Welcome, fellow book enthusiasts! This week's Jen's Jewels brings you a delightful chat with author Rea Frey about her captivating new novel, IN EVERY LIFE. Get ready to explore a world where parallel universes and "what-ifs" come to life on the page. Rea's story weaves together love, loss, and second chances in a way that'll tug at your heartstrings while sparking your imagination. We'll dive into her writing process, discover what inspired this unique tale, and even learn about her fascinating role as a "book doula." Whether you're a die-hard fiction fan or just love peering behind the curtain of an author's mind, this column has something special for you. So, curl up in your favorite reading spot and join us for a friendly literary adventure with Rea Frey!
Jennifer Vido: What inspired you to explore the concept of parallel universes and "what-ifs" in this novel?
Rea Frey: I think a lot of us have what ifs. What if we’d chosen a different career? What if we’d moved to a different country? What if we’d picked a different partner? What if we’d chosen a grass is greener life? Would it all turn out differently? Playing with these “what ifs” on the page by manipulating time is one way I get to answer these questions!
Jen: How did you approach balancing the emotional weight of Ben's illness with the more fantastical elements of the story?
Rea: In this day and age, 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer. It’s not something that might happen. For most of us, it’s a certainty, which is a very sobering fact. So I wanted to tackle a concept that so many people fear by softening it a bit with this idea that if Harper, my protagonist, makes a wish for it to all be different, then maybe it can be… but not in the exact way she hoped. Ultimately, I wanted readers to walk away with the belief that everything unfolds as it should. Even when it’s hard. Even when we’re uncertain. Even when we time hop into another dimension.
Jen: Can you describe your process for developing Harper's character and her journey?
Rea: Harper is someone who seems to have a lovely life. She’s an art teacher, she has a good friend group, she’s healthy, she’s married to the love of her life… but she also has a lot of what ifs. She wanted to be an artist instead of an art teacher. She wanted to live in Brooklyn instead of Chattanooga. She wanted to follow her heart after falling madly in love with a boy ten years ago, but instead she ran away from all of it and chose a safer life. I wanted to shake up her world by having her face her worst fears, but also having to admit to herself that though she loves Ben and their life, in some ways she has settled for it. For him. Amidst being a caretaker, she has to still fight for herself, to advocate for herself, and she really struggles with putting herself first and remembering what she really wants and deserves.
Jen: The story touches on themes of love, loss, and second chances. How do you hope readers will connect with these themes?
Rea: I love to write about themes we all face. We all love. We all lose. And I’m sure most of us would love a second chance. But sometimes, when we get that second chance, it might not be the way we envisioned it. I want readers to put themselves in Harper’s shoes… to ask themselves what they would do in her situation.
Jen: Were there any unexpected challenges you faced while writing this novel?
Rea: Well, this book was inspired by two dear friends who faced a similar journey. They were newlyweds, so happy to start their lives together, and then the wife got diagnosed with leukemia (she’s doing great now!). It’s hard to write about “darker” subjects like cancer, but I also think it’s important to explore things like this on the page because we can all relate to them. With this book, I struggled with keeping it “realistic” while also playing with the idea of a parallel universe, as well as some of the work I love, like the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza, which is based on science, not “new age” philosophy. I debated whether people would roll their eyes at these concepts or really connect with the story and material. Regardless, it’s fun to incorporate things I actually believe in onto the page.
Jen: Without spoilers, can you share a favorite scene or moment from the book that you particularly enjoyed writing?
Rea: I LOVED creating the art show that Harper creates for Ben. I’m not an artist, so it was a blast to come up with this living, breathing art exhibition on the page.
Jen: What's your favorite way for fans to follow your journey and chat with you?
Rea: I have a newsletter that people can find on my website. In terms of social media, readers will only find me on Instagram, as I am a huge fan of spending as much time offline as possible. I also just joined a cool new company called Skolay, where readers can book chats with authors to ask them anything!
Jen: Can you tell us about any new projects you're currently working on or planning for the future?
Rea: Yes! I currently write in two different genres with two different publishers. My next thriller, When She’s Gone, comes out in January. It’s about an Olympic gymnast hopeful who’s kidnapped from a haunted house on Halloween in 1995 but escapes and becomes infamous. Thirty years later, her four-year-old daughter is kidnapped on Halloween… and in order to get her back, she has to kidnap someone else’s child. It’s a comedy.
Jen: In addition to your work as an author, you've taken on the role of a book doula. Could you tell us more about this aspect of your career? We're particularly interested in how you evolved into this unique position and what it entails.
Rea: I’ve been in this industry a long, long time, and I’ve made a ton of mistakes. As I started getting my books published, I realized so many other people wanted to get their books published too, but there wasn’t this simple roadmap to tell them how to do it. Every person is different. Every book is different. Everyone’s goals are different. I started working with authors very organically at first: editing, ghostwriting, pitching to agents, consulting, and then I perfected a methodology for the nonfiction book proposal. Clients started to come to me if they had an idea for a book, and after working together, they would walk away with a 100-page proposal, an agent and often a book deal. It was wild. I did this for years as a side hustle and then turned it into an actual business. I am word-of-mouth and referral only, so I do zero marketing or advertising. To date, I’ve helped hundreds and hundreds of first-time authors, public figures, and even celebrities get their books out into the world. I think it’s my job as an author to help other authors. We’re all in this together.
Jen: We'd love to know what's on your "to be read" stack right now. Are there any books you're particularly excited about?
Rea: Too many to name! I love anything by Abby Jimenez and am currently devouring her backlist. I’m reading my friend Lauren Thoman’s latest thriller, You Shouldn’t Be Here as well as the nonfiction book The Anxiety Generation.
Jen: Thank you for taking the time to discuss your novel, IN EVERY LIFE. We wish you great success with this touching new release!
Rea: Thanks so much! So grateful.
What happens when a husband's dying wish is for his wife to find a new love . . . before he's even gone?
Ben and Harper have had a rough start to their marriage. After a surprise late-stage cancer diagnosis, Ben comes up with one final wish for his wife: he wants Harper to find a new partner before he dies. Harper is resistant to this wacky plan. If she can't have Ben, then she doesn't want anyone. Finally, he lets it drop, but not before the New York Times sends a journalist to do a feature story about Ben's life . . . and his idea. When Harper opens the door, she is stunned to find the one man who got away. Or, the man she spent one perfect week with a decade ago and never saw again: Liam Hale.
Suddenly, Harper is faced with her ultimate what-if:
What if Harper had ended up with Liam instead of Ben?
What if she'd pursued life as an artist instead of teaching?
What if it had all turned out differently?
After making a wish, Harper wakes up to find herself in a parallel universe . . . where her what-ifs become a reality.
Is the grass really greener, or is she standing right where she should be, even as she inevitably faces the pain of losing the one she loves?
Women's Fiction Contemporary [Harper Muse, On Sale: August 6, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781400243136 / eISBN: 9781400243143]
Rea Frey is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of several novels. She is a Silver Falchion Awards Finalist, was voted Chicago Reader’s Best Nonfiction Writer, is a Book Pipeline film adaptation winner, and has been featured in US Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Popsugar, Hello Sunshine, Marie Claire, Shape, Writer’s Digest, WGN, Fox News, Today in Nashville, and Talk of the Town. She also helps other authors birth their books into the world
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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