GIRL UNMOORED: AUTHOR INTERVIEW, PREVIEW, AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED 
GIRL UNMOORED

BY JENNIFER GOOCH HUMMER

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. It’s 1985 and her mom has passed away, her evil stepmother is pregnant, and her best friend has traded her in for a newer model. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ, Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike (no one should look that much like Jesus unless they can perform a miracle or two), but suddenly he’s everywhere. Until one day, she’s stuck in church with him—of all places. And then something happens; Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.

Mike and his grumpy boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store, Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, coming of age becomes almost too much bear. She’s forced to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means and who is paying too much for it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Gooch Hummer has worked as a script analyst for various talent agencies and major film studios. Her short stories have been published in Miranda Magazine, Our Stories and Glimmertain. She has continued graduate studies in the Writer’s Program at UCLA, where she was nominated for the Kirkwood Prize in fiction. Currently, Jennifer lives in Southern California and Maine with her husband and their three daughters. Girl Unmoored is her first novel.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

1. Welcome, and thank you for agreeing to an interview for BOOKIN‘ WITH BINGO. Is there any personal information you would like to start out with today?

Thank you so much for having me. I’m thrilled to be here.

I grew up outside of Boston and went to Kenyon College, where I majored in English and met my future husband. We moved to Los Angeles almost immediately after graduating and I was lucky enough to become a script reader for film studios and talent agencies. Reading scripts taught me the importance of pace and dialogue, which I’ve tried to incorporate into my novels. Girl Unmoored is my first book, but getting it published took a long time. A writer friend told me the best thing to do after finishing a novel is to start on another one right away. I have three daughters, a husband and an overly-attached dog, so finding time to write the first book nearly made me crazy. The idea of starting on another one made me cry. I followed my friend’s advice though, and I’m so glad I did. Now I have two more novels in different states of repair that I’m getting ready to submit.

2. Where did you get the inspiration or idea for this book?

Apron (my character) popped into my head when I was ten years old. I don’t know where her name came from, but I knew I needed to write a book about her so I found a spiral notebook and started A Girl Named Apron. Sadly, I never finished it, probably because it had no plot. Apron kept hanging around though, waiting for me to tell her story. Finally, after I met my friend Mike, it came to me. Girl Unmoored is about Mike and Apron saving each other when everything around them is falling apart.

3. How did the title of your book come about?

“Apron” is such a weird name that putting it in the title made the book sound like it was about sewing or a cooking. So using it was not an option. There were a few lines from the book that I considered. Her Hair in a Hurricane and Pick, Girl, The Roses, were top contenders, but in the end I decided not to use them. “Unmoored” is a sailing term, which can mean lost or freed. Apron is both, so I decided it was perfect for the title. It needed a bit more though, so I added “Girl.” 

4. Do you see yourself in your characters? Which characters are easiest or more difficult to write?

I grew up with red hair and freckles, which to me, was nothing more than a curse. My brothers and sister had blonde hair, so my dad used to tell me I was adopted (he had red hair and freckles too though, so it didn’t really fly).  Chad’s character was really fun to write because he’s grumpy and sarcastic on the outside, but sweet and childish on the inside. Mike’s character was more difficult because he had to be aware of some things that still escaped Chad and Apron. M, the horrid future stepmother, was tricky to write because although she is mean and selfish, she doesn’t think of herself that way. Which is always the case with villains - they never see themselves as being monsters, they simply have a mission that must be accomplished.

5. What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out? What are you currently reading?

I’ve always loved Coming-of-Age genres. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb made a huge impression on me, as did, This Boy’s Life, The Catcher in the Rye, and so many other bildungsromans. I try not to read fiction when I am working on a book because I don’t want to inadvertently use pieces of someone else’s plot. So I read memoirs until the draft is done. Right now I am reading, My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store by Ben Ryder Howe, which is great.

6. What is the next or current book/project you are working on?

A YA Fantasy in the Fairy realm.

7. What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?

I love the stock market. I bought my first stock with my summer job money when I was thirteen. That was Ben & Jerry’s, which took off. I’ve had a portfolio ever since. My dad and brothers are investment counselors, so it must be in the genes. My dad taught me the golden lesson early on though: Never invest what you can’t afford to lose. So needless to say, my portfolio is tiny.

