.jpg)
We're pleased to have Ann Garvin back at CLC today. She's always such a delight and we loved reading her answers to our questions. Her latest novel, There's No Coming Back from This is now available and it sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks to Over the River PR, we have one copy to give away!
Ann Garvin, PhD, is the USA Today bestselling author of five funny and sad novels, including I Thought You Said This Would Work, I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around, The Dog Year, and On Maggie’s Watch. Ann teaches creative writing at Drexel University in their Low-Residence Masters of Fine Arts program and lives in Wisconsin with her anxious and overly protective dog Peanut. She is the founder of the multiple award-winning Tall Poppy Writers and is dedicated to helping authors find readers and vice versa.
Visit Ann online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram.jpg)
It seems lately that Poppy Lively is invisible to everyone but the IRS.
After her accountant absconded with her life savings, newly bankrupt Poppy is on the verge of losing her home when an old flame, now a hotshot producer, gives her a surprising way out: a job in costumes on a Hollywood film set. It’s a bold move to pack her bags, keep secrets from her daughter, and head to Los Angeles, but Poppy's a capable person―how hard can a job in wardrobe be? It's not like she has a choice; her life couldn't get any worse. Even so, this Midwesterner has a lot to learn about the fast and loose world of movie stars, iconic costumes, and back-lot intrigue.
As a single mom, she's rarely had time for watching movies, she doesn't sew, and she doesn't know a thing about dressing the biggest names in the business. Floundering and overlooked, Poppy has one ally: Allen Carol, an ill-tempered movie star taken with Poppy’s unfiltered candor and general indifference to stardom.
When Poppy stumbles upon corruption, she relies on everyone underestimating her to discover who’s at the center of it, a revelation that shakes her belief in humanity. What she thought was a way to secure a future for her daughter becomes a spotlight illuminating the facts: Poppy is out of her league among the divas of Tinseltown.
Poppy must decide whether to keep her mouth shut, as she's always done, or with the help of a scruffy dog, show the moviemakers that they need her unglamorous ways, whether the superstars like it or not.
“Charming, witty, and real, There’s No Coming Back from This will have you laughing, cheering, and looking at your own past through Poppy-colored glasses.”
—Sara Goodman Confino, bestselling author of She’s Up to No Good
“Brimming with wit and wisdom, There’s No Coming Back from This is the story of one woman’s attempt to find meaning in the middle of a mess she didn’t create, but has no choice but to clean up—which is to say: this is one relatable book. I laughed, teared up, and sped through the pages even as I attempted to savor them. Ann Garvin’s latest just happens to be her absolute best.”
—Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You
“Ann Garvin has written my favorite kind of book—a hilarious yet suspenseful story starring a down-on-her-luck, sassy, mid-life heroine who has to reinvent herself to avoid complete disaster. Throw in a new job working backstage in Hollywood and some surprising villains, and you've got a novel you can't put down. I raced through it, loving every page.”
—Maddie Dawson, The Washington Post bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners and Snap Out of It
What is something you learned from writing your previous novels that you applied to There's No Coming Back From This?
I learned how to organize the story and plot of my book more efficiently so I don’t take as many wrong turns and stress myself out. I studied and studied storytelling and plotting so that I had a more planned approach to writing my book. I’ve always used character as the primary source of the story but now, I have a better process that gets me there.
What is something you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
Settle down. It’s not personal. If you work at one hundred and fifty percent, it will probably have the same effect as eighty percent. Take more breaks. Life and book publishing are not set up in a fairness model. Life is long.
If There's No Coming Back From This was made into a movie, what songs would you put on the soundtrack?
Oh this is a fun question:
"Dear McCracken" by Bug Hunter.
"Insensitive," An oldie by Jan Arden
"Crazy" by Gnarles Barkley
"Accidentally In Love" by the Counting Crows but not the Shrek version :)
What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
I would recommend Wine People by Michelle Wilgen. She is a wonderful writer and storyteller and her writing has so much subtle humor and sharp observations. It’s wonderful.
If your life were a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Tina Fey—she is funny and edgy and I aspire to be her. But, if Tina said no, I hope Julia Louis Dreyfus would take over. Of course they would say, Ann Who? But I can take the hit. Haha.
If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
The Memorial Union on the University of Wisconsin Madison Campus. When you are there you feel like you’re in an exotic land and not Wisconsin. There is a gorgeous, huge lake and music, beer, and the best people watching ever. That would be my first place. I’d also take you to Devils Lake in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Don’t you love the name of that town? Devils Lake is a deep chasm of a lake with no visible inlet or outlet that originated by a glacier trail. It has the clearest waters and best hiking around.
Thanks to Ann for visiting with us and to Over the River 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.
Giveaway ends August 8th at midnight EST.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Listen to this book on Speechify!
12 comments:
Yes I would, I think it would be interesting.
I would if it was in set design.
Yes, definitely different.
never thought too much about it, except I have been in two national commercials.
Susieqlaw: yes. It sounds absolutely fascinating!
No, I don't think so. Not my thing.
I wouldn't want to work in the film industry because I don't really like films. I much prefer reading books!
No, it would be exhausting I think. Prefer to just watch the finished product.
It's not a field I have thought about working in.
no, not interested
Because people are disposable. You can read all about the tragic lives cut short on IMDb.com
Not only does this book sound interesting, it also sounds like fun. Thank you
Post a Comment