Girlfriend: Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Malena Lott

It’s Thursday, and I’m giddy. Not only do I get to share cheese and chocolate fondue with my Book End Babes tonight at my house while we drink and dish about life and good books, but today girlfriend Wendy Nelson Tokunaga has so graciously stopped by to fill us in on her second novel, LOVE IN TRANSLATION. Give her a big atta-babe!

WendyB&w If Oprah invited you on her show to talk about Love in Translation, what would the theme of that show be?

I think a show with a theme about finding yourself by living and experiencing a foreign culture, or one about the rewards and challenges of cross-cultural relationships would work very well. Actually, I never like the Oprah question because I am quick to say that I don’t write “Oprah” books. But after taking the time to really think about it, thanks to your interview question, I have begun to see things in a whole different light. So can you excuse me for a minute? I’m going to get on the phone with one of her producers.

What do you write on (type of computer, or notebook, etc.) and where do you write?

I use an iMac at home. Once in a while I bring my pink Acer NetBook with me to a coffeehouse or somewhere. But more often, if I’m away from my desk, I’ll take a printed copy of what I’ve already written and make notes or a paper notebook to work with. I usually write in my office at home.

Have you had a “rock star” moment regarding your writing career? If so, what was it?

That’s an interesting question, which I will take a little more literally since, when I was young, I wanted to be a rock star, not a writer. Recently I participated in an event for the California Writers Club called “We Know They Can Write, But Can They Sing?” where authors performed karaoke with a live band. Since I’ve done a lot of singing, this was perfect for me. I sang “You’re No Good” and “At Last” and I got a nice feeling of being a “rock star” from the audience reaction to my performance.

What do you do to celebrate your writing successes?

Eat a great dinner and crack open a great bottle of wine. But, come to think of it, we do that most nights!

Describe yourself with five adjectives that would make your 5th grade English teacher proud.

equanimous
temerarious
sanguine
steatopygic
graphophobic

WOW, smarty pants! Those are more like twelfth grade, sister! Go, you.

About LOVE IN TRANSLATION:

The San Francisco Chronicle called Wendy Nelson Tokunaga’s debut novel, Midori by Moonlight, a “terrific first novel.” Now she’s back with her second book, Love in Translation, which again explores the themes of Japan and Japanese culture and being a stranger in a strange land, which have played a major role in her life and writing.

Love in Translation coverFIN1 Love in Translation
by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
Trade Paperback $13.99 ($17.99 Canada)
978-0-312-37266-8
240 pages St. Martin’s Griffin
Available: Now (Published November 24, 2009)
Web Site: www.WendyNelsonTokunaga.com

For anyone who’s ever dreamt of finding love and family in an unexpected place…

After receiving a puzzling phone call and a box full of mysterious family heirlooms, 33-year-old fledgling singer Celeste Duncan is off to Japan to search for a long, lost relative who could hold the key to the identity of the father she never knew. Once there she stumbles head first into a weird, wonderful world where nothing is quite as it seems—a land with an inexplicable fascination with foreigners, karaoke boxes, and unbearably perky TV stars.

With little knowledge of Japanese, Celeste finds a friend in her English-speaking homestay brother, Takuya, and comes to depend on him for all variety of translation, travel and investigatory needs. As they cross the country following a trail after Celeste’s relatives, she discovers she’s developing “more-than-sisterly” feelings for him, although his mother seems to have other plans for her son. But it is when Celeste learns a Japanese song called “The Wishing Star” that things begin to change for her in ways she never expected, leading her to ask, what is the true meaning of family? And what does it mean to discover your own voice?

Amazon Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Translation-Wendy-Nelson-Tokunaga/dp/0312372663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258672687&sr=1-1

Praise

“A delightful novel about love, identity, and what it means to be adrift in a strange land. This story of a search has an Alice in Wonderland vibe; when Celeste climbs down the rabbit hole, one can’t help but follow along.”
—Michelle Richmond, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Fog

“An amusing story of one woman’s quest for her father and the improbable path of love.”
—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters

“Tokunaga… describe[s] Japanese culture in absorbing detail.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Witty, lighthearted and charming story of finding love in an unexpected place.”—Fresh Fiction

“A delightful plot with wonderful characterizations.”—Affair de Coeur Magazine

“Four stars!” —RT Book Reviews Magazine

Get your copy! If you buy one as a gift, be sure and enter it in our HoLITday contest!

