Amy Mason Doan is having a great summer...plus a book giveaway

We welcome Amy Mason Doan to CLC for the first time, to celebrate the recent publication of her debut novel, The Summer List (reviewed here). Thanks to Kathleen Carter Communications, we have one copy to give away!

Amy Mason Doan grew up in Danville, California and now lives in Portland, Oregon. She’s written for The Oregonian, San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, Forbes, The Orange County Register, and other publications. Amy has an M.A. in Journalism from Stanford University and a B.A. in English from U.C. Berkeley. Fun fact: She got to meet Judy Blume at a movie premiere after winning a contest. Visit Amy at her website, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (Bio courtesy of Amy's website.)

Synopsis:
Laura and Casey were once inseparable: as they floated on their backs in the sunlit lake, as they dreamed about the future under starry skies, and as they teamed up for the wild scavenger hunts in their small California lakeside town. Until one summer night, when a shocking betrayal sent Laura running through the pines, down the dock, and into a new life, leaving Casey and a first love in her wake.

But the past is impossible to escape, and now, after seventeen years away, Laura is pulled home and into a reunion with Casey she can’t resist—one last scavenger hunt. With a twist: this time, the list of clues leads to the settings of their most cherished summer memories. From glistening Jade Cove to the vintage skating rink, each step they take becomes a bittersweet reminder of the friendship they once shared. But just as the game brings Laura and Casey back together, the clues unravel a stunning secret that threatens to tear them apart…

Mesmerizing and unforgettable, Amy Mason Doan’s The Summer List is about losing and recapturing the person who understands you best—and the unbreakable bonds of girlhood. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is the inspiration behind The Summer List?
I’d been loosely plotting a story about two former best friends reuniting in their lakeside hometown, but for a long time I didn’t have much more than some images in my head and a few rough scenes. Then, three summers ago, I was camping by the Oregon coast with my family and a bunch of kids on a scavenger hunt ran up and asked me for a Graham Cracker. They were tearing around from campfire to campfire, so excited and caught up in this simple game.

The two ideas collided. I thought that a novel about two 30something women reuniting for a scavenger hunt could be poignant and funny, especially if the items on their scavenger hunt list forced them to revisit their shared past. When I got home, I started writing at a furious pace, and the story came together layer by layer.

In one sentence, what was road to publishing like?
The run-up to publication is equal parts thrilling and terrifying, but now that the book is out in the world it’s mostly thrilling.

What is one piece of advice you'd like to share with aspiring novelists?
Use a program like Freedom or Self-Control to disable the Internet when you’re writing.

How long is your longest friendship and are you still close with this friend?
More than 30 years. My grade-school friend Andrea and I lost touch when she moved away from our hometown, Danville, Calif., before middle school. We recently rediscovered each other on Facebook, and were shocked to realize we’d both relocated to Portland, Ore. We’d been living 20 blocks away from each other for years without knowing it. We’ve since gotten together in person, and she hasn’t changed a bit. She’s just as hilarious and warm as she was back in Greenbrook Elementary.

Since your book mostly took place in the 90's, what is your favorite thing about that era?
The music. I loved creating the playlist for THE SUMMER LIST. It has most of my favorites—R.E.M., The Breeders, Sheryl Crow, Queen Latifah, Alanis Morrissette, Pearl Jam, The Cranberries, Mazzy Starr.

Who was your first (non-celebrity) crush when you were growing up? 
I had a big crush on my best friend’s college-aged cousin, who was staying with her for the summer. I think everybody in town had a crush on him. He’s a celebrity now, but he wasn’t when I met him in my teens!

Thanks to Amy for visiting with us and to Kathleen Carter Communications 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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway ends July 4th at midnight EST.