A trip to the 80s with Bethany Crandell...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome Bethany Crandell to CLC today. Her debut adult novel, The Jake Ryan Complex, published last week. It sounds like the perfect romantic read for this month and Melissa currently has it in her Kindle queue. You could have it in your print queue soon, as Bethany has one signed copy to give away!

Bethany lives in San Diego with her husband, two teenage daughters, and two darling and ridiculously destructive puppies. She lives and dies by her routine, doesn’t start a day without oatmeal, and is slightly obsessed with John Hughes and the wonderful collection of films he left behind. She's confident that Jake Ryan will be showing up on her doorstep any day now… (Bio adapted from Bethany's website.)

Visit Bethany online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 

Synopsis:

A teenage movie crush set her standards high. Now a real man needs to meet them. Fast.

Chicago obstetrician Mackenzie “Mac” Huntress set her standards for men very high early on. It’s been over twenty years since she fell for a fictional movie heartthrob, and Mac’s content to wait for the real version to come along; it’s her nagging mother who’s not happy with the timeline. So Mac falls back on her lifelong Mom-surviving skill—lying. The latest fabrication: a handsome neurologist named Michael. Pity he’s too busy to meet her friends and family. Problem solved.

But when Mac’s little sister announces her engagement, Mac is expected to introduce her elusive “plus-one” at the wedding, leaving her with only forty days to find a flesh-and-blood stand-in for the imaginary Michael. And the only potential Mr. Right comes with a big hitch.

However, it turns out Mac’s not the only one bringing secrets to the wedding. With expectations high, and shocking truths to be revealed, Mac’s left to find her own happy ending, which isn’t as simple as in the movies…though it’s definitely worth waiting for. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a favorite compliment you have received about your writing?
I’ve had people tell me that my dialogue feels very natural. Considering how torturous it is for me to write that’s not only a compliment but a head-scratcher! 

How is Mac similar to or different from you?
Besides our shared affection for Jake Ryan (and old Labradors who have the power to make us baby-talk them), Mac and I don’t have many similarities. She’s 39 and single, I’ve been with my husband since I was seventeen. She’s an academic, I’m a dreamer who barely passed algebra. She’s tall and lanky, I am…not. But it’s those differences that made writing her so much fun! Escaping into Mac’s headspace—and dress size!—for an hour or two a day was very liberating!

If The Jake Ryan Complex were made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
The mere thought of my characters coming to life on screen makes me giggle.  CAN YOU IMAGINE!?!!?  I create character inspiration boards for all my books and had an especially fun time when putting this one together.

Photo from IMDb

Because I intentionally wrote Mac’s character to impart some physical traits of Molly Ringwald’s “Samantha” in Sixteen Candles, Annie Wersching would be a perfect Mac! (She’s also a stellar actress who I first saw on 24 a while ago).

Photo found on Pinterest 

And since Michael Schoeffling (a.k.a. the Jake Ryan) is MIA these days, my next choice for the role of J.T. is James Denton. (I fell in love with him years ago on Desperate Housewives.) There’s just something about a strong jaw and a twinge of gray along the temples that gets my toes tingling. 

Which TV series are you currently binge watching? 

Not gonna lie. I was feeling a bit lost after I finished Bridgerton, but then we got another streaming service (‘cause who doesn’t need one more of those) and I discovered One Tree Hill on Hulu. I’m forever a sucker for teen angst/drama/brooding/smolders and this show has them all.  

What is a guilty pleasure for you? 

Hallmark Christmas movies and See’s Chocolates. I indulged in too many of each over the holidays. (Don’t judge, just give me the free sample and send me on my way)

What have you learned about yourself during the pandemic?

I’ve learned that I like to be around other people!  Contrary to my social-introvert leanings (Yes, I’ll come to your party, but I’ll probably leave early and I’ll need three days to decompress after), I’ve realized that I actually enjoy laughing with other people, seeing them smile—hugging them! Turns out I’m not the complete curmudgeon I thought I was.

Thanks to Bethany for visiting 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 February 8th at midnight EST.