Interview with Stephanie Haefner
When did you know writing was for you? I guess I’ve always been a writer…keeping journals and writing little stories. But one night an idea…
Interview with Chandra Hoffman
Where did the inspiration for Chosen come from?
CHOSEN was influenced and shaped by a trail of experiences and opportunities. It wasn’t as though I chose the adventures so I could write about them, but the stories shaped my life, and subsequently, a novel.
In 1995 I was a senior at Cornell University when I connected with a professor who wanted an aide worker to go into a Romanian orphanage and hospital where her own adoption was stalled. I volunteered, flying to Bucharest alone, not knowing the language or the social complexities that had created a country where most orphans were not without parents, just abandoned to a state-run foster care. I only knew I loved babies and travel, adventure. It was overwhelming, (I was given fifty infants my first day) and heartbreaking, nearly impossible for me to leave Bucharest to finish my degree at last I did. (You can read more about Romania here: http://www.chandrahoffman.com/blog/2010/7/23/digging-up-the-past-part-1-of-2.html)
After college, I couldn’t stop thinking about adoption, about the circumstances surrounding new life that will shape it forever. At the end of several years abroad, I applied for a position at an international adoption agency and ended up as the director of their US program, the sole caseworker juggling birthmothers and waiting families. I fell in love with both the city of Portland and the heady allure of a job so full of promise.
Like Chloe Pinter, I went into it with the intention of creating happy endings. Similar to when I stepped off the plane in Romania, I quickly scrambled to learn a new language and subculture; the business side of adoption. But as the months passed, I got too attached. I cried and raged at some adoptions that fell apart, and just as painfully for some that went through. I left not because I no longer believed in adoption, but because the potential for joy and heartache walking the razor’s edge was no longer something I was able to agent — my skin had become too thin.
Faced with our own pregnancy and an unexpected diagnosis at our first son’s birth, I pondered some of the deeper issues that formed the backbone of this novel. How does parenthood change you? How will the challenges you face shape you as a couple? What happens when your expectations of parenthood are so far from the reality? What makes a good parent? A good person? What happens when you get what you thought you wanted?
All of these courageous people whose lives had touched mine so intimately rattled around with me as I adjusted to that first year of new parenthood. Driving home from a pre-dawn airport run, exhausted from getting up to hang bottles for my newborn’s feeding tube, I stopped to get gas at a filling station not far from the very place where a child was abducted in my hometown twenty years earlier. Knowing this, I still fantasized about not lugging the car seat and its precious cargo out with me just to run in for a bottle of water… But what if I didn’t?
The idea for this novel was born out of that single scene. A mother so exhausted her judgment lapses; a grief-stricken, empty-armed father who takes advantage of this. The story is fiction—characters and settings and scenarios are as though I took a handful of experiences, marinated them in a childhood paranoia of abduction, seasoned them with the salt of my vivid imagination, put the whole thing in a bag and shook it up—but the themes are real, from my own life and from those I have been privileged to witness.
Are you currently working on another novel?
Last year on book tour in Santa Monica I was sleeping with the windows open to hear the ocean, and I dreamed the plot of my next novel–a love story set in the steamy Caribbean summer where the tragedies are not what they seem to be, and a hint of mystery. I’m so excited to share it with readers soon!
What are some books that you have read recently and really enjoyed?
When I’m actively writing a novel, I tend to read more nonfiction and memoir so that I can stay consistent in my own narrative voice. As a gardener, I’ve been on a locavore food movement kick. Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Vegetable Miracle was an inspiration, and Kristin Kimball’s The Dirty Life a fascinating account of following your heart. I love the idea of being more connected to what we eat and creating a more sustainable lifestyle. I’ve been campaigning hard for chickens and recently had a little foray into goats… You can read about that here: http://www.chandrahoffman.com/essays/in-over-my-caprine-head.html
I love gardening beside my kids and creating an appreciation for food and the miracle of life, the return of spring after our icy winters. I know there is more of this in my future.
How did you become first involved in working with orphanages?
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What are some hobbies outside of writing?
