Froggarita's Bookcase

Everyone has days, weeks, even months they wish they could do over—but what about an entire year? After living through the worst twelve months of her life, intensive care nurse Olive Watson is given a second chance to relive her past and attempt to discover where she went wrong.

After a year of hardships including a messy breakup with her longtime boyfriend Phil, the prospect of her mother’s remarriage, and heartbreaking patient losses at the hospital, Olive is ready to start fresh. But when she wakes up in her ex-boyfriend’s bed on New Year’s Day 2011—a day she has already lived—Olive’s world is turned upside down.

Shouldering a year of memories that no one else can recall, even Olive begins to question herself—until she discovers that she is not alone. Crossing paths with Sherry Witan, an experienced “repeater,” Olive learns that she has the chance to rewrite her future. Given the opportunity of a lifetime, Olive has to decide what she really wants. Should she make different choices, or accept her life as she knows it, flaws and all?

- If you could be anything but a writer what would you want to be?

                A millionaire philanthropist—ha!

- As an author have you ever been star struck by meeting one of your favorite authors? If so who was it?

                In college, I was lucky enough to take a creative writing class with Lorrie Moore.  I was so twitterpated!  She is very charismatic and has this way of turning her light on you and making you feel like the most interesting, brilliant person in the world.

-  What were your favorite books growing up? 

                Oh, so many!  Roald Dahl’s Matilda, The Baby-sitters Club series, American Girl books, Nancy Drew mysteries, R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, Stephen King.

-  What book/book series would you love to see be made into a movie?

                Alan Brennert’s Moloka’i, which is an inspiring work of historical fiction about a Hawaiian girl sent to live in a leper colony.  So good!

- What movie from a book was so bad you wish they hadn’t made it?

                The Polar Express.  The original children’s book was such a beautifully illustrated, simple story, but obviously a lot had to be added to make it a feature-length film.

- What would a book about your life be called?

                Walk Down the World

- Tell us something funny or embarrassing that has happened while on tour for your book

                Since my book tour hasn’t officially started yet, I don’t have anything embarrassing to report, and I very much hope that it stays that way!

- What is the hardest thing about being an author?

                Learning to cope with rejection and criticism.  There are very few professions where a person’s heart, thoughts, and feelings are displayed so openly, and it can be hard not to take it personally at times.

- What is the best thing about being an author?

                Hearing fans talk about your characters like the characters are real people whose choices and lives they’re really invested in!

- Do you have a playlist of songs you listen to when writing?

                Nope, I need total quiet when I write.  I’m a bit boring that way.

 - If you had the opportunity to co-write with another author who would you pick and why?

                My dear friend, Kodi Scheer.  Our writing styles are so totally different, it would be fun to see what we came up with!

- Do you prefer to write during the day or during the night?

Mostly during the day, although sometimes in my marathon sessions when I get on a roll, I continue on into the night and don’t even realize it!

- What 5 things do you have to have with you when you are writing?

My laptop, a good thesaurus, a beverage, gum or other candy (my favorite is Chewy Spree), and my writing buddy: my faithful dog and sidekick, Maddy

- What writing pet peeves do you have?

                I teach college creative writing, and one of the “no-no’s” I tell my students is starting a story with a character’s alarm clock going off.  Usually this results in a boring description of the character eating breakfast, showering, and going about his or her otherwise dull routine.  Several pages in, the conflict arrives and the story finally starts.  I encourage my students to start a story as close to the action as possible, in media res, or in the middle of things.

- Favorite Quote?

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” -Robert Bresson

- Tell us something about yourself you consider to be unique?

                My birthday is very close to Christmas—December 23—and my parents brought me home from the hospital in a Christmas stocking.   My husband’s birthday is December 22 of the same year, but we weren’t born in the same hospital or town, otherwise we might have been lying beside each other in our little nursery bassinets!  Talk about love at first sight!

- If you had to describe yourself in 3 to 5 words what would they be?

Perky, thoughtful, driven

- Which do you prefer? twitter or facebook? Are you an active poster or active reader?

Facebook.  I’m more of an active viewer.  I love seeing pictures of my friends’ babies, pets, and vacations!

- Anything you would like to say to the readers reading this post?

                Thanks so much for reading!  I hope you enjoy The Repeat Year as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Quick Fire Questions…

- Favorite Food?

Cheese pizza

- Favorite Vacation Spot?

Riviera Maya

- Favorite TV Show?

Parks and Recreation

- Favorite Paranormal? (witch, vampire, zombie etc)

Do mermaids count?

- Coffee, Tea or Hot Chocolate?

Hot chocolate

- Favorite Fruit or Veggie?

Pineapple

- Favorite author?

Jane Austen

Thank you so much for joining us on Froggarita’s Bookcase! We loved getting to know you better and hope you stop by again soon!

About Andrea Lochen

Though Andrea Lochen had dreamed of being an author since the third grade, she didn’t realize creative writing was “an actual thing” until she stumbled upon the program at the University of Wisconsin. After graduating from college, she made a brief sojourn to Mississippi (following a cute guy who would later become her husband). They found themselves living in different states for their first year of marriage: he in medical school in Wisconsin, and she in graduate school at the University of Michigan. During that time, Andrea was able to complete a rough draft of The Repeat Year, which received a Hopwood Award for the Novel. Andrea has taught writing at the University of Michigan and currently teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. She lives in suburban Milwaukee with her husband and their adorably fluffy dog, Maddy. In her free time, she likes to bake cupcakes and cakes, spend time with her family, see musicals and plays, and read as much as humanly possible.
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