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Q&A with Ashley Jordan

You mentioned that Once Upon a Time in Dollywood originally began as a piece of fan fiction. Tell us more about your inspiration! How did you evolve the story into your own original universe?

Yes! I wrote fanfiction for The Walking Dead, believe it or not. And one of the best and worst things I ever did was take Beyoncé’s Lemonade and turn it into a long-form story for my favorite fictional couple. It went well (for the most part), and it led me to writing more original stories in alternate non-zombie universes, basically just using the names and faces of those characters. So Dollywood did originate as a 225,000-word epic about motherhood and grief and loss, and there was a whole side plot that ended a friendship. (It was far too long and pissed off my readers regularly.) But! I knew it had the bones of something beautiful and something necessary, especially where it delved into therapy and processing pain. So I kept that part of it, as well as the locale, and crafted this tale of a playwright bumbling her way through her depression. The character arcs are changed, the HEA looks very different, but I do think the message is the same.

Eve navigates heavy themes throughout the story, including imposter syndrome, panic attacks, and complex family dynamics. How did you approach building Eve’s backstory, and what do you hope readers take away from her journey?

Eve’s backstory came to me pretty easily, because she’s shaped by a lot of the same things I’ve struggled with: anxiety, imposter syndrome, the weight of familial expectations. I wanted her to feel real – guarded, messy, and all. She’s not always sure of herself, but she’s still worthy of love, and that felt important to show – especially for a Black woman. At its core, this is a story about healing, and the winding, often uncomfortable path toward it. And so the main thing I hope readers take away from her journey is that we’re still lovable, even at our worst. We still deserve hope and happiness, even when we can’t fathom it for ourselves.

You dedicate this book to the “Black girls and women mistaken for difficult when they just needed to be seen.” What books or authors have helped you feel seen? How did they inspire you to write your book?

Oh, so many. I could start and end this list with Toni Morrison, who helped me see the depth and the breadth of Black literature. I did not know what we were capable of before I read her work. But I could also say the same about Sister Souljah and The Coldest Winter Ever, which is maybe the first novel I read (perhaps a little too early) centering a Black girl. Tayari Jones’s work feels so familiar to the part of me that was raised in Atlanta. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is my grandmother and it’s my mother and it’s myself. Authors like James Baldwin, Jacqueline Woodson, bell hooks, Beverly Jenkins, Eric Jerome Dickey, Samantha Irby, Kennedy Ryan, Bolu Babalola, I could go on and on—they’ve made me feel seen in ways I didn’t even know I was searching for. They’ve inspired me to want to do the same for others.

How have your mentors, including your mentor in the Lit Up program, shaped your writing?

Most of all, they gave me confidence! Jasmine was especially instrumental in helping me understand that my book was already everything it needed to be. I was so worried that it was too quiet, but she assured me that was a good thing – it didn’t need bigger stakes or a higher concept or any of the things that come with ‘hookier’ books. All of my mentors were so kind and so generous with their guidance, and it really took all of their affirmations for me to believe my book had a place in the world. I can’t thank them enough.

In the book, Eve escapes to the Great Smoky Mountains to finish writing her next play. What does YOUR perfect writing retreat look like?

I’m a pretty simple girl, so I’m good anywhere that’s quiet, cool, and clean. But I will say, I’ve always wanted to go to Victoria Falls, and there’s this gorgeous resort in the Matetsi area that I’ve definitely got my eye on for whenever I get around to writing my next book!

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1. The author notes in the acknowledgements that the poem “Dead Stars” inspired the title of the book, and three lines from the poem serve as the epigraph. After finishing the book, how do you interpret the epigraph? If you read the full poem, what connections do you notice between its themes and the story?

2. The story uses a dual timeline structure and shifts between Mia and Cricket’s perspectives. How did this timeline structure impact your feelings about the events unfolding in the present? In what ways did hearing from both characters shape your understanding of the choices they were making?

3. The writing employs frequent foreshadowing. How did this influence your reading experience? Were there moments when you paused, sensing that a detail might become important later? How did that anticipation affect your emotional response?

4. Soccer plays a central role in the novel, and acts both literally and symbolically. While Liz, Mia, and Cricket are very different, they are all drawn to the game’s combination of structure and unpredictability. How does this attract each of them to the sport in a unique way? How does it influence the way each character pursues the sport?

5. Liz seems to believe that history repeats itself across generations. What do you think about this idea? Do you agree with the belief that it only takes one brave person to break the cycle? What could that look like for this story?

6. Mia and Cricket are raised with the ideal of the self-made hero. Why do you think Liz prescribed to that ideal, and do you think her opinion ever changed? How do Mia and Cricket’s experiences, especially their post-surgery support system, challenge and reshape that idea?

