Sophie Cousens is having the time of her life...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Max Burnett

Today we are celebrating the US publication of Sophie Cousens' debut novel This Time Next Year. In honor of the occasion, she's here to chat with us and thanks to Putnam, we have one copy to give away!

Sophie Cousens writes romantic comedies. Before becoming a full time writer, she worked as a TV producer in London for more than twelve years, working on shows such as The Graham Norton Show, Russell Howard's Good News, and Big Brother.  

She now lives on the island of Jersey in the UK, and balances her writing career with taking care of two small children. Sophie yearns for a time when she can add a miniature dachshund to her brood, and wishes for the ability to read books faster than she keeps buying them. (Bio courtesy of Sophie's website.)

Visit Sophie online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn't be more different. After thirty years of missed connections, they're about to meet again...

Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year's birthday is unlucky, and that it's all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she's never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year's Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990--and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it's no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.

When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year's party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all--while Minnie's on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?

A moving, joyful love story, This Time Next Year explores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect--no matter what the odds. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I’ve had messages from people, telling me they’ve been in a reading slump, or that they’ve been too anxious to read. They said my book was the only story they could get into and that it even helped them feel less anxious. I never imagined getting messages like this and it’s so wonderful to feel my book might be making people’s lives just that little bit brighter.

What was the inspiration behind This Time Next Year?
I have always been interested in the idea of first impressions not being what they seem. Often, we meet people and think “They’re so lucky—their life looks so perfect,” but when we scratch the surface, it probably isn’t the case. With Quinn and Minnie, their lives look very different from the outset; he’s born with every advantage, whereas her family has always struggled. I wanted to explore this idea of being “born lucky”; how much of your life is predestined and how much of it is up to you. 

Some inspiration for This Time Next Year came from highly structured novels I adore such as One Day, Miss You, or Versions of Us. I wanted to try writing something where the timeline and structure is a central part of how the story unfolds. The novel is set in 2020 but interspersed with flashbacks to New Year’s Eves of the past. I liked the idea that these earlier moments in the characters’ lives would help explain their behaviour in the present. We are all affected by our previous experiences, and I hoped this would be a neat way to illustrate these connections. 

If This Time Next Year was made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?
I think Armie Hammer or Sam Claflin would make excellent Quinns. Then perhaps Daisy Ridley or Emilia Clarke could play Minnie. I would make a cameo as midwife number 1. Ha ha. 

Which TV series are you currently binge watching?
Call My Agent on Netflix. It’s a comedy drama about a French talent agency. I love it because all the characters are so chic and Parisian and effortlessly cool. Plus, the agents dealing with all the difficult actors reminds me of my previous career as a TV producer!  

What is a new year's resolution you try to make every year?
To stop and take stock and enjoy what I have, rather than constantly striving for the next thing. 

Share a favorite winter holiday memory with us.

I love being home with my family in England at Christmas time. I’m one of five, so the holidays were always boisterous and fun growing up. It’s so rare to get a white Christmas these days, but I have fond memories of going back to my parent’s house, when there was snow covering the Wiltshire valley where they live. My siblings and I would take a toboggan out and go slide down the fresh white snow. As an adult, it felt like recapturing childhood, just for an afternoon.

Thanks to Sophie for visiting with us and to Putnam 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 December 6th at midnight EST.