Kerry Crisley
Author Interview - Kerry Crisley
Author of Summer of Georgie
Inspired by the worst job (with the worst boss!) I ever had, Summer of Georgie is about a woman who uses her summer of unexpected unemployment to find her true north. Georgie, a married mother of two, is wondering where the cool, smart, funny woman she used to be went, and whether there's a way to get her back. When writing, I tried to keep it real – there's no magical financial windfall that allows my heroine to keep paying her mortgage indefinitely – so she needs to quickly figure out what her dream job is, and how to make it happen.
Author Interview - Kerry Crisley
Author I draw inspiration from: Jenny Lawson. She is an incredible writer: smart, snarky, vulnerable and authentic. Her book "Broken (in the Best Possible Way)" is my favorite read of 2022 so far.
Author Interview - Kerry Crisley | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: The porch of our annual summer vacation rental home overlooking Echo Lake in northeast Vermont. I have read SO MANY books there.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: If I want to get out of the elevator, I'd like to be there with Jack Reacher (Lee Child's Killing Floor), as he seems like the kind of guy who'd know what to do. If I know I'm going to rescued in an hour or two and just want to hang out and talk, then I definitely want to Kick Keswick (Marne Davis Kellogg's "Brilliant"). An American ex-pat living in London and stealing jewelry would have some fantastic stories to tell.
Author Interview - Kerry Crisley | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: 2010, when my dad (Tim O'Leary) published his first novel at age 65. He showed me how writing a novel while working full time could be done. It took me a few years to find the story I wanted to tell, but I got there in the end.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Hardback. I love feeling the weight of it as I'm reading on my sofa (or on the aforementioned porch). I also tend to flip back to earlier scenes, so hardbacks can withstand my frequent page-hopping!
The last book I read: The Chosen and the Beautiful, by Nghi Vo. It's a re-telling of The Great Gatsby from the perspective of Jordan Baker. Absolutely gorgeous writing.
Author Interview - Kerry Crisley | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Computer. I wrote Summer of Georgie in two-hour blocks at my dining room table, getting interrupted every five minutes by my husband or one of my kids. Now I've claimed a corner of our sun room and can actually close the door and shut everyone out when I'm writing. Except my dog. She gets to stay in there with me.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Bridget Jones (Helen Fielding). I mean, how could we NOT have fun together?
Author Interview - Kerry Crisley | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Marketing and PR manager for an independent school. Wait...that IS what I am until this author-thing takes off.
Favorite decade in fashion history: Right now, because dressy yoga pants.
Place I’d most like to travel: New Zealand. It looks like an incredible place. I'd love to visit the sites where Lord of the Rings was filmed, and hike the Milford Track.
My signature drink: A cosmo, á la Sex & the City
Favorite artist: Frank Turner, a British indie rock singer. He puts on a terrific live show and I just love his songwriting.
Number one on my bucket list: It used to be "write a novel" (check!), so now it's "earn a living writing novels."
Anything else you'd like to add: My heroine comes up with a really great idea for a bar. If anyone actually decides to open it in real life, call me. I'd love to hang out there.
Find more from the author:
Twitter @KerryCrisley
Author Bio: Kerry Crisley is a communications professional, with a focus on the nonprofit sector. Fiction, however, is her first love; she wrote and directed an original play performed by her second grade classmates, and has been writing ever since. She lives in Wakefield, Massachusetts with her husband, their children, and their (very spoiled) rescue dog. When not at work, Kerry can usually be found reading, hiking, or getting into a wide variety of shenanigans with her book club. Kerry is a current member of the Women's Fiction Writing Association, and also muses about pop culture and wellness on Medium. Summer of Georgie is her first novel.
