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What May Lie Ahead
Life and Love on Mouse Island follows a 61-year-old New Yorker who inherits a dilapidated house on a remote island, leading her to sell her NYC home and move where she goes on a journey of rediscovery, connection, and an adventure starting life over. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Over the years, I have visited a number of islands both here and abroad. All seem to share certain qualities in common: a powerful sense of community, self-sufficiency, and strength that I find very appealing. That kind of interaction and interdependency enables people to reach out and count on each other to a degree that living in a large metropolitan area often doesn’t provide.
I knew I wanted to write a book for older women. Too often I have found romance novels focus on younger women in their 20s or 30s at the beginning of their lives. I wanted to focus on mature, grown-up women who had been through a variety of life experiences but were still looking forward to what may lie ahead.
My story ideas come from a number of different places. I have a varied work history (TV/radio producer, talk show host, writer/photographer, stand-up comedian) that comes in handy for background information.
My experiences help to add depth to my characters. In addition, I am an avid dog-lover and have worked with rescue and service dogs. So, dogs always play a role in my books.
I find that, while writing, you sometimes ask questions and have the characters answer them. Do you find that to be true? What questions did you ask yourself while writing this story?
I really enjoy writing dialogue for my characters. It helps to define who they are and I relish the free-flowing interactions. Writing dialog can be both challenging and exciting as the characters’ voices can lead you in different directions you never expected.
Occasionally, a character will wander off track and I have to round them up and bring them back into the story. When that happens, the result can be fresh and fun. I generally keep to an outline I have in my head about what the theme of the book is going to be and who’s going to do what. When I am trying to plot a scene, especially a pivotal one, I sometimes daydream about it like a short film. I take a walk, a nap, or listen to music and let my mind wander. If I have trouble with an opening sentence and it is not perfect I insert a basic line, what I consider a spacer sentence. And come back to it when I have a better feel for it.
Probably the biggest source of questions that I ask myself when I’m writing is, “Is this authentic? Is this true?” The authenticity of the characters and of their voices and how they interact with each other is vitally important to me. I will often read sequences aloud to make sure that they sound the right note.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
My next book which I’m getting ready to start will be a sequel to this one and will focus on many of the characters that are featured in Life and Love on Mouse Island.
One of the main characters in the upcoming book will have Parkinson’s. I myself have Parkinson’s. It was diagnosed over 17 years ago. I want to focus on people living fulfilling lives regardless of the challenges they face.
Taking emotional risks when you are older feels scarier and more vulnerable than when you are in your twenties. Yet the rewards can be so much stronger and richer. It is well worth the risk especially when love enters the picture.
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That’s what sixty-one-year-old Isabel wants to know. A lifelong introvert, she gets the shock of her life when a woman she has never met leaves her a house. After a lifetime plagued by anxieties and worry, Isabel decides to take a leap of faith, sells everything, and moves from NYC to Mouse Island.
There are difficulties along the way. But with the help of new friends and a three-legged rescue dog, she begins to get in touch with an inner strength she didn’t know she had. Then there’s the question of who left her the house… the answer to that mystery may be hidden within the house she has come to know and love. And speaking of love…along the way, Isabel meets a man who could well be the love of her life.
Fall in love with Mouse Island.
Life and Love on Mouse Island
Life and Love on Mouse Island is a heartwarming tale about Isabel Flynn, a sixty-something New Yorker who inherits a dilapidated house on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Looking to start over after a long career in the city, Isabel arrives on Mouse Island only to be immediately challenged by everything from the rough sea journey to a crumbling front step and, eventually, a three-legged rescue dog. What unfolds is a story of rediscovery, connection, and the often messy but beautiful process of building a new life from the ground up.
Jannette’s writing is clear and inviting, with a warm tone that wraps around you like a knitted scarf on a cold morning. Isabel isn’t some glamorous heroine; she’s real. She’s insecure, unsure of herself, stubborn, messy. And yet, that’s what makes her so relatable. There were moments that made me laugh—especially her battle with an ancient toaster oven—and others that genuinely moved me. Watching Isabel slowly open up, face her fears, and grow into someone more courageous and whole was a journey that felt both authentic and uplifting. I found myself rooting for her the whole way.
But what really hit me hard was the quiet beauty of the relationships. They sneak up on you. A helpful handyman with unexpected depth. A mysterious artist with green eyes and a past. And of course, Sadie, the injured puppy who becomes the heart of the story. These characters aren’t flashy or overly dramatic, they’re gentle, flawed, and kind. And that’s exactly why it works. It feels like real life. Honest, complicated, and occasionally magical.
If you’re someone who’s ever thought about starting over or needed a nudge to believe you could, Life and Love on Mouse Island will speak to you. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy cozy, character-driven fiction with a touch of humor and heart. I’d especially recommend it to fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine or The Shell Seekers. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to make a new beginning, fall in love, or rescue a dog, or maybe even yourself.
Pages: 312 | ASIN : B0F6T924SK
The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure
Was your first computer the approximate size and weight of a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle?
Did you ever inhale… allegedly?
Did your bra refuse to burn?
Did you cry yourself to sleep with Joni Mitchell?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then this is the perfect book for you!
This action-filled contemporary romance features three women who set out on an RV road trip to fulfill a dying friend’s wish. Their mission; to spread their late friend’s ashes at Georgia O’ Keefe’s Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. But the friends have no idea that their lives are about to change forever. When a stray dog runs in front of their RV on a dark desert night, it sends them on a path that none of them could foresee.
As the women overcome unexpected dangers and face their own personal conflicts head-on, can the trio’s growing bond help them to conquer the challenges on the road that lies ahead? One gets a second chance at love, one finds the true meaning of friendship and the third confronts a devastating medical diagnosis. The only thing they can be certain about is that there will be plenty of laughter, tears and tea, as they each discover an inner strength they never knew they had.
The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure
The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure by Andree Jannette follows the story of three older women; Cathy, Linda, and Betsy. The women had met at a book club in their hometown, and although they come from different backgrounds, they quickly became acquainted. Their promise to a dear friend to scatter her ashes at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico leads them on a journey of adventure, friendship, and romance. Following a late-night incident that brings them into an encounter with an injured dog, the trio finds themselves in an RV community. After spending a few weeks in this community, each woman’s life changes unexpectedly.
The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure focuses on three older women. Andree Jannette did a fine job shedding light on the conditions that accompany humans’ aging process, including illnesses, grief, and uncertainty. The novel presents the ups and downs of old age, a reality not often explored in literary works. It consists of colorful elderly characters as they retain the youth’s passion, adventurous spirit, and romance. The author refuses to present these characters as frail or dependent. Reading this helps one come to terms with aging and the end of life. The book is also incredibly heartwarming, with the inclusion of pet characters.
Jannette has written a comforting story of healing. However, at times I felt the storytelling was disjointed; secondary characters tended to overshadow the leading trio in the plot. Despite those things, this is a story of strength, of finding the spark and passion inside of oneself to face challenges and overcome obstacles. Life is full of the unexpected, and this novel teaches readers that even those moments, while they might look bad at the start, can lead to beautiful discoveries.
The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure is a beautifully written women’s adventure novel. The bonds of friendship between the characters and the sparks of romance they feel will keep readers engaged and following the trio through this unexpected journey they end up on together.
Pages: 308 | ASIN : B0BD22NSLF
LITERARY TITAN 