Sarah Jio shows her characters some love...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

Sarah Jio has been a regular guest at CLC since her debut appearance in 2011 when she introduced The Violets of March. Since then, she has produced five more beautifully written and compelling novels. Her sixth, and most recent, is Goodnight June (published May 27th from Plume), which delves into the history of the beloved children's classic book, Goodnight Moon. I finished it last week and can tell you that you're in for a real treat. Just have some tissues handy. (A whole box will do!) What amazes me most about Sarah is how she has three young children (all boys, for that matter!!!) but is able to produce so many amazing novels in such a short span of time. It's like she's a literary fairy godmother! She even has a seventh novel coming out later this year (it's already available for pre-order)! And we want to congratulate her on being A Novel Review's inductee for the 2014 International Chick Lit Month Hall of Fame! Also, Goodnight June was chosen as an IndieNext Pick for...wait for it...June! (It will be posted next week.)

Today, Sarah is revisiting some of her favorite characters and the love she has for them is still going strong. I can imagine that choosing your favorite characters from your own books is rather difficult!

Thanks to Plume, we have FIVE copies of Goodnight June for some lucky US readers. Perhaps June and/or Ruby will become your favorite characters. They're both very special.

Visit Sarah at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

One is Silver, the Other is Gold

I just finished my seventh novel for Penguin (Plume), and spending time with new characters always makes me think of those from my past stories. (The old song about making new friends and keeping the old comes to mind!). I love all my characters (even the villains!), but a few stand out as my favorites for various reasons. Here they are:

Emily, from THE VIOLETS OF MARCH: I think an author should always have fondness for the protagonist in her first novel. As such, I love my character, Emily, in THE VIOLETS OF MARCH. I agonized with her, cried with her, walked with her on the shores of Bainbridge Island. And this year, when I went through some personal turmoil in my own life, I thought about Emily a lot and wondered how she'd navigated the rough waters I was sailing in.

Claire, from BLACKBERRY WINTER: I decided to make Claire a runner, like me, and, in fact, when she faces her own tragedy, it is while she is running. Finding the strength and courage to run again was a major theme in the development of Claire's character. I relate to her in so many ways and think of her often when I'm on my daily runs through my Seattle neighborhood.

Penny, from MORNING GLORY: Free-spirited, and yet caged in some ways, Penny was also a favorite heroine of mine. I loved creating her world on Boat Street, and learning about the longings of her heart on her little houseboat. I think of her now, out sailing in some exotic location of the world—tan and happy, with a cocktail in hand. The life!

Bee, from THE VIOLETS OF MARCH: Quirky, artsy and soulful, I fell in love with Aunt Bee and all she represented about life. I actually modeled a bit of her personality after my late artistic grandmother, Cecelia, who I miss every day.

Westry, from THE BUNGALOW: Dreamy, handsome, adventurist—let's just say that I may have had a tiny crush on Anne Calloway's long lost love, Westry Green, while writing my second novel, THE BUNGALOW. If only all men were so divine.

Thanks to Sarah for sharing her characters with us and to Plume for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us

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US only. Giveaway ends June 2nd at midnight EST.