There’s a joke that my family of origin bred for brains, so it’s a wonder that sports take up so much of my hobby time, since I’m not a natural athlete. I’ve been running for years, see link: http://www.chandrahoffman.com/essays/running-for-my-life.html
which keeps me sane, and I play field hockey from March to November in a Philly sports league. After moving from the Caribbean where we mostly enjoyed water sports, my husband suggested we had better take up ice hockey in the Pennsylvania winter or we’d go nuts cooped up indoors with three little kids. I didn’t know how to skate but it turned out to be brilliant! We all play–even my littlest is putting on the pads–and I love that our town has an outdoor skating pavilion, so that I’m getting exercise and my critical time outdoors even in the long gray winter months. Ten years ago I never would have thought we’d be a hockey family, with my husband building a backyard rink and the Flyers obsession and our winter weekends having as many as twelve games, but it does keep us occupied, active and sane.
How important do you think social media is for authors?
Where would be your dream vacation?
I’ve heard that you’re either a mountain person or a beach person. I’ve lived in the Caribbean and that breathtaking point where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet in Tarifa, Spain, and I’ve lived in the mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado. While I can appreciate the beauty of mountains and enjoy hiking and snowboarding, I know for sure I’m an ocean girl. Relaxing and swimming and playing on the beach with my family and a pile of books and an umbrella drink is where it’s at for me.
Guest Post by Casey Crow
Holiday Traditions
By: Casey Crow
Thank you, Samantha, for hosting me at Chick Lit Plus and helping me celebrate the release of my debut CAN’T FAKE THIS. I’m a huge fan of your blog, and it’s an honor to be here.
A divorcee ready to reenter the dating world, Anna Ryan is determined to be the best “product on the market,” which requires a lot more experience so she propositions sexy police officer Chase Harris to teach her how to make hot, passionate love as opposed to just having sex. He takes it a step further, instructing each lesson based on The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Anna and Chase know what will keep them busy for the Twelve Days of Christmas. What about you? Do you have any special holiday traditions for you or your family? What’s your favorite? I love the craziness of Christmas Eve at my dad’s with all the grandkids tearing into to gifts all at once. I love the excitement of my children when they wake me up at six a.m. on Christmas morning, and I won’t let them go downstairs until I can get down there with camera in hand.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Merry Christmas!
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Can’t Fake This Excerpt
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Interview with Ella Slayne
Author Q&A for Samantha Robey
What made you want to write High-Heels and Slippers?
I had always liked the idea of writing a full length novel but I completely lacked the courage to do it. When my Uncle Alan passed away suddenly, it was the catalyst I needed to get started. It was a sharp reminder that life can be short and I decided not to waste anymore time.
How long did it take you to write the book?
Nearly four years. Of course I thought I’d finished after a year and half which shows how little I knew!
What was the hardest part in the writing process for you?
I think one of the hardest parts of the writing process for me was learning how to take negative feedback in a constructive way and not let letting it send me into the depths of depression! At first I found it very hard to move on from a critique but actually I found that my book improved after I worked through feedback. Now, I find that negative criticism is often the most valuable because it helps me improve as a writer.
What were some of your favorite scenes to write?
Well I like a bit of romance, and I was always rooting for Josie and Callum to get together, so it was fun writing scenes between their characters. I also enjoyed writing the scenes with Tom in England, even though they were emotional. It was cathartic in a way and my intention was always to write a chick-lit story with a poignant twist; I wanted Josie’s character to have layers. I hope I managed that!
What made you decide to give Josie her own blog?
Starting Josie’s blog was a huge learning curve for me. I was completely new to the blog world but I wanted to test the market and see if there was an audience for a character like Josie. Besides I felt she had a lot more to say than just what was in the book so the blog was a good outlet for her! I’m so glad I did it, even though I was petrified at first.
Are you currently working on another novel?
Yes I am and I hope to release it in the Spring of 2012! It’s called “Holding Me Up – A Life Without Jasmine” and it’s about Trisha Miller, a bereaved mother, trying to find a way to move on from the grief of losing her daughter. It’s starts off in a dark place but I pull her out to somewhere good in the end!
