Emily Mayer - Finding Happiness in the Most Unexpected of Places

Emily Mayer is a part-time lawyer, full time storyteller, and wannabe writer. She lives in Central Ohio with the two loves of her life; her husband and her dog. If she isn’t working, you can usually find her somewhere with a book in her hand. As our Author of the Day, Mayer tells us all about her book, Everything Girl.

Please give us a short introduction to what Everything Girl is about.

Everything Girl is about Evelyn Mercer trying to figure this whole life thing out. She thought she had the rest of her life carefully planned, but when she lands her dream job, she realizes that she forgot to include one important item in her plan. Happiness. When she reaches her misery threshold, Evelyn does the unthinkable and deviates from her plan. A new job takes her to a ranch in Pine Hollow, Montana where she just might find happiness in the place she least expects.

Tell us more about Evelyn Mercer.  What makes her tick?

Lattes and planning! I think one of the things people identify most with is that Evelyn has all these flaws that she is just not capable of hiding.

Why did you pick Pine Hollow as the backdrop for your book?

I read an article about Montana and fell in love with it. I also wanted to design a place that was totally different from the city where Evelyn thought she belonged.

What makes Jack and Evelyn such a great match?

I think Evelyn and Jack are such a great match, because they both had their vision of the future come crashing down around them. They get to reimagine the next chapter in their story together.

How much of your own personality have you written into Evelyn?

A lot. I am an awkward mess most of the time, like a solid 90% of the time, and I have had that moment where you reach your career goal and think “well this is pretty terrible.” I am also super close with my sisters and really wanted to give Evelyn that built in cheering squad, because she definitely needs it.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I can crochet and ruin any recipe without even trying!

You included a lot of humor in this book.  Why did you take this approach?

Some of the books I love the most have a strong element of humor. I love how a book can totally change your mood. I wanted to leave readers smiling.

Do you have a favorite line from the book, and can you explain what that line means to you?

I loved writing this book so much that I really don’t think I can pick a favorite line.

Do any of your characters take off on their own tangent and refuse to do what you had planned for them?

Gabe. He just kept growing and taking on more of a central role in the story. Readers keep saying how much they would like to read Gabe’s story, and I completely agree! I have no idea where his story will go, because his character always seems to have a mind of his own.

Among the wealth of characters in Everything Girl, who was the most difficult to create?

I had a really hard time with Jack, because I loved Evelyn so much. I wanted Jack to be perfect for her. I wanted Jack’s character to come off as grouchy and stubborn without seeming like an irredeemable jerk.

What do you hope readers take away from the novel?

I hope readers will come away with a sense of optimism about their own future. You don’t have everything figured out? Totally fine! Can you rewrite your own story? Absolutely! Is there a hot cowboy in your future? I’ll keep my finger crossed for you! Even though Evelyn struggles a lot in the story with confidence, I hope readers will recognize how brave she was when she quit her dream job. I think it takes a lot of courage to change your life.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I have a lucky spot at a coffee shop. Whenever I am stuck, I head there for some coffee and inspiration. The baristas know me by name. Writing is not my fulltime job, so I usually try to write in the mornings, evenings and weekends. I always carry a notebook with me, because you never know when you’ll get a good idea.

What are you working on right now?

Lennon and Sebastian’s story. I was ready for a little bit of a scene change before I head back to Pine Hollow.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

Readers can find me on Facebook and Goodreads. I love chatting with fellow book lovers about anything book related so feel free to reach out!