Skip to content
  • HOME
  • THE DREAMER
    • CONTACT
  • DISCLOSURES
  • HOME
  • custom-logo
  • THE DREAMER
    • CONTACT
  • DISCLOSURES
Uncategorized

Book Tour // Q&A with Bryan Reardon (Finding Jake)

April 20, 2015August 25, 2015 Crystal // Dreams, etc. Post a comment
Book Tour // Q&A with Bryan Reardon (Finding Jake)

Hello, everyone! Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

I’m so excited to share today’s post with you! I’ve had my eye on Finding Jake since I first read the synopsis in an article about must-read books of 2015. It sounds amazing! I don’t have a copy of the book yet, so I haven’t had a chance to read it, but I’ll definitely share my thoughts when I do!

I was able to ask the author, Bryan Reardon, a few questions, though. These are the questions that went through my head when I first read about the book, so I’m so excited to have had a chance to ask them! A big thanks to TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for the opportunity and to Bryan Reardon for answering my questions!

First, the synopsis.

About Finding Jake
Hardcover: 272 pages  
Publisher: William Morrow (February 24, 2015)

A heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting story of psychological suspense in which a parent is forced to confront what he does–and does not–know about his teenage son.

For sixteen years, Simon Connelly’s successful wife has gone to her law office each day, while he has stayed home to raise their children. Though Simon has loved taking care of Jake and Laney, it has cost him a part of himself, and has made him an anomaly in his pretty, suburban neighborhood–the only stay-at-home dad among a tight circle of mothers.

Shepherding them through childhood, the angst-ridden father has tried to do the best for the kids, even if he often second-guesses his choices. For sunny, outgoing Laney, it’s been easy. But quiet Jake has always preferred the company of his books or his sister to playdates and organized sports. Now that they are in high school, Simon should feel more relaxed, but he doesn’t. He’s seen the statistics, read the headlines.

Then, on a warm November day, he receives a text: There has been a shooting at the high school.

Racing to the rendezvous point, Simon is forced to wait with scores of other anxious fathers and tearful mothers, overwhelmed by the disturbing questions running through his head. How many victims were there? Why did this happen? One by one, parents are reunited with their children. Their numbers dwindle, until Simon is alone. Laney has gone home with her mom. Jake is the only child missing.

As his worst nightmare unfolds, Simon begins to obsess over the past, searching for answers, for hope, for the memory of the boy he raised, for the mistakes he must have made, for the reason everything came to this. Where is Jake? What happened in those final moments? Is it possible he doesn’t really know his son? Or he knows him better than he thought? Jake could not have done this–or could he?

As rumors begin to ricochet, amplified by an invasive media, Simon must find answers. But there is only one way to understand what has happened . . . he must find Jake.

A story of faith and conviction, strength and courage, love and doubt that is harrowing and heartbreaking, surprisingly healing and redemptive, Finding Jake asks us to consider how well we know ourselves . . . and those we love.

 Add to Goodreads badge
Purchase Links
Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

And now for the Q&A.

Where did the idea for the novel come from?

There are so many answers to this question. The idea probably started as soon as I left an office job to stay home with my six-month twins. Memories of those days fueled many of the scenes in the book. During that time, I read Dave Cullen’s Columbine. Although I never set out to write about a school shooting, when I sat down and started to piece this book together, that’s where my mind immediately went. Finally, I read Gone Girl. I started writing fiction as a hobby about fifteen years ago. About a decade ago, I got my first literary agent. Then, about six years ago, I wrote a book that looked like it was going to get a great publishing deal. That fell through and it broke my heart. I quit writing fiction until, in 2013, I read Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Something about that book inspired me to try again. I knew I wanted to write a story from the point-of-view of a stay-at-home dad (that was a lot of hyphens there!) and wanted to touch on the topics of introversion and snap judgment. That coupled with the influence Cullen’s book had on me led to Finding Jake.

Did you know what would happen in the novel as you wrote it?

Nope. I’m not an outliner. I ghostwrote nonfiction for a number of years before writing Finding Jake. I had to use outlines then, but I found they made my writing a little more stilted. So I tried to write this one without any. Instead, after each day’s writing, I would jot down a couple of sentences telling me where I wanted to go the next day. As the climax of the story began, I lost all sense of where it was going. The story just popped out, like I was living in those moments. I had other endings in mind, but I am happy with how it came out. As people have read it, though, they’ve shared some great ideas on how they thought it should end.

How much did the story change from what you originally had in mind as you wrote it?

Not as much as I would have thought. I did have other concepts for the ending but they were never really fleshed out. My editor, Lyssa, did an amazing job. She had me cut down the ending a good bit as, for some reason, I had about a third of the story take place after the climax. But she also took a couple of the characters, particularly Rachel and Simon, and made them so human. I learned so much during that process, particularly how the slightest of change can make an enormous outcome. One change, though, wasn’t necessarily about what I originally had in mind but was very noticeable. About two-thirds of the way through writing the first draft, I adopted a puppy. All the sudden, dogs started popping up all over the place in the book. Luckily they made it through the final edits, which made me happy.

I’m sure it’ll come as a shock that hearing about the dogs popping up all over in the book makes me even more excited to read it! šŸ˜‰ Again, a big thanks to Bryan Reardon for answering my questions, and to TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for the opportunity. 
 

