Kristin Rockaway's hot summer...plus a book giveaway

Today we welcome Kristin Rockaway back to CLC to talk about her latest novel, Smart Girl Summer. Melissa really enjoyed this novel and posted about it on her Bookstagram recently. She will be reviewing it soon, as well! Kristin has a copy to share with a lucky reader!

Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker and recovering corporate software engineer. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she finally traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of code. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, taking naps, and planning her next big vacation.

Visit Kristin online:

Website * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
This summer’s not going as Abby Atkinson planned. A thieving PhD advisor, a screeching halt to her grad program, and zero job offers have left her high and dry. Nothing a little eat, pray, love across the Mediterranean can’t fix, right?

Or eat, pray, tutor, more like. Her dissertation might be dead, but she can still teach. She’ll just have to do it for six weeks on a superyacht with a billionaire and his daughter.

A playboy billionaire, according to the tabloids—but Abby’s not so sure. As big as his bank account is, his heart’s that much bigger, especially when it comes to his daughter. Their strained relationship could use some mending, though, and Abby can help. She was hired to teach junior high math, but she’ll make room in her lesson plans.

Falling for her boss wasn’t part of the plan either, but…

Maybe it’s time she let her heart, not her head, teach her something new.

“Rockaway (Life, Unscheduled) strikes gold with this beachy rom-com. Smart, snappy prose, a lovably nerdy billionaire for a hero, and a complex tween who steals most scenes she’s in, make this instantly appealing. It’s perfect summer reading.” 

—Publishers Weekly

What is something you learned from writing your previous novels that you applied to Smart Girl Summer?

I learned not to expect it to go the way I planned. :-) Every book is its own journey. Whenever I think I've got a plotting method down pat, or I know exactly how long it will take me to write a certain number of words, I'm inevitably proven wrong. So I've figured out that it's important to go with the flow -- that although I have to stick to a writing routine, I should also remain open to unforeseen possibilities.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Smart Girl Summer?

I faced so many challenges while writing this book. My original deadline was during the pandemic, so I wound up pushing it back for multiple reasons (homeschooling, civil unrest, existential dread). Then when I could finally sit down and focus on it, my head was such a mess that I wound up scrapping and rewriting the manuscript twice. The biggest reward was typing The End!

If Smart Girl Summer were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?

Since most of the story takes place in the Mediterranean, I think the soundtrack would call for chill music with a European vibe. Songs like "Je disparais dans tes bras" by Christine and the Queens, "Les etoiles" by Melody Gardot and "Lejana" by Juan Manuel Canizares fit the bill. And we'd have to throw some classic Italian mandolin instrumentals on there, too, like "Piccola Maria."

Which TV series are you currently binge watching?

FBoy Island. It's the best reality dating show I've ever seen and the host, Nikki Glaser, is absolutely hilarious.

What has been the most memorable part of your summer so far?

My family and I sandwiched the summer with cruises. We spent the first week of summer vacation on a seven-night journey through Alaska's Inside Passage, and just last weekend -- the last before school starts -- we took a short three-night getaway to Ensenada. Even though it wasn't on a billionaire's superyacht, it was still incredibly fun and incredibly memorable.

 

What is something that made you laugh recently?

A few weeks ago, I saw one of my favorite comedians do some live stand-up: Tony Baker. I discovered him during the pandemic, because he posts these hilarious animal voiceover videos to Instagram. My favorite ones feature Gerald, the silverback gorilla: https://www.instagram.com/tonybaker/

Thanks to Kristin for chatting 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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends August 29th at midnight EST.

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