Love in Translation Theme Song

The fictional song becomes a reality! Listen to the Love in Translation original theme song, “The Wishing Star (Nozomi no Hoshi)” Music by Manabu Tokunaga, Lyrics by Hiro Akashi and Wendy Nelson Tokunaga, Vocal by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga.

Download at my website:

http://tinyurl.com/yfsuebh

Download on iTunes:

http://tinyurl.com/yecqc3g

Love in Translation Audio Drama Podcast

Hear the dramatic excerpt:

http://tinyurl.com/yfsuebh

Author Bio

Wendy Nelson Tokunaga is the author of the novels, MIDORI BY MOONLIGHT (St. Martin’s, Available Now) and the forthcoming LOVE IN TRANSLATION (St. Martin’s, November 2009). Her novel, NO KIDDING, won the Literary/Mainstream Fiction category in Writer’s Digest’s Best Self-Published Book Awards in 2002. She is also the author of two children’s non-fiction books, and has had short stories published in various literary journals. Wendy signed her two-book deal with St. Martin’s just as she was beginning the MFA in Writing program at the University of San Francisco in 2006. Along with her MFA, she also holds a BA in Psychology from San Francisco State University. In her spare time Wendy sings bossa nova, cool pop, jazz standards and Japanese songs accompanied by her surfer dude husband Manabu on electronic keyboards. They live with their cat Meow in the San Francisco Bay Area, a short walk from the Pacific Ocean.

Find more information at Wendy’s website (http://www.WendyTokunaga.com). And look for her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Nelson-Tokunaga/52795977320) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/Wendy_Tokunaga)

Girlfriend Melissa Senate

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Malena Lott

new.photo.Melissa.Senate Melissa is a curly girlie after my own heart. We both love chick lit and she’s written a lot of it. Now Melissa’s new women’s fiction book tackles a topic we can all relate to (family drama and secrets; skeletons, anyone?) and it’s a book ripe for book clubs! See the reading guide link below. Melissa thanks for visiting with the Babes today.

If Oprah invited you on her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of that show be?

A: I really and truly almost made it on the Oprah show back in 2001 with my debut, See Jane Date. (The theme was Generation X vs. Baby Boomers, but my taped segment ended up on the cutting room floor.) The theme of the Oprah show about The Secret of Joy would be an Oprah classic: What makes a family? If a half-sister you never met, never knew existed, came knocking on your one day, are you family just because DNA says so? Does the word family, the word sister mean something in and of themselves? Oprah, this is so your show—call me! It’s funny that my sometimes motto is: if it can happen once, it can happen again, but in this case, I think I’ll be waiting forever. ☺

Ooh. So close, Melissa! On the bright side – look at you! – you’ve got a career despite not having appeared on her show! So, what was the most fun scene in your book to write? The most difficult?

A: I loved writing the first scene on the “love bus,” when Rebecca joins the quirky singles tour of Portland, Maine, that her half-sister Joy conducts from her orange mini bus. There are some characters on that tour. The most difficult was the opening scene, when Rebecca’s dying father confesses his secret: that he had an affair twenty-six years ago and turned his back on the resulting baby. Very emotional for me.

I can imagine. A relative of mine found out a secret about her parents after they both died and she felt betrayed for a long time. Do you have a muse, good luck charm, writing vice?

A: A little photograph of my then four-year-old son, hanging from the monkey bars with a comical little grin of pure happiness. It’s my favorite picture. Also: lots of Coke Zero, which tastes amazingly like regular Coke. Tootsie Rolls. And I’ll read a page or two from a novel I love, which is pure inspiration for me.

My 4 year-old would fight you for those Tootsie Rolls. What do you write on (type of computer, or notebook, etc.) and where do you write?

A: I use an old but beloved tiny Mac Powerbook. Something less daunting to me about writing an entire novel on a little screen.

Let’s pause briefly for a moment of silence for my black Macbook which died last year after my 4 year old sent it crashing to the ground. Okay, I’m better now. No, I’m not. Hold on while I go get some wine. Okay, back. Where were you? Oh, yeah, you have a Mac Powerbook and I don’t. Let’s move on. Have you had a “rock star” moment regarding your writing career? If so, what was it?

