The wonder of Nancy Crochiere...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Allegra Boverman Photography

Today we are pleased to welcome Nancy Crochiere to CLC. Her debut novel, Graceland, is now available and it sounds like a real treat! Thanks to MB Communications, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Nancy Crochiere is a long-time writer making her fiction  debut with GRACELAND. For thirteen years, Nancy wrote  a humor column for two Massachusetts’ newspapers. In  2014, she collected her favorite columns into a book titled The Mother Load, which was a finalist for Foreword  Reviews’ Book of the Year in humor and the Independent  Publishers of New England 2014 Book Award. Her essays  have also appeared in The Boston Globe, Writer’s Digest, and WBUR’s Cognoscenti.  

A graduate of Middlebury College, Nancy received an M.A.  in English Language and Literature from the University of  Minnesota and is an alumna of GrubStreet’s Novel  Incubator Program.  

Nancy began her fiction career by penning creative notes  excusing her daughters’ tardiness at school. With her girls  now grown, she lives north of Boston with her husband, a  lawyer and marathoner, and a few house plants that could  use more attention.  

Visit Nancy online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
People-pleasing Hope Robinson can’t seem to please anyone lately--not her slogan-spewing boss, not her pink-haired teenage daughter, and especially not her mother, the flamboyant soap-star, Olivia Grant. Olivia loves Elvis more than Jesus, and now that she’s on oxygen, she insists Hope take her on a final trip to Graceland. Unfortunately, that’s the one place Hope can’t go. Eighteen years earlier, pregnant and distraught, Hope fled Tennessee with a secret agreement: to never reveal her baby’s father and never return to Memphis.

Olivia, though, has never learned the word no. After she wrangles Hope’s impulsive daughter, Dylan, to drive her from Boston to Memphis with the promise of meeting her mystery father, Hope has no choice but to chase after them. She must stop them before they ambush Dylan’s father, exposing Hope’s lies, breaking the NDA, and igniting a political and media firestorm.

Along the road to Memphis, as the women encounter former soap actors, free-range ferrets, and a trio of Elvis-impersonating frat boys, everyone’s long-held secrets begin to unravel. In order to become the family they long to be, Hope, Olivia, and Dylan must face hard truths about themselves and one another on the bumpy road to acceptance, forgiveness, and ultimately, grace. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Graceland is a sparkling, warm-hearted, witty debut. I so enjoyed joining these three generations  of women on their action-packed road trip to Memphis!”  
—Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author 

“Brimming with mischief and mystery, Nancy Crochiere’s Graceland is as heartfelt as it is  hilarious. This generational road trip pulls you in with speed and locks you in for the ride— much like the feisty force of nature, Olivia, who models for her daughter and  granddaughter living life with vigor despite fears and challenges. Make time in your  schedule because you won’t be sleeping until you finish this charming gem of a novel.”  
—Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author of I Thought You Said This Would Work 

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
The other day, someone on Twitter who’d received an advance copy of GRACELAND said she read the entire book in one sitting. I’ve been telling people it’s a page turner, so that was great to hear.

Which of the three women in Graceland can you relate to most?
I’m most like Hope, an introvert and a people-pleaser who wishes she could be the life of the party, but has not one clue how to make that happen.

If Graceland were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
I think Emily Blunt and John Krasinski would make a fabulous Hope and Aaron. For Olivia, perhaps Jane Fonda, though I wouldn’t rip the script out of Meryl Streep’s hands. Not sure about Dylan. Originally, I pictured Billie Eilish, but she’s no longer a teen.

Which TV series are you currently binge watching?
Better Call Saul. The writing is fabulous.

Tell us about a memorable funny experience you've had as a mom.
Growing up, my girls were involved in so many activities, I lived in the car, and survived by multi-tasking. Once, on the way to a soccer banquet, I tossed a salad while in the Dunkin’s Drive Thru. 

What is your favorite music to listen to on a road trip?
I enjoy Taylor Swift, but lately—not surprisingly—I’ve been listening to a lot of Elvis. There’s nothing like belting out “Suspicious Minds” or “Kentucky Rain” as you wiggle your way through Boston traffic. 

Thanks to Nancy for chatting with us and MB Communications 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 June 6th at midnight EST.

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