Jenn Bouchard is the author of the new novel Considering Us. She also has written the novel First Course. She lives in the Boston area.
Q: What inspired you to write Considering Us, and how did you create your characters Devon and Kyle?
A: I started drafting Considering Us in the summer of 2022. I have taught high school social studies full-time for 25 years, and at that point, I had just finished teaching through the worst of the pandemic. It was exhausting.
I decided that I would take that summer to start writing something light and super fun. I wanted it to be outrageous at times (hence the pranks, as well as some of the secondary characters' personalities). I figured that a boarding school was a good place to set this kind of a book.
I also knew that my characters would be far from perfect. Both Devon and Kyle have their issues. But together, well, I think they're sort of magical. Their banter and true appreciation for each other was such a delight to craft.
Q: The writer Sharon M. Peterson said of the book, “Considering Us is for readers who know sometimes the right person comes along at the wrong time, but that fate has a way of bringing us second chances.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love it. Sharon is one of my favorite people and authors. She is so funny and smart. And she's spot-on; what are the odds of Devon's terrible circumstances bringing her to Rockwood where Kyle just happens to be? But sometimes in our most challenging moments, fate steps in and gives us a gift.
Devon doesn't know exactly how to deal with Kyle initially upon being reunited with him, but I love the friendship that develops between them as she tries to figure it out.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I had it more or less planned out. Some smaller details changed as I got to know the characters better. The addition of the bartender in LA at the end was unexpected but perfect given the situation Devon was in. I love adding guardian angel types to my stories. We all need people looking out for us.
Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: My titles always come to me when I'm doing laundry! I think doing a mundane task allows my brain to slow down enough for big ideas to come to the forefront. And I think it's the perfect title, because Kyle says it all the time. And he talks A LOT. It only makes sense for something that Kyle says to be the title!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am over halfway through another rom-com. It's called Way Outta Left Field, and it's about a female baseball coach and a male softball coach at a high school on the North Shore of Massachusetts around Cape Ann.
My stories always are centered around cooking and delicious food, and the guy is the cook in this one! I should finish the draft by the end of 2024, and then I can start editing and figuring out its next steps.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Considering Us is available for preorder now in both paperback and ebook. There will be an audiobook ready to order on its Feb. 6 release day!
If you want something to read before then, my 2021 release First Course is available in all formats including for free in Kindle Unlimited. I also have written six short stories that were published in literary magazines; links are available at my website, jennbouchard.com. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and X at @JennBouchardBOS.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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