7. Mia’s illness, like many events in the novel, places her in a position where she is no longer in control. As someone who has always cared for others, how does she come to accept this loss of control? How does her healing – both physically and emotionally – depend on her ability to rely on others, especially Cricket, and ask for and accept help? Why do you think asking for help can be so difficult, even as adults?

8. Each character’s adult identity is shaped by childhood trauma, parental influence, and early choices. At what point do you feel Mia and Cricket come to terms with their past, and with the risks and sacrifices they made? Even as they reach a sense of resolution by the end, do you think they carry lingering “what if” thoughts?

9. The novel carries a strong sense of grief – grief over loss, illness, sacrifice, and paths not taken. Did you relate to the feeling of grieving a decision, even when it felt like the right or necessary choice? How did the novel help you reflect on your own moments of sacrifice?

10. Spectacular Things can be read as a love letter – to sisters, to mothers, to daughters. What message about these relationships resonated most with you? What would you want to share with your own circle of sisters, mothers, or daughters? Why would you recommend this story to your community of supporters?

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Exploring Maine with Beck Dorey-Stein

Willard Beach is the reason why I moved to Maine five years ago. There are official dog-friendly hours throughout the year, and I thought, what else do I need? I packed my bags and my cats, headed north, and soon thereafter rescued a puppy.  On Willard Beach, I met my partner, Ryan, and virtually all my friends. It’s shaped my life into what it is, and on a sparkling summer morning with an iced coffee in hand and my dog frolicking off-leash, it is my favorite place on Earth. At the far end of the beach, out of the way but not entirely out of view, is where I envision the Lowe family training at dawn.

Robinson Woods is where I hold my afternoon office hours. While my hound dog, Billy, sniffs along the path to his heart’s content, I walk through my writing – addressing issues and daydreaming about potential plotlines. Oftentimes I go by myself, but I’m always happy to meet a friend, and now that my son is a self-proclaimed “big boy” (he just turned three), it’s so fun to show him the same woods that his father first showed me. I imagine the Lowe sisters go to the woods, both alone and together, when they need to walk their way into a strategy or out of a bad mood.

Scratch Bakery is halfway between our house and Willard Beach. It’s an easy walk and a total problem because the sea salt bagels and literally all of their baked treats will lure you back again, and again, and again. In the novel, there is a local bakery that specializes in croissants and usually has a long line out the door because nothing brings people together quite like warm gluten. As proof, everyone loves Scratch, including my editor, Whit Frick (featured in pic 1 with Hank and me during her family’s annual Maine visit) and Izzy, our self-righteous English bulldog, who will never turn down a Scratch peanut butter dog cookie. 

Q&A with Beck-Dorey Stein

What was the real-life inspiration behind the Lowe sisters? How did your relationship with your siblings inform the dynamics between Mia and Cricket? What inspired Cricket’s impossible choice? 

Sandwiched between an older brother and younger sister, I am quite familiar with birth-order dynamics and the resentments that often accompany them. But I’m also well aware of the ferocious love that inevitably brings me to appreciate my siblings far more than I resent them, especially the older we get. My brother introduced me to soccer – and all sports, really – by kicking a soccer ball to (at?) me when I was three in the backyard. Motivated to make me a great athlete, Zach never went easy, which is probably why I still pride myself on being scrappy on and off the field. 

The heart of Spectacular Things is the bond between sisters, and I’m lucky enough to have that crazy connection with my little sister, Caroline. Although Zach and I were more competitive with each other because of a smaller age gap, I still reserved the right to push my sister. These days, Caroline is a serious runner and would no doubt smoke Zach and me in a race if we were ever foolish enough to engage.  I’m old enough to only feel immense pride in her running accomplishments, and Caroline is kind enough to compliment my (much slower) pacing.

The story of U.S. Olympian Aries Merritt and his sister, LaToya Hubbard, inspired Cricket’s impossible choice.  After setting a world record in the 110-meter hurdles, Aries took home his gold medal only to learn a year later he would need a kidney transplant. His sister stepped up and donated one of hers so Aries could return to competing. When I read the article, I was touched by the story of siblings, but also wondered, would Aries have done the same for his sister, if the roles were reversed? Would she have expected him to?

The career of a professional athlete is, at best, extremely brief, so for Aries or Cricket to end it early would be a lot to ask, especially if it wasn’t a matter of immediate life-or-death. And yet, as I researched the lives of professional soccer players, it was apparent that no one can reach that level on their own – it’s always a family affair because to become the best requires an insane amount of time, money, and commitment. There was no easy right or wrong answer, which made it a good subject to explore over the course of a novel. And so I wrote Spectacular Things to explore the tenuous dynamics that siblings—particularly sisters— must often navigate, both together and separately.

