Interview with author Lisa Maliga

 

I would like to thank Ms. Maliga who was kind enough to agree to an interview to go along with my review of her recent release Out of the Blue. And don't forget to check out the giveaway--info can be found at the bottom of my review for Out of the Blue

About the Book

Tell us a bit about your novel.

Sylvia Gardner is an innocent young woman who has been told by her mother that she’ll never amount to anything. Vivian Gardner repeatedly tells her daughter not to trust any man because they only want to use her. Sylvia falls in love with a British actor after seeing him on TV, a man who has no idea she exists. After two years of yearning for Alexander Thorpe, she summons the courage to take what little money she’s saved from working two jobs, and heads off to England to find him. He lives in a small Cotswolds village and that’s where she stays--in the only hotel in Windrush-in-the-Combe.

Alexander is going through a personal career crisis, as he wants to continue making art films. He still hasn’t embraced the notion of “going Hollywood.” Additionally, the walls of loneliness and booze are closing in on him as he’s between acting gigs.

After two weeks, Sylvia is running low on money, so she looks for a job. Until that fateful night when the actor enters the hotel’s pub …

What gave you the idea for Out of the Blue? How long did it take you to write?

I took some time off from work and traveled around England for several months. One of the villages where I stayed had a hotel/pub/restaurant and staff occupied two of the six rooms. One of the staff members was a gregarious Italian woman who was there to improve her English.  There was a “television personality” who had once upon a time acted in some British “telly” shows. I'd never heard of him but the way he was treated by the locals clued me in that he was important. The young Italian woman knew about him—guess she saw his shows in Italy or something, and she was really interested in the actor.

This book took about twenty years to write. I lost count of how many drafts it underwent. It got its start on DOS and I remember saving it on those 5” floppy disks. Every time I bought a new computer and/or a new version of Windows, the manuscript also was upgraded and revised.

Which character was your favourite to create? Why?

Alexander because he had to be this beacon that attracted Sylvia. I wanted him to be memorable and have lots of depth. Getting into his head was a challenge, but it was fun as he’s a decent guy, not like some of my other characters in some of my other books.

If you were asked to make a soundtrack for Out of the Blue, what songs would be on it?

Those mentioned in the book, so you’d get rock, reggae, pop, jazz and disco! For example: Passion [Rod Stewart], You Gotta Walk and Don’t Look Back [Mick Jagger & Peter Tosh], Baker Street [Gerry Rafferty], and Autumn Leaves [Miles Davis].

If your book was turned into a movie, who would you choose to play the leading characters?

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers who was in The Tudors and also played a young Elvis – quite convincingly. Another contender is Stephen Moyer [Vampire Bill in the Trueblood series] as both Alexander and as Curtis, my lead in The Wilkes House Haunting. Stephen is a bit of a chameleon so that’s why. As for Sylvia, that could be Anna Paquin or Natalie Portman.

What’s your writing process like?

Plop myself in front of the computer and start typing. Sometimes I distract myself by visiting Pinterest. There’s something therapeutic about looking at travel pictures or cute animals frolicking about. Or those photos of cakes and cookies and other desserts…and the chocolate…OK, then I got back to work again.

About the author

What is a normal day for you? Take us through your usual routine.

After having a light breakfast, I either go skating or go back to sleep for another hour.  Usually I go skating and afterwards I stop off at a park where I can walk around in a peaceful and serene environment and can feed my squirrel-friends. I’m able to reflect on my current and/or future writing projects as I walk around the lake. Then I pick up a croissant on the way back to my house and take a shower, using my own soap, and change into my comfy sweats. I’ll work on my various projects until dusk. Then I go for brief evening walk. Afterwards, I have dinner—usually pizza, Indian or Chinese takeout. I always eat and read so I try getting caught up on various books that way—as I eat slowly and read quickly. I return to my writing until around 10 o’clock and then it’s time for a movie.

When you’re not writing, what else do you like to do?

Ice skating as it’s something physical and requires lots of concentration—along with some balance. I tend not to think about anything other than what I’m doing so that’s what makes it so therapeutic both physically and mentally.

I also enjoy making my own soap and bath and body products. Within the next few months, I’ll be spending more time in the kitchen as I’m going to write and photograph another book about my aromatic creations.

