Jamie Brenner's finest hour...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Laura Boyd

Today we welcome Jamie Brenner back to CLC. She was first here two years ago when The Wedding Sisters published. She has since produced two more fabulous novels, the latest being The Husband Hour (reviewed here). To celebrate this recent publication, Jamie has one copy to give away!

Jamie Brenner grew up in suburban Philadelphia on a steady diet of Norma Klein, Judy Blume, and Judith Krantz novels. After studying literature at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Jamie moved to New York City where she started her career at HarperCollins Publishers, then later BarnesandNoble.com and Vogue.com before returning to books and becoming an author. Her previous novel The Forever Summer is a national bestseller. Jamie lives in New York City with her husband and teenage daughters. Visit Jamie at her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Synopsis:
Lauren Adelman and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid, are a golden couple. They marry just out of college as Rory, a star hockey player, earns a spot in the NHL. Their future could not look brighter when Rory shocks everyone-Lauren most of all-by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When Rory dies in combat, Lauren is left devastated, alone, and under unbearable public scrutiny.

Seeking peace and solitude, Lauren retreats to her family's old beach house on the Jersey Shore. But this summer she's forced to share the house with her overbearing mother and competitive sister. Worse, a stranger making a documentary about Rory tracks her down and persuades her to give him just an hour of her time.

One hour with filmmaker Matt Brio turns into a summer of revelations, surprises, and upheaval. As the days grow shorter and her grief changes shape, Lauren begins to understand the past-and to welcome the future. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a favorite compliment you received for any of your books?
A book blogger recently wrote that after reading The Husband Hour, she will now read anything I write – regardless of cover, title, or story synopsis! That really touched me because there are a few authors I feel that way about so to have a reader feel that way about one of my books means a lot. I’ve also had a few people tell me that reading The Forever Summer got them through a tough time. I also turn to books (as so many of us do) for escape and comfort so to be able to provide that for someone is the definition of success to me.

How much research did you have to do for The Husband Hour?
The Husband Hour required research in two different areas. First, the story involves a documentary film maker trying to get a young widow to speak about her late husband. In order to get the process of documentary film making right, I sat with a documentary director while she interviewed a subject for a film. This one interview took hours, and I observed everything from the lighting to the use of mics for sound to how the director shaped the questions to get what she needed for her narrative. I was able to learn about the editing process by visiting an editing studio in Brooklyn. The other aspect of the book that took research was the life of a military wife, and this was something I was very anxious to get right. I read a lot of books, including the memoir American Wife by Taya Kyle. I also read a fantastic, journalistic look at the lives of military wives called Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage by Tanya Biank. (This book was turned into the TV show Army Wives.) The book was so fascinating that I reached out to the author with a few questions. Tanya Biank, herself an army wife currently living on post, was just incredibly nice and generous with her input. I ended up sending her an early draft of the manuscript to make sure I didn’t get anything wrong. She gave me notes and they were invaluable.

Since you enjoyed casting The Wedding Sisters for us, will you also cast The Husband Hour as a movie?
I know this sounds crazy but somehow in the past two years I have completely lost any sense of who the 20-something actors are! Lauren and her sister are in their twenties and I literally have no idea who could play them. In my mind, Lauren looks like Jennifer Garner 15 years ago. For Matt it’s a little easier: maybe Theo James or Chris Pratt. For Lauren’s mother, Beth, I imagine Diane Keaton from 15 years ago as well. I’m just stuck in pop culture circa 2003!

Who was your celebrity crush when you were a teenager?
Oh, this one doesn’t age well, but: Tom Cruise.

Since your last two books were set in beach towns, what is your favorite thing to do at the beach?
Plot my next books! Just kidding :) I like to sit on the beach – with a nice big sun hat, close to the water, and read. If I feel confident there are no jellyfish I like to swim, especially in tropical places where the water is still like a pool. But I’d have to say my primary beach activity – as everywhere else in life – is reading.

What is your favorite month, and why?
My favorite month is April. I became a mother in April; my oldest daughter’s birthday is April 3. I love that the days get noticeably longer. The big tree outside my living room window blooms with white flowers. And finally, my last two books have published in April to make it truly the highlight month of my year.

Thanks to Jamie for chatting with us and 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 May 1st at midnight EST.