I’ll bet many of you recognize this beautiful face … yep, it belongs to my friend and fellow novelist, the very talented Claire Cook. With six novels under her belt and another on the way to publication, you might assume (as I first did) that Claire began writing when she was in her 20s. But no, that’s not the case. Claire, like so many talented authors, did not go after her dream when she stepped into adulthood. Claire’s story of how and when she finally went after her life-long dream is truly inspiring and I asked if she’d share it here on BRAVA!  Claire graciously agreed and I’m so glad she did.

 

With great pleasure I’d like to introduce you to the wise, witty, and delightfully down to earth Claire Cook!

 

Here, in Claire’s own words, is her story …

 

 

Minivan Magic

 

 

“I remember the exact moment. I was sitting in my minivan outside my daughter’s swim practice at 5 AM, and it hit me that I might live my whole life without once going after my lifelong dream of writing a novel.

 

I’d majored in film and creative writing in college, and fully expected that the moment I graduated I’d go into labor and a brilliant novel would emerge, fully formed, like giving birth.

It didn’t happen. Looking back, I can see that I had to live my life so I’d have something to write about, and if I could give my younger self some good advice, it would be not to beat myself up for the next couple of decades.

But I did. I pretended I wasn’t feeling terrible about not having the guts to write a novel. I followed my two children to school as a teacher, where I taught everything from multicultural games and dance, to open ocean rowing, to creative writing.

And then one day I was 44, and the procrastination was suddenly more painful than actually writing a book. I didn’t tell a soul, but during one long cold New England winter I wrote a rough draft in my minivan in the pool parking lot.

Amazingly, it sold to the first publisher who asked to read it, and my first novel was published when I was 45. At 50, I walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the adaptation of my second novel, Must Love Dogs. I’m now the bestselling author of six novels, with my sixth, The Wildwater Walking Club, just out in paperback, and a seventh, Seven Year Switch, coming in June.

Midlife rocks. I love sharing my story because I think it gives hope to so many women with buried dreams just like mine. If I can do it, so can you.”

 

 

 

Claire’s newest novel, Seven Year Switch, will be released in June. I had the pleasure of reading this terrific novel earlier this year and writing an endorsement for it too. I highly recommend it!

 

 

 

 

Claire’s previous novel, The Wildwater Walking Club, is a real treat.  It’s now available in paperback and includes a readers guide, Q&A, and a teaser chapter from the book she’s working on right now, Summer Blowout.

 

Please take a moment and find out more about Claire and what she’s up to at ClaireCook.com.

 

You can also follow Claire on Twitter by clicking here: And on Facebook

 

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