Five Friends.

Five narratives.

One Epic Soundtrack.

The Album
Location: New York City (TriBeCa, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill)

Setting: 1996-2013

Characters:
Chloe LeGrange – talented musician searching for a purpose
Natalie LeGrange – lovable bad girl chasing her dreams
Adam Ford – perceptive attorney longing for a surprise
Zach Parker – philosophical Marine defending love
Chris Brooks – charming Texan with perpetual bad timing

Objective:
Unexpected encounters and brushes with fate construct a web of stories about the journey of love and acceptance.

Themes:
Fate, acceptance, sex, drugs, and really good music.

Genre:
Indie/Romance/Humor/Drama

The Album is a journey following five friends over the course of two decades. Set against the timeless backdrop of New York City, their story is a classic retelling of what it means to follow your dreams, accept reality, and have a lot of fun in the process.

BFF K gave this book a 5-Rating!

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This book is a must read, instant BFF Bestie! It is so fantastic; an epic story of interwoven characters, spanning years, a few countries, countless pop culture references, heart-break, romance, incredible love, a little angst and moments that will make your heart plummet and soar. Read the review here. When I finished, I had so many thoughts and questions. So I reached out to the author and was thrilled to find she was just a clever, kind and generous as I hoped she would be. Please read her great thoughts below!

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Buy it today on Amazon

“That’s What She Said”

An Author Interview with Ashley Pullo for the BFF Book Blog

BFF K: I love the writing style for The Album. It’s so fresh and unique. Each chapter is from the POV of a different character, but…there are a few chapters from a 3rd person perspective. How did you decide which chapters to change your style? Why did you make that decision?

AP: Honestly, I was cleaning the bathroom with bleach when I realized the only way this would work is if the stories within the story each had a narrative voice. Admittedly, it was a writing challenge, but one that ended up being very rewarding. The third-person snippets are a technique I borrowed from Balzac – invite the reader into the scene and he/she will experience the journey as it unfolds.

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BFF K: Did you have all of those 90’s pop culture references in your head or did you have to research them?

AP: Yes! My random knowledge is filed nicely and color-coded in my head. Lyrics from a dozen songs, the prices from a Taco Bell menu in 1995, relevant movies, Nickelodeon, the roller rink, Contempo Casuals, and Mario Lopez.

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BFF K: Are you a current pop culture junkie too, or just a 90’s-early 2000’s specialist?

AP: I appreciate the decades in which I’m not only directly influenced by the popular culture, but also the cultural references that create a sense of nostalgia. One of the purest human emotions is memory. And the best way to make the past tangible is to have things like art, music, entertainment, fashion, and materials reflect specific moments from our lives.

Oh yeah, pop-culture today is lame. It’s more about trends and scandals – a culture of technology and fear. I’m scared that my children will never understand what it feels like to listen to a record/tape, stand in line for concert tickets, save money for purple Doc Martens, eventually get to said concert to enjoy a night of lasting memories. It’s a shame.

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BFF K: The characters in The Album collect vinyl records that remind them of events, times and places. I LOVE this idea! Is this something you do or how did you come up with this idea?

AP: I wish I had a vinyl collection! The records were a random idea that aided in linking the characters together.

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BFF K: Are you fluent in French? The bits of the book with French were so lovely, how did those happen?

AP: Je parle français. One of the themes in The Album is the idea of perception. I wanted the characters to have distinct geographical traits, but also ignore the stereotypes often seen in movies or television. Zach only speaks French when necessary – as do I.

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BFF K: Maybe I missed this, but I don’t think that Chris revealed to Natalie his relationship with Zach. Is there or will there be a scene where this happens?

AP: Wow! See next question.

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BFF K: I love how these characters are connected in ways they know and in ways they don’t know. What was your inspiration or thought process behind the interwoven lives and experiences of the characters?

AP: This is by far the most interesting question!

The inspiration came from a conversation my husband (then boyfriend) had about our separate trips to Italy. We discovered we were in Rome at the same time, years before we actually met. I’ve held on to that “random” idea for almost fifteen years…

And then I thought, wouldn’t it be brilliant to have the reader discover the connections. Allow the reader to decide if things were discussed “off-screen”. Let the reader act as an additional narrator!

Chris and Zach only knew each other as Ace and Frenchy. Adam never saw the girls outside the Tim Horton’s. Chloe never discovers the connection between Adam and Nat. Mr. Parker is simply a client. Pete’s sweatpants.

And trust me, there are a few more surprising connections that reappear in The Ballad. {insert winky face}

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BFF K: Obviously, music is like a character in the book and I LOVE the Spotify playlists! Is music also a character in your life? Did you listen to these playlists while you were writing? Can I share the links?

AP: I’m a character writer. Part of developing a rich, fictional person is to give them a personality. All the songs chosen for the playlist and/or referenced in the novel are specific to their personality. I admit, there are some songs I don’t actually like, but this isn’t my playlist of Jams – it belongs to the five.

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BFF K: Obviously, music is like a character in the book and I LOVE the Spotify playlists! Is music also a character in your life? Did you listen to these playlists while you were writing?

(BFF K: The Spotify playlists are below the giveaway – you have to check them out, I’m in LOVE!!!)

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BFF K: Are you a full-time author? What are you plans for future projects?

AP: I’m a full-time author and a part-time television junkie. I take both jobs very seriously.

Next up is my debut Young Adult novel, The Brat Pack! It’s like a genre all on its own – Urban Fantasy/Humor/Satire/Romance/Para-YA/Mosh Pit. I can’t reveal too much, but I promise it’s true to my style of writing. Five strong characters, humor and heartache, and most definitely, pop-culture galore.

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BFF K: So, you were voted most witty at Garland High School. Any other prestigious recognitions we should know about?

AP: Sadly, no. Can you give me a fake award?

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BFF K: We award Ashley Pullo with the highest honor of:

Best First Author Interview To Ever Appear on the BFF Book Blog!

Thanks for popping our cherry…..That’s What She Said!

Giveaway

I am so taken by this book and the author that we’re giving you the opportunity to win some wonderful prizes in celebration of the book.

Thank you to Ashley Pullo for donating a SIGNED COPY of The Album to one lucky U.S. winner! And, a special shout out to Daisy Prescott, another one of my favorite authors for recommending this book and gifting me a copy. Show her some love in this Rafflecopter too. Both of these women are fantastically fun and you’ll love getting to know them and getting their newsletters!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotify Playlists for The Album

About the Author

Let me just preface by saying, I adore her. Ashley is generous, talented and funny. Check out our next post to learn more about Ashley as she answers BFF K’s questions about The Album in our VERY FIRST Author Interview, “That’s What She Said.” (Thanks for the title, Ashley!)

The Lone Star State will always be my home, but fifteen years ago, I took the plunge and became a New Yorker. NYC is an amazing place to find inspiration in my daily surroundings–the random and the ordinary that make up reality. My writing showcases inspired ideas, as well as my love for dichotomy, authenticity and humor.