A: My debut novel, See Jane Date, brought a few rock star moments my lucky way. There was the almost-Oprah moment, and See Jane Date was made into a TV movie (I can still barely believe it happened) for ABC Family. And ridiculously fun: this is a question in the “written word” category in the 20th Anniversary Edition of Trivial Pursuit: What 2001 Melissa Senate title attempts to lure young female readers to romance novels by hearkening back to Dick and Jane? A: See Jane Date. That was unexpected.

What do you do to celebrate your writing successes?
A: My favorite way to celebrate selling a new book and seeing it in stores for the first time is to write. Seriously, the utter happiness inspires me because it reminds me (especially when I’m feeling low, low, low) that I can do it.

Describe your personality with five adjectives that would make your 5th grade English teacher proud.
Extroverted-introvert (she would be pleased by the paradoxical nature of the combination), benevolent, compassionate, unconventional, optimistic.

Some of my favorite adjectives in a person! Hurrah, Melissa and best of luck to you on the new novel.

COVER.SecretofJoy Introducing THE SECRET OF JOY (Simon & Schuster trade paperback, $15.00) by Melissa Senate, the “warm, winning” new novel from the bestselling author of See Jane Date and Love You To Death.

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Joy-Melissa-Senate/dp/1439107173/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258292510&sr=8-1

What would you do if you discovered you had a half-sister you never knew existed?

28-year-old New Yorker Rebecca Strand is shocked when her dying father confesses a devastating secret: he had affair when Rebecca was a toddler—and a baby he turned his back on at birth. Now, his wish is that the daughter he abandoned, Joy Joyhawk, read the unsent letters he wrote to her every year on her birthday. Determined to fulfill her father’s wish, Rebecca drives to a small town in Maine—against the advice of her lawyer boyfriend who’s sure Joy will be a “disappointing, trashy opportunist” and demand half her father’s fortune. But when hopeful Rebecca knocks on her half-sister’s door, Joy—a separated mother who conducts weekend singles tours out of her orange mini-bus—wants nothing to do with Rebecca or the letters her father wrote to her. Determined to forge some kind of relationship with Joy, Rebecca sticks around, finding unexpected support from Joy’s best clients—the Divorced Ladies Club of Wiscasset—and a sexy carpenter named Theo . . . .

The Secret of Joy is a Simon & Schuster Book Club Pick! For more information, check out the Reading Group Guide:

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Secret-of-Joy/Melissa-Senate/9781439107171/reading_group_guide

Praise:

“The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate opened my heart, made me laugh, cry, and smile all at the same time. A don’t-miss read!” –New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips

“The Secret of Joy is a warm hug of a book. Insightful, wise, and romantic, it’s as inviting as the small-town life it depicts.” –Claire LaZebnik

“A wonderfully heartfelt story about hope, possibilities and the yearning for real connections. Senate’s latest will take you on a much needed vacation, while sneaking vital life lessons in when you’re not looking.” –Caprice Crane

Author’s Bio:
Melissa Senate lives on the coast of Maine with her son and their menagerie of pets. She’s the author of eight novels (seven women’s fiction and one young adult) with two on the way. Visit her website (http://www.melissasenate.com) for more information and she’d love if you became her friend Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/MelissaSenate) and followed her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/melissasenate).

handbagpic Readers, tell me what you think the SECRET OF JOY is in your own life with a comment below and one random commenter will win this PhiloSophie’s magnet set. The bottom quote reads “All I need in life I carry in a cute handbag.”

Girlfriend Jessica Brody

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Malena Lott

The BEbabes lounge is open and we’re talking FIDELITY! But relax, it’s only fiction, ladies! Join me in welcoming best-selling author Jessica Brody to talk about her new book LOVE UNDER COVER.

Jessica Brody - Author Photo If Oprah invited you on her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of that show be?
Definitely “Trust.” Women who have trust issues. Men who cheat. Relationships that have faced betrayal. As my main character is a “fidelity inspector,” she obviously sees a lot of those kinds of relationships in her job. But in this book, she’s now in a relationship of her own. And although she may be a pro at figuring out someone else’s love life, she’s pretty clueless when it comes to her own.

