Thanks so much for agreeing to be with us today!
Happy to be here!
What 5 things should readers know about you?
- I’m a high school librarian and read as much YA as I do adult romance.
- All of my books prior to The One That Got Away are New Adult. This is my foray into adult contemporary romance.
- Being published does not change how I act when I meet my favorite authors. I’m still an awkward fangirl.
- I love Benedict Cumberbatch.
- I still ship Rory and Jess.
LOL—doesn’t everyone? (Ship Rory and Jess ;))
Tell us all about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a desert isle? 😉
My hero, Jamie, is a beer brewer and a die-hard White Sox fan. What makes him tick is a good brew, a winning game, and the fact that he’s been secretly in love with his best friend for ten years.
My heroine, Brynn (the afore mentioned best friend) loves a good pair of knee-high suede boots and the band The Monkees. And she maybe, possibly, has buried some feelings for ten years as well. For reasons.
As for the desert isle, what would they need other than each other? Because aww, it would be sweet if that was their answer, but NO. They have not earned that yet. 🙂 So, let’s see, Jamie would need some place he could get a cold beer. Desert islands have that, right? And Brynn would need her glasses because she’s legally blind without them, and that sea air would kill her contacts without any solution.
LOL—I agree; they need to earn it! But on the plus side, I’m pretty sure desert islands can absolutely have somewhere for Jamie to get a beer—maybe he can even figure out how to brew his own with coconuts, or something? You know, if they’re there long enough 😉
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
I’ve always wanted to write a book that emulated what I love in my favorite romcom movies. So I guess you could say TOTGA is a nod to a couple of those favorites— a little When Harry Met Sally with a sprinkling of 13 Going on 30.
Two thumbs up on your choices for movie inspiration! And somehow I knew that WHMS was an inspiration…I wonder how… 🙂
How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?
I’ve been writing seriously for just under five years. Reading is my biggest inspiration. Every time I finished a book that gave me a good book hangover, I’d think, “Wow. I wish I could do that.” One time I finally decided to stop wishing and start trying.
Sounds like a great plan! Hmmm…
What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?
Drafting a new story is my absolute favorite part of writing. Editing is my biggest challenge mainly because I’m such a linear writer. So to hack it up and move things around and add new things? It kind of hurts my brain. But I get through it.
Ugh, editing. I hear you!
What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?
Right now I’m working on galley proofs for book two in the series, Six Month Rule, which releases in July (not sure of the exact date yet). This is a four book series, so if all goes according to plan, you’ll see a new Kingston Ale House book release every three months starting on April 18, 2016!
Woot! Yes! Can’t wait 🙂
What authors and/or books have inspired you?
My writing partners inspire me big time because I admire their work and want to continue to grow as I see them grow as writers. My favorite romance authors inspire me. When I read Cora Carmack’s Losing It, I knew I wanted to write New Adult. When I read the first trilogy in Jill Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor series, I knew that someday my next venture would be adult contemporary. Now here I am with the first in a four-book series. The writers I love inspire me because they remind me what I love about romance and to always write the book I would want to read.
Awesome answer!
What are you currently reading? What are your thoughts about it so far?
I’m reading The Love That Split the World (a YA book by Emily Henry) and on Audible I’m listening to The Last Boyfriend (Nora Roberts). Both are very different and also excellent. I’m loving each one.
Great!
If you had to “sell” your book in a single Tweet, what would you say?
Two best friends. A cross-country road trip. 10 years of buried feelings. What could go wrong? Find out in @AJ_Pine’s #TheOneThatGotAway
Love it! Thanks so much, AJ!
AJ Pine writes stories to break readers’ hearts, but don’t worry—she’ll mend them with a happily ever after. As an English teacher and a librarian, AJ has always surrounded herself with books. All her favorites have one big commonality–romance. Naturally, her books have the same. When she’s not writing, she’s of course reading. Then there’s online shopping (everything from groceries to shoes) and, of course, a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires and superheroes. And in the midst of all of this, you’ll also find her hanging with her family in the Chicago burbs.
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The One That Got Away
by AJ Pine
The Kingston Ale House, #1
Publication Date: April 18, 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Entangled Select Contemporary
Synopsis:
How far will one man go for the woman he’s loved since high school?
Jamie Kingston has been Brynn Chandler’s best friend since middle school. Only once was their friendship tested—when Brynn gave Jamie a single kiss. Since then, they’ve had an unspoken agreement never to cross that line again, and she’s ready to let go of the past and move on.
But Jamie has loved Brynn for as long as he can remember, and now that he’s ready to tell her, she has her sights set on someone else. Knowing this is his last chance, he asks Brynn to go on a two-week road trip. But their time alone brings old hurts to the surface, and Brynn has to decide if the one that got away lies at the end of the journey or if he’s been by her side all along.
Purchase: Amazon | Print | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes
Review:
But…
Brynn and Jamie drove me absolutely crazy too. For two people who have been best friends since middle school, they manage to NOT tell each other some really important stuff for way too much of the book and make too many decisions that had me screeching WHAT???? in my head. Seriously. Talk about misunderstanding and non-communication–this book has both in spades. There were so many times that I just wanted to thunk one or both of their heads in frustration. But then something cute or funny or sweet would happen and they’d get a temporary reprieve, and I’d keep reading, a smile on my face.
Plus, the ending is adorable. And I really do love them together. Did I mention how much I love the secondary characters?
So–overall this was an entertaining but frequently frustrating read, the first in a series that I am very much looking forward to reading more of.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
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