Interview with Brandy Bruce

About the Author

Brandy Bruce is a mother, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert! After working as an editor for a traditional publishing house for more than a decade, Brandy transitioned to freelance editing. She's the author of Looks Like Love, The Romano Family Collection, and soon-to-be-released The Last Summer. Originally from Texas, Brandy and her husband now make their home in Colorado with their three children. She's active online and you can contact her through her blog. Or find her on Twitter or Instagram.

The Interview

​1. What inspired the idea for The Last Summer?
I was a freshman in college when these characters first came to me. In fact, I still have the original spiral notepad where I wrote the first draft! It was a time in my life when friendships were paramount and romance was so intriguing. Since that early first draft, I've rewritten this story several times. The characters just stayed with me. When I was pregnant with my third child, I rewrote it a final time. And I love the finished product!

2. What do you want readers to take away from reading The Last Summer?
I truly hope they take away the truth that we should give grace to each  other.

3. What was the hardest part about writing The Last Summer?
I love the unique bond between the friendships in the book; it was difficult to explore the thought of what happens when friendships enter a season of change. I felt very attached to every character.

4. What does your writing process look like?
I'm one of those writers who doesn't plan very much! The story unfolds as I write it. Every now and then I'll write out a simple outline, but normally, I just find a spare minute (usually that's at night, after the kids are in bed!) and I start typing. 

5. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did becoming an author ever cross your mind?
When I was very young, I remember wanting to be a police officer, like my dad. But I fell in love with reading in middle school and began to write, and the dream of being a writer began to take form. I was writing stories in the sixth grade. When I went to college years later, I knew I wanted to work with books, but I wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance to be an author. I decided I would try to be a book editor and I worked toward that goal. After graduating with a degree in English, I worked as a book editor for a traditional Christian publishing house for more than a decade and I loved it so much. Working with books was a dream come true. But I never lost my passion for writing and whenever I had a little extra time, I'd write the stories that kept coming to me.

6. Who are some of your favorite authors? Do these authors influence your own writing?
Robin Jones Gunn is one of my all-time favorite writers. I was obsessed with her Christy Miller series when I was in middle school. And as I got older, her Glenbrooke series has probably influenced me more than any other. I read so many different genres! I love Suzanne Collins and Diana Gabaldon. Melissa Tagg. Siri Mitchell. Honestly, I love everything from Southern fiction to fantasy.
 
7. When you are not writing, what hobbies do you enjoy?
​I'm a family girl. I love spending time with my husband and three children. My kids are awesome. I also really enjoy having coffee with friends. And I'm someone who loves dessert! I like baking any flavor of cheesecake.

Check out the cover reveal of The Last Summer HERE.