We& #39;re kicking off a whole month of #MeetThe2020s!

My name is Alison Hammer, and I& #39;m the author of #YouAndMeAndUs.

I& #39;m originally from St Louis, but currently live in Chicago where I work as an advertising creative director. I& #39;m also a #Gator and a #RockBoater!
I fell so behind with these prompts that I helped put together, I& #39;m going to play catch up and keep them all in this thread. So forgive the all-in-a-row days (and two repeats!)
Today& #39;s #MeetThe2020s is all about our books!

#YouAndMeAndUs is a mother daughter love story about a workaholic mom and her distant teenage daughter struggling to be a family as they lose the one person who held them together.

You might cry, but you& #39;ll also laugh & smile.
While #YouAndMeAndUs is my debut novel, it& #39;s not the 1st book I& #39;ve written.

The 1st book also featured Tommy & Alexis, just 15 years earlier. At the end of that book, Alexis didn& #39;t know she was pregnant—but I did! And that& #39;s what sparked the idea... #MeetThe2020s
My book came out on April 7th, early in the pandemic.
I had big plans to celebrate at @volumesbooks in Chicago + stops in STL, ATL and FL...but they were all cancelled.

I turned lemons into lemonade and had an awesome virtual launch party with author & musician @Stephen_Kellogg
My MC is Alexis Gold.

She& #39;s a woman in her 40s who co-owns an ad agency and is always struggling to find a work/life balance.

She& #39;s got the "work" part down pat, it& #39;s the "life" part that& #39;s difficult, especially when it comes to her teenage daughter, CeCe. #MeetThe2020s
The best part of being a #2020debut is by far the people.

The other debut authors who I have been on this journey with, the readers who reach out and share how they connected with the book and the #Bookstagrammers who take and share such beautiful photos!

#MeetThe2020s
Today& #39;s #MeetThe2020s (July 7th) is about where our book takes place, and my debut novel, #YouAndMeAndUs takes place in Destin, Florida—where I happen to be at the moment, spending time with family.

It& #39;s a beautiful beach town with white sand beaches and emerald green water!
Arnold Palmers play a big role in my debut novel, and I& #39;ve had a few people create fun iced-tea-lemonade cocktails inspired by the book!

One of them is my friend @katrudey who added basil & bourbon! Here& #39;s a link to hers! https://bit.ly/3j9RDQm ">https://bit.ly/3j9RDQm&q...

#MeetThe2020s
I have the BEST beta readers!

A few of them are my amazing CP @bradeighgodfrey, and my writing friends and fellow #2020debuts @kwestbooks, @lainey_cameron and my talented and funny friend @stone4031.

I& #39;ve had many more amazing readers, but that& #39;s my go-to crew! #MeetThe2020s
I& #39;m currently listening to #TheVanishingHalf by @britrbennett (so good!) and I& #39;m finally reading my friend @kristinharmel& #39;s #TheWinemakersWife. I want to race through it but the writing is so beautiful I& #39;m trying to savor it. (Her next book comes out in 2 weeks!)

#MeetThe2020s
Here& #39;s the first line of #YouAndMeAndUs for today& #39;s #MeetThe2020s

It& #39;s dark outside by the time I finally look up from my computer—so much for being home early.

(remember what I said about my main character being a workaholic!?!)
And here& #39;s the last line of #YouAndMeAndUs. (you& #39;ll have to get the book to read all the ones that go in the middle!)

I know it& #39;s impossible, but isn& #39;t that what wishes are for?

(There& #39;s actually a parallel with that and the first page that I love!) #MeetThe2020s
I wrote the first draft of #YouAndMeAndUs in two months as part of @NaNoWriMo.

I spent about 8 months revising it with beta readers, and then 4 months revising it with my agent.

I started writing it in Nov & #39;16 and it finally came out in April & #39;20.

#MeetThe2020s
You can follow @ThisHammer.
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