Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, THE HALF OF IT?
Juliette Fay: During the pandemic I was intrigued by how many people seemed to be taking the pause in social contact to look inward and do a sort of self review. Basically they were asking themselves, “Is this where I’m supposed to be, doing what I should be doing, with the person I’m supposed to be with?” For a striking number of them, the answer was no.
I imagined what it would be like for someone my age (58 at the time) to come to that same conclusion. It would be so tough to have to admit to yourself that you’ve been veering off course for years, and that the time you have left to fix things is limited. I asked myself: What makes you end up in the wrong place, with the wrong person, doing work that doesn’t really suit them? Where did that first step in the wrong direction begin? And how do you make a course correction now to try and improve the situation?
(For the record, I am very happily married, love my work, and adore my community!)
Jen: Let’s talk about Helen Spencer. Who is she, and what’s happening in her life?
Juliette: Helen is 58, a recent widow, and she’s recently moved to a new town to be closer to her daughter. She’s not a complainer and is perfectly happy taking her daily three-mile runs, keeping the books for her son-in-law’s bakery, and taking care of their one-year-old several days a week. At least she that’s what she tells herself. When Helen delves a little deeper—which she generally tries not to do—she’s faced with a lot of regret about how her life has turned out.
And if she’s really honest, Helen knows exactly where it all started to go south: it was the day after a romantic night in the woods with a boy named Cal Crosby. She and Cal had been friends for years and finally admitted to each other that they were in love. Then the next day, everything went wrong, and it’s been going a little bit wrong ever since.
Jen: What is her gut reaction when she bumps into Cal Crosby?
Juliette: When their paths cross 40 years later, each with grandchildren in tow, Cal doesn’t recognize Helen, and her initial reaction is to run. She doesn’t want to revisit that old hurt. On the other hand, she’s also intrigued. Since he doesn’t know it’s her, she decides to find out a little more about what’s happened to him in those 40 years, assuming that she’ll never have to answer any questions herself. But soon enough he puts on his wife’s readers, gets a closer look, and realizes who he’s talking to. She quickly makes excuses and leaves.
Jen: How does Helen’s perspective on life change after this encounter?
Juliette: Helen changes course, but this time it’s in a better direction. She reaches out to her best friend from childhood, with whom she had a falling out many years before. She begins to reflect on the past instead of keeping it locked away where she doesn’t have to look at it. And with great reluctance, she agrees to meet with Cal and discuss what happened all those years ago.
Jen: What do you hope readers take away from this warm, witty love story?
Juliette: First of all, I hope that when readers turn that last page, they’re happy they’ve spent time with Helen and Cal, entertained by the twists and turns of the story. On a deeper level, I hope that readers might take a closer look at their own life stories and feel inspired to make adjustments if any are needed. The day it’s too late to improve your life is the day you die. Up until then, you have choices to make.
Jen: Let’s switch gears. What’s the best way for readers to stay connected with you?
Juliette: The most fun way to spend time with me is to have your book club read one of my books, and for me to join in the conversation when you discuss it. Book club members can reach out to me on my website, juliettefay.com, to arrange a time. There are book events readers can attend (details are on my website), and at least one is by Zoom, so people can join from anywhere in the world. I’m also active on Facebook at Juliette Fay, author and on Instagram at Juliette-Fay.
Jen: What’s on your TBR stack?
Juliette: I just finished the audiobook of Jojo Moyes’s Someone Else’s Shoes and loved it. Actress Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame is the narrator, and she’s wonderful. Next up is Strangers in the Night by Heather Webb, about the love affair between Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner.
Jen: Let’s talk about what’s next. Please share with us a sneak peek into your work in progress.
Juliette: I’m working on a new novel that’s currently without a title. (Titles are so hard!) It’s about three people who’ve each lost their person – one to death, another to a brain injury, and the last to untreated mental health issues. The story follows each of them and how they befriend and challenge one another.
Jen: Thanks for stopping by to chat about your heartfelt new release, The Half of It. Best of luck!
Juliette: Thanks so much, Jen!
One perfect night. Forty years of buried hurt. One chance to make it right. Can the past ever be fixed? With humor, heart, and grace, USA Today bestselling author Juliette Fay delivers an immensely satisfying page-turner, perfect for fans of Josie Silver and Jojo Moyes.
“I’m wondering if we can be friends again.”
When fifty-eight-year-old Helen Spencer reviews her life, what she sees are the mistakes. Over the years, things seemed to go sideways incrementally, one little wrong decision at a time. She can even pinpoint where it all started to go awry: a wonderous, romantic night in the woods her senior year of high school with a boy named Cal Crosby. A night she would soon work hard to forget.
Forty years, one marriage, three children, and one grandbaby later, suddenly there he is—Cal (expletive) Crosby!—right in front of her with grandchildren of his own in tow. The chance to finally get some answers and sort out what happened is within reach. But Helen would much prefer to keep that night and all the fury, hurt, and sorrow that followed tightly locked away where she doesn’t have to face it.
Cal Crosby, however, is ready to talk. He has no idea of the can of worms he’s about to open. In fact, he doesn’t know the half of it.
A warm, poignant, propulsive novel about settling the past, rekindling lost friendships, and rediscovering love when you least expect it.
Romance [William Morrow Paperbacks, On Sale: April 11, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063235960 / eISBN: 9780063235977]
Juliette Fay received a bachelor's degree from Boston College and a master's degree from Harvard University. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry filled with southern charm and hospitality. In between chapters, she interviews authors for her bi-weekly Jen’s Jewels column on FreshFiction.com. Most mornings, she teaches an arthritis-friendly water exercise class for seniors before heading to the office to serve as the executive director of a legal non-profit. A New Jersey native, she currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two rescue dogs and is the proud parent of two sons who miss her home-cooked meals. To learn more, please visit her website.
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