Interview with Maria Geraci author of "The Boyfriend of the Month Club & Giveaway

 

I am happy to ring the new year in with an author interview and giveaway of one of my favorite genres to read!  [Women's fiction/Chick-lit/Contemporary fiction]  I will be reviewing this title soon!  I couldn't wait for it to arrive before giving a sneak peak and the chance for a reader to win a copy, so here we go!  Happy New Year!!!  Enjoy the interview and make sure to enter the giveaway afterwards!

Will you tell us a little about you?  How did you become an author or take up an interest in writing?

I’m just an average woman (okay, maybe I’m a little above average) with a husband, three kids, two dogs and two cats (see, I told you I was above average). Besides writing, I also work part time as a labor and delivery nurse. I’ve always been a voracious reader but the idea of writing a book didn’t occur to me until about 9 years ago. I have degrees in sociology and nursing, but no formal education in writing other than what I was required to take in high school and college. I know it sounds crazy, but one day I just decided to write a book. Of course, that first book was really really awful. You could say I learned to write through trial and error.

Will you give us a short synopsis of "The Boyfriend of the Month Club"?

The Boyfriend of the Month Club is about a woman who decides to turn her dysfunctional book club into a boyfriend club, where members come together to discuss the men they’ve dated, comparing them to classic literary heroes and villains.

It’s fun, romantic women’s fiction (dare I say, chick lit? I think I can say chick lit here)

Did you have any specific inspiration that contributed to writing "The Boyfriend of the Month Club"?

Much of the action in the book takes place at Florida Charlie’s (a run down tourist shop in Daytona Beach, Florida). My main character, Grace, manages the shop for her father. Strange as it may seem, I envisioned Florida Charlie’s before coming up with any other aspects of the book. I’ve had a couple of reviewers say that Florida Charlie’s actually feels like a character to them, which really pleased me.

Who was your main support system when writing this book?  Did you have anyone who specifically gave you strength, courage or advice while writing "The Boyfriend of the Month Club"?

My husband and kids are always terrific. They’re very supportive of my writing. I also have a great friend, Melissa Francis, who writes YA (Bite Me! and Love Sucks!). We bounce ideas off each other and critique each other’s work. I don’t know what I would do without her.

What do you hope readers will take away from this novel?

The importance of family and friends are always recurring themes in my books. Without them, we’d be nothing.

What is your favorite memory in regards to writing "The Boyfriend of the Month Club"?

Because the characters in my book compare the men they date to classic literary heroes and villains, I had to reread a lot of the classics like Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. Best research ever!

Do you have any other titles in the works?  Should be expect to see more from you?

Currently, I’m working on a novel titled, The Ugly Girlfriend. It’s about a woman who discovers she’s the “ugly friend” in her group of big city club hopping girlfriends. She quits her job and moves back to her hometown to try to reclaim her “mojo.”

It’s not sold yet, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

What is your favorite book?

Little Women. 

What is your preferred writing atmosphere? 

When I’m writing I have to have absolute quiet. I have the attention span of a flea and get easily distracted so that even just a bit of noise can throw me off. Hence, I write in a closet. Yes, you read that right. I needed my own space to write in but there wasn’t a spare room in the house that I could have all to myself, so my husband gave up his walk in closet and renovated it into a writing room for me. Isn’t he great?

How do you react to a bad review?

Bad reviews hurt, there’s no doubt about it. I know writers who refuse to read their reviews, but I just can’t do that because then you would miss out on the good ones too! If the review is bad with little merit to it, then I just chalk it up to someone having different taste than I do. But if the review is well written with credibility, then I try to take what I can from it. In the end, however, some bad reviews are inevitable. If all you are getting is good reviews, then it means that not enough people are reading your book.

What do you do with your time when you’re not writing?
Well, I still work part time as a labor and delivery nurse. I really love that job too. Writing is a solitary endeavor and gets kind of lonely so I enjoy getting out of the house and interacting with people. When I’m not nursing or writing, I do the things most women do. I spend time with my family, do laundry, clean toilets, fix dinner, go to kid’s events, clean up cat hair. It’s all very exciting and mundane at the same time.

Are you a night owl or early bird?

Actually, I’m both! It’s the part in between where I lag. I love taking afternoon naps. I think it’s a throwback to when my kids were little and I would nap when they did. It was the only way I could keep up.

Do you have a favorite reading/writing snack?

Coffee. Diet Coke. Chocolate. In that order.

Favorite chick-lit author?

Sophie Kinsella. I adore her.

Favorite place to shop?

Target (remember, I have 3 kids, 2 dogs and 2 cats. Life is not cheap).

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Anything with chocolate in it!

Do you have a New Years Resolution?

Yes, it’s the same one I make every year. Lose weight and become more organized. Those are both continual works in progress!

Meet the author:Maria Geraci writes fun, romantic women’s fiction. You can visit her on her website at http://www.mariagerci.com/ and join her facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/MariaGeraciBooks

To buy her novel now, click the image at the top of this post.  You will be routed to Amazon.com

Giveaway Details:

1 copy available. Courtesy of Maria.  US/Canada addresses only.

You must be a follower or subscriber of this blog to enter.

You must post a comment on this interview and then fill out the form below.

Extra entry available by sharing via blog, facebook or twitter.  You must leave the link in the form.

Contest is open January 1st - January 22nd @ 12 midnight CST. 

I will be letting Maria choose a random number to pick a winner for this giveaway.

Ready to Enter??  Use the form below and make sure to comment on this interview.