of school and shuttle my kids here and there after school, making dinner, supervising homework. Early mornings—with a large pot of coffee—is my most productive writing time. My process is somewhat old school. I favor drafting with paper and pen, especially if I’m having trouble. It slows my brain, it allows me to put down words that “don’t count,” and it allows me to get warmed up before committing words to my computer. I draft pretty fast—I think I had a first draft of The Last Flight done in about three or four months. Then I like to spend a year or more revising and rewriting.
As a genre, suspense is huge right now. How do you think this story sets itself apart from other books in the space?
I feel like this book has the commercial appeal of the suspense genre, with the emotion often found in upmarket women’s fiction. But what really sets this book apart from the others on the shelves is the fact that I wanted both of my protagonists to be strong, savvy women. There’s nothing crazy or unstable about Claire or Eva. It’s important that the stories we tell reflect the strong women in the world today.
How did you map out all the twists and turns that happen throughout the story?
With lots and lots of note cards! It was really challenging to be writing a dual timeline and then weave it all together. It helped to have a clear vision for how the book would end, and I knew the ending pretty early on. From there, I mapped out Claire’s and Eva’s story arcs—what I wanted each of them to overcome, what I wanted each of them to learn.
What is the importance of female friendship in a narrative like this one? Have you found friendship with women to be just as important in your life as it is in Eva’s and Claire’s?
Female friendship is incredibly important in this story. We can all think about that one friend who showed up right when we needed her, giving us exactly what we needed to push us forward. I have been lucky enough to have some amazing female friendships. And as a single mother, it’s especially important to have those touchstones. My friends keep me sane. They make me laugh. They listen to what I’m struggling with and step in to help in innumerable ways. Humans are, by nature, social animals. And while I’m a dedicated introvert, I rely on my friends every day.
Why did you decide to set a thriller in Berkeley?
After college, I landed a job in the Cal Athletic Department. I worked in fundraising, so I spent a lot of time at Memorial Stadium, as well as Harmon Gym (which would later become Haas Pavilion). It was the best job for a just-graduated-from-college person who wasn’t entirely sure she was ready to have a “real job” yet. I loved my years in Berkeley, made many great friends there, and often dream of moving back someday. I decided to set The Last Flight in Berkeley so I could revisit it in my imagination. Go Bears!
What are you hoping readers gain from The Last Flight?
I want readers to be inspired by the courage of both Claire and Eva, who did what felt impossible to each of them. No matter the circumstances, there’s a way out. As Claire’s mother put it: If you pay attention, solutions always appear. But you have to be brave enough to see them.
Acknowledgments
My deepest gratitude first goes to the entire Sourcebooks family: publisher and chief book champion Dominique Raccah; my brilliant and supportive editor, Shana Drehs; the marketing and promotions teams (including Tiffany Schultz and Heather Moore); the talented art and production departments (Heather Hall, Holli Roach, Ashley Holstrom, Kelly Lawler, and Sarah Cardillo); and the formidable sales team. It’s been a joy to have met so many of you: Cristina Arreola, Liz Kelsch, Kay Birkner, Todd Stocke, Margaret Coffee, Valerie Pierce, and Michael Leali. Thank you for taking The Last Flight into your capable hands and building buzz around the book. It is true that books change lives, but you do too.
A heartfelt thank-you to my beloved agent, Mollie Glick, who stood behind me as I wrestled this book into existence, who believed in it, and in me. And a thank-you to her many assistants (Sam, Emily, Julie, Lola…) who also read and offered feedback and support.
Thank you to my foreign rights team, who have enthusiastically introduced The Last Flight to the wider world. And to my film agents, Jiah Shin and Berni Barta, thank you for championing this project in Hollywood. Deepest appreciation also goes to my publicist, Gretchen Koss of Tandem Literary, not only for her brilliance in marketing and promotions, but also for her expert hand-holding. There is nothing better than getting an email from Gretchen that reads “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got this.”
The Last Flight wouldn’t be what it is today without the support of my writing partners, Aimee and Liz. You both read multiple versions of this book and saw right from the start what I was trying to accomplish. I adore you both. And a special shout-out to the brilliant freelance editor Nancy Rawlinson who helped push The Last Flight that final mile to completion.
Thank you to my beta readers and friends: Amy Mason Doan, Helen Hoang, Julie Carrick Dalton, Lara Lillibridge, Robinne Lee, Jennifer Caloyeras. All of whom said, “You have something here. Keep going.”
Thanks to my lifelong friend Todd Kusserow for talking me through federal drug investigations, burner phones, and explaining how a person might obtain a flawless forged identification package. I love our conversations, our text exchanges, and I adore you. Thank you to John Ziegler, who helped me think through all things airport and air travel. This whole book is based on the possibility that two people could swap tickets at the gate, and John helped me nail that down. And a shout-out to Gloria Nevarez, commissioner of the West Coast Conference and longtime laughing buddy, for chiming in last minute with some very important details about NCAA basketball. It made me painfully aware of how long ago our time together in Berkeley was that I couldn’t remember these details myself.
Thank you to the talented and engaging Instagram book reviewer Kate Lane for letting me use her name in the book and for her continued support of The Last Flight. I hope I’ve portrayed someone as smart and as lovely as she is. Make sure to follow her at @katelynreadsbooks_ because she has the best book recommendations. And my heartfelt gratitude to all the online book champions—the Facebook groups and Bookstagrammers devoted to reading and supporting authors. You make our job promoting our books so much easier and more fun.
Thank you to my parents, whose support and schedule shuffling has given me the time and space to write and publish a second book. And to my kids, Alex and Ben, who both continue to inspire and amaze me. I love you.
And finally, thank you to the University of California, Berkley, a place I hold close to my heart, and the friends I made there (I’m looking at you, Joan Herriges and Ben Turman). I loved revisiting my time at Cal and portraying what I love best about it on the page. Go Bears!
About the Author
Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Julie Clark grew up reading books on the beach while everyone else surfed. After attending college at University of the Pacific, she returned home to Santa Monica to teach. She now lives there with her two young sons and a goldendoodle with poor impulse control. Her debut novel The Ones We Choose was published in 2018 and has been optioned for television by Lionsgate.
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