Long before Kensington Books offered me a contract for the Dreams Come True series, I referred to Etrusca as my "sweet dream."So it only seemed natural to call Maggie's bakery, and her story the same thing.
Just so you know what I'm talking about, here's a photo of the entrance to Antica Etrusca. Also a video that should come with food insurance because your mouth will water when you see it!
https://www.facebook.com/375532239562193/videos/385890155193068
2. What does a typical day of writing consist of for you?
COFFEE. That's what a typical day of writing looks at for me. Specifically, cappuccino. I even have a hand-plunger so I can froth the milk. In Italy, coffee is made using a bialetti machinetta, which looks like this:
The water goes in the bottom. There's a small metal filter inside and that's where you pack the coffee. Italian coffee is out of this world. It pretty much ruins you for anything else. Then you turn the gas flame up high and wait, rubbing your hands together with barely concealed anticipation.
In a separate pan, you heat the milk. It doesn't have to be scalding hot, but warm enough to complement the coffee. Pour the milk into a frother (mine is a glass cylinder with an airtight plunging mechanism). If you add a little cinnamon, you can minimize the insulin jolt of the caffeine. Froth, froth, froth, then fill the bottom quarter of a large coffee cup with the coffee, followed by 3/4ths of the milk. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, if desired. Enjoy!
Cappuccino is the best part of my day, although having finished my work comes in a close second. What beats the feeling of glowing accomplishment after a long hard gruel?
3. Who is your favorite character in the book?
Coralee nodded, as matter-of-fact as if Maggie had asked her about a PTA meeting or a potluck supper. UFO's were the mainstay of Coralee's life, along with cooking shows, crossword puzzles, and Ed, her husband. Ed was retired and rarely stirred from the Barcalounger. I've got a real soft spot for Coralee. Of course she's crazier than a bag of frogs, but to me, that's what makes her so appealing. Her obsession with UFO's is so earnest, who can resist her?
"I'm not doing anything tonight," Maggie fibbed. "Are you going to your UFO club?"
"There's been a sighting near Big Ben National Park," Coralee said with the hushed urgency she used when discussing her "saucers". "Any day now I expect them to come to Cuervo. You know how my Ed got took up by one. He'll be the first to tell you, there none to gentle of folks."
Maggie bit down hard on a smile. The idea of any interstellar beings taking an interest in doughy, monosyllabic Ed was pretty funny.
Maggie, Cassidy and April's mother, Priscilla, comes in a close second, though. Her obsession isn't UFO's its celebrities. She's n incurable matchmaker, especially when it comes to her daughters.
Maggie crossed her arms. She leveled a poisonous glare at Priscilla. "Nobody told me you were coming."
"Mom said she told you," Cassidy replied.
All eyes turned toward Pricilla, who had the grace to blush.
"My stars. Did I forget to tell you? Well no point fussing at me now."
Doak shook his head. "Priss strikes again."
4. Who is your least favorite?"
Well, Avery's pretty hard to like isn't she. Not only does she go after Maggie's husband, she ultimately abandons her own children. Avery is the antithesis of Maggie. Where Maggie is soft, warm and generous, Avery is hard, cold and calculating. She also represent's Maggie's blind spot. All through high school, people tried to warn Maggie about Avery's predilection for boyfriend-stealing, only Maggie refuses to believe them. That's the problem with having a functional, loving family. You grow up thinking the whole world is trustworthy, and that's never the case.
5. What do you like to do for fun?
FUN? What is the "fun" of which you speak?
Okay, okay, all kidding aside, my idea of fun is pretty basic. I love smush-faced creetures, Bob's Big Boy statues (I use to own the one you see here in the photo), Nine inch nails, fat orange kitties, Italy Botero/Picasso/Modigliani/Caravaggio/politics, yoga, some rap music, urban decay, (not the makeup--REAL dystopic urban decay), long walks, any culture different than mine, church bells, old libraries, neon and street art. Not necessarily in that order. Also watching classic movies like THE SEVENTH SEAL, CITIZEN KANE, and STREET CAR NAMED DESIRE. In that sence, Maggie, Jake and I have something in common.
