THE PLANS WE MADE - Kathryn Cushman and Lauren Beccue - One Free Book

Welcome, Kathryn and Lauren. I know that this is a collaboration. How did this story come about?

Lauren: Originally, my husband came up with an idea that grabbed my attention. I told Katie about it, then asked if she would be willing to give it a try with me. We each took a character POV and the story grew from there.

 

Kathryn: Yes, when Lauren told me about her husband’s book idea, my first thought was, “I wish I’d come up with that!” When she asked me to write it with her, that was even better.

 

Did you find it easy to work together on it?

Lauren: Absolutely. Katie and I were on the same page (no pun intended) the entire way.

 

Kathryn: Truly a dream partnership.

 

How did collaborating with this team impact you?

Lauren: Katie brought so much industry experience to the project. I learned a ton!

 

Kathryn: Lauren brought a fresh, untainted perspective to everything.

 

What is the hardest thing about writing as a team?

Lauren: I’m having a hard time coming up with an answer to this one! In one instance, I was tempted to resist Katie’s feedback on my character. In the end, she was absolutely right, and the story was so much better because of it. Also, when you write as a team, you care so much for your co-author that when they go through difficult circumstances, you feel it deeply. Katie and I both had difficult years, so at times it was doubly hard to press through and concentrate on writing.

 

Kathryn: Agree with everything Lauren said!

 

What are you reading right now?

Lauren: I’m neck deep in Biblical commentaries for a non-fiction project I’m tackling. For fun, I’m reading The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.  

 

Kathryn: I’m reading a biography on Catherine the Great for research on my next fiction project. For fun, I’m reading my book club’s pick for October, The Guest List by Lucy Foley.

 

How did you choose your characters’ names?

Lauren: I hate choosing characters’ names! I chose Caroline because the song “Sweet Caroline” plays a minor role in the story. Some names were chosen from family, some randomly, and some were off a list of most popular names in a certain birth year.

 

Kathryn: Yes. Coincidentally, my daughter’s name is Caroline, but Lauren chose that name before we ever started working together.

 

Would you want to work on another book together?

Lauren: YES!

 

Kathryn: YES!

 

What do you want to tell us about the book?

Lauren: You’ll laugh and cry. You’ll be entertained and encouraged. There’s hope and humor. You won’t want it to end!

Kathryn: It truly is a mix of genres—deep women’s fiction, humor, romance. Something for everyone.

 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Caroline Chapman wanted to say yes—shout yes, actually—but a pesky dose of reality seized her vocal cords. “I haven’t told my fiancé I applied for this, and I don’t think he’ll want to quit his job and move” didn’t exactly seem like the right thing to say to a potential boss.

            

She pulled her SUV into the small-town center parking lot and racked her brain for a more professional reply. Before she could come up with anything decent, Audrey Brooks’s voice came through the car speakers. “We’d appreciate a swift response. Summer is our busiest season, so we’d need you out here no later than the end of May, preferably sooner.”

            

That gave her—them—seven weeks, give or take, to move from Los Angeles to Newport, Rhode Island. It was tight but doable. “Of course, I understand. Thank you so much for the offer. I’ll get back to you in the next day or two, if that’s okay?”

            

“That would be fine. Your experience at the Huntington Library would make you a valuable asset to us, so I definitely look forward to hearing from you.”

            

Caroline ended the call, then shut off the engine. Valuable asset. Audrey’s words reverberated in her mind, and she couldn’t help but squeal.

Where can our readers find you on the Internet?

Lauren: LaurenBeccue.com, Instagram (lauren_beccue) and Facebook (beccue.lauren)

Kathryn: KathrynCushman.com, Instagram (katiecushman1) and Facebook (@authorkathryncushman)

 

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/3lIS9VX 

https://amzn.to/3dpf5q7

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