~Mia
~*~
Interview
questions for Carrie Pack…
Quick
round:
Coffee,
tea or…what’s your vice? Coffee!
Favorite
Movie: Apollo
13
Favorite
Color: Purple
Favorite
book/author: Davita’s
Harp by Chaim Potok
How
do you feel about bacon? Yes, please.
The
REAL questions…
Tell
us a little about yourself.
When I was younger, I thought I wanted
to do anything but write or teach. Now I do both and can’t imagine doing
anything else. I am obsessed with nail polish and red lipstick, but otherwise
don’t wear much makeup. I have professional backgrounds in journalism, public
relations, editing, advertising, marketing, and currently work as a part-time
college professor in advertising and journalism. I’m actually really close to
my mom and would be friends with her even if she hadn’t birthed me.
What’s
under your bed?
Nothing! I am so proud of that. We
finally have a house big enough where everything has its place and I don’t have
to store half my stuff under the bed.
What
comes first, plot or characters?
Plot, every time. I don’t ever really
get to know my characters until I start walking around in their shoes. I need a
plot for that.
Pantser,
plotter, or hybrid? Tell us about your writing process.
There’s a great quote out there from
George R.R. Martin about gardeners and architects. So far I’m a gardener. I
like to plant the seed of a plot and let it grow; I don’t need to plan
everything out, and if I do outline, it’s very loose. But man do I love writers
who can outline an entire story and then sit down to write it. They’re the
architects. Some day I think I’d like to be what I call a landscape architect,
where I can plant some seeds strategically and watch them grow, but still know
what the end result will be because I designed it to look that way.
Oddest
thing on your desk?
I have a pencil cup that’s also for
converting measurements. I just Googled it and found out it’s actually a
collector’s item. It’s a 1970s Ole
Jorgensen piece. Who knew? I inherited it from my grandmother, and I just
thought it was cool.
What’s
your most interesting writing quirk?
I have to type. Writing by hand is just
too difficult anymore. I can’t get the words out fast enough. I buy all these
notebooks with the intent to fill them with words and then my hand cramps and I
go grab my laptop.
What’s
your favorite thing about the genre you write in?
Love. I don’t consider myself a genre
writer, but so far, all of my writing has been based on romantic relationships.
I guess I just enjoy writing about two people falling in love.
What
is the hardest thing about being an author?
Writing. Getting my thoughts onto the
page. But it’s also the most rewarding.
What’s
the easiest thing about being an author?
Nothing. It’s all tough, but I do it
because I love it and it’s what I’ve always wanted to do—even though in my
youth I would have denied it.
What
do you wish someone had asked you for an interview question? Here’s your chance
to get the soap box out!
So far these interviews have been really
great and the questions varied, but I’m always willing to answer more questions
about the book itself.
Tell
us about your latest release!
The crush that Scott develops on Jamie
is a bit of commentary on our society’s obsession with celebrity and image. It
has become very easy, especially with social media, to think we know a
celebrity personally. We may even go so far as to create an idea in our heads
as to who that person is and start to fantasize about meeting them or being in
a romantic relationship with them. Scott falls into that trap. He creates a
fantasy version of Jamie in his head that doesn’t quite fit with what he sees
in real life.
Ultimately, Scott is faced with his own
conflicting desires and what it means to balance fantasy with a budding,
real-life friendship.
~*~
BLURB for Designs on You...
If graphic designer Scott Parker has to design one more cupcake company logo, he might lose it. So when he is tasked with retouching photos for a big fashion client, a stunning, lanky model mesmerizes Scott and occupies his fantasies long after the assignment is finished.
When the model is assigned to one of Scott’s projects, Scott
discovers that the object of his desire is nothing like what he imagined.
Despite Jamie Donovan’s aloof and dismissive behavior, Scott struggles to forge
a friendship with him, all the while trying to keep his attraction at bay.
Will Jamie follow through on signals that he may be interested, or
will he forever be the beautiful man in the photograph, an untouchable fantasy?
Available at Interlude Press
~*~
Excerpt from Designs on You...
The
model turns his head to follow Isaac’s gaze. And, of course… it’s Jamie.
Scott’s intake of breath is so sharp that he has to cough to cover the sound.
Because Jamie Donovan is even more beautiful in person.
Scott
stares open-mouthed for a minute.
J
amie
purses his lips and raises both his eyebrows when he sees Scott standing there,
obviously confused by his presence, or perhaps annoyed at the blatant ogling
that Scott is indulging in. He looks down to Isaac, giving him the same
questioning look.
“This
is Scott Parker, our art director for the day,” Isaac mumbles around the pins
between his lips. He flips a strand of hair out of his face, but it immediately
falls back to its original position.
Scott
steps forward and smiles. “Yvonne’s got the flu,” he says, unable to think of
anything else to say.
“I
know,” Isaac replies. “She fill you in on the concept?”
Scott
nods. He needs to give him Yvonne’s notes and try to get organized for the
shoot, but instead, he walks around behind Isaac and takes in the full outfit:
skinny-legged grey trousers and a jacket that looks to be a cross between a
leather bomber and a straightjacket. It looks amazing on Jamie.
“Hi,”
Scott says, extending his hand.
Jamie
looks down at it like it might burn him and slowly drags his eyes back up to
Scott’s face.
“Charmed,”
he says with a lifted eyebrow. His voice isn’t as deep as Scott would have
thought, but it has a seductive, raspy quality.
Scott’s
eyes follow Jamie as he leans forward to look in the mirror, attempting to fix
his already flawless hair. It’s swooped up in an overdramatic pompadour that
should look ridiculous, but Scott thinks it looks perfect, and he almost says
so before he realizes he’s still holding his hand out and Jamie has completely
left him hanging.
Scott
slowly withdraws his hand and shoves it unceremoniously into his pocket.
“Likewise,” he mumbles under his breath.
Yvonne
wasn’t kidding. This kid’s an ice queen. It’s kind of annoying. It’s also kind
of hot.
~*~
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
A
former graphic artist, Carrie Pack turned to her early career experience as the
backdrop for her first novel. She lives in Florida with her husband, where she
teaches advertising writing at a local college.
~*~
Contest Details!
Carrie will be awarding a $25 Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. A free download of an Interlude Press eBook title or an author/book swag pack (US ONLY) will be awarded to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter at each stop during the tour.
4 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for a great interview... it was fun!
Thank you for an interesting interview and reminding me of one of my favourite authors Chaim Potok and a favourite title of his is The Chosen. I first started reading his work when I was at school and it was not normal reading material of my peer group, but that did not stop reading his or any books that took my interest. I also have to type all my ideas up, but first notes are made in a book.
Thank you again for an interesting post and a chance to win a copy of your book.
Interesting background
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