What was the most fun scene in your book to write? The most difficult?
I loved writing any of the scenes with Jennifer’s friends. They’re all fun in their own way. Zoë has a terrible road rage problem and she has a habit of talking on the phone while driving so those conversations with Jen and Zoë on the phone are always really entertaining for me. I get to channel my inner turrets patient. John is the flamboyant gay boy from West Hollywood who is always quick with his sarcasm and wit. Sometimes I don’t know where his remarks come from. I must be channelling my inner gay man because I’ll write something that he says and think, “That’s really funny. Where the hell did that come from?”

The most difficult scenes in this book were definitely the scenes when she’s in her staff meetings at The Hawthorne Agency. All the characters were brand new to me and it was hard to get a handle for each of them individually, let alone how they would interact in a room together. It was definitely a challenge!

Do you have a muse, good luck charm, writing vice?
This year I discovered the wonders of coffee. I’m 30 years old and I’d never drank coffee in my life! But then one day I had a Café au Lait at the coffee shop where I like to write and an hour later, I looked down at my screen and saw that I had written ten pages. Like it was nothing! It was like someone had replaced me with a writing robot. It’s hard to say no to a cup of coffee when I write now. A very, very dangerous habit…

What do you write on (type of computer, or notebook, etc.) and where do you write?
I have a desktop and a laptop but I prefer to write on my laptop. I do all my “busy work” like emails, interviews, website stuff, on my desktop and I found that switching computers helped me switch focus.
I used to not be able to write in a public place. But then I discovered “white noise” mp3s. They basically play nothing but…well, white noise. Now I go to my favorite coffee shop, pop in my ear phones, crank up the white noise and the world around me dissolves away. Plus…that coffee helps. ☺

Have you had a “rock star” moment regarding your writing career? If so, what was it?
Okay, this is lame but the other day my boyfriend and I were talking to an insurance agent about insuring our home and he told me that because I was a “bestselling author” he had to check some box on our form claiming that a “famous person resides here.” I’m sure it ended up costing us a hundred bucks more a month, but I still felt pretty smug about the whole thing.

Praying the paparazzi don’t stalk you, darlin’. What do you do to celebrate your writing successes?
My boyfriend always have about three bottles of champagne chilling at all times. It feels like there’s always some big and exciting news that I’m waiting on at all times, so I like to be prepared just in case it comes today!

Oh, and then I usually treat myself to a massage.

*note to self* three bottles of champagne are better than one. Heck, I could use some bubbly AND a massage right now. Describe your personality with five adjectives that would make your 5th grade English teacher proud.

Okay, 5th grade English teacher I can do. If you had asked for 12th grade English teacher, I might have to forfeit. But let’s see. Motivated, sensitive (sometimes overly so!), passionate, obsessive, and hilarious (but usually only to myself).

Love Under Cover - FINAL About LOVE UNDER COVER:

In her job, she’s an expert on men…

In her own relationship, she doesn’t have a clue.

Boyfriend behaving badly? Suspect your husband of straying? Jennifer Hunter can supply the ultimate test. She runs a company which specializes in conducting fidelity inspections for those who suspect their loved ones are capable of infidelity.

An expert on men, Jennifer can usually tell if they’re single, married or lying… Unfortunately, her new boyfriend, Jamie, is one of the few men that she’s never been able to ‘read.’ Has she finally found the perfect man or is he too good to be true?

A captivating new novel from the bestselling author of The Fidelity Files.

Available November 10, wherever books are sold.

Praise:

Currently in development as a TV series by the executive producer of Crash!

