I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Brandy’s writing with The Last Summer, so I’m thrilled to have Brandy visit Relz Reviewz to introduce you to her leading lady, Sara Witherspoon! You will find much to relate to with Sara and the predicament she finds herself in. Be sure to enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a Kindle copy of The Last Summer and meet Sarah first hand, along with her newly found friends.

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Sara Witherspoon

Physical Stats

Height: 5’7”

Hair colour & style: Light brown hair with highlights, usually a little longer than shoulder length

Eye colour: Light brown

Dress sense: Conservative but fashionable (she doesn’t like to be flashy or draw much attention to herself), casual but always stylish and put together, Sara knows her sense of style and goes with what makes her comfortable. She’s beautiful in a very girl-next-door kind of way. Her go-to outfit would probably be flats, skinny jeans, and a loose top

Resembles…

Jessica Biel

Can’t live without…

Diet Dr Pepper and Nutella

Strengths

She’s good with self-control and she’s very perceptive. She likes to give herself time to think through things before making a decision. She’s loyal and dependable. Her faith is important to her.

Vulnerabilities

She’s usually non-confrontational so she avoids dealing with conflict and can internalize any hurt feelings.

Passions

She loves art and history and architecture. She studied art in college and now works at a museum. Sara appreciates beauty. She loves to redecorate her apartment; she’s always moving furniture around and switching out her artwork. She’s also passionate about her friends and family.

What book or movie would they recommend?

When it comes to books, she’s got a stack of design books on her coffee table, and she also loves books about hospitality. When it comes to movies, Sara loves Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility—basically any movie based on Jane Austen novels. She grew up watching period films with her mother. Downton Abbey is her favorite TV series to binge watch.

Your inspiration for the character

Sara first came to me so long ago that I think I probably put a little of myself into her way back then. We have similar interests for sure. (Hello Diet Dr Pepper!) But over time, my vision of her—lookswise—changed into my sister. My sister (whose name is Sara!) is gorgeous with highlighted brown hair and brown eyes. She’s thoughtful and kind. During the many rewrites of this book, the character truly took on a life of her own and became her own person to me, but the picture in my mind of her looks a lot like my sister Sara.

Background to the story

I wrote the first draft of this book during my freshman year of college. It was a time of life when friendships and romance were paramount. I still have original spiral notebook I wrote the first draft on! Thankfully, it now looks entirely different. (But the nuts and bolts of the story—the seven friends and where they end up—that never changed from the beginning.) As I took classes working toward my English degree, my writing style changed of course. Then I graduated and got a job as an editor for a publishing house. I worked there for ten years, and my writing style continued to change. Over the course of that time, I published four other books. (One was an indie, the other three were contracted.) Finally, a few years ago when I was pregnant with my third child, I felt this pull to go back to that first story. Those characters had never left me. I opened up a blank document, decided that this time I’d try telling the story in first person, and started typing. When I finished writing the book, I believed it was finally ready. That’s the version that was picked up and published. I’m so thrilled with it. So, while it’s technically my fifth book to be published, in many ways, it feels like my first. The characters are like family to me at this point.

Thanks Brandy!

For twenty-something Sara Witherspoon and her group of friends, a perfect Southern summer includes lake-house getaways, wedding planning, outdoor concerts, and a dash of romance. But for these seven friends who love each other like family, this year, summer rolls in with changes for everyone.

Sara’s longtime crush, Luke, has been her best friend for as long as she has been a part of the group. When Luke begins seriously dating another of their friends, Sara’s forced to deal with her hurt and jealousy, while outwardly try to support them both.

While Sara comes to terms with her own heart and her friends’ relationships, an unexpected handsome pilot from North Carolina and an old flame are thrown into the mix. Knowing her heart suddenly becomes much more complicated.

But as time unfolds and friendships begin to unravel, Sara and the others are presented with the reality of what a season of change does to old friendships and new love interests.

Brandy Bruce is a mom, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert. She’s the author of the award-winning novel The Last Summer, Looks Like Love, and The Romano Family Collection. Brandy, her husband, and their children make their home in Colorado.

Relz Reviewz Extras
My review of The Last Summer
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Buy at Amazon: The Last Summer
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