Jennifer Close raises our hopes...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Jennifer Close here to celebrate the pub day of her latest novel, The Hopefuls. Melissa A. loves that it takes place in DC and even saw a review by Ron Charles at The Washington Post talking about how she captures the essence of the district. Entertainment Weekly gave The Hopefuls an A- in their most recent issue. Thanks to Penguin Random House, we have FIVE copies to give away!

Jennifer was born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago (another thing she has in common with Melissa A, although she was raised in the northwest suburbs) She graduated from Boston College and received her MFA in Fiction Writing from The New School in 2005. Jennifer worked in New York in magazines for many years and now lives in Washington, DC, where she teaches creative writing at George Washington University. Visit Jennifer at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Synopsis:
When Beth arrives in DC, she hates everything about it: the confusing traffic circles, the ubiquitous Ann Taylor suits, the humidity that descends each summer. At dinner parties, guests compare their security clearance levels. They leave their BlackBerrys on the table. They speak in acronyms. And once they realize Beth doesn't work in politics, they smile blandly and turn away. Soon Beth and her husband, Matt, meet a charismatic White House staffer named Jimmy, and his wife, Ashleigh, and the four become inseparable, coordinating brunches, birthdays, and long weekends away. But as Jimmy’s star rises higher and higher, the couples’ friendship—and Beth’s relationship with Matt—is threatened by jealousy, competition, and rumors. A glorious send-up of young DC and a blazingly honest portrait of a marriage, this is the finest work yet by one of our most beloved writers. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What no longer holds your interest?
Negative people.

What movie was simply made to make you cry?
Marley and Me. I’m sort of a wimp with all sad movies, but when they involve a dog…well, let’s just say I don’t handle it too well.

What would motivate (or already motivates) you to run a marathon?
Every time I watch a marathon, I get so inspired by the runners and how hard they’ve worked and I get this feeling that I’m going to start training the very next day for my own marathon. Of course, this feeling fades by the next day. I’m sure I could be convinced if there was some sort of combination lifetime gift of wine/cheeseburgers/blowouts at the end.

What is your favorite cliche?
Laughter is the best medicine. Cheesy? Maybe. But it’s also true. A good laugh always makes me feel so much better.

Who is your favorite comedian?
I’m a big fan of Mindy Kaling. I like her show, I like her essays and I like her attitude and approach to work, success, friendship and family.

What is your greatest phobia?
Rats. I hate them so much and I have a gift (curse?) for being able to spot them on the street and in alleys and pretty much everywhere!

Thanks to Jennifer for chatting with us and to Penguin Random House 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. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends July 24th at midnight EST