Ann Garvin interviews the characters of her novel I Thought You Said This Would Work

Three Frenemies risk their sanity on a cross country road trip with an enormous dog in a dilapidated camper all for the mutual love of a best friend in the hospital. 

“Ann Garvin navigates the twists and turns of female friendship like few writers working today. I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WOULD WORK is at once profound, hilarious, and ridiculously entertaining. Her best novel yet, I didn’t want it to end!” —Karen Karbo, New York Times bestselling author of Yeah, No. Not Happening

“Anyone who has ever known the healing power of love—from friends both two-footed and four—will fall hard for Garvin’s latest book. Like the road trip at the heart of its story, I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WOULD WORK surprises [and] thrills at every turn.” —Gretchen Anthony, bestselling author of Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners and The Kids Are Gonna Ask

“No one captures the human condition in all its complexity, humor, and magnificence quite like Ann Garvin. I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WOULD WORK is a relatable story about the complexity of female friendship, its evolution through the years and the people who are always there no matter what. In the pages of her approachable and inspirational new novel, Garvin is at the height of her distinctive, transportive storytelling powers.” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, USA Today bestselling author of Feels Like Falling

Ann Garvin interviews her characters!

Ann: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me right in the middle of your road trip. Katie said you would be great about it. 

Holly: How is Katie? Do we know anything about her blood labels?

Samantha: Levels. Blood levels.  

Holly: (ignores Samantha). You were a nurse, right Ann? Who do I need to call to get the labels. Tell them I’m Katie’s lawyer. 

Ann opens her mouth to respond 

Samantha: I’ll get a call if something happens while we’re on the road. 

Holly: Seriously? You are on the call list? What if you drop into a coma and you miss it?

Samantha: It’s a sleep disorder. I fall asleep. I don’t drop into a coma. 

Summer: She just needs her chakra’s aligned, and if you’d stop picking on her, we could do that right now. 

Holly: Nobody asked you, Summer. Why are you on this trip anyway?

Samantha: My chakra’s are fine. 

Summer: Neither one of your chakra’s are fine. In fact, if there was a chakra contest you would both come in last chakra-place. 

Holly: Heyyyy. 

Samantha: Heyyyy. 

Ann: Um. You guys?

Holly: Okay. What is this interview for? Because if it’s for The Instagram we don’t have time for that.

Summer: There is always time for an Insta-moment. I remember when I toured with Fleetwood Mac, you know back when there were a lot of substances going up noses…

Samantha: I want to hear that story, Summer, but let’s finish this interview so we can get on the road. 

Holly: I’m covered with dog hair and slime. Can’t you keep that dog in the back seat? Let’s hose him down.

Samantha: We are not hosing Peanut down. It would take the rest of the trip for him to dry off. 

Holly: How much longer does this interview have to be?

Summer: Sometimes you have to stop and smell the Shaman. 

Holly: Don’t start with that again, we are not stopping at the Shamon’s house. 

Ann: Well…

Holly: We need to get on the road.

Ann:  I should have started by saying that Katie says she feels well today. 

Holly looks at Samantha and they make eye contact. Holly Tears up.

Samantha reaches her hand out to comfort Holly but stops before making contact. 

Summer takes Samantha’s hand and brushes Holly’s hair from her face. 

Peanut sighs. 

Ann: I think I have everything I need. 

Holly: (Wipes her eyes) Let’s hit the road then. Quit screwing around you guys. 

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I Thought You Said This Would Work

Widowed Samantha Arias hasn’t spoken to Holly Dunfee in forever. It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it. What they still have in common puts them both back on speed dial: a mutual love for Katie, their best friend of twenty-five years, now hospitalized with cancer and needing one little errand from her old college roomies.

It’s simple: travel cross-country together, steal her loathsome ex-husband’s VW camper, find Katie’s diabetic Great Pyrenees at a Utah rescue, and drive him back home to Wisconsin. If it’ll make Katie happy, no favor is too big (one hundred pounds), too daunting (two thousand miles), or too illegal (ish), even when a boho D-list celebrity hitches a ride and drives the road trip in fresh directions.

Samantha and Holly are following every new turn—toward second chances, unexpected romance, and self-discovery—and finally blowing the dust off the secret that broke their friendship. On the open road, they’ll try to put it back together—for themselves, and especially for the love of Katie.

BUY HERE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann Garvin, PhD, is the USA Today bestselling auathor of I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WOULD WORK, I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around, The Dog Year, and On Maggie’s Watch. Ann writes about women, with a good sense of humor, who do too much in a world that asks too much from them. She teaches at Drexel University Masters of Fine Arts program and has held positions at Miami University and Southern New Hampshire in their Masters of Fine Arts program. Ann is the founder of the Tall Poppy Writers where she is committed to helping women writers find readers. She is a sought-after speaker on writing, leadership and health and has taught extensively nationally and internationally. 

For more information on Ann, visit www.anngarvin.net and www.tallpoppies.org.

Twitter: @Anngarvin_ | Instagram: @Anngarvin_

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, Interviews, On Writing