You also do voiceover work. How did you become involved in this?
Back in England my plan, since I was a child, was to become an actress. I studied Drama at Manchester University and then trained as an actress at the Webber Douglas Academy in London. However everything was put on hold when I started having kids and moved to Belgium! A few years ago I made the decision to move forward with a voice-over career because I thought it would be flexible enough to fit around my family life. I am proud to say that I’ve recently become a volunteer reader to the Dallas Reading Resource center which provides a huge variety of audio material for those people who can’t read. It’s a fantastic facility, they reach out to so many people, and it feels good to be using my training for such a good cause.
If you could be on any reality show, which one would you choose?
That is so easy! I am a HUGE fan of American Idol and The X Factor so I would have to be on one of those. Although I’d prefer to be a judge if possible because it must be absolutely nerve-wracking to be a contestant!
Where would be your dream vacation?
I would be alone in an old stone cottage, half-way up a hill somewhere with a view of the sea, there would be a log fire, a steaming coffee pot, a tray set with jam and scones and a bookshelf crammed with books. The only sounds would be the crackling fire, waves crashing back and forth and rain lashing against the windows. I would be wearing cozy jeans, a pair of fleece slippers and a huge, but stylish, baggy jumper and I wouldn’t wash my hair for days! Ooh when can I go?
What is your advice to aspiring writers?
My advice to anyone wanting to start writing is the same advice I tell myself all the time (and it’s also the title of a FAB book by Susan Jeffers which I always recommend because you can apply it to all aspects of life): “Feel the fear – and do it anyway!” Just get started and don’t delete ANYTHING at first. Let the story come out; there’ll be plenty of time to edit your work later.
Guest Post by Deborah Coonts: Vegas Wild
Vegas Wild
By Deborah Coonts,
Author of Lucky Stiff
The words “Las Vegas” conjure thoughts of wild exploits, sexual highjinks, hangovers, and the scantily clad. Not too far from the truth, actually. I’ve lived here over twelve years, give or take, and this city gets under your skin. You just do stuff here you wouldn’t even think about anywhere else. And I’ve done my share.
Take male stripping. Who knew it was a contact sport? I’m not talking Chippendales or Thunder Down Under — great shows, but a bit tame, all things considered. True male stripping involves young men parading around in nothing but muscles with tiny sacks over their bananas. I think they smile too, but frankly, I don’t remember. I must not have been looking at their smiles, but I’m not admitting to anything. Anyway, the strippers paw the patrons, rubbing up against them in very provocative ways. I remember sitting across from a girlfriend of mine as one guy straddled her and ground his member into her lush chest. All I could see were his clenching butt muscles until my friend leaned around him, raised her glass, and gave me a shit-eating grin. It ruined me — I was done. Laughing does not make the strippers happy. Trust me on that one. Who knew that handsome young men in their near-all-together could be so sensitive?
Another fun evening out here in Vegas involves men and dancing, but of a different sort. You know how sometimes you just wanna dance? No fondling, no come-ons, no tired pick-up lines . . . just dance? The best place to do it in Vegas is Krave. They bill themselves as the Number One Gay Nightclub in the Country, and I would agree. Not that I have a great deal of experience, mind you, but boy is this place fun! The guys are great. They love to dance. And they are totally not interested in picking up women. A relief. Of course, if you’re in Vegas to score a bit of action, this might not be the place for you . . . unless you are gay.
And now I here the owners of Krave are opening a bar in downtown Vegas, near Freemont Street, where all the servers are drag queens. Who could resist? I plan on being first in line!
Of course, if you’re into beer and butt-whacking, the Hofbräveuhaus is for you. Yup, you can sing along to what I call oompah bands — I’m sure that’s not the technical term, but you get my drift (a bunch of guys with beer bellies in Lederhosen) and you can order a flagon of beer and get paddled by a pretty girl with a wooden paddle and a major-league swing. Why anybody would want to do this is beyond me, but they do — to the delight of the restaurant patrons. And the whole thing can be memorialized for posterity by a roving photographer. This is not something I’ve experienced personally — I’m not one to pay for physical punishment and pain — but I’ve seen it done.
