THE TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISE

olleen Oakley is a married mom of four in Smyrna. When she is not writing or raising money for our public schools or walking or reading or cooking or grocery shopping, you can generally find her on the soccer fields or tennis courts for one of her kids’ zillions of practices they have each week. Oh, and did I mention, she is a USA Today bestselling author who has just released her fifth book.

OTM: Was writing always your career choice? What was that process like getting started in a super competitive field?

Oakley: I have known I wanted to be a writer since I could hold a crayon. My mom has boxes of (embarrassing) stories I wrote when I was a kid in her attic. I’ve always been an avid reader and writer—I was that nerd in high school who loved English class and the required reading lists and writing analytical essays. Upon graduating college with all of the ambition, but no understanding of how to write a full-length novel, I went into magazines and worked my way up the mastheads at Boating World (very glamorous), Women’s Health & Fitness and eventually Marie Claire in New York. As much as I loved being an editor, I was always writing bits and drafts of various stories at night and on the weekends. In 2010, after three years of working on it, I finally had a full novel draft. Long story short, the book got me an agent, but it never sold to a publishing house. I wrote a second novel, got another agent and she sold it to Simon & Schuster in two weeks in April of 2013. That book, Before I Go, was published in January 2015. So, to (finally) answer your question—yes, it is very competitive and it’s often a very long and arduous process. That’s why the number one piece of advice I give to up and coming writers is to have perseverance.

OTM: How did that feel when you knew you were about to be a published author?

Oakley: It was a literal dream come true. Truly one of the greatest moments of my life—second only to getting married and the day each of my children were born.

OTM: How many books have you published?

Oakley: Five: Before I Go, Close Enough to Touch, You Were There Too, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and my latest, which comes out Mar. 28, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise.

OTM:Howdoyoufindthetimeto“disconnect”andwrite?Also, how long is the process of a complete book from start to publish?

Oakley: Writing is my full-time job, so I’m at my computer every day while my kids are in school (and I love that it’s flexible enough for me to be there with them when they get home!) But you’re right—it’s a creative process and can be challenging to fully immerse myself into my fictional worlds in just a few hours a day. So, I go on writing retreats about 2 to 3 times a year, either with other author friends or alone where I can have 3 to 4 solid days of doing nothing but concentrating on my work in progress. It’s amazing how much work I can get done when I don’t have to worry about laundry or groceries or soccer practice or feeding six people dinner! I should also mention here that I have a wonderfully supportive husband, Fred, who tackles our parenting and household duties equally with me (and sometimes takes on the brunt of them!) to free up a lot of my time for work.

The length of time a book takes to write varies, but generally it’s about a year and a half. Again, perseverance is key!

OTM: I know you are very accomplished and have received much recognition for your books, please share some of your most proud moments.

Oakley: I have so many that I’m proud of—being in People magazine! Harlen Coben recommending one of my books on the Today Show! Being interviewed by Emily Giffin! But I think the one that stands out the most is when Jodi Picoult gave me an amazing blurb for this latest book. When I was working at Marie Claire in 2007, I interviewed Jodi when she was about to release Nineteen Minutes. I was so nervous and I mentioned in the interview that I wanted to be a novelist myself one day. She was so kind and supportive and said something like “I look forward to reading your book one day.” But never in a million years did I think I would actually write a book and that Jodi Picoult, my literary hero would actually read it. Getting her blurb was such a full-circle moment for me.

THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISE

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by The Today Show, Southern Living, Reader’s Digest, SheReads, AJC, Nerd Daily and more!

A Library Reads Hall of Fame pick for March 2023

An unforgettable pairing of a college dropout and an eighty-four-year-old woman on the run from the law in this story full of tremendous heart, humor, and wit from the USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island

“You’ll never be able to see what’s coming in this wildly surprising, entertaining ride of a novel—which is a coming-of-age story, a contending-with-age story, and an exploration of how womanhood is a matter of surprising others…and oneself.”

—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here

“Colleen Oakley is in a world of her own when it comes to creating lovable, quirky characters—and those in The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise are her best yet. With an abundance of charm and wit, a dose of adventure, and surprises around each corner, you’ll be rooting for Tanner and Louise with every turn of the page. An absolute blast.”

—Taylor Jenkins Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising www.colleenoakley.com