Tell us about the day you found out Out of the Blue was going to be published. How did you react?

Since I’d been working on the book for so long, it seemed a bit odd. Therefore, I dove right into my next project; a chick-lit/horror novelette entitled An Author’s Nightmare.

Is there a certain book that has made a lasting impression on you?

Many books have. I think The Road did, as Cormac McCarthy is such a poetic writer and I was intrigued with the apocalyptic theme. Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White is a massive book, but so riveting--a Victorian story that doesn’t hide the grittiness of 1870’s London. Paul Theroux’s Mosquito Coast and his nonfiction work Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China along with his sequel to The Great Railway Bazaar, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star. There are tons of other books, but ultimately anything written by the Dalai Lama impresses and inspires me.

What made you want to become a writer?

I could use my imagination. I also got my first library card in kindergarten so I grew up reading a lot, especially biographies and autobiographies. I imagined writing my own book when I was in grade school. Later, I began writing one-act plays and short stories. In high school, I wrote part of my first novel and abandoned it a year later as I tried to writing a fantasy novel. That also went nowhere. I kept trying and finally managed to complete a full-length stage play followed by a screenplay. While I went out to L.A. to write movies [and some TV], I kept getting the feeling that novels and short stories were more my speed and began writing them. I didn’t have to worry about budget constraints or some of the wacky above-the-line talent.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what five things would you want to have with you?

A small grocery story and library. Maybe a Target.

What’s next for Lisa Maliga?

I keep saying I’m going to finish Leaving Nadir, the sequel to Notes from Nadir. Another horror short story is being written and will appear in a bundle along with Satan’s Casting Call and An Author’s Nightmare.

Bonus Questions

Favourite movie/TV show/food/season?  

 A few: Little Buddha, Dead Man Walking, Apocalypse Now, The Wizard of Oz, Halloween [original], Psycho, Kundun, Seven Years in Tibet, Casino, Goodfellas, The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, Schindler’s List, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Hotel Rwanda, Seven, Sunset Boulevard, Gladiator, A Clockwork Orange, Platoon, Heaven & Earth, Natural Born Killers, Salvador, Scarface, Kill Bill [both], Pulp Fiction, The Terminator and it’s sequel, The Apostle, Alien and Aliens, Dawn of the Dead [2004], Ratatouille, Pinocchio, Rosemary’s Baby, JFK, Gangs of New York, Taxi Driver, and The Good Shepherd...plus loads more.

TV: Homeland, Breaking Bad, Dexter, True Blood, SouthLAnd, Mad Men, American Horror Story, Walking Dead [season 2 was boooring but this season is like season 1: intense], Dragnet [have seen all of them], Weeds [except for the last 2 seasons when it should’ve ended], Californication, Oz, Amazing Race, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos and the first few seasons of Survivor.

Who would you give the award to for best first kiss (in a movie)?

Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog in The Great Muppet Caper.

Sweet or salty?

Sweet. Namely, chocolate. Chocolate bars, chocolate shakes, chocolate ice cream, chocolate pudding, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies ...

Worst fear?

Running out of whipped cream when I’m about to have hot chocolate.

Author Bio:

Lisa Maliga has been writing ever since she learned how to put crayon to paper back in kindergarten. Since then, she has learned to type and uses a laptop, citing it as way more convenient.

A fan of taking digital photos, you will find some of them on her website and in her nonfiction books. The masthead is a shot of the Pacific Ocean taken at sundown. Variations of this photo are seen on the covers of North of Sunset and her short story collection, South of Sunset. As an avid squirrel-watcher, all photos in Squirrels in the Hood were taken by the author.

 

Interview with author Lissa Bryan

Not too long ago, I reviewed Ghostwriter by Lissa Bryan. Today, Passion for Pages is the 4th stop on her book tour. Not only did I have the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Bryan, but she, along with her publisher The Writer's Coffee Shop, are giving away an ebook copy of Ghostwriter today. Giveaway details will be at the end of the interview.

About the Book

Tell us a bit about your novel. Sara Howell is a young woman who’s just starting to find herself.

 

She’s lost her boyfriend, her job and has to figure out where to go next with her life. Opportunity knocks in the form of an offer to ghostwrite a politician’s biography and an affordable home on an isolated island. She’s enjoying the solitude, but almost immediately, things start happening which indicate Sara might not be alone there.

