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We're pleased to have Jennifer Klepper back at CLC today to talk about her latest novel, The Last Road Trip. Buckle up for this story of friendship in the aftermath of a tragic event. Thanks to Jennifer, we have one copy to give away!
Jennifer Klepper is the USA Today Bestselling author of Unbroken Threads and co-founder of Early Works. Born and raised in Iowa and Nebraska, she attended college in Dallas, law school in Charlottesville, and worked in Texas and Massachusetts before settling for good in Maryland. She's worked for Big Law, small law, start-ups, and Google. She lives in a forest by a river near Annapolis, Maryland.
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Synopsis:
Twenty years after tragedy tore them apart, four sorority sisters still can't say no to sweet Mary Blake Bulloch. Reeling from a public divorce, Mary Blake rallies the group to complete a long-ago road trip cut short by scandal, betrayal, and the death of a Texas oilman's son.
Time hasn't healed all wounds. Helen's hiding a crumbling marriage. Charlie's haunted by a deathbed promise. Annesley's harboring life-changing news. And Lisa knows her decades-long silence about what really happened that fateful night could cost her everything-and everyone.
As the women pick up where they left off, old alliances shift and long-buried memories surface. What started as a reunion becomes a reckoning, forcing each woman to decide what matters more: the comfort of silence or the brutal cost of truth.
The Last Road Trip is a masterfully layered novel about the transformative power of friendship-and the bad decisions that get in the way. (Courtesy of Amazon.)
"The novel brims with relatable, deftly-drawn characters, long-buried secrets, and, above all, warmth. You don't want to miss this trip!"
—Amy Mason Doan, bestselling author of Lady Sunshine
"The Last Road Trip is exactly the kind of friendship novel I live for. Klepper layers each character with a humanity and warmth that will make readers feel like they've known these women all of their adult lives. I inhaled this book."
—Sarahlyn Bruck, author of Light of the Fire
"Friendship, secrets, lies, and one hell of a road trip! These five female friends will make you laugh, cry, and cheer as you navigate the twists and turns of their intertwined lives and relationships. This propulsive novel draws you in and doesn't let go until the last mile."
—Lisa Montanaro, author of Everything We Thought Was True
What is a favorite compliment you received on your writing?
There's nothing quite like getting an email from a reader telling me they loved my book so much, they recommended it to a friend - and that friend fell in love with it too! As someone who regularly plays literary matchmaker myself, I know the anxiety of recommending books. Will they like it? Will they secretly think my taste is terrible? So when I hear that my book created that perfect reader-story connection not just once but twice over, it feels like pure magic.
Which of the characters in your book do you identify with the most?
My five main characters each have a bit of me in them (or vice versa, I’m not sure how literary physics work). There's Mary Blake the people pleaser, cynical Charlie, Lisa wrestling with imposter syndrome, perfectionist Annesley, and Helen the navigator. Ironically, Mary Blake - who's least like me - was the most fun to write. She's this radiant extrovert who draws energy from crowds like a solar panel in summer. I adore her and my real-life friends who share her spirit, which made stepping into her world feel like I was Dorothy landing in Oz.
If The Last Road Trip were made into a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?
The movie version of The Last Road Trip would have 1990s hits from groups like Spice Girls, NSYNC, and TLC - songs fit for belting out on the road. We’d also get “Jump Around” (House of Pain) in a party scene at a bar in Louisiana, “When I’m Gone” (Carter Family) sung off-key by Helen in Texas; and “Mountain Music” (Alabama) when the girls are having the night of their lives in, you guessed it, Alabama.
When was the last time you went on a road trip and where did you go?
Last summer, I joined my son's cross-country drive, hopping in mid-way at Chicago. We wove through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota to see various family members before he resumed his solo adventure. It was my first road trip documented by a dash cam! He’s working on a mini-documentary of his trip, and hopefully I get some editorial control over any scenes I’m in…
If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Jennifer Aniston. Her GenX sensibility and comic timing would nail the mix of sarcasm and sincerity fit for a story about this Midwestern girl.
