Interview: Claire Cook, Author of Seven Year Switch

The talented and delightful Claire Cook, author of seven novels, graces readers with her newest release, Seven Year Switch! Other works by Ms. Cook include: Must Love Dogs, which was adapted into a Warner Bros. movie starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, The Wildwater Walking Club and Life’s a Beach. Ms. Cook's books have been featured on Good Morning America and in People, Good Housekeeping, Redbook as well as many other places.

When not writing, Clare Cook is surrounded by the love of family, including two kids, seven brothers and sisters, and one husband, all while residing in Scituate, MA.

First of all, could you tell us a bit about Seven Year Switch? What is the story about, who are the characters, etc.

Just when Jill Murray has figured out how to make it on her own, her ex-husband proves he can’t even run away reliably. After seven long years missing in action, he’s back – crashing into the man-free existence Jill and her ten-year-old daughter Anastasia have built so carefully. They say that every seven years you become a completely new person, and Seven Year Switch is the story of a woman making the leap to the next chapter of her life.

What do you want readers to take away from reading Seven Year Switch?

I hope they’ll feel like they’ve gone on a great vacation without having to leave the comfort of home. And I hope the book will give them hope and inspiration for their own reinventions, as well as a few good laughs!

What was the most fun about writing Seven Year Switch?

I got to take a research trip to Costa Rica for the scenes set there. Tough work but somebody’s gotta do it!

What was the hardest part about writing Seven Year Switch?

The world is such a fun, fascinating place that every day it presents you with lots of reasons not to write your day’s pages. You have to do it anyway, and that’s the challenge.

What kind of research did you do for Seven Year Switch?

Besides the trip to Costa Rica, I also spoke to lots of single moms.

Could you please tell us about your writing process?

When I’m writing a novel, I write two pages a day, seven days a week. When I wake up, I pour a cup of coffee and get right to work.

Article Author: April Pohren

April lives in Iowa and is the stay-at-home mom of two young children. An avid book lover since she was able to hold a book, she has fallen in love with blogging and book reviewing. Her own little piece of the world is at Cafe of Dreams where she …

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