The house once belonged to Sara’s favorite writer, Seth Fortner. In 1925, Seth disappeared and no one knows what happened to him, so when Sara uncovers a trunk of Seth’s letters in the attic, she’s immediately caught up in solving the mystery.

Strange and terrifying things start happening, and Sara begins to wonder if Seth still lingers on the island. Slowly, she begins to draw Seth out of his shell as she learns more about his experiences in WWI, the heartbreaking story of what happened to his wife, and his family.

What gave you the idea for Ghostwriter?  Years ago, I read an article about the “Iron Harvest” that emerges from the soil every spring when the farmers at Verdun plow their fields. I’d known the bare facts about the battle, but something in that article resonated with me and I found myself wanting to learn more about it. The horrors of that battle are nearly incomprehensible. I tried to imagine what it would have been like for the soldiers who were there. In my research, I ran across another article which mentioned the American Field Service, and how many famous writers (Hemmingway, e.e. cummings, and Somerset Maugham, just to name a few) served as ambulance drivers during WWI. That’s how Seth was born in my mind.

How long did it take you to write? That’s a difficult question to answer because most of the “writing” has already been done in my head long before I sit down at the keyboard. Since I was a child, I’ve always “written books” in my head. It wasn’t until last October that it occurred to me to actually type some of them out.

I may re-write the whole thing half a dozen times in my mind before I consider it “done.” I may wander from story to story as the mood takes me, going back to it as inspiration strikes. It can take as little as a week or as much as several years. There are a couple I’ve been writing since I was a teenager that I still haven’t “finished.” So, the actual physical process of writing Ghostwriter only took a couple of months, but in reality, it took much longer to create it in my mind and revise until it was a fully actualized story.

Which character was your favourite to create? Why? I’d say it would have to be Seth. Though he’s the ghost, he’s the one who was haunted. He was able to forgive the people in his life that wronged him so terribly, but he was never able to forgive himself for the things he had done. He had a problem that many of us do: avoidance. He tended to shut down instead of deal with his problems, and that’s something that he has to learn to do over the course of the novel.

Seth was also afflicted with an issue that we’re still dealing with today: Post-traumatic stress disorder. We saw it in some of our veterans from Vietnam and it’s becoming a topic of public discourse again as our troops return home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The military has tried to increase awareness and develop new treatments because alcoholism, depression, and suicide among service members are on the rise. In 1916, they didn’t understand PTSD, though many of the recollections written about the Battle of Verdun talk about the haunted eyes of the men who were there.

 If you were asked to make a soundtrack for Ghostwriter, what songs would be on it? I’m not sure. Music is intensely personal and everyone interprets it differently. What evokes a mood in one listener might strike a completely different chord in another.

If your book was turned into a movie, who would you choose to play the leading characters? That’s another thing I’ll have to leave up to the readers. Everyone sees a different “movie” in their heads as they’re reading. Witness the arguments online as to who should be cast to play this role or that from a beloved book series. I also recall Anne Rice’s outrage when Tom Cruise was cast in Interview with the Vampire, but once she actually saw him play the part, she was enthralled.

What is your favourite scene in the book? I thought long and hard about this question because it’s like asking which of your children is your favorite. But the scene that kept coming back to me is the one where Sara is trying to gently introduce Seth of some of the modern world by playing music videos for him on her computer.

 About the author

 

Tell us about the day you found out Ghostwriter was going to be published. How did you react?  

It still seems like a crazy dream. It all happened in a whirlwind and my head is still spinning. I’m going to tell you a story, one which seems like it should be in a novel of its own.  

Supposedly, Lana Turner was discovered by a Hollywood agent at a soda fountain; I never imagined things like that really happened, or that it would happen to me, of all people.

I just started writing last October. (Ghostwriter will be released one year and one week after I started posting my first story on Fanfiction.net.) That first story had about a dozen regular readers and I was delighted with that. Since the stories had only existed in my mind up to that point, that anyone was reading them at all made me happy.

