Today we have a rousing interview with Erin Finnegan, the author of Sotto Voce. This is a book about wine, relationships, and love. Enjoy!
Mia.
Interview
Questions:
Quick
Round:
1.
Coffee, tea, or ... What's your vice? Red, red wine.
2.
Favorite Movie? Alright, you've just discovered
my Achilles' heel—naming my "favorite" anything. Let me narrow it to
three of my favorites, movies I will always take time out for. First, a
classic, one I can just about say all the lines along with the movie:
Casablanca. Romance, romance and romance, set in an exotic and dangerous place
with a hero who isn't quite and writing that you can never entirely get out of
you head. Play it, Sam. Next, a
comedy that punches all my buttons: Bull Durham. It's smart, sexy and
shockingly close to a real depiction of life in A League ball. And yes, I recite
The Speech. Finally, because I still cry, every time Tony dies: West
Side Story. Is there a better musical? I think not.
3.
Favorite color? On my walls, nutmeg. In my
closet, shades of blue. In my glass, a rich, dark crimson.
4.
Favorite book/author? Classics: Jane
Austen. Any Jane Austen, really, though I have a huge spot in