6. Do you have plans for future books?
I do! So many books. But the one that might come as a surprise to those of you familiar with my work is that I was first and foremost a writer of historical fiction. I like to take people who existed long ago and give them flesh. There are at least a dozen fabulous women I plan to write about, including a few of Henry VIII"s ill-fated wives. I'd also like to try my hand at dystopic futuristic stories.
7. What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a published author?
Be proud of your craft but humble about your abilities. And this holds especially true for new writers who, feeling vulnerable in the first place, tend to take criticism badly. Even established writers can get bristly. Look, it's hard to know who's right when opinions about your work start flying. I do a gut check. If criticisms feel right or make sense, or gives me pause, I pay attention. If what's said is poorly communicated or ill-considered or generally insipid, I ignore it.
Recognize that you're playing the long game. It takes a ballet dancer ten years to achieve a state of technical proficiency. Ten years. Personally, I think it takes almost as long to become an effective writer. That's not say there aren't exceptions. Of course there are. But to have true and consistent mastery of your craft requires a long apprenticeship. Are you ready to commit to that? Because even after you gain mastery of your craft, you are looking at an equally protracted grind finding an agent, landing a book contract (if you decide to go with a legacy publisher rather than self-publishing), and remaining commercially viable. If you're serious about writing professionally, expect heartbreaks, setbacks, crippling disappointments. They are part of the process. Writing professionally is a raw Darwin struggle where only the strong survive. Is that going to be you?
Talent isn't as important to commercial success as you think it is. Yes, I realize what I just said is heresy, but it's true. With all due respect to her huge commercial success, E.L. James (author of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) will never be accused of being a great writer. She must be doing something right, though, because look at her numbers! So what propelled the FIFTY SHADES franchise to the top of the heap? James tells a compelling story. The way it's written is secondary. Don't get too hung up on crafting well-turned prose-half the time, the "artistry" of a sentence eclipses the flow of the narrative, anyway. The brilliance of the writing should never get in the way of your story. You want the characters to stand out, not you.
Welcome failures and humiliation. And now your thinking, what kind of masochist is this woman? Who actually welcomes awful, painful things? Yet I am here to tell you that every spear thrown your way by life, critique groups, beta readers, paying readers, agents and book contest judges will either kill you or make you stronger. You need to be stronger. But being strong isn't a mindset. It's a process. Strength comes from having survived failure. And in order to survive, you must hazard your person upon the field of battle. Every rejection letter you get is one more opportunity to become stronger. \
8. When you are not writing, what do you like to watch on TV?
I'm one of those annoying people who don't own a television. I also don't drink, which must qualify me at the single most tiresome, boring, buzzkill in the world. But that doesn't mean I can't find a good series to watch online now and then, to try to fill in those cultural deficiencies. For instance, I'm a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. Joss Whedon is my Yoda. I also love Supernatural-both professionally (thirteen seasons of non-stop excitement is damn near impossible for any screenplay writer to accomplish) and personally (Winchester brothers. Who doesn't dream of being the mayo in the middle of that manwich?).
9. Do you have a full-time job or is writing it for you?
Before moving to Italy, I worked as a fitness instructor and personal trainer seven days a week and I still found time to write. I've always found time-even if it meant hiding in the car on Thanksgiving in order to meet a deadline. Being a gym rat does give you a certain amount of discipline.
But the human body can only take so much before it just throws in the towel. After ten years, my towel had not only been thrown, it had been run under the tires a few times before finally bursting into flames. Moving to Italy allowed me to devote all my time to writing, which yielded a great agent and a great publishing contract. Despite the sacrifices, it is something I wll never regret.
Hello everyone! Mrs. Keith has so much good information that I'm not able to fit it all in one post so I would like to invite everyone to return next Thursday night for part two of this wonderful post. I will be finishing the interview, putting an awesome guest post up and letting everyone know about this fantastic author and where you can find her. Please join me for more goodies.