Then I started Written in the Stars. The first day, it had one hundred fifty readers. I was shocked. At the end of the first week, it had a thousand. I remember staring at the screen, dumbfounded, certain there had to be some sort of glitch in the software. It just didn’t seem possible. Three days later, it was up to three thousand. I started getting scared. I never expected anything like that. Exactly one month after I began, it had six thousand visitors.

One morning, a message appeared in my inbox. A publisher wanted to know if I had ever considered writing original fiction. I read it half a dozen times, and then cynicism kicked in. It couldn’t be real, I told myself. I Googled the name of the sender. Sure enough, there they were, on the publisher’s website. I called my husband at work and told him not to get excited because I still wasn’t sure if it was real. I’d never heard of anything like this happening. I thought the way people got published was through finding an agent and submitting manuscripts and such.

Even now, it still doesn’t seem entirely real. Someone told me that it may finally sink in when I hold the published copy of Ghostwriter in my hands. I’m curious to see if they’re right.

Is there a certain book that has made a lasting impression on you? Every book I’ve ever read has made an impression on me. The good ones taught me how to tell a story. The bad ones taught me what to avoid. Just like a baby learning how to talk, writers learn to write by listening to the voices of other writers.

 If you were stranded on a desert island, what five things would you want to have with you?   A library, a Starbucks, a Hilton, a restaurant and an airport.

Oh! You meant survival gear? A Bowie knife, flint, a mirror (for signaling planes) a waterproof tarp and a sheet of clear plastic for distilling water.

 Besides the practical? A solar-powered battery charger, a fully-loaded Kindle, a laptop (so I could write), a hammock, and the aforementioned Bowie knife, in case I have a whim to take up whittling.

If I had those little luxuries, I might be perfectly happy on a tropical island. Especially if there were monkeys I could train to be butlers. I’ve always wanted a monkey butler.

I have to ask, considering what the plot is about, do you believe in ghosts? I’ve never met one, but I’m open to possibilities. Truthfully, I think the “ghosts” we’re more likely to be afflicted with are the ones inside, regrets we carry with us, sorrows or thoughts of what might have been if we had taken another path.

What’s next for Lissa Bryan? I’m in the editing process of my second novel. If all goes well, it may come out sometime early next year. I’ve also made a start on my third, but I haven’t had much time for writing lately. The editing process took up far more of my time than I expected.

Bonus Questions

Favourite movie/TV show/food/season?  It’s impossible to narrow it down to just one!

TV: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rome, Battlestar Gallactica, Futurama

Movie: Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride, V for Vendetta, Forrest Gump

Season: Spring

Who would you give the award to for best first kiss (in a movie)? The kiss at the end of the movie Slumdog Millionaire always brings tears to my eyes. It’s the first between the hero and heroine, who have both gone through so much before they could be together. Because of that, it’s the most significant kiss I’ve ever seen in a film.

Sweet or salty? Salty. I’m probably the only woman in the world who doesn’t really care for chocolate. My family knows better than to get me a birthday cake or ice cream because I won’t eat it.

Worst fear? You’ll laugh … Clowns. I’ve always been strangely terrified of people in costumes. Mickey Mouse, Santa Claus, sports mascots. But clowns are especially horrifying with their fierce glee and ghastly makeup.

Thank you, Lissa! To enter to win an ebook of Ghostwriter, simply comment with your name and contact info. (I'm not good with those fancy giveaway forms, so yes, simple and boring is best) Your last day to enter will be October 12th and the winner will be announced October 13th. Good luck!

If you'd like to follow the rest of the tour:

October 6th - -www.sherrygomes.com  Interview and Giveaway

October 7th - http://saritadreaming.wordpress.com   Character questions, review and giveaway.
October 8 - http://myfictionnook.com  - Review, Interview and Giveaway

October 10 - Italy brats Obsession - Review, Interview, giveway

October 11 - www.wordedit.com (The Daily News - UK) - guest post, interview

October 12 - http://myreadinglounge.blogspot.it/2012/08/lets-talk-about-ghostwriter-by-lissa.html - character interview, review, and giveaway

Author interview with Brian MacLearn

Morning, all! 

A couple of days ago I reviewed Brian MacLearn's novel Remember Me. Today, find out where in time Brian would travel to in my interview with him.

