Sandy – I write without a map, so I didn’t ALWAYS know how it was going to end, BUT, I think by the time I got about halfway through, I had a very clear idea where Jillian was heading. It became increasingly obvious to me that Jack was sort of that guy whom you date in your 20s who wasn’t meant to be the guy you end up with, and then, from there, I just had to figure out why Henry WAS the one to whom she went back. That’s why I enjoy writing without a plan – I feel like things can unfold organically.

Mindy – Hmmm, I’m trying to think. Not so much in this book but in my first book, YES. In fact, one of the main characters, Zach, wasn’t even a main character when I first envisioned it. But then I started writing and writing, and he just kept popping up, and voila, he was basically 1/3 of the book. In TOML, the characters DID make smaller decisions that surprised me, but nothing on a huge scale like w/Zach.

Thanks again for having me!

I think everyone wonders about what could have been at some point in their lives, so this is a story that touches that part in all of us.

I thought Jillian’s approach to her relationship with Jackson was really interesting – that SHE was the one responsible for everything and that she alone could change the outcome by melding herself to what he wanted. It took the reconnection with her mother for her to realize that she had lived her entire life for other people.

I can’t believe you wrote it in 2 months! I am in awe. Can’t wait to see who is cast in the movie. I’m trying to think of who I picture as the characters…

Thank you so much for joining in on the blog! It was fun to have you. Thanks to everyone else who read the book and too part, too.

I’ll definitely be watching for the moving and for your next book to be released. I’ll also be reading your blog–thanks for all the great tips you share on there!

Karen-
You’re so sweet, thank you! I wrote the first book very quickly – about two months – but I was really consumed with it and was writing about 2k words every day. The revisions (w/my editor) probably took another two months. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to write another book as quickly: this one just really spoke to me. Finding a publisher probably took a few weeks – I really can’t remember exactly – as it was my agent who was doing the wheeling and dealing.

As far as juggling it all, I don’t know, I think I’m less busy than people think I am. I have fantastic child care, and I’m very well-organized. I also know my limits: I’m not someone who spents 24/7 with her kids OR on her job, so I maximize my focus when I’m doing these things: I give my kids 100% when I’m with them, then give my writing 100% when I’m working. I think that with some support from babysitters, family members, anyone – and a good organizational plan – most moms can be as efficient as I am! And still have time to play around on Twitter!

Beth: great question, and I’ve actually never been asked this before! First and foremost, I created Jillian in my mind. I really understood her from the get-go, so with her pretty well fleshed-out, I think – if memory serves – that Jackson was next, primarily because I wrote chronologically, and he entered the book in that second chapter. I definitely kept him in mind as I created Henry – they needed to be different enough that you could understand why Jillian could boomerang from one to the other but not flat-out caricatures of each other.

Elizabeth – Thanks for asking this! I am THRILLED that the movie is being made. The producers have been so very generous in keeping me it the loop and occasionally soliciting my opinion that I have absolutely NO concerns about their choices. And even if I did, I still don’t know how upset I’d be if it were just abysmal. I often say that regardless of how the movie ends up, it doesn’t erase what I put down on the page, so…. Anyway, right now the draft of the screenplay is in, and from my understanding, that goes through a revision, and then they begin attaching the talent. Yay!

Mindy – I think she gets up to speed in a natural way: picking up clues as to what’s happened (you see her doing that in those final few pages), taking more time to think about how things came together, as well as considering how her actions from the past could have changed things. Sort of like putting together a puzzle – one conclusion could lead to the next. Does that make sense?

One other question I have for Allison is how do you think Jillian gets up to speed with the changes in her new life, her relationship with her mother and her role in the new business, after she returns. I know the book ends before we see that, but I’m sure you have an idea in mind.