Thursday, April 10, 2014

Susie Orman Schnall is full of "Grace"...plus a book giveaway

"Fit for 40."

A friend and I have been talking about this idea a lot.  We’re making a list of things we wish to accomplish by our 40th birthdays...which apparently are now close enough to be worth discussing.

I’m not dreading 40, but I can’t say I’m embracing the idea with open arms like the main character in Susie Orman Schnall’s novel, On Grace.  

So it is with welcoming arms that I introduce our featured guest, Susie Orman Schnall! To learn more about Susie and On Grace, visit Book Mama Blog! Both of our blogs have TWO personalized copies to give away to some lucky US readers, courtesy of BookSparks PR!

Visit Susie at her websiteFacebook, and Twitter. On Grace is also a featured spring read at SheKnows, along with Jane Green and Catherine McKenzie's latest novels!

If you knew then what you know now about writing professionally, what would you do differently?
I really enjoyed the jobs I had after college: I did marketing and communications for advertising agencies, nonprofits, internet companies, and magazines. But, part of me feels like I would have been better served working in editorial for a magazine. In my senior year of college, I even created a mockup of a Cosmopolitan magazine issue for college girls and I sent that as an application to Cosmopolitan, so it’s definitely a career that was on my radar. But back in the early 90s, there was a recession and you took the job you got, and I got a job in marketing. I’m thankful, though, for my marketing experience because authors don’t just write books these days, they have to be savvy marketers of their work as well.

If you could have any author (living or dead) mentor you, who would it be and why?
Nora Ephron. 100% Nora Ephron. I love the way her writing is so clean, simple, relevant, and authentic. But it’s very difficult to write like that. Nora Ephron was so adept at observing people and social situations and then revealing their truth through her poignant, hilarious, and spot-on writing and storytelling.

What’s the most personal thing you have ever written about and why did you feel like it was important enough to share?
Anytime someone I know finishes reading On Grace they immediately want to know what’s true and what’s not. Sure, they know it’s fiction, but those who know me hear my voice in Grace’s voice and know that many (not all) of Grace’s thoughts and perspectives on life are mine as well. This leads to questions about what else in our lives is the same. So I guess the most personal thing I’ve written about is my own take on the world through the character of Grace. We share similar struggles about being a mom, working or not working, attitudes toward friends and toward marriage, etc. I didn’t set out to be Grace, and I’m certainly not her as she experiences things in her life that I haven’t and vice versa. But that's the story that poured out of me so I guess it was my desire to be authentic about what many women go through at this point of our lives. I didn’t set out to make it personal but that’s the way it turned out.

You win a vacation that allows you to pick FIVE different travel locations. Where do you go?
There are so many places I would love to travel to, but, if I had to pick only five, I would:

(1) Visit the English countryside of Downton Abbey and Jane Austen.

(2) Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.

(3) Relax and explore in Ubud, Bali (I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about this place).

(4) Eat my way through Paris. Cheese, croissants, and Nutella crepes, please.

(5) Adventure travel in Costa Rica.

Tell us about one of your “bucket list” items:
I’ve always wanted to be a guest on the Today Show. Okay, a couple more: be a professional dancer in a music video and star in a British period piece movie (preferably one written by Jane Austen) because I want to wear those costumes but not so much the hairdos.

One thing I’m too afraid to do is:
…ride a bike on a street with cars. Especially going downhill. I never really learned to ride a bike as a kid and I’m terrible at going straight, so mixing that with cars is a bad idea. I’m also very afraid of having regrets in life.

Thank you so much for featuring On Grace and me on Chick Lit Central. I’m such a fan of your site and I’m so excited for your readers to read On Grace

Thanks to Susie for visiting with us and to BookSparks PR for sharing her book with our readers!

~Introduction and interview by Tracey Meyers


How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


US only. Giveaway ends April 16th at midnight EST.

19 comments:

Donna E said...

One thing I'm afraid to do -- go on any long WALKING type trip or adventure. I have a bad knee and leg and just do not have the stamina to keep up with a group, or even just my husband. We'd love to go back to Israel, or Europe, but I do not think I could do it.
I'm also afraid of falling -- both hips have been replaced and I don't want to break anything.

DJ Sakata said...

I am afraid of heights - I cannot go up on the roof

Jessica said...

I'm afraid of bugs!

susieqlaw said...

be near snakes!

Bonnie K. said...

I will never try bungee jumping. Also, heights get to me at times--as long as there is something to hold onto, I can manage heights.

bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

jodi marinich said...

i am afraid to travel alone

Anita Yancey said...

I am afraid of mice and rats, so I can't even look at them.

Carl Scott said...

Not too much really. Maybe pilot an airplane? that's one.

bn100 said...

swim with sharks

jpetroroy said...

Skydiving

Unknown said...

I'm afraid to fly over water. Okay with land, but the water freaks me out. WHY?!?!?!?!?! Silly, I know.

Linda Kish said...

I'm afraid to swim in deep water (like over 8 feet). My darling step-brother held me under water when I was 12 and I thought I was going to drown and it is still fear for me. I can swim but prefer to swim where I know I can get out of it easily.

Suzanne said...

I'm afraid of storms, and we have bad ones here in Texas. So I'm afraid of being alone in the house with the storms.

Nova said...

I am afraid to try to fix my washer on my own; too many electronic switches to figure out.
sparkle40175@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid of getting separated from my children in large crowds. I have a seven and three year old and I've relaxed a bit about my seven year old but I still feel very nervous when taking my three year old to street festivals and such where we live.

~Christi

Lisamarie said...

I'm afraid to skydive... My sister inlaw wants me to do the one that's in an enclosed room and I can't even muster the courage for that either!

Patricia said...

Afraid of base jumping.

Between the Pages with Katrina said...

One of my greatest fears has always been getting separated from My children in a public place.

Unknown said...

is bungee jumping.