We talk to author Colleen McKeegan about Surf backflowan emotional and suspenseful novel about two sisters who return to their childhood beach house and must confront their traumatic past when a body washes ashore.
Hi Colleen! Can you tell our readers a little about yourself?
Hello! I am a former magazine editor and now a full-time fiction writer. I live just outside of Manhattan with my husband, two boys, and our adorable mutt—and I am the author of two novels. My first, The Wildwas published in 2022 and my second, Surf backflowwas published this month.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My grandmother was a fantastic storyteller; she was a stage actress and when she spoke the whole room would stop and listen. My mother also has a great imagination and introduced me to countless classics as a child. They both instilled in me a love of reading and writing – and were a very patient, encouraging audience when I would recite a poem, limerick or short story to them as a child.
Quick blitz round! Tell us:
- The first book you remember reading: The Land of Many Colors by Klamath County YMCA Family Preschool and illustrated by Rita Pocock
- The reason why you wanted to become an author: The Awakening of Kate Chopin
- What you must always remember: Currently? Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Her latest novel, Surf backflowis available now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A second chance for love that went wrong.
What can readers expect?
Rip Tide follows sisters Kimmy and Erin Devine in their teens, as they fall in love and drift apart, and in their 30s, as they return to their hometown on the Jersey Shore and are forced to confront their complicated pasts. There’s mild suspense, but it’s really a coming-of-age story about girlhood in small-town America during the 2000s, and how to look at that time (and all its complicated judgments) through a new lens while searching for a fresh start. Millennials will love the references — think AIM, Juicy Couture, and Razr phones — and readers of all ages will love the sisters’ bond and the lengths the Devine family will go to protect each other.
Where did the inspiration for Surf backflow come from?
Growing up in a small town in the mid-2000s.
Were there any moments or characters that you particularly enjoyed writing or exploring?
Bringing the dynamic of Kimmy and Erin to life. I have two sisters (I’m the middle one); they’re my best friends and we would do absolutely anything for each other – but that doesn’t mean we didn’t yell at each other as teenagers over stolen clothes and perceived grievances. Sisterhood is so complex and I absolutely loved being able to explore all of its intricacies on the page.
See also
This is your second novel! What are the most important lessons you learned while writing them?
If you trust your gut and write from your heart, you will always be proud of your work.
What’s next for you?
I’m just finishing the first draft of my third novel, which needs to be with my editor soon!
And finally: Which books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you really want to get your hands on?
I recently read Our Kind of Game by Johanna Copeland and Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter – both thrillers that revolve around complicated mother-daughter dynamics, and they were excellent. And I can’t wait to get my hands on Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo, which comes out in late September.