This book feels like a love letter to women’s soccer. What’s your own connection to the sport, and what made you want to center this story around it? 

I grew up playing soccer and believe my coaches and teammates had a profound impact on my character and work ethic. Some of my best friends today are from my middle school club team, and some of my mantras (“leave your heart on the field” // “the bruises hurt less tomorrow if you know you gave it your all today”) are from Rose Miller, that club team’s coach. After college, I taught 9^th grade English and coached soccer at a boarding school, and when I left there to go to Washington, D.C., I joined a team to make friends and feel more connected to the city. So I’ve always loved soccer, but the real reason I wanted to center Spectacular Things around the game is because of the 2019 FIFA World Cup. That U.S. roster, and their performance in the tournament, inspired me to such a degree I knew I wanted to spend more time in that world – and as a writer, I was lucky enough to do just that. 

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift” — this quote was a mantra throughout the book. What is your personal take on this? What do you think the Lowes women’s relationship is with this quote? 

I love this quotation from Steve Prefontaine because of its relentless relevance. The Lowe women get into trouble when they only apply it to soccer. Instead of seeing “the gift” as a specific talent, I see it as the opportunity of the present moment. So that means I try to apply Steve’s words when I’m on a run, sure, but also when I’m running errands. And to be clear, giving my “best” at Trader Joe’s is less about navigating the packed aisles in record time and much more about smiling at the new mom with a baby strapped to her chest, and thanking the bagger for Tetris-ing my groceries like a pro. It’s about expressing gratitude for your life by living it fully and with kindness – I know, I know, easier said than done, but that’s the beauty of a mantra!

Liz, Mia, and Cricket all face uphill battles in different ways. Do you see them as underdogs? What challenges do you think each of them is trying to overcome throughout the book? 

The Lowe women are underdogs in different ways, their battles distinguished by generation. Liz’s childhood is more financially comfortable and, with two parents, at least appears more stable. But Liz’s parents are too wrapped up in themselves to be supportive of their daughter, and so she finds herself desperately lonely until she discovers soccer, which then presents its own joys and disappointments. 

Mia and Cricket grow up with a single mom who is hoofing it to make ends meet, but they know she has their back, and they feel her love all the time, regardless of whether she’s watching their game or out late working. Liz also gives them each other – the pricelessness of a sister – in large part because she feels like she missed out by not having one. Despite the love of their tight-knit family, Mia and Cricket are also underdogs because as they emerge as talented young women, the unspoken price tag of competitive soccer and higher education present a challenge. The book mentions “pay to play” in the context of elite soccer, but it also applies to the academic pressure we put on high school students to volunteer or take unpaid summer internships most families can’t afford. So the Lowes are all underdogs, and that ultimately serves them well because it makes them earn their stars and, as I write in the novel, everybody loves an underdog. 

What was your journey into fiction like, and what advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

Ha! I’m still very much on the journey! My favorite books are all novels, and my go-to genre is contemporary fiction, so in that sense, it seems like a natural evolution. But I’m constantly struck with imposter’s syndrome and concern I’m not doing this thing right because I didn’t go to graduate school and because it takes me so many drafts to figure out what I’m trying to say – all the stuff I tell aspiring writers to ignore. At the end of the day, if you write, you’re a writer. So get writing – for 10 minutes, with a timer, if that makes it seem doable – and go from there. As I often remind Michele, the local elementary school crossing guard who has lived 5 million lives in her 75 years and would like to pen a memoir, you can’t edit what isn’t written down, so just get it down!

Your novel explores big themes like ambition, sacrifice, and motherhood. What message or feeling do you hope readers walk away with?

I hope readers walk away feeling inspired to check in with someone they love who might not live nearby. That probably sounds like a jump from the question, but it’s so easy for us to get caught up with what’s right in front of us – the people, the jobs, the problems, the laundry(!) – but the whole day changes when I get a call from a friend I haven’t been able to see recently. Since becoming a mom three years ago, I would be lying if I didn’t say that, on the majority of days, I most strongly identify as an undercooked scrambled egg. Time gets aways so easily from all of us, which is why even a five-minute check-in with a friend (or a sister!) inflates my heart while grounding my soul. So go call someone you love and tell them you love them!  Or better yet, plan a trip to go see them and go to an NWSL game together!