“With a complicated, sympathetic protagonist, worthy stakes and a clever twist on the standard chick lit narrative, Brody will pull readers in from the first page.”
– Publisher’s Weekly

“Those who enjoyed Brody’s debut will be eager to catch up with Jennifer, but newcomers will be intrigued, too…an honest, witty portrayal of modern love.”
- Booklist

“With her usual smart, deft, and witty prose, Brody delves deep into the psychology of a woman who tests the fidelity of strangers for a living but struggles with commitment in her own life.”
- Joanne Rendell, author of Crossing Washington Square and The Professors’ Wives’ Club

Watch the trailer:

About the Author:

Jessica Brody graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts with degrees in economics and French. In 2005, she left her job at MGM Studios in Los Angeles to become a full-time freelance writer and producer. Jessica currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is working on her next novel. Visit Jessica’s website at: www.JessicaBrody.com

_______________________________________________________________
Love Under Cover – Commercial Fiction -November 2009 – St. Martin’s Press
The Karma Club – Young Adult Fiction – April 2010 – Farrar, Straus, Giroux
The Fidelity Files – Commercial Fiction -Available Now! – St. Martin’s Press
______________________________________________________________

Book trailers, reviews, excerpts and more at: www.JessicaBrody.com

THANKS, JESSICA! Readers, leave a comment on what you think should be done to guys (or gals) who cheat for a chance to win our Impulse prize this week: the darling Watt’s Up notecard set. RT on Twitter for an extra entry! Drawing held Sunday at 10 p.m.! Be creative.

Girlfriend (and Debut author) Marilyn Brant

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Malena Lott

Marilyn Brant is in the reading lounge with me today, and we’re wearing our bunny slippers and drinking hot tea. (Don’t you think Jane Austen would approve?) See, in Marilyn’s creative debut, her protagonist hears the voice of Jane Austen, guiding her every move in her love life. Marilyn, thanks for coming by, especially on your debut week! So girlfriends, leave a comment on the best love advice you’ve ever been given and one lucky commenter will win an advanced reading copy of ACCORDING TO JANE signed and mailed by Marilyn herself. (randomly drawn at 9 p.m. CST and announced in the comments. Per usual, all BEbabes chapter members get one extra vote.)

If Oprah invited you on her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of that show be?
How becoming your “Best Self” can require many long years of soul searching and endless hours of listening to sappily sentimental ‘80s tunes.

What was the most fun scene in your book to write?
One scene I had a lot of fun with was the bar scene in the first chapter where my main character runs into her ex-high-school boyfriend for the first time in four years. It was a situation I had never experienced personally, but I could imagine the comical possibilities so clearly and feel and the frustration of my heroine as if I’d been the one standing there, facing the jerk and his latest girlfriend, while Jane Austen ranted about how “insufferable” he was.

Do you have a muse, good luck charm, writing vice?
Before I sold According to Jane, the manuscript was a Golden Heart finalist and my son, an avid coin collector who was 8 at the time, gave me one of his “special quarters” for good luck. I won the award and now keep his quarter on my desk for good luck and inspiration. As for writing vices–I have a terrible tendency to “quote” things (not just in dialogue, but in narrative). Oh, and I also use too many ellipses…

What do you write on (type of computer, or notebook, etc.) and where do you write?
I use every possible type of writing tool, and I use them everywhere. I have a desktop HP for my home office (I’m there most of the time), a Compaq laptop for coffee shop visits and I actually still draft a lot of scenes by hand on notebook paper. I’ve been known to use the occasional carryout menu or paper towel when necessary, too.

Have you had a “rock star” moment regarding your writing career? If so, what was it?
I’m a debut author, so I don’t expect name or sight recognition yet (and I happen to love anonymity, so I’m not rushing it!). But, right after my photo and book cover were printed in the library newsletter, I did get a flurry of phone calls and people stopping me at the local Piggly Wiggly to tell me they’d seen it… That I was famous (!!) and that everyone was going to be coming to my Author Talk. While I’m fairly certain not “everyone” will actually be at that talk, I look forward to assuring those who are that I’m really, seriously NOT famous.

What do you do to celebrate your writing successes?
I’m a huge fan of Thai spring rolls and English chocolate bars.

Describe your personality with five adjectives that would make your 5th grade English teacher proud.
Curious. Persistent. Observant. Analytical. Creative.

accordingtojane[1] According to Jane by Marilyn Brant

In Marilyn Brant’s smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart. . .
It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett’s teacher is assigning Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet “tsk” of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who’s teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author’s ghost has taken up residence in Ellie’s mind, and seems determined to stay there.
Jane’s wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go–sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane’s counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.
Still, everyone has something to learn about love–perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie’s head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending. . .