Oh, a word to the wise: leave the cameras at home when you visit Sin City — you’ll thank me.
So, while we’re on the subject of crazy-ass stuff I’ve seen but not participated in, let me tell you about the best party in town. Most folks think New Years is Vegas-Gone-Wild, but I beg to differ. Halloween is the night you want to be here to get your naughty on. There’s this party — The Fetish and Fantasy Ball — and the costumes are . . . creative. Often they involve spray paint and pasties. Or maybe just Saran Wrap. Or a couple of triangles of fur and string. But is it one heck of a party! The people-watching is the best part.
Did you know it is possible to eat a five star meal, served by tux-clad waiters . . . while suspended 180 feet above the ground. The views of the Strip are amazing — as long as you’re not acrophobic. It’s the only meal in town to require a seat belt — and it’s a ton of fun. Champagne toasts, filet mignon, unobstructed views, both panoramic and straight down, where else could you have this experience? It’s Vegas all the way.
Now, there’s one other thing I’m working my courage up to do. There’s this bar called the Double-Down — billed as “The Happiest Place on Earth”. They sell something called Ass Juice — it comes with Puke Insurance. I understand it’s a place you want to go when you’re craving the down and dirty, punk-rock Vegas thing. Sounds too good to pass up. Anybody game?
© 2011 Deborah Coonts, author of Lucky Stiff
Author Bio
Deborah Coonts, author of Lucky Stiff, says her mother tells her she was born in Texas a very long time ago, though she’s not totally sure — her mother can’t be trusted. But she was definitely raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. She currently resides in Las Vegas, where family and friends tell her she can’t get into too much trouble. Silly people. Coonts has built her own business, practiced law, flown airplanes, written a humor column for a national magazine, and survived a teenager. She is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Las Vegas adventure series.
Her first book, Wanna Get Lucky?, was released in 2010.
For more information please visit http://www.deborahcoonts.com/, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter
Interview with Irene Woodbury
Hi Irene! Below are my interview questions. Thanks!
Can you describe A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis in twenty words or less?
A bizarre girls’ weekend in Las Vegas evolves into the darkly funny midlife crisis of forty-something newlywed Wendy Sinclair.
What made you want to write this story?
I always wondered what it would be like to go on a weekend trip and not go home. What would I do? What would the people back home say? Where would I live? Would I get a job? What kinds of people would I meet? Instead of actually doing this, I wrote a novel about someone who does it. I got to live out my fantasies through Wendy.
Why did you choose Las Vegas as the setting?
I spent a lot of time there as a travel writer. I found the city incredibly interesting and wanted to learn more about it. Writing this book gave me the opportunity to do that. Plus, I think the characters have traits in common with Las Vegas. They have attractive surfaces, but are complex and troubled underneath. Las Vegas is like that: a glitzy, frivolous surface with plenty of deeper, darker aspects to it. So, the characters and the setting complement each other.
What was the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
Writing with my heart and my head. You have to think everything the characters think, and feel everything they feel. It was hard to sustain that level of focus and intensity day in, day out, for five years.
Do you think you want to write a sequel?
I would love to pick up the characters at the end of Slot and take them further. I miss the creative-writing process–escaping into a make-believe world for hours each day. But it’s a big commitment. It would probably take three to five years, so I’d have to think it through.
How did you get started in travel writing?
On a vacation trip to London in 2000, my husband talked me into helping him with a travel story. I took over and wrote 40 pages. I never thought I’d enjoy travel writing, but I loved it. A couple of months later, the story ran in the Los Angeles Times. So the credit, or responsibility, goes to my husband.
What are you currently reading?
Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
What are some top Vegas attractions you would recommend?
The Lion Habitat at MGM Grand
The Conservatory at Bellagio
Jersey Boys show at Palazzo
Love show at Mirage
Spa Mandalay at Mandalay Bay
View of the Las Vegas valley from Eiffel Tower at Paris
What have been some of your favorite travel destinations, either to visit or write about?
