We chat with author Melissa Wiesner about The Second Chance Year, which is an unforgettable story full of charm, wit—and just a bit of magic—a woman down on her luck is given a second chance at fixing her life and trying one year all over again.
Hi, Melissa! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m a night-owl who began writing about eight years ago when my early-to-bed family retired for the evening. I write in two different genres that you might technically call something like, “light-hearted romantic comedy” and “emotional women’s fiction.” I like to group them together under the category of “book club fiction,” though, because I hope they’ll spark discussions and inspire you to want to talk about them with other readers!
I’m a full-time writer now, but I began my career in public health and social work, which has served as an incredible inspiration for my books. When I’m not writing, I love hiking and spending time at our cabin in West Virginia. And though I love to cook, it sometimes surprises people to hear that I’m not a baker like the Sadie from The Second Chance Year! Writing Sadie’s character required me to watch every season of The Great British Bake Off and eat a lot of pastries…a sacrifice I was willing to make for my readers.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was always a reader from a very young age, and growing up, my mom encouraged me in all sorts of creative pursuits. I took art classes, loved to sew, and did pretty much any sort of crafty thing I could get my hands on. But writing was not on my radar until well into adulthood. I had two kids and was working in social work when I realized that I missed using my creativity. I read an article about one of my favorite authors, Kristan Higgins, who started writing while her kids napped. That’s when it all began.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I was obsessed with Anne of Green Gables in elementary school. I desperately wanted her to come alive and be my “bosom friend.”
- The one that made you want to become an author: Kristan Higgins has such a talent for writing books that are both emotional and funny. She can make you laugh and cry—sometimes on the same page—and her books have been a huge inspiration to me.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: In about 5th grade, I read a book called The Endless Steppe, a memoir of a Jewish girl and her family who were sent to live in a labor camp in Siberia during World War II. For the longest time, I couldn’t remember the name of the book, but the girl’s story stayed with me. I finally did some googling and found it for my daughter to read. I’d love to read it again, too.
Your latest novel, The Second Chance Year, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Magical New Year’s do over
What can readers expect?
The Second Chance Year is the story of down-on-her luck pastry chef who has the chance to go back in time to save her job, fix her love life, and do-over her terrible year when a carnival fortune teller grants her a New Year’s wish. Readers can expect a light-hearted comedy about a woman navigating a year she’s already lived before, in the pursuit of fixing the mistakes she made the first time around. Along the way she learns a whole lot about herself and about what really matters. The story has a dash of magic, a loveable found family, a heroine who stands up to bullies, a romance with a cinnamon roll hero…and because Sadie is a pastry chef…you’ll find heaps of actual cinnamon rolls and other delectable desserts!
Where did the inspiration for The Second Chance Year come from?
I imagine that at some point, most of us have something in our past—whether it’s a moment, a day, or maybe even an entire year—that we’d love to go back and have a second chance to do differently. But I wonder—if we could actually go back and change the past, would we be happier? Or would we find that things had actually worked out for the best the first time around? The Second Chance Year grew from there!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love the concept of “found family” and the idea that you may be born or adopted into a family, but it doesn’t end there. There is a whole world of people who you can choose as your family—and they can choose you, too. So, I absolutely loved writing the interactions between the quirky characters at Higher Grounds Café, where Sadie works a side-job as a baker and where she ultimately discovers her found family.
This is your sixth published novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned when it comes to writing and the publishing world?
One important lesson I’ve learned is that each author’s writing and publishing journey is unique, and what you see on social media rarely tells the whole story. So, I try not to spend too much time comparing my accomplishments to other authors,’ and instead, I do my best to focus on writing the next book!
I’ve also learned to always appreciate and acknowledge the readers and reviewers who choose my books, and to do my best to respond and connect with them when they reach out, whether over social media, email, or a book event. They’re the reason I’m here, and I hope to always let them know how much that means to me.
What’s next for you?
My next book, Wish I Were Here is the story of an organized, Type-A math professor who wakes up one day to find that her identity has disappeared…There are no government records of her, no social security number, her bank accounts have shut down, and Human Resources won’t let her start her new job until she can prove she exists. So she has to enlist the help of her free-spirited, disorganized doorman and his huge, loud, quirky Italian family to help her get her identity back. Wish I Were Here has a touch of the supernatural, some fabulous grannies, a little light breaking and entering, and a opposites-attract love story.
Lastly, are there any 2024 releases that you’re looking forward to that our readers should keep an eye out for?
I’m big fan of Lauren Kung Jessen, and I’m so excited about her upcoming Red String Theory. It’s about an artist guided by fate who meets her perfect match in a skeptic who doesn’t believe in destiny. Happy Medium by Sarah Adler is such a fresh, fun concept about a fake spirit medium who ends up talking to a real ghost. And I can’t wait for Kennedy Ryan’s This Could be Us, her follow-up to the gorgeous Before I Let Go.