About the Book

Tell us a bit about your novel.  "Remember Me" is much more than a story about time travel.  When asked, I describe it as my "morality story."  We are shaped by the events in our lives.  We also spend a fair share of time wondering "What if."  The story is wrought with intrigue and sub-plots, but at its core is love and commitment.  I wanted to explore the emotional aspects of what reliving a time in the past might feel like.  Andrew doesn't magically revert in age; he is still fifty and a total outsider.  He can live a new life of wealth, abandoning all those cherished people in his life, or he can test time by trying to help them. 

What gave you the idea for Remember Me? How long did it take you to write?  I have always been fascinated with the idea of time travel.  It is one of those topics that never has a right answer.  After the emotional side of "Our Heart", I wondered what it would be like for a man to live twenty-five years over again. He wouldn't get the benefit of reverting in age; this effectively makes him an outsider.   I wrote the story over a year...got to pay the bills too.  If I could have sat at the computer for 4 hours a day...2 months.

Which character was your favourite to create? Why?  Tom.  Every good story needs a hero and a villain, and Tom is a very hateable villain.  I wanted people to picture a guy just like him in their lives.  The more personal you become with the story the more meaningful it is. 

 If your book was turned into a movie, who would you choose to play the leading characters?  I believe that Kyra Sedgwick would make a good Amy.  Andrew/Peter is a lot tougher.  My first thought is Edward Norton.

What’s your writing process like?  A process...if you could call it that?  My mind has been cluttered with ideas my entire life.  It is only getting fuller.  I seriously wanted the first novel done when I turned 30, didn't happen for 20 more years, lol. Over the past 30 years, I've started several books, only to set them aside.  My first complete novel was "Our Heart."  (Pure Nicholas Sparks type story.)  It originated as song lyrics.  A young man comes home after several years. He traces the names, which he once carved into a heart on a tree, with his fingertips.   My fiancée suggested that the lyrics would make a good Hallmark movie, or book.  After thinking about it for a few days, I shut down the story I was working on.  I opened a new page, typed "Our Heart," reread the lyrics, and let the feeling that I experienced in writing the song take over.  In all truth, I never knew where that story would go, or what character would enter next.  The best analogy that I can use is this.  Like the r sculptor who says that it was always there, all they had to do was chip away the parts that didn't belong, so is my writing style.  I'm just the messenger; the characters write the story.  With "Remember Me" I knew the beginning and the end, the rest I let them tell me what would happen.  

The book is about time travelling. If you could go back (or forward) to any time, what year would you choose?  Great question.  It stabs at the heart of the story.  It would be easy to list all the great events in history that you could witness, or the moments of regret in our personal lives.  The chance to erase regrets is a powerful elixir.  The future might show hope, or bring utter despair.   In the story, Andrew was faced with the events of 9/11, it became a moral issue for him to overcome.  I'm sitting in the DeLorean, my hand is on the dial, I turn it to... one of the happiest days in my life.  I let it fill me once again with hope and love.  Life chips away at the good.  My well is generally more than half-full, but what I wouldn't give to have it completely filled. 

About the author

What is a normal day for you? Take us through your usual routine.  Get up, make coffee, and check my emails.  I'm also a financial advisor by trade...I know...analytical verses creative--I am effectively a "quandary."  I love solving puzzles, and that's where the financial planner comes from.  I solve the issues of the day, spend an hour on the treadmill, and then...  It might be whatever needs to be done, and sometimes it could be 1-7 straight hours of writing.  I'm always writing in my head regardless.  Some days, weeks, its more.   I work from home so I have the freedom to take on whatever moves me.

When you’re not writing, what else do you like to do?  Read, sing, watch movies, bowl, golf, go to Iowa Hawkeye football games, canoe the wilderness of the MN boundary waters, hike the Appalachian trail, fish, camp, babysit my granddaughters, and travel when possible. 

Tell us about the day you found out Remember Me was going to be published. How did you react?  With "Our Heart" I was on top of the world.  "Yes...I did it!"  "What if nobody likes it." The emotions were all over the place.  When I finished "Remember Me," I was already moving on to the next story.  I'd been through the process and understood that I am now a writer...good or great...yet to be seen.  I do know that each story I write will get better.  I am where I am supposed to be.  It took me a long time to get here.  I need to write, and tell the stories that fight for prominence within my head.

