Violet and Finn were “meant to be,” said everyone, always. They ended up together by the hands of fate aligning things just so. Three years into their marriage, they have a wonderful little boy, and as the three of them embark on their first vacation as a family, Violet can’t help thinking that she can’t believe her luck. Life is good.
So no one is more surprised than she when Finn leaves her at the beach—just packs up the hotel room and disappears. And takes their son with him. Violet is suddenly in her own worst nightmare, and faced with the knowledge that the man she’s shared her life with, she never really knew at all.
Caitlin and Finn have been best friends since way back when, but when Finn shows up on Caitlin’s doorstep with the son he’s wanted for kidnapping, demands that she hide them from the authorities, and threatens to reveal a secret that could destroy her own family if she doesn’t, Caitlin faces an impossible choice.
Told through alternating viewpoints of Violet, Finn and Caitlin, ALMOST MISSED YOU is a powerful story of a mother’s love, a husband’s betrayal, connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps shouldn’t have been kept, and spaces between what’s meant to be and what might have been.
"Perfect for readers looking for something new after all of the 'Girl' thrillers ... Gritty, witty, and a worthy addition to the recent slate of domestic dramas." —Booklist
“Once in a great while, along comes a novel that defies the odds, a true mystery that bars no holds and plays no tricks, leaving the reader both deeply moved and thoroughly astonished. ALMOST MISSED YOU is just such a book." —Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean
“A skillful, insightful debut: a deft exploration of the mysteries of marriage, the price we pay for our secrets, and just how easy it is to make the worst choices imaginable.” —Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls
Some Q & A with Jessica~
Tell
us a little bit about yourself, and how you started writing.
I’m the editorial director of Writer’s Digest magazine, where for the better part of a decade
I’ve been working with, interviewing and editing talented writers at all
levels. I’ve always been a journalist and essayist, but also a voracious
fiction reader. It was only a matter of time before I could no longer resist
the pull to jump in and try it myself.
What are some things you enjoy when
not writing?
I
have a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old, so my non-work time is almost all kid time
right now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We all love spending time
outdoors—bike trails and state parks and anything by the water—and we all like to keep a page-turner on our
bedside tables. A glass of wine with my husband or a good friend is the perfect
cap to any day, and there’s nothing like travel to refill my well when it runs
low.
Is there a particular author or
book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?
Too
many to list, really. Anne Tyler, Alice Walker, Liane Moriarty, Maggie
O’Farrell, Jodi Picoult, David Sedaris, Chris Bohjalian—voice draws me in above
all else.
Can you tell us about your
challenges in getting your first book published?
I
had an earlier novel that attracted an agent but never found a publisher, and
then I parted ways with that agent with Almost
Missed You just kind of hanging out on my hard drive. When I found my
second agent, she felt I should shelve my unsold first novel but was beyond
enthusiastic about my newer one, and I put my trust in her. Almost Missed You sold in a preempt
within two weeks.
If you had to go back and do it all
over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d
change?
You’d
think I’d say yes, because there were years of uncertainty and rejection and
waiting. But it was all a learning experience that helped me land the way I
did, so I guess in that respect the answer is no.
How do you market your work?
Somewhat
uncomfortably! I’m active in a number of
writing groups, including the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and the Writer’s Digest community, and through
my social media accounts (on Twitter @jessicastrawser and on Facebook
@jessicastrawserauthor). I also speak/teach occasionally at writing
conferences—I’d cut way back on work-related travel when my babies were born,
but this year I’m looking forward to getting back out there and pursuing some
more opportunities along those lines. My book also includes a reading group
discussion guide, so I hope to do outreach to book clubs.
What are you working on now?
I
have another stand-alone novel in a similar vein due out from St. Martin’s
Press in Spring 2018. I’m wrapping my revisions on that one now.
Is anything in your book based on
real life experiences?
Very
little, if anything. My first, unsold novel was inspired in part by a tragic
circumstance in real life, and that writing took an emotional toll. I can also
acknowledge from a craft standpoint that I may have been too close to the
material. It was freeing, after years on that project, to write something that
was pure imagination.
Do you have any advice for aspiring
writers?
There
will be moments where you’ll be tempted to give up. Resist. Hang onto whatever
it is about your writing that brings you joy, and don’t let anyone take it from
you. Have faith.
To connect with Jessica:
JessicaStrawser.com
twitter.com/jessicastrawser
Facebook.com/
By day, Jessica Strawser is the editorial director of Writer’s Digest magazine, North America’s leading publication for aspiring and working writers since 1920. By night, she is a fiction writer with a debut novel, ALMOST MISSED YOU, forthcoming in March 2017 from St. Martin’s Press and another stand-alone novel to follow in 2018. And by the minute, she is a proud wife and mom of two in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her diverse career in publishing spans more than 15 years and includes stints in book editing, marketing and public relations, and freelance writing and editing. She blogs at WritersDigest.com and elsewhere, tweets fairly regularly @jessicastrawser
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