What types of books do you enjoy as a reader and are they different from the books you enjoy as an author?
I’m a voracious reader but more mainstream fiction typically. I gravitate to books that craft a story and don’t necessarily have graphic sex as their main draw. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE well-written sexy, tension-filled build up. However, the more obvious, “Well, yeah, of course, they’re gonna get it on and then live happily ever after” setups are NOT what I enjoy. I also have this ingrained habit of alternating the classics (I was a Lit major, so sue me) with the contemporary fiction I pick up. So bear that in mind, when you read this list. I don’t read a lot of paranormal fiction, for various reasons other than that I just prefer my fiction on the realistic level. Therefore, here are the books I have read in the past four months or are on my “To be Read” List:
Read
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats—Jan-Philipp Sendker (5 Stars from me)
The Marriage Plot—Jeffery Euginides (4.5 stars from me)
What Alice Forgot—Lianne Moriarity (5 stars from me and a movie deal so there you go)
11/22/63 – Stephen King (4 stars from me)
The Life of Pi—Yann Martel (on a scale of 5 stars this book gets 7 from me)
In One Person—John Irving (4 stars from me)
Behind the Mask (Knights of the Boardroom)—Joey W. Hill (4 stars from me)
Crash Into You –Roni Loren (4.5 stars from me)
The Great Gatsby—F. Scott Fizgerald (4 stars from me and an upcoming blockbuster movie)
Catcher in the Rye—J.D. Salinger (3 stars from me)
Reading
Gabriel’s Inferno—Sylvain Reynard
Gone Girl—Gillian Flynn
Three And Out—John U. Bacon
Soccernomics—Simon Kuper
To Be Read
NW—Zadie Smith
Still Into You—Roni Loren
Telegraph Avenue—Michael Chabon
A few more “Knights of the Boardroom”—Joey W. Hill
Obviously, you are a Big Blue fan. Did you graduate from University of Michigan? If so, what year? You mentioned a sorority sister helps you write. Are you a member of a sorority; and if so, which one?
I am a proud alumnae of the University of Louisville (Kentucky) and was the social director (imagine!) for the Chi Omega Fraternity Beta Gamma chapter for two years. Yeah, a sorority, but we are Old School and call it by its proper name. When we moved to Ann Arbor, I was Social Advisor to the Chi Omega (Eta Chapter) at Michigan for a couple of years…THAT was eye opening, I assure you.
One of my dearest sorority sisters is a literature teacher in New York and is a big time, big picture critique partner and a total inspiration to me.
If there were one thing that you could change about your writing career what would it be?
Whatever it is that I’m doing wrong to NOT be a New York Times Best Selling Author. That’s what I would change. I aim high and truly believe, as a reader, that many of the books I’ve written are just as good as many on “the lists.” But I understand what it takes to get there and am working daily to achieve that goal.
Who in your life inspires you most to write?
That would be me.
What motivated you to write your first book?
My spouse, who said in words that hopefully become urban legend, “Just shut up about it and write.”
I see you have a daughter, who is a senior in high school. Has she read any of your books, and does she have any desire to become an author?
My “mini-me” middle daughter is one of my “go-to sources” for realistic names, situations, and dialogue. She has read my books and reads other erotic romance authors to help me spot trends that I’m missing out on. It’s a great excuse to read hot fiction as a 17 year old, isn’t it? Her goals lean more towards psychology and psychotherapy, which I plan to mine like mad since I’m paying for the education piece of it. She is my hero.
You were a realtor and eventually ended up in the owning your own microbrewery. How did that happen?
If you figure that one out, let me know. Honestly, I picked my real estate license back up after eight years overseas for my spouse’s career, and it took off, even in the crap years. In the meantime, I dove deeply into a community organization and met the founders of the Wolverine State Brewing Company, when I was president of a giant PTO at my kids’ middle school. They had determined that having a legit “marketing person” in charge of “marketing” was the key. Proof is in the pudding, I guess. Right now after three years, we are in a second expansion, and every blessed ounce of lagers my brewers make is sold before it has finished fermenting. My Tap Room is standing room only five out of seven nights. And I cannot WAIT to have my book signing After Party down there on the 4th of November.
What words describe your writing style?
Real. Frustrating at times. Scorchingly sexy. Emotional. Real.
Is there a question you’d love to be asked but haven’t? If so, what is it and how would you answer it?
What is your favorite beer of all time and why?
Well, now that I’ve evolved and have brewed giant batches of beer myself at the insistence of my brewer, so that I can be a legit “beer wench,” I’ve altered my perspective on this. But I can say that right now, I would choose our Wolverine Amber Lager over most. As a bona fide “hop head” (meaning I prefer bitter beers to malty ones, which has NOTHING to do with either “lager versus ale” or “alcohol content” but that’s a conversation we can carry on elsewhere), I will go with Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. (I’ll confess a total beer crush on Sam Calagione, founder of that company). I will also drink New Holland Full Circle Kolsch any damn day of the week ‘cause those guys ROCK!
7 Smooches Showdown (lightning round)
- Favorite TV show? Depends on the time of year but in no particular order: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Newsroom, Boardwalk Empire, Spartacus, Weeds, And I STILL watch my DVD collection of Deadwood. (Liz, I must confess that I have NEVER heard of any of these TV shows).
- Favorite ice cream flavor? I save all of my calories for beer.
- Favorite song that describes your mood today? “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvCBSSwgtg4
- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do? Return to southern Turkey to retire and write.
- Favorite article of clothing to shop for? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Sorry….excuse me while I wipe a tear. I hate shopping and avoid it as much as possible. I have a friend, who sells designer clothing at her house, and she yanks me into her lair two or three times a year, throws outfits at me, and takes a ton of my money in exchange. It works for us
- If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? A Beer Wench Confessional
- Thongs or granny panties? Commando
Liz, thank you so much for granting us an “exclusive” interview with a few “sneak peaks” into your future writing plans. I feel like I truly know everything there is to know about you and what makes you tick. As a reader, it’s always fun to learn more about the authors we love, which I think deepens the connection even more.
Read Interview Part 1
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