London was my Number One destination for a few years. The stories I did there are some of my favorites. I also loved working in Las Vegas, Paris, Dublin and Madrid.
What is your advice to aspiring writers?
Find out the preferred length of whatever it is you’re going to write, and stick to it! Don’t do what I did and write a 175,000-word novel that has to cut by 35,000 words so that agents or publishers will be interested. It just adds extra work and anguish.
Interview with Kathleen Kole
First I’d like to say “thank you!” to Samantha for hosting my blog tour and having me here as a guest on Chick Lit Plus. …
Interview with Amanda Strong
What inspired you to write With Just One Click? The inspiration behind the novel was friends and friends of friends who have lived through similar situations.
There are three female leads in the story. Was it difficult writing from three different perspectives? I never felt writing from three different perspectives was difficult. The stories set them apart from one another and that helped me focus on each individual character without any confusion.
How did you write the different POV’s? Did you work on one woman at a time, or tackle them all together? This might some strange, but I wrote the book exactly how it’s published. I wrote the three different women, one after the other, and followed that routine for each chapter. As a writer, I wanted to see the progress of each character step by step. I wanted to be like the reader, following their development at the same time throughout the book, almost parallel stories synchronized on three tracks set to the same pace. I also didn’t want to leave a character for too long, because I believed it was very important to give each equal time and attention.
Out of the whole writing and publishing process, what did you find most difficult? When you’re independently publishing a novel, everything falls solely on your shoulders. Each decision has to be weighed carefully, because one mistake could derail your whole project. The attention to detail, and the specific choices you make as the one person who is responsible for this novel is time consuming, stressful, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. These reasons alone make the final preparations before officially publishing a book a difficult one.
Are you working on any other writing projects? I’ve written a few articles that have been published recently all revolving around social networking. I also have started an outline for the next novel, and hope to have that finished sometime next year.
Will you ever follow-up from the characters in With Just One Click? Many readers have asked me if I would be willing to write a sequel or follow-up to the book. I would never rule anything out, because I do feel these characters have many more things left in their stories to explore.
What do you think are some of the biggest benefits of having Facebook? First, I think the ability to reconnect with old friends is the number one benefit of Facebook. I also see Facebook as an amazing tool for businesses and even authors like myself. The ability to connect with an extraordinary amount of people at a time is an unbelievable advantage.
And what are some of the biggest downfalls or Facebook? Well, I think the biggest benefits of Facebook unfortunately cause the biggest downfalls. The ability to reach out to virtually anyone and check-in on what they are doing with their lives is sometimes too tempting to pass up. This curiosity can lead to infidelity and people spying on exes, just to name a few. Facebook doesn’t have many rules to live by so that point alone makes this type of communication dangerous and one where people need to be cautious.
Where would be your dream vacation? Turks-Caicos
What is your advice to aspiring writers? This is the best time to be a writer, because of the rise of self-publishing and the ability to connect with people you wouldn’t otherwise have known through social networking(ironic, I know). Take every opportunity, always believe in yourself, and accept criticism. As with everything, I believe you can never stop learning and trying to become better. Writing is like being an artist, it’s subjective and open to judgement, but with hard work and dedication the opportunities are endless.
Author Profile: Tess Hardwick
Author Name: Tess Hardwick
Website: http://tesshardwick.com/
Bio: Tess Hardwick is a novelist and playwright.S he has a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California.
Like her main character in Riversong, Tess is from a small town in southern Oregon. She currently lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her husband, two small daughters and a teenage stepson. She is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.
She was an active member of the theatre community in Seattle as an actor and director during the late nineties. In 2000 she wrote her first full-length play, My Lady’s Hand which subsequently won the 2001 first place prize for new work at the Burien Theatre.
A voracious reader, Tess’s favorite thing to do is to curl up on a rainy and read. She also enjoys movies, theatre, wine, food and spending time with friends and family.
Tess is busy working on her second novel, an historical fiction set in 1930’s Alabama inspired by a short story written by her great-grandmother.
See my review of Riversong
Bio Retrieved from tesshardwick.com
