We had the pleasure of chatting to romance author Jamie Beck about her new novel in the Sanctuary Sound series, The Promise of Us. She discusses the inspiration behind her new novel, along with some writing advice for aspiring writers, book recommendations, and what is next for her!
Tell us a little about yourself!
Originally from Pittsburgh, I’m a former lawyer turned novelist who lives in Connecticut with my husband, two teens, and our dog, Mo. In addition to reading and writing, I love dancing, skiing, and cooking (and eating!).
Your new novel The Promise of Us has just been released! Can you tell us what the book is about?
This is the second book in my Sanctuary Sound series, which is based on three friends reuniting in their hometown to heal old wounds and face the uncertain future. In this particular book, Claire has made a small but content life for herself in her hometown after being the victim of random gun violence. Her ex boyfriend ran off with one of her BFFs, but she and her other BFF have started their own business together, so she’s moving forward. However, the business hits a snag, and the fix requires her to work with her childhood crush, Logan (who is also the brother of the traitorous friend). Logan is a photo journalist who wants Claire to reclaim the courage she had as a teen, and who also wants her to forgive his sister. In other words, Claire is being pushed to take risks again, and if they don’t pan out, she could be devastated.
Were there any particular characters or scenes you enjoyed writing?
I really enjoyed writing Logan. I’d met with a photographer to get a sense of his career and who he might be. She pointed me toward the famed Peter Beard, so I had fun with the research and creating a character that was just brash and manipulative enough to be realistic for that career while still being “hero” material for a romance. He turned out to be flirtier than I first planned, but also had a core tenderness that I hope readers appreciate.
Did anything inspire you to write this book?
The series was inspired by the tragedy at the Ariana Grande concert in England a couple of years ago. I thought about how I would feel if my teens had been there, which led to me to muse about how different people deal with trauma. Each of the heroines in this series has to overcome a different kind of trauma (and each approaches that very differently). It’s been very interesting to research and write these books. I hope readers enjoy them.
What made you want to write within the romance genre?
I’ve always been in love with love (first crush in kindergarten, and many since). Love stories also give you a lot of room to play with psychology (another of my favorite subjects), so it is the perfect marriage of my two favorite things!
Do you have any interesting writing quirks?
I don’t think so. I know writers who have mascots and other such things, but I don’t. I suppose the only thing that might be a quirk is that I often take inspiration for a story or characters from song lyrics. I love singer-songwriter music and am awed by the talent some have to string together a story in 200 words and pair it with a melody!
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Never stop trying to improve your craft. Write the story you want to read. You can’t fail if you don’t quit (be resilient in the face of rejection). Trust in your own voice (don’t mimic a favorite author).
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
The third Sanctuary Sound novel (The Wonder of Now) releases in September, and next year will kick off the Potomac Point novels, which will be women’s fiction with romantic elements (and a little mystery). The first in that series is titled If You Must Know and will release in May, 2020.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?
I have many (which readers can see if they follow me on BookBub and Goodreads) that range from the book club variety to sexy romance reads. I think one of the standout books I read this past year was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It had me laughing all the way through Spain (the subject matter is quite serious, but the main character’s quirky, exacting, astute observations about life are hilarious).
The Promise of Us is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
You can find Jamie on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Book Bub.