If we were to visit you, what are some places you would take us to see?
First stop in Annapolis would be The Old Fox bookstore - it's absolutely Instagram-worthy and feels like stepping into a book lover's dream. We’d sip coffee while browsing through carefully curated used books in a cozy vintage setting. Then we'd wander through the downtown, where Colonial architecture meets charming waterfront shops.
There's nothing quite like getting an email from a reader telling me they loved my book so much, they recommended it to a friend - and that friend fell in love with it too! As someone who regularly plays literary matchmaker myself, I know the anxiety of recommending books. Will they like it? Will they secretly think my taste is terrible? So when I hear that my book created that perfect reader-story connection not just once but twice over, it feels like pure magic.
Which of the characters in your book do you identify with the most?
My five main characters each have a bit of me in them (or vice versa, I’m not sure how literary physics work). There's Mary Blake the people pleaser, cynical Charlie, Lisa wrestling with imposter syndrome, perfectionist Annesley, and Helen the navigator. Ironically, Mary Blake - who's least like me - was the most fun to write. She's this radiant extrovert who draws energy from crowds like a solar panel in summer. I adore her and my real-life friends who share her spirit, which made stepping into her world feel like I was Dorothy landing in Oz.
If The Last Road Trip were made into a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?
The movie version of The Last Road Trip would have 1990s hits from groups like Spice Girls, NSYNC, and TLC - songs fit for belting out on the road. We’d also get “Jump Around” (House of Pain) in a party scene at a bar in Louisiana, “When I’m Gone” (Carter Family) sung off-key by Helen in Texas; and “Mountain Music” (Alabama) when the girls are having the night of their lives in, you guessed it, Alabama.
When was the last time you went on a road trip and where did you go?
Last summer, I joined my son's cross-country drive, hopping in mid-way at Chicago. We wove through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota to see various family members before he resumed his solo adventure. It was my first road trip documented by a dash cam! He’s working on a mini-documentary of his trip, and hopefully I get some editorial control over any scenes I’m in…
If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Jennifer Aniston. Her GenX sensibility and comic timing would nail the mix of sarcasm and sincerity fit for a story about this Midwestern girl.
If we were to visit you, what are some places you would take us to see?
First stop in Annapolis would be The Old Fox bookstore - it's absolutely Instagram-worthy and feels like stepping into a book lover's dream. We’d sip coffee while browsing through carefully curated used books in a cozy vintage setting. Then we'd wander through the downtown, where Colonial architecture meets charming waterfront shops.
Thanks to Jennifer 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.
Giveaway ends February 25th at midnight EST.
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12 comments:
I haven't been on a road trip for awhile, but the last one was to visit my BIL and SIL in Charlotte.
We took a road trip several years ago to Colorado. What made it unforgettable was visiting a historic, small town with charm and in a magnificent location.
The last road trip I was on was not very far. It wasn't even overnight. It was about 16-17 yrs ago. I went with my husband and father to a college football game.
But long road trip must have been when I was a kid and with my parents and 6 younger siblings across the country.
Last road trip was to North Conway, NH for a weekend.
Just a quick, fun trip with my sister.
We go on road trips every year as a family. I think it is an amazing time to bond with the family. Thank you for the giveaway.
(Sorry I forgot to add my name to the above post.) We go on road trips every year as a family. I think it is an amazing time to bond with the family. Thank you for the giveaway
The last road trip we went on was to Bardstown KY. We toured the Lux Brewery and did a murder mystery train trip with an authors reader weekend. It was a fun time and a beautiful old town.
I can't remember the last road trip I went on. I don't go on road trips very often.
last year
I went on a road trip with my mother exploring the American Midwest, and it was a blast!
My friend wanted to canvas an area for her job in an area that speaks French. Since we both speak French we went together & made a day out of it. Little shopping, enjoying the food & meeting lots of kind, friendly people.
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