Praise for ACCORDING TO JANE:
“A warm, witty and charmingly original story.” –Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Tell us, dear readers, what’s the BEST ADVICE you’ve ever been given regarding love?

Girlfriend Tour: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Malena Lott

Today we’re hanging with our gorgeous girlfriend Hank Phillippi Ryan whose latest Charlie adventure is back and full of action.

In AIR TIME, the smart and sassy TV reporter Charlotte is taking on the fashion industry, where she learns “When purses are fake – the danger is real.” I chased down Hank Phillippi Ryan –Emmy-winning Boston television reporter and award-winning mystery writer — to tell us more about Charlie’s latest adventure.

You know our BFF Oprah’s new season starts up this week. If Oprah invited you on her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of that show be?

HANK: Choices. Decisions. You know, when we’re young people always ask us—what do you want to be when you grow up? And now, at this age—here we are. Grown up. It’s no longer “want to be.” It’s “is.” And along the way, we made choices. And others were made for us. How did we get where we are? And what do we do next?

And specifically, when it comes to Charlotte McNally—what happens when you’re married to your job in TV—and the camera doesn’t love you anymore? (Wonder what Oprah would say about THAT!)

And specifically when it comes to AIR TIME—well, since AIR TIME is about the not-so-pretty world of counterfeit couture and knock-off designer purses, the theme might be—in life and in love, how do you tell real thing?

I may have to go meditate on a mountain for a while with all those existential questions, Hank! Better yet, I’m just hoping your book will answer them for me. So what was the most fun scene in your book to write? The most difficult?

Ah, I always have fun writing the scenes with 8-year-old Penny, the daughter of Charlie McNally’s possible future husband. (Note I said: possible.). She’s such a treasure and I never know if she’s going to be adorable-funny Penny, or sad-needy-child-of-divorce Penny, or 8-going-on-16 Penny. In AIR TIME, Penny’s doing her best to ruin her father’s relationship with Charlie.

I also love my action scenes—the fast-paced, high-tension, high-stakes pivotal decision-making scenes. Sometimes my fingers are flying over the keys so fast, I don’t even have a second to think about it .That’s when I know it’s working. In AIR TIME, there’s a shoot-out in an airplane hangar—and I still get goose bumps thinking about it.

The difficult scenes? Okay, confession. Yes, I write murder mysteries and romantic suspense. But I hate to kill people. I know lots of authors relish that part—but it’s really difficult for me. I always think—maybe I could make them just really badly hurt. But that wouldn’t be terribly effective.

And here I thought authors LOVED killing people in books! As for the 8 year old, my daughter is 9 and I never know “which girl” will show up, either. Do you have a muse, good luck charm, writing vice?

Ah, I can’t say yes, because if I do, that makes it so. But on my desk are two carved rocks. One says Imagine. And one says Patience. But they’re just rocks, not special tokens. I insist.

*brow raised* If you say so, Hank. What do you write on (type of computer, or notebook, etc.) and where do you write?

I have a lovely study, book shelves on one wall, fireplace on the other, lots of lovely windows. Cluttered ,cluttered cluttered—piles of books and files on the floor. And on the chairs and couch. But I’m lucky to have such a cozy place. My computer is on a semi-circular antique hunt desk.

If I tried to write by hand, I’d never be able to decipher it.

Sound lovely! And thanks for throwing in the clutter part. Because if a writer ever admits to being *neat* I may borrow your peace rocks and knock them over the head with it. (Said while staring at piles and piles on my desk and floor.) Speaking of rocks, you had a “rock star” moment regarding your writing career? If so, what was it?

Well, yeah. PRIME TIME won the Agatha Award for best first novel. How fantastic! I smile even as I write this! And got nominated for two RITAs, and a Daphne. Love it.

But also—the other day I was out doing a story (I’m a TV reporter) and as my photographer was putting his equipment away, a woman, a stranger, came up to me and pulled FACE TIME out of her purse! And she said—I love your book! Will you sign it for me? That was about as rock star as it gets.

Well, well, Hank. Now you’re making me feel bad for interviewing you in my black tank top! Should’ve worn my Little Black Dress in the presence of an award-winner like yourself! What do you do to celebrate your writing successes? Continue reading →