MUST HAVES: On your desk?
Iced Tea. Always.
On your Facebook feed?
Life! My Facebook news feed is where people tell me all about their day to day life and writing is nothing if not learning about life. So much inspiration (and needed distractions) there.
App on your phone? Instagram. I spend so much time communicating with words that it's nice to see people using pictures to do the work.
4. LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat?
I don't know exactly but you can bet it was by Beyonce.
Book you read? Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. Loved it as I knew I would.
Time you laughed? I laugh so often it's hard to remember. I think that's a good sign.
5. HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found “the one?”
I think I queried 22 people. I remember I had a little list with all of their names and codes for how they responded. I was very excited to put an exclamation point by Carly Watters' name. Hours do you write per day? Hours do you waste online when you should be writing? When I'm actively writing a book, I write 3-5,000 words a day. Sometimes that takes four hours. Sometimes it takes ten. If it takes ten, it's usually because I spent six wasting time online.
6. BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal?
A nice dinner on the beach in Malibu.
Trick to overcome writer’s block?
I'm inclined to believe it doesn't actually exist. When I don't know what to write, I just give myself permission to write terribly, knowing I'll probably delete it. But once your fingers start moving, and you get the bad ideas out, usually the good ideas come forward. Way to think of a book idea? I tend to start with a small feeling or philosophy I want to explore and then grow out from there. It's always a great moment when you see a scene in your head, make a book idea out of it, start writing that book, and finally get to that scene that was the seed for the book in the first place.
7. NEXTS: Show you’ll DVR?
I'm very excited about Breaking Bad coming back in August. And in September, all the good network stuff is returning! Scandal, Nashville, and New Girl, my DVR awaits your premieres.
Book you’ll read? J. Courtney Sullivan's The Engagements. So excited to start.
Book you’ll write? My second book for Atria is finished. It's called After I Do and it's about a married couple that decides they need to take some time apart. I'm sitting down this week to start a third book and see where it takes me!
Thanks, Taylor!