8. Do you own an eReader of any kind and how do you feel about their impact on books, as well as you as an author?

In our family we have iPads and Kindles. I still love reading physical books, but I absolutely love that I can read the first chapter of a book on my iPad before deciding whether or not to purchase it, and then getting it right away if I do. I’m not one of those people who think e-books and e-readers mean the demise of literature. It’s actually the opposite. You can’t stop technology, so why lament over the old days when publishers would force us into buying $25 books before finally allowing us to purchase a paperback for half the price? Think about how many trees we are saving with e-readers!!  This younger generation, those under 18 right now, are the earth-savers. They will never let it go back to the old days when we took trees for granted. Which, by the way, happens to be what my next book is about.

9. What is your advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

Show up at the page. There is absolutely no way to be a writer without showing up at that blank page. Then once you’ve shown up, allow yourself to write the lamest, stupidest, and most horrible first draft ever. Because somewhere in there is the gem of your novel. The second draft is for digging it out.

Thank you, again, so much for having me! Bloggers are an author’s best friend these days and we owe you a debt of gratitude for taking the time to write about our books.

And THANK YOU, to Jennifer Gooch Hummer, for a wonderful interview!

PRAISE FOR GIRL UNMOORED:

“Apron may be adrift, but Hummer’s debut is on track.” 

– Publishers Weekly

“Don’t you just love it when you discover a brilliant new author? I was giddy with excitement after I read the irresistible novel, Girl Unmoored” 

– Barnes & Noble Book Blog

“Girl Unmoored crosses genre.” 

– The Nervous Breakdown

I think you should just trust me when I say read it. Put down whatever mish-mash you’re reading and find this book. 

– Anthology of a Girl

“Have you ever come across a book that you find yourself unable to put down? Girl Unmoored is definitely that kind of book.” 

– Fire and Ice

“I laughed, I cried… I felt mad, I felt glad… I liked, loved and loathed, and this range of emotions was all thanks to the skilled storytelling ability of Jennifer Gooch Hummer.” 

– YA’s The Word

“Love, loss, and the coming of age of one remarkable girl blaze through this haunting debut like a shooting star you’d wish upon. It’s tough and tender, funny and smart, and it frankly took my breath away. I loved it.” 

– Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You

“With stunning emotional honesty, Girl Unmoored shaves away layers of innocence to reveal the true meaning of love, and the power we have to save one another. Effortlessly funny and poignant, Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s masterful debut offers surprises until the very end. I am head over heels for this book, and will gladly scream its praises from the rafters — for sure a must-read!” 

– Elise Allen, New York Times bestselling co-author of Elixir and author of Populazzi

“This book sneaks up on you. One moment you’re laughing at the quick wit and the next you can’t swallow down the lump in your throat. An intimate story of the entanglement of love and loss, Girl Unmoored breaks through the wall around your heart, giving it room to expand.” 

– Susan Henderson, bestselling author of Up from the Blue

“From the shadows of loss and uncertainty to the ultimate act of forgiveness, Girl Unmoored is a uniquely rendered and quirky coming-of-age tale that will break your heart one minute and have you laughing out loud the next.” 

– Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

“Fierce, funny, deeply eloquent, and unerringly honest, Girl Unmoored is all four courses and dessert. What a dazzling, satisfying novel!” 

– Gwendolen Gross, bestselling author of The Orphan Sister

“With Girl Unmoored, Jennifer Gooch Hummer proves that Love is ultimately about the F-word: family, friendship, and faith in the human heart. This novel is worth a price above rubies. ” 

– Adam Novak, Head, WME Story Department and author of The Non-Pro

“To borrow one of Apron’s phrases, this book rings the doorbell of my heart.” 

– Gayle Brandeis, author of My Life with the Lincolns and Delta Girls

“Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s debut novel, Girl Unmoored, introduces readers to a character not easily forgotten. Apron is one of a kind. Think Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird plunked down into the year 1985, trying to deal with Cinderella’s wicked stepmother. This book is filled with hilarious misunderstandings, the poignancy of losing a parent too young, and a fresh new style.” 

– Jo-Ann Mapson, author of Solomon’s Oak and Finding Casey

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO LISA AND THE NICE PEOPLE
AT BOOKSPARKS PR FOR A COPY OF THIS 
DEBUT NOVEL BY JENNIFER GOOCH HUMMER
SO ONE OF MY FOLLOWERS MAY WIN A COPY

 
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