Author Guest Post
The Story of How I Didn’t Write The Fault in Our Stars
I believe that being alive qualifies me to write a book about life, and I’m in love with my husband and my children, so that area is covered too. But loss? I’ve actually been pretty lucky. Of course, there have been tough times and depressing periods, when it seemed there was no way past whatever obstacle I faced. I can also remember being a teenager, having that raw feeling of wanting everything, all at once. I believed nothing was impossible and my number one fear was that my “real life” would never begin. I recalled that while I wrote The Next Breath, and I pictured being young but knowing my days were numbered. I imagined falling in love for the first time, with a beautiful boy who had lungs that failed him.
Robin, my main character in The Next Breath is very healthy and exceedingly strong. Her strength is both her biggest burden and her greatest asset. She doesn’t always realize this as she loves and stays with Jed, who is sick. Years later, Robin must use her strength as she finally confronts the demons that came with losing him.
But there are lots of novels with characters like Robin, right? So I asked myself, “How do I make this story unique?” First, I decided to use humor whenever I could. Jed reminds Robin that “Comedy is tragedy, plus timing,” and I couldn’t agree more. Whether she’s going for her morning run, competing with her siblings in a one-armed game of pool, getting breakup hair, or simply ruminating on her life, Robin is always finding humor in her situation.
Another way I decided to make The Next Breath unique was by drawing from my own experiences. I majored in theater in college, and I spent years acting and performing. It was fun to remember that time of my life, but writing “Jed’s” play was tough; it had to be profound, emotional, and well-written. It had to be a satisfying way to complete Robin’s character arc. Oh, and it had to make sense. But I knew if I could achieve all that, I would have written a book like no other. It would be a book that I could be proud was uniquely my own.
Finally, I did a lot of research. Jed had cystic fibrosis. I wanted to describe his disease accurately, so I read a lot of personal accounts of what it’s like to have CF. Eva Markvoort’s blog, 65_Red Roses, was especially compelling and descriptive. She was so tough, honest, and loving. She was committed to living life fully, for however long she had. And, she was generous enough to describe her life so vividly, that I, along with many others, felt like I knew her just by reading her blog.
I tried to give Jed some of her fortitude, wisdom, and kindness. I felt like a better person for having “known” Eva Markvoort through her writing, and I aimed to make Robin a better person for having known Jed.
So that’s the story of how I didn’t write The Fault is in Our Stars, but how I did grow and learn while I wrote The Next Breath. And that, if nothing else, makes me happy.
About The Author
Laurel Osterkamp becomes very attached to her characters, and it’s hard for her to stop writing about them. The Holdout, November Surprise, Blue State, Campaign Promises, American Angst and The Next Breath all feature the Bricker family, as their stories continue. (But you can read any of these books in any order.)
You can find Laurel on Twitter but she needs to work on sending clever tweets. A better idea is to follow her blog at www.laurelosterkamp.blogspot.com.
Laurel teaches in Minneapolis, MN, where she tries to stay warm, spend time with her two nearly perfect children and husband, and find the time to write. Her other novels are Following My Toes and Starring in the Movie of My Life. Visit her at www.laurelosterkamp.com.
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Book Review
The Next Breath by Laurel Osterkamp
Publisher: PMI Books
Publication Date: September 11, 2014
Format: eBook - 313 pages
Kindle - 877 KB
ASIN: B00NIDCJSC
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction
BUY THE BOOK: The Next Breath
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by CBB Book Promotions.
Book Description:
Robin loves sweet, responsible Nick, with his penchant for Beethoven and Ben Folds Five. But she also still loves her college boyfriend Jed, an irreverent playwright plagued with cystic fibrosis. Now Robin is struggling to reveal her secrets and confront her past, as she finally performs in the play that Jed wrote for her, eleven years ago. Will Robin have the strength to keep her promise and stay true to her heart?
Alternating between present-day scenes, college flashbacks, and segments from Jed’s play, this tear-jerking yet uplifting tale illustrates how life is finite but love is infinite, and the road to recovery begins with the next breath.
My Book Review:
The Next Breath is a wonderful story about love, loss, struggling with the past, acceptance, and learning to move forward.
Author Laurel Osterkamp weaves an engaging tale set in West Des Moines, Iowa, and told in the first person narrative by Robin Bricker, who takes the reader on an emotional journey that alternates from the past to the present, as she struggles with the memories of a traumatic past relationship that prevents her from moving forward with her current relationship.
The reader was first introduced to Robin in The Holdout, where she competed on a Survival style reality tv show. While on the show's jury, Robin meets Nick Davies and a romantic relationship develops. Now back home in West Des Moines, Robin is a fashion designer who owns a second-hand thrift shop, and is a local theater company actress on the side. Robin struggles with personal demons from her past that is hindering her from taking the next step with Nick. Her struggles come from her long held feelings for her ex-college boyfriend and playwright, Jed Reardon, whose play "The Next Breath," was one that he wrote for her, and she is now preparing to perform. Robin takes the reader along for the ride as her emotional story unfolds in an alternating timeline of her past relationship with Jed while in college back in 2000, and a decade later in the present time of 2013, where she is in a relationship with Nick. The haunting memories of her relationship with Jed has made Robin insecure and afraid to commit to Nick, and as the story delves into Robin's past, it becomes clear why it has such a heartbreaking hold on her.
The Next Breath has a nice mixture of humor and emotions, you can't help but embrace Robin's journey as she tries to sort out her feelings, put her past to rest, and move forward with her life. It is only when Robin learns to take the next breath and let go of the man that she once loved, that she can fully embrace the man that she now loves. This is a wonderful story of love, loss, acceptance, and renewal.
RATING: 4 STARS
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Virtual Book Tour
Tour Schedule:
A Thousand Words, A Million Books – Review
A Tiffyfits Reading Corner – Guest Post
Gin’s Book Notes - Guest Post
11/18
SBM Book Obsession – Guest Post
Bitches n Prose- Review
11/19
Alice Marvels- Interview
11/20
If These Books Could Talk- Review
11/21
Paperrdolls- Review
11/24
Fiction Dreams – Author Interview
Word Forward- Author Interview
Candace’s Book Blog – Review
11/25
Curling Up With a Good Book- Author Interview
Maureen’s Books- Review
Book Lovers Life- Spotlight
11/26
Shelf Life- Review
Jersey Girl Book Reviews- Review & Guest Post
11/27
Her Book Thoughts- Review
Bookhounds – Interview
I’d So Rather Be Reading- Interview
11/28
Spiced Latte Reads- Review
Nick’s Book Blog- Guest Post
Wonderful review! I'm so glad you connected with this and enjoyed it so much. Thank you so much for hosting a tour stop and sharing your thoughts about the book!
ReplyDeleteHi Candace! Thank you for the opportunity to host the virtual book tour. Thank you for your kind words, I really enjoyed reading this series. :)
DeleteThanks so much for hosting/reviewing The Next Breath. I love Jersey Girl Book Reviews!
ReplyDeleteHi Laurel! I really enjoyed reading The Next Breath. Thank you for the opportunity to host your virtual book tour event. :)
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