Interview with Lindsey P. Brackett

Happy Labor Day, Reader Friends!

Can you believe it’s September? This year has flown by!

I’m excited to get back to blogging this fall and to kick it off, I have Lindsey P. Brackett visiting today. Grab a cup of tea (or pumpkin spice anything) and chat with us!

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Interview

Toni: Thank you so much for joining me today! I’m so excited to talk about The Bridge Between that I don’t know

where to begin. *thinking, thinking* Oh, I know! Let’s talk about it’s setting. We’re back in Edisto Island. Tell us why this place is so special and how you came to pick it for a setting.

Lindsey: One of my favorite things readers say is—Edisto is a real place? A barrier island about 45 miles from Charleston, South Carolina, it’s one of the few “family beaches” left. Rustic, simple, no high rises, only family homes and a few condos, and very little commercialism. There’s only one grocery store—once a Piggly Wiggly but now a BiLo—and it’s tiny. My mother grew up nearby and it was her family’s place, so she made it ours, and in turn, I’ve made it my family’s. My kids love that all we do is shell hunt, ride bikes, and get shrimp at the docks. For me it really represents a slower pace of life, and that’s ultimately what these characters are searching for.

Toni: It sounds wonderful. Now I want to visit! Let’s talk about Louisa. How old is she? What are her likes? Dislikes?

Lindsey: Louisa is an unconventional heroine because she’s in her late forties. She’s a woman at a crossroads, trying to decide if she still wants the life she’s chosen or if she’s ready to embrace this long delayed dream. She’s organized and analytical—after all she’s a scientist—but she has teenage triplet boys so her meal plans (and clean house) often go awry. She drinks coffee all day, but she had to switch to decaf after dinner because now, her anxiety has caught up with her and she has trouble sleeping.

Toni: I love that she’s in her 40s! Now David, Louisa’s ex-husband, is in Edisto as well. What would he tell us is his reason for following his ex-wife and what is his deepest fear?

Lindsey: He says he followed her because they share custody and he wanted to make that easier. But Edisto is a new start for him too. He’s left his job in high school administration, and now he’s coaching and teaching history at the local high school. He’s never understood why Louisa asked him to leave, and he’s finally in a place where he wants to understand what made their marriage come apart. His greatest fear is they can never be reconciled, because like Louisa, he’s at a point of maturity in his life where he can see his own shortcomings and how he contributed to their lack of communication.

Toni: I think I’m going to like him. If you could explain your writing style to a reader, what would you say?

Lindsey: My style has always tended to be more literary. I love metaphors, symbolism, and beautiful imagery. People tell me I write descriptive settings and complex characters, but all I ever set out to do is take an ordinary situation and show how it can be extraordinary in the larger context of multiple lives. For this story, I personally connected with Louisa, so her inner struggle reflects some of my own journey through marriage and motherhood. Which is probably why many readers have told me they identified with her more than they ever thought they would.

Toni: Sounds like you have a gift! Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

Lindsey: Well both of these are stunning on Edisto, but if I have to choose, sunrise with coffee in hand.

Toni: I’m always grumpy if I’m awake for a sunrise. Land or sea?

Lindsey: Like the coast? Because the Lowcountry is my happy place.

Toni: I’d totally pick the coast too. Alone time or visiting with friends and family?

Lindsey: That depends on how much family drama is currently happening among my six siblings.

Toni: Lol, that sounds valid. Books or movies?

Lindsey: Books!

Toni: I seriously don’t know why I ask authors that question, lol. And last but not least, how can readers help you on your writing journey?

Lindsey: The best thing a reader can do if they enjoy one of my books is tell others! Whether they leave a review or post on social media, request their local library carry or ask for it at an indie bookstore, every time a readers shares an author, you’re helping us continue to serve you with stories. There are many authors out there, but only a few on top and readers tend to gravitate toward the known. When you take a chance on someone like me, who is still really new to the industry, I know it’s an act of faith in my work, and I am so grateful.

Toni: Hear hear! Readers, do you have any questions for Lindsey?

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About the Author

Lindsey P. Brackett writes southern fiction and cooks big family meals, but she complains about the dishes. Her debut novel, Still Waters, released in 2017 and was named the 2018 Selah Book of the Year. Her latest novel, The Bridge Between, released in 2019. Someday she hopes to balance motherhood and writing full-time. Until then, she’s just very grateful for her public school system.

Connect with Lindsey and get her free novella, Magnolia Mistletoe, with newsletter signup at lindseypbrackett.com.

Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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About the Book

Louisa Coultrie Halloway has returned home as caretaker for the family home on Edisto Island, but years before she left this world behind. Now she flounders to find her place. When Liam Whiting, a local professor studying tidal creek preservation, invites Lou to join his research team, she welcomes the opportunity for purpose.

David, her ex-husband, has followed Lou and their children to Edisto. As he finds his footing in this new life, their once strained relationship eases into a familiar rhythm—and he hopes for more.

But the past still has a hold on them all, especially in the presence of Grace Watson, whose son intends to marry Lou and David’s daughter. Somehow, Grace and Lou must let the past of a shared love settle between them.

In this idyllic setting, relationships, like the creeks, deepen and shift. Once more, Lou finds herself caught between the life she’s chosen—and the love that might be meant to be.

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