One of the best things about being the only girl in my family is that I have two supportive brothers who are constantly looking out for my best interests. My older brother, John, has always been the protector. Whenever anything is wrong, I know that if I run to him, he will find a way to make it right. My younger brother, Jimmy, is a lot like me. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Emotions come first, logic second. If I need a shoulder to cry on, Jimmy is my man. When all is said and done, I feel pretty lucky. I am very blessed to have two such strong, dependable men in my life.

When I was asked to review London is the Best City in America by Laura Dave, I really did not know what to expect. My first thought was that London is not in America. Why the title? (Of course, after reading the book, I figured out why!) This is Laura Dave's first novel and I have to say, this book grabbed me from the get-go. It centers on a relationship between a brother and a sister, something I am quite familiar with. It is not an action packed novel, so if you are looking for that kind of read, this book may not be for you. It's just a book that makes you sit back and think about your own relationships. Sometimes, novels like these are just simply the best.

Contacting an author, like I have mentioned in previous columns, can be a task in itself, however, Laura graciously agreed to the interview. For the last few months, it has been a pleasure getting to know her and I must say I have found her to be quite delightful and definitely enthusiastic. Needless to say, we really get along! In addition, Laura's publisher has sent me five books to give away with this column. (Thank you, Viking!) Go grab a tall glass of iced tea and get to know Laura Dave. Don't forget the free book offer at the end! Good luck!

Jen: What is your educational background?

Laura: I received my bachelor's degree from The University of Pennsylvania and a graduate degree in writing from The University of Virginia.

Jen: Have you always wanted to be an author?

Laura: For as long as I can remember. When I was in the 5 th grade, I came home from school and told my mom I was going to write a novel…that afternoon! I thought the whole endeavor would take four or five hours.

Jen: What was the biggest stumbling block for you when you finally decided to write a book?

Laura: Carving out writing time was my number one obstacle. I was newly back to New York when I began working on London, and had cobbled together several jobs in an attempt to keep my mornings free to write. I did everything from teaching night classes to writing lifestyle pieces for ESPN the Magazine. Some days I got up at 4 AM in order to have writing time.

Jen: Where do you like to write and how often do you write?

Laura: I write at a coffee shop near my favorite park in lower Manhattan. It looks a little like a cave, but I love it there. And it has become such a part of my writing routine that I don't know what I'd do if it ever closed down. I try to write there four mornings a week.

Jen: How would you best describe your writing style?

Laura: For me, writing is about discovery. I never know how a story is going to end. A teacher in grad school once equated writing a novel to driving a car at night: you need to focus on the road ahead of you, but not too far beyond your headlights. I like that a lot.

Jen: From conception to completion, how long did it take for you to write London isthe Best City in America?

Laura: I started working on a version of this novel in grad school. But, when I was a little less than 200 pages in, my computer crashed and I lost everything. The worst part: it was my fault. I spilled a glass of water on my keyboard. I could literally hear the computer gasp and die. I was devastated. But it turned out to be a good thing, because the next weekend I went out to the beach with friends for July 4 th to watch the fireworks, and an image came to me: a brother and a sister sitting at their hometown fireworks together, the brother uncertain he wanted to get married. In that moment, London is the Best City in America—the current version—was born. All that remained from that first version was the scene with Emmy walking out of the hotel room. It took me a year to write the rest.

Jen: Did you land a contract immediately or did you have to wade through a pile of rejection letters?

Laura: It was about a week from the time my agent sent out the manuscript until we received the offer. I realize now how lucky I was, but, at the time, it felt like an eternity.

Jen: Why the title? Have you been to London?

Laura: In the novel, the title is wrapped up in Emmy's main struggle with making good choices for herself. But its real life origin did come from a trip I took to London to visit my college roommate, Liz. We were walking up the six flights of stairs to her flat after a long day of walking the city, and Liz, who was half a flight above me, called down: Isn't London great? And I called back, It's the best city in America!

Jen: Why did you choose Rhode Island for the setting of the novel?

Laura: It felt like the perfect geographic distance from New York and Emmy's previous life: she was able to get home fairly easily, but far enough away from home that she could justify not going very often. And I've always been enamored of New England coastal towns—(I think, as a young girl, Mystic Pizza really did me in.)

Jen: For those who have not read the book yet, the story is centered on the relationship between a brother and a sister. What is your relationship like with your brother? Does it mirror Emmy and Josh's?

Laura: My brother is one of my best friends. In that way, our relationship does mirror Emmy and Josh's. And having an older brother definitely helped me understand why Emmy would be so forgiving of Josh: we younger sisters always want to see our brothers in their best possible light.

Jen: Is there a message that you are trying to send your readers about siblings?