About Bryan Reardon

Bryan Reardon is a freelance writer specializing in medical communications. He co-wrote Ready, Set, Play with retired NFL player and ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth and Cruel Harvest. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Bryan worked for the State of Delaware for over a decade, starting in the Office of the Governor. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife, kids, and rescue dog, Simon.

Connect with Bryan on Facebook.

http://tlcbooktours.com/
HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS?

// Check out my latest reading roundup!

// Nominate a book club read for May! A voting post will go up on Thursday, April 23rd.

>> Follow me on: Bloglovin’ // Instagram // Twitter // Pinterest // Facebook

About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

Post navigation

Morning Week Recap
Book Tour // First There Was Forever by Juliana Romano

Share Your Thoughts! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

If only we always remembered to be in touch with o If only we always remembered to be in touch with our loved ones regularly; to tell them that we love them.

This thought has been on my mind the last few weeks as I’ve been in touch with one of my best friends almost daily. They’ve been navigating a scary situation.

But that’s what everyone says, isn’t it? Reach out to those you love. Tell them you love them. Don’t let a lot of time pass.

We all know that. We think about it sometimes. We hear about it when others are in crisis. We’re thankful that we aren’t the ones in crisis and we can remember this lesson through someone else.

But eventually we get caught up in life. Our daily ā€œI love you’sā€ are reserved for those we live with and sometimes we forget to text someone back… or it takes a few days to do so.

This week as I wondered why we don’t remember this more often I realized it’s probably a good thing. It’s a good thing that we can live life without worrying that tragedy is right around the corner. That would be an exhausting way to live.

It’s also good that we can get little reminders, sometimes not from our own life. So from someone who spent one week numb, another week weepy, and this week sad, remember to send your friends a text. Tell them you love them.
I took these in early January when the snow still I took these in early January when the snow still felt a bit magical, but right now I’m just ready to walk barefoot in grass.

When I was younger I used to imagine what it would be like if we got so much snow that it would be piled high above our doors. I wondered if we’d be able to create tunnels in the snow to move around in.

And this year might just be the year we find out. I’m kidding, of course, but at this point I feel like we’ve been buried in snow. We’re even on track to beat some snow records I think (the amount of snow and the number of consecutive days with snow on the ground.

So. What’s the weather like where you are?
February was here and gone in the blink of an eye February was here and gone in the blink of an eye but contained moments I’ll carry with me forever.
When it’s almost halfway through February and yo When it’s almost halfway through February and you still haven’t posted January’s recap. January was filled with lots of family time. šŸ’™
Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few g Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few glimpses from January. As 2022 came to an end I had this feeling that I was preparing to hibernate and I guess, in a way, I have. I’ve been slowly easing into the new year, focused on getting back into a few routines after Iceland and the holidays. And it’s been a great month. I can’t believe it’s almost over. What have your favorite moments of January been?
2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of 2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of so many dreams experiences. Whales. Cape Cod/Nantucket. Iceland. I saw musicals that have I’ve been dreaming of with Moulin Rouge, Wicked, and Six. 

It wasn’t without its stresses and rough moments but I’m grateful for the good that can be found, even when it’s hard.
Let’s journey back to November for the second we Let’s journey back to November for the second weekly dam walk of the month. My dad joined me for this one and we made it somewhat fast because it was a chilly day. ā€œThe water looks cold,ā€ I said when we back to the car.

Between Iceland and the below zero, windy, and snowy weather we had last week (which came with requests from my parents not to go) it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been to the dam and I miss it!
Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Vienna and it still lives in my memory today as such a special time. I know December in Reykjavik will be the same—and not just because I came home with a little over $100 worth of ornaments of all 13 Yule Lads AND their mom AND the Christmas cat. (There was a little bit of miscommunication between my mom and me on that shopping trip. šŸ˜‚)

It might have been cold (and when that wind hits you don’t want to be outside or by the harbour…I speak from windswept, breath-stolen experience and will forever be grateful for the library we eventually found respite in) and we only saw the sun a few hours each day, but seeing this already charming city decked out in Christmas lights with a skating rink and the prettiest tree secured it’s place in my heart.

Reykjavik, I hope to see you again one day. Soon. Probably not in December, but I’m glad I got to see you in December once.
Last year my niece and I visited New York at Chris Last year my niece and I visited New York at Christmastime and it was fun to see the city decked out in lights. I can also now say that I’ve seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and skating rink and the Saks Christmas lights, but I’ve also seen the crowds they draw.

It was completely different in Reykjavik this year. You actually had a chance to skate on the ice rink if you wanted (and I never did the conversation, but I think it’s cheaper) and you could actually walk up to the Christmas tree. Two very different Christmas in the city experiences.
See More Follow on Instagram

RECENT POSTS

  • Saying Goodbye to Crystal the Writer
  • The Day the Sorcerers Visited Baby Jesus
  • Thoughts on Hope
  • Christmas Playlist // 2022
  • Life Under Construction

CATEGORIES

  • Adventures (52)
  • Beauty (16)
  • Books (147)
  • Creativity (57)
  • Entertainment (18)
  • Life (224)
  • Uncategorized (539)
  • Wellness (8)

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Follow
  • Book Review Policy
  • BOOKS
  • Contact
  • DISCLOSURES
  • Insta Links
  • Seint Links
  • THE DREAMER
Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Ā© 2023. All text and photos belong to Crystal Brutlag, unless otherwise stated. Theme designed by Little Theme Shop: https://littlethemeshop.com

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Dreams, etc. // Minneapolis Lifestyle Blog
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.