Is there a certain book that has made a lasting impression on you?  The first book that I ever read more than once, I read when I was in third grade.  It's one of only a few that I can say that about, "Where the Red Fern Grows."  I even read it aloud to both of my daughters.  It's extremely difficult to read when you can't see the words through your tears.

What made you want to become a writer?  I don't think you become, you just are.  I'm overly empathetic.  Hallmark card commercials get the best of me.  I needed to find a way to express all of those emotions...poetry, song lyrics, stories.  I knew in 7th grade that it was going to be a part of my life.  The English teacher assigned a short fiction story of at least 4 pages.  Mine was over 20. His comment was, "What an imagination. Maybe someday you'll be a writer." 

If you were stranded on a desert island, what five things would you want to have with you?  Duct tape,  matches, knife,  water, and a companion.

What’s next for Brian MacLearn? I'm well into the next novel entitled "Ridicule."  It's a psychological take on domination, not the sexual kind, but the manipulative kind.  Instead of a husband-wife scenario, it is about two boyhood (friends?) that still have manipulation 20 years later.  An event triggers the latent hero and he rises up.  The story will be intense and powerful...with a surprise ending...I think--the characters haven't yet told me what is going to happen.  There will also be a love interest, and the story will happen over a two-day period.  My goal is always to put real emotion into all of my characters.  It starts fast and keeps building throughout.  Three or four books down the line, I will have to revisit "Our Heart," and finish what was left unsaid. (fan requests also) 

Bonus Questions

Favourite movie/TV show/food/season?  Too many to mention.  I rarely watch a movie over again.  Some of my favorites are: Terminator, Rocky, Remember the Titans, Sleepless in Seattle,  Lord of the Rings, the list goes on and on.  TV: Fringe, Supernatural, The Voice, True Blood, Lost, Storage Wars. (lol). Food: I go nuts if I don't have a hamburger once in awhile.  Season: Fall

Watching or playing sports?  Both; I bowl and golf, my basketball and football days are long behind me.  I watch college football and the Olympics. 

1980s or 2000s? 1980's. They still offered promises of wonderful things to come.  People still talked live with each other, manners were still used.  Most people took responsibility for their actions.  It's scary knowing everything you say or do could show up on a report or YouTube somewhere.  I love technology, just not the coldness that comes with it.  Sometimes it feels like embitteredness and chaos have become the new normal.

Worst fear?  Losing my mind and not being able to write all of the stories in my head. Living the rest of my life alone.

Interview with author Jennifer Schmidt

Today I am excited to post my interview with Jennifer Schmidt. Her book, Risking It All, is due to be released in just three days (you can check out  my review) and she dished some yummy tidbits about the book (who she pictures as Memphis makes us soul mates) and her five must haves if she was stranded on an island--this girl would have some fun!

About the Book

Tell us a bit about your novel. In a nutshell? It’s a story about two friends who suddenly realize what they’ve been missing has been right in front of them all along. Of course it can’t be that simple. There’s drama, conflict, uncertainty, lots of mistakes. It’s about taking a chance on something or someone and learning if it’s worth risking it all for love.

What gave you the idea for Risking It All? How long did it take you to write? I think it took me about eight or nine months to write. I’m a slow writer, mainly because I’m easily distracted. I wanted to write something that was more relatable than my last novel. What better than the complicated, exhilarating plot of two friends falling for each other?

Which character was your favourite to create? Why? Without a doubt it was Memphis. I like making characters that make readers swoon and from what I’ve been told and read from reviewers I think Memphis did his job.

If you were asked to make a soundtrack for Risking It All, what songs would be on it? I actually wrote a post on my blog about RIA music inspirations, and had to go back and find it because I couldn’t remember which songs I selected!

1.  Let It Rain - David Nail
2. Alone With You - Jake Owen
3. Wink - Neal McCoy
4. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift
5. Far Away - Nickelback
6. Sweat - Inner Circle
7. Tomorrow - Chris Young
8. Crazy Girl - Eli Young Band
9. Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon
10. Still - Jason McCoy
11. What Do You Want - Jarrod Niemann
12. Pull Me Through - Jim Cuddy
13. S&M - Rihanna

I would add Hard To Love by Lee Brice to the list now, though.

