Catching up with Juliette Fay...plus a book giveaway!

We're happy to have Juliette Fay back at CLC today. Her latest novel, Catch Us When We Fall, published this week. She's here to talk about it, as well as share some other fun facts about herself. Thanks to Get Red PR, we have one copy of Catch Us When We Fall for a lucky reader!

Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of five previous novels including City of Flickering Light and The Tumbling Turner Sisters, a USA Today bestseller. Other novels include The Shortest Way Home, one of Library Journal’s “Top 5 Best Books of 2012: Women’s Fiction”; Deep Down True, shortlisted for the 2011 Women’s Fiction award by the American Library Association; and Shelter Me, a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Must-Read Book” and an Indie Next pick. Juliette is a graduate of Boston College and Harvard University and lives in Massachusetts. Visit her at juliettefay.com.   

Visit Juliette online:
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Synopsis:

On her own since the age of eighteen, Cass Macklin dated brilliant and troubled Ben McGreavy, convinced he was the smartest person she’d ever known. They partied their way through their twenties, slowly descending into a bleak world of binge-drinking and broken promises, inebriated for most of a decade. Now Ben is dead, and Cass is broke, homeless, scared…and pregnant.

Determined to have a healthy pregnancy and raise Ben’s baby, Cass has to find a way to stop drinking and build a stable life for herself and her child. But with no money, skills, or sober friends or family, the task seems insurmountable. At her wit’s end, Cass turns to the only person with the means to help her: Ben’s brother Scott, third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, a man with a temper and problems of his own. The two make a deal that neither one of them is sure they can live up to. As Cass struggles to take control of her life and to ask for help when she needs it, Scott begins to realize there’s a life for him beyond the baseball diamond. 

Heartbreaking and humorous, with its message that change is possible, that forgiveness can be freely given, and that life, though imperfect, is worth embracing, CATCH US WHEN WE FALL is a story of human connectedness and hope. 

“A redemption story if ever there was one: Juliette Fay’s Catch Us When We Fall gives us a character who seems almost beyond help, beyond reach, even to herself—but finds ways to prove us all wrong, one baby step at a time. A beautiful look at the strength it takes to save ourselves, the love it takes to save each other, and the hopeful truth that it’s never too late to start over.”

—Jessica Strawser, author of A Million Reasons Why

 

“When I’m done reading one of Juliette Fay's books, her characters always exist in my memory like people I've actually met. Catch Us When We Fall is full of hope and heart and genuine love. I already miss checking in with these beautiful people who are trying their hardest to heal and connect.”

—Allie Larkin, bestselling author of Stay, Why Can’t I Be You, and Swimming for Sunlight

“Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay introduces us to Cass Macklin, a former addict who finds herself alone and pregnant. Can Cass stop drinking and create a healthy life for herself and her unborn child? A novel about resilience and the power of human connection, Catch Us When We Fall is perfect for fans of emotionally honest women’s fiction.”

—Brenda Janowitz, author of The Grace Kelly Dress

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
There is nothing more meaningful to me than when a reader says, “This book helped me.” Whether it’s because they feel understood in some way, or one of the characters now feels like a friend, or that they’ve learned something that helps them with their own struggles, readers experiencing hope, connection, or support from my writing is the greatest compliment of all.

My favorite compliment on Catch Us When We Fall so far is from a bookseller who wrote to me: “I am a recovering alcoholic myself, sober now for over 3 years. I just thought it was spot on, both Cass and Laurel. The horrible nature of the disease, the recovery, the cravings, all of it. You handled it so well and with much compassion.”

How is Cass similar to or different from you?
Cass and I both grew up with an alcoholic parent, waitressed in our twenties, and love a cappella music. Other than that, we’re pretty different. I was fortunate enough to be raised by two supportive parents (not that there wasn’t drama, but they loved me and did their best). Despite a familial predisposition for alcoholism, compounded by a lot of excessive drinking in college, I somehow never developed substance issues. I am a mediocre basketball player, and I do not know any Red Sox players personally. Or professionally. Basically in any capacity.

If Catch Us When We Fall was made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
I like Shailene Woodley for Cass. She’s great at playing someone who’s a little lost, but also kind of edgy and with a wry sense of humor. Jake Lacy would be a solid choice for Scotty. He’s got that guy’s guy vibe, but with a vulnerability that makes you want to hug him. Also he was born in Massachusetts, so I’m hoping he wouldn’t butcher the highly butcherable Boston accent. Honestly, though, whoever was chosen, I’d be pretty tickled just to have the movie made!

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
I’ve watched more movies and TV in the last 18 months that I probably did in the previous 10 years, so I’ve seen a lot that I would recommend. One that stands out is a documentary called Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution about a camp in the 1970s for kids with disabilities that was so accepting and empowering that many of them went on to have a tremendous impact on improving the lives of disabled people. It’s irreverent, informative, and so inspiring!

What is something you've learned about yourself during the pandemic?
I’m a pretty big extrovert, and in the beginning I was panicked about not going out and seeing people. I missed hugging my friends so much! But as time went on, I found that I was okay with a smaller circle, and with just being home. It helped that we found fun ways to be with people safely. We bought electric throw blankets and hosted people on our screened porch in the dead of winter. It was actually pretty fun.

What is your favorite thing about autumn?
Everything! It’s my favorite season. The weather is perfect – cool with low humidity. I love the leaves turning and all that, but even more, I love the smell of autumn. It’s somehow both ancient and refreshing. 

Thanks to Juliette for visiting with us and to Get Red PR 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 September 29th at midnight EST.

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