Laura: If I am trying to send a message, I think it is more closely linked to how difficult it can be to make choices. While Josh may seem selfish, his duplicity is completely locked up in his inability to be decisive. He wants to make good choices for himself, but he can't figure out how. Watching him begin to figure out how was one of the great joys, for me, of writing London.

Jen: Who is the stronger character, Emmy or Josh?

Laura: Ultimately, I think they both demonstrate their strength. They make the difficult decisions they were hiding from. They come to terms with how they've been living. And they try to move their lives forward.

Jen: So much of the book has to do about leaving. Does it reflect your life?

Laura: It reflects my early twenties—a period of time when I was leaving places almost as quickly as I arrived there. These quick exits were due in part to my decision to write—and move wherever I had writing opportunities. But they also had to do with my desire to strike out and experience places that were very different from where I grew up. I never thought I'd end up back in New York.

Jen: It was an extremely bold move to have Josh's other woman older and with a teenage daughter. Were you worried if your readers would accept this scenario? Did you consider other options or was this something you planned from the beginning?

Laura: All I really knew about Elizabeth from the beginning was that she was strong, and the type of woman who would demand Josh behaves like a grown-up. The surprising details of her life grew out of those decisions about her character. And I think I trusted readers to view Elizabeth like Emmy did: with trepidation at first, and, then, growing admiration.

Jen: Why does Emmy try to make a documentary? Are you interested in film school?

Laura: Emmy's desire to gather facts—and to create a narrative from them—motivated my decision to have her work on a documentary. It seemed like that was just the way her brain worked. As for me, I certainly love movies, especially documentaries, but currently have no film school plans.

Jen: Despite Matt's (Emmy's ex-fiancé) shortcomings, he indeed is a likeable character. Why not make him despicable and loathing? What message were you trying to convey with his character?

Laura: I wanted to make Matt likable because I was less interested in laying blame for his actions, and more interested in exploring their effect. I wanted to explore how lonely it can feel to be with someone who isn't present. I think, in many ways, this is such a universal experience—this specific loneliness that can occur within a relationship—and one that is not talked about a lot.

Jen: Now that you have published your first book, looking back, what has most surprised you about the publishing industry?

Laura: I am definitely surprised by how long it takes for a book to come out. It has been eighteen months since I sold London. And thankfully so. I don't think I was ready to have my book published when I finished writing it. I feel better prepared now.

Jen: Who is your best critic? Your worse?

Laura: I think it is one and the same answer. My oldest friend, Dana, reads everything I write, and I rely on her feedback. At the same time, we have been good friends since we were in nursery school. So, as much as I would like it to be the case, it isn't exactly an unbiased opinion when she tells me she loves something.

Jen: Did you share the book with your family as you wrote it or did you present it as a finished project?

Laura: I didn't show anyone my book until I finished it, which I highly recommend to first-time novelists. Half the battle is getting to the end, and that is often harder with people weighing in—even lovingly.

Jen: What famous author would you like to meet and why?

Laura: Oh boy, it has to be just one? I'm going to say Joan Didion. Her essay collection Slouching Toward Bethlehem has had a huge impact on how I write, and how I understand writing. She also has an unparalleled way with details, which I greatly admire.

Jen: This book would make a perfect movie. Any chance we might see it on the big screen?

Laura: Let's hope so! Universal Pictures optioned the rights to the movie last winter, and Reese Witherspoon is attached to star as Emmy.

Jen: Do you have a web site? A mailing list?

Laura: My website is www.lauradave.com. There is no mailing list, but the site does have all sorts of contact nformation on it.

Jen: Do you have public appearances scheduled for the Baltimore area?

Laura: Not at this time, but it's always changing. In the meanwhile, I'd be glad to speak to any reading group that would like that. I love speaking with reading groups. It's one of my favorite parts of the publishing experience. Just drop an email to: readinggroups@lauradave.com

Jen: Are you busy writing your next book? What can you tell us about it and when can we expect to read it?

Laura: I am busy writing my next book—though not always as busy as I hope. It is centered on a woman named Abby, and the surprise appearance of one hundred and fifty million dollars. I hope to have a working draft by next December.

Jen: Finally, tell us something that not a lot of people know about you!

Laura: Living in Maryland, you can probably appreciate this: I love the water! I especially love rivers and lakes. Last summer, I went river-tubing down the Battenkill River. It is one of my favorite memories.

Jen: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy writing schedule to allow me to interview you. I loved your book!

Laura: Thank you. I really enjoy reading your column, Jen, and am so excited to be included.

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Laura. The first five readers who e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following question will win a copy of the book. Please be sure to include the name of the library branch that you frequent. I will have the book there at the circulation desk waiting for you!! Good luck!!

Who will hopefully play Emmy in the screen version of the book?

Until next month…..Jen