If your book was turned into a movie, who would you choose to play the leading characters?

Memphis – Ian Somerhalder.

Kennedy- Evangeline Lilly (Katie Melua is exactly how I picture Kennedy but she’s not an actress)

Ian – Eric Bana

What’s your writing process like? Was there a part of Risking It All that was difficult to write? The ending of a story is always the first thing that I write. It’s where my ideas bloom for the rest of the book. The hardest part to write for RIA was definitely the sex. I wanted so much raw emotion and passion shown that I was terrified to screw it up and it took me days to write the first scene.

Kennedy has been described as being “wishy-washy” and frustrating as all hell with the things she did and how she handled things. I have to ask, how do you feel about Kennedy? Would it surprise you to learn I’m not a Kennedy fan? I knew going into this that she wasn’t going to be the readers’ favourite character. In fact, one of the first things I posted on my personal FB after I finished writing the manuscript was people are going to hate this woman. And I’m fine with that. I tried rewriting her and it just didn’t feel right. For all her good and bad, I’m glad Kennedy is the way she is.

About the author

What is a normal day for you? Take us through your usual routine. Nothing all that exciting, unfortunately. If it’s a school day I get up at 5:30ish, put the coffee on, work out, get the kids up and ready for school, pack their lunches, send them off and the rest of the day just depends. I try to get some writing in while it’s quiet, but I find I work better when I have the background noise of the kids running around.

When you’re not writing, what else do you like to do? I really enjoy cooking and baking, which shocks most people because before I had my oldest I couldn’t boil water to save my life. I’m not a girly-girl, so I like doing what the boys do. Being outside, playing in the mud and getting dirty.

How do you balance being a mom and an author? It’s really not that hard, mainly because I don’t write all that often *laughs* When I have the time, I write. If I don’t have the time, then I don’t sweat it (unless I have a deadline and then I’m one big bundle of anxiety)

Tell us about the day you found out Risking It All was going to be published. How did you react? RIA wasn’t a surprise publication. After I had published my first novel, Last Call, my publisher contacted me and asked if I was working on anything else and if I was interested in publishing with them again. So RIA was already lined up. But when I found out Last Call was going to be published I completely flipped. I think the first person I called was my mom and she thought something happened to one of my kids because I was hysterical.

Is there a certain book that has made a lasting impression on you? His Bright Light by Danielle Steel. It’s a true story about her son and it’s the only non-fiction book I’ve read over and over again.

Your writing is insanely hot. How does your family feel about you being an erotic author? Um…first thanks for that! I love when readers think it’s hot. As for my family, they don’t talk about. Like ever. It’s never been brought up with them˗˗except with my mom. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of them haven’t even read what I’ve written, which I’m totally cool with. We’re not exactly close. Of course there are a couple that are incredibly supportive…but we still don’t talk about it.  C’mon, I write erotica. It’s not exactly something I want my grandmother reading and questioning me about! *laughs*

If you were stranded on a desert island, what five things would you want to have with you? Lee Brice, Jensen Ackles, Ian Somerhalder, Josh Holloway (who better than the two who were originally stranded on an island) and a lifetime supply of matches so we don’t have to rub two sticks together to make a fire. Please do not send search parties.   

What’s next for Jennifer Schmidt?  I wanted to try my hand at writing something supernatural so I’m currently working on a novel centered around vampires. It’s completely different than the previous genres I’ve written so I’m taking it slow and seeing what happens.

Bonus Questions

Favourite movie/TV show/food/season?  Movie: A Knight’s Tale

TV show: on air: Supernatural,  off air: ER

Food: Lucky Charms

Season: Fall

Who would you give the award to for best first kiss (in a movie)? Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles characters in 10 Things I Hate About You. The way he tackles her in the straw, flings off his goggles and wipes the paint off her face makes me swoon every time.

Sweet or salty? Sweet. I can’t stand salt. Blah!

Worst fear? Snakes and water. Mix the two and you can imagine how terrified I was of watching Anaconda—even though it was totally stupid.

Need even more proof this woman is the bomb? A little birdie told me she's giving away a signed copy of Risking It All and her debut novel, Last Call. Head over to her blog and get your chance to win before the 14!
Jennifer Schmidt blog