Character Reads: What’s on Circket & Mia’s Nightstand

Perhaps just as revealing as the titles themselves is how each of these books found their way to Cricket and Mia’s nightstands. Since Cricket isn’t much of a reader, I imagine Forward and Tiny Beautiful Things were both gifts from Mia, who knew Wambach’s experience on the soccer field – and the pressure she put on herself to “win” her mother’s love – would resonate with her sister. Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things offers such wisdom in relatively bite-size, grab-and-go essays that it would feel accessible and not intimidating to Cricket. Achieving Excellence would be the one book Cricket picked out for herself for obviously pertinent reasons, especially since Dr. Hacker has served as a sport psychology consultant for the USWNT for decades.

Mia’s bookstack reflects her lifelong love of reading and learning. Despite dropping out of college, Mia continues to peruse her alma mater’s suggested reading lists and has not only befriended all the librarians at Victory Library but has even been invited to join their secret book club. So these titles are just a glimpse into an ever-changing stack of spines, but it makes sense Mia would want to read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s reflection on losing a parent, having already reveled in the rest of her work. Mia would love getting lost in both The Overstory and Pachinko, both sweeping, brilliant sagas that she would appreciate digging into with her book club.

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When I was eighteen, I thought I had a clear vision of the person I would be by the time I turned thirty—the things I would have accomplished; the life I would have built. My teen mind was confident that within just twelve short years, I would truly come into myself. It was a degree of self-assurance I will likely spend the rest of my life seeking to rediscover.

Every Version of You is a romance novel about a woman who dies in her early thirties and is given the chance to relive a formative time in her adult life: her freshman year of college. Determined to get the “one who got away” to fall in love with her, she tries to undo her biggest regrets, only for new ones to pop up in their place.

The story came to me at a time when I was floundering in my career. I had goals I had been working toward for years and absolutely zero clue how to achieve them. My brain started down a thought spiral that many of our minds have traveled: If only I had worked a little harder; if only I had been more practical; if only I had known then what I know now.

I asked myself: what would I do differently?

I was surprised by the answer at which I arrived, because although my spiral had started from a place of career insecurity, my answer had very little to do with work. No, I hadn’t accomplished much. I wasn’t confident I ever would. And yes, that thought terrified me. But I realized that instead of making sure I didn’t become the failure I feared I was turning into, I hoped I would fail more. Fail bigger. Fail more audaciously. And then I hoped I would get back up faster.

The truth was, if I could go back and do it all over again, I hoped I would call my family more. Maintain friendships I had let fade away. Tell the people I loved that I loved them. Be quick to forgive and even quicker to apologize. I hoped that I would travel more, that I would allow myself to experience joy without guilt, and that I would read even more romance novels, because a constant source of regret is the fact that I will never be able to read all the books I hope to.

And so Joey, my main character, was born. She is in many ways my opposite: a professional success, but a personal disaster. The kind of daughter parents love to brag about—while conveniently neglecting to mention she hasn’t called them back in weeks. The kind of woman who doesn’t spiral, just keeps all her regrets bottled up inside until they boil over.

I am so excited to share Joey’s story with you. Every Version of You is, at its core, a romance, but it’s also a coming-of-age story about a woman who tries, for the first time, to figure out what living life for herself looks like. Two parts “wish fulfillment” and one part “be careful what you wish for,” the story uses magical realism and romance to explore themes of self-discovery and second chances. I hope it encourages you to live the life you dream of living, today.

– Natalie Messier

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To celebrate the launch of our podcast, Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club, we partnered with some of our favorite Indie Bookstores around the country for a bookmark drop. Doing some book shopping this week? Keep an eye out for our exclusive bookmarks at checkout!

Strand Bookstore (New York, New York)

Sunny’s Book Truck (Yuma, Arizona)

Book People (Austin, Texas)

Yu & Me Books (New York, New York)

Tattered Cover Bookstore (Denver, Colorado)

Parnassus Books (Nashville, Tennessee)

Zibby’s Bookshop (Los Angeles, California)

Powell’s Books (Portland, Oregon)

Trident Booksellers and Cafe (Boston, Massachusetts)

The Ripped Bodice (Los Angeles, California)

Loudmouth Books (Indianapolis, Indiana)

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You heard us correctly. Our book-lover-in-chief has written the thriller of the season and we can’t wait for this to drop in reader’s hand’s on October 14!

Gone Before Goodbye Tour Announcement

The Gone Before Goodbye Tour has officially been announced! Will we see you in your city?

About The Book

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact.  And it was all going to plan…until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is…

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Looking to add a dash of color to your next book club? We’ve partnered with Evite to build these fun, customizeable invitation cards. We dare your friends to decline this invite!

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