1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Two former best friends reunite at their childhood summer camp for a nostalgic adults-only camp before it closes for good, where they rebuild their friendship, re-experience all their favorite camp memories, and each find love.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
We’ve been excited about setting a book at a summer camp ever since our first novel, THE BEACH TRAP, which opened with a flashback scene to Camp Chickawah, where our main characters met as kids. Readers loved that scene, and we decided we’d love to set an entire book at a camp—except make it an adult camp so there can be sexy scenes and adult beverages! We set the camp’s location in Minnesota because that’s where Alison went to summer camp when she was a kid. Alison’s dad helped us come up with the name of the camp—Camp Chickawah was the camp he attended as a child!
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes! We have two main characters: Jessie the camp director, and Hillary who returns to camp after years of being away. Jessie would be fun to hang out around the campfire, and Hillary would be fun to do crafts within the Arts & Crafts cabin.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Jessie – outdoorsy, resourceful, outgoing. Hillary – thoughtful, creative, hardworking
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
A very astute copy editor pointed out that we’d written a scene in which a tree Jessie climbed as a kid had grown so much, she couldn’t reach the bottom branch anymore—except apparently, trees grow from the tips of their branches, so the bottom branch would always stay at the same distance from the ground. Who knew? Not us!
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
A little of both. We get our chapters to a reasonably well-edited place before sharing them with each other, then swap chapters so we can read, offer comments, and edit each other’s work. Then at the end of the entire completed draft, we discuss big-picture edits like character, setting, and any plot changes, and then incorporate those in a new draft.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Bradeigh – ice cream. Alison – pizza or crab rangoon
9–Describe your writing space/office!
Bradeigh has a writing office in her home with a big desk, a wall of bookshelves, and a little reading nook. Alison just moved into a new apartment where she has an office…but she rarely uses it to write. Her favorite writing spot is out on her balcony!
10–Who is an author you admire?
We are both huge fans of Annabel Monaghan. Not only does she write smart, romantic, swoony summer reads, she’s a lovely human being and so incredibly supportive of other writers.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
Ooh, that’s a tough question. There are so many incredible books that have changed the way we see the world in little and big ways. It would be too hard to pick just one!
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
Since we live in different states, we weren’t together, and when we got the email from our agents that Berkley was offering on our book, we were both so thrilled and couldn’t wait to celebrate with each other. We Facetimed and cheered (quietly, because we were both at work at our day jobs!) and cried some happy tears together.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
Romance, women’s fiction, thrillers
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Bradeigh – Pride & Prejudice (the 2005 film) Alison: an obscure film that most people haven’t seen—Passion of Mind starring Demi Moore that came out in 2000.
15–What is your favorite season?
Bradeigh – fall. Alison – summer!
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Bradeigh – going trick-or-treating with her kids (her birthday is Halloween). Alison – it’s different every year, but she always likes to do something fun! It’s usually right around Thanksgiving, so there’s always a birthday cake as part of the meal.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
For a book, The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr (it is so good and a very important, timely read) and a podcast – Two Hot Takes. The host, Morgan, is joined by a friend in every episode and they read and react to various Reddit threads. It’s random, but entertaining and fun!
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Bradeigh – Thai, Alison – All things Asian
19–What do you do when you have free time?
Bradeigh – read. Alison: listen to audio books or go see live music
20–What can readers expect from you next?
We’re writing a romance set in a bookstore! We poured all the love we have for booksellers, readers, and the entire bookish community into this story. It’s coming out next summer and we can’t wait.
UNTIL NEXT SUMMER by Ali Brady
Two former best friends each find love at an adults-only summer camp in this romantic and nostalgic novel that proves “once a camp person, always a camp person.”
Growing up, Jessie and Hillary lived for summer, when they’d be reunited at Camp Chickawah. The best friends vowed to become counselors together someday, but they drifted apart after Hillary broke her promise and only Jessie stuck to their plan, working her way up to become the camp director.
When Jessie learns that the camp will be sold, she decides to plan one last hurrah, inviting past campers—including Hillary—to a nostalgic “adult summer camp” before closing for good. Jessie and Hillary rebuild their friendship as they relive the best time of their lives—only now there are adult beverages, skinny dipping, and romantic entanglements. Straitlaced Hillary agrees to a “no strings attached” summer fling with the camp chef, while outgoing Jessie is drawn to a moody, reclusive writer who’s rented a cabin to work on his novel.
The friends soon realize this doesn’t have to be the last summer. They’ll team up and work together, just like the old days. But if they can’t save their beloved camp, will they be able to take the happiness of this summer away with them?
Women’s Fiction Friendship [Berkley, On Sale: July 9, 2024, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593640821 / eISBN: 9780593640838]
Buy UNTIL NEXT SUMMER: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Ali Brady
Ali Brady is the pen name of writing BFFs Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. The Beach Trap is their first book together. Alison lives in Chicago and works as a VP creative director at an advertising agency. She’s the author of You and Me and Us and Little Pieces of Me. Bradeigh lives with her family in Utah, where she works as a physician. She’s the author of the psychological thriller, Imposter.
No Comments
Comments are closed.