Jessica Strawser is unforgettable...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Corrie Schaffeld

We're glad to have Jessica Strawser back at CLC to celebrate the publication week of her latest novel, Forget You Know Me. Melissa A enjoyed her previous two novels and is excited to dig into this one. Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have one copy to give away, along with a paperback copy of Not That I Could Tell!

Jessica Strawser is the editor-at-large at Writer’s Digest, where she served as editorial director for nearly a decade and became known for her in-depth cover interviews with such luminaries as David Sedaris and Alice Walker. She’s the author of the book club favorites Almost Missed You, a Barnes & Noble Best New Fiction pick, and Not That I Could Tell, a Book of the Month selection now new in paperback. Her third novel, Forget You Know Me, released to raves in February 2019 (all from St. Martin’s Press).

Currently serving as the 2019 Writer-in-Residence at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Strawser has written for The New York Times Modern Love, Publishers Weekly and other fine venues, and lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two children. (Bio courtesy of Jessica's website).

Visit Jessica online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Molly and Liza have always been enviably close. Even after Molly married Daniel, the couple considered Liza an honorary family member. But after Liza moved away, things grew more strained than anyone wanted to admit―in the friendship and the marriage.

When Daniel goes away on business, Molly and Liza plan to reconnect with a nice long video chat after the kids are in bed. But then Molly leaves the room to check on a crying child.



What Liza sees next will change everything.

Only one thing is certain: Molly needs her. Liza drives all night to be at Molly’s side―but when she arrives, the reception is icy, leaving Liza baffled and hurt. She knows there’s no denying what she saw.

Or is there?

In disbelief that their friendship could really be over, Liza is unaware she’s about to have a near miss of her own.

And Molly, refusing to deal with what’s happened, won’t turn to Daniel, either.

But none of them can go on pretending. Not after this.

Forget You Know Me is a “twisty, emotionally complex, powder keg of a tale” (bestselling author Emily Carpenter) about the wounds of people who’ve grown apart. Best friends, separated by miles. Spouses, hardened by neglect. A mother, isolated by pain.

One moment will change things for them all. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What have you learned from writing your previous novels that you applied to Forget You Know Me?
To always remember, as I write, what the story is really about, which I think is especially key when telling a story from different points of view, as all three of my novels do.

Forget You Know Me opens with a jaw-drop and moves forward with a mystery to solve—but at its core, it’s about what happens to our closest relationships (friendships, marriages …) when they start to pull apart and something big forces us to face up to what’s happening. Can we reverse the unraveling? What if we’re not sure we want to? These three narrators had more independent arcs, I think, than the characters in my previous books, so keeping my finger on that theme was key to keeping them entwined even at points of great emotional (or physical) distance from one another.

What is a favorite compliment you've received on any of your books?
That Not That I Could Tell has moved readers to reconsider the way they think about domestic violence—something I scarcely dared to let myself hope for in writing a story that was so close to my heart.

Who would you cast as the leading roles in a movie version of Forget You Know Me?
These questions stump me every time! How about … Emily Blunt as Liza, Rachel McAdams as Molly, and Joseph-Gordon Levitt as Daniel.

What is your favorite thing about Valentine's Day? Least favorite?
My favorite is the most basic cue to stop and show appreciation for those we love—not that we should need a reminder, but sometimes we do. Least, though, is the pressure, the hype—I can remember a phase when I was a single, young adult and would dread the day when it seemed a glaring reminder of things I didn’t have. I’d end up out with other unattached girlfriends, having probably a better time than we would have had with traditional dates, and wish I’d just embraced that spirit from the start.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, which three books would you want to have with you?
Maggie O’Farrell’s This Must Be the Place, Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, and a blank journal to write in (please, let me have a pen too!).

What is the last movie you saw that you'd recommend?
An Amazon Original called Life Itself, from the creator of This Is Us. I’ve since noticed that many critics ripped it for being heavy-handed, while audiences much more overwhelmingly liked it—which is often a sign to enjoy something for its better points rather than overanalyzing. Certainly it isn’t a perfect film (some moments are so tragic, they’re hard to watch), but I’m a sucker for entwined stories of fated (and ill-fated) soul mates, and always prefer an ambitious story to one that takes the safe path. I admired the film’s spirit. Also, Antonio Banderas.

Side note from Melissa A: I agree 100% about this movie! A must-see.


Thanks to Jessica for visiting with us and St. Martin's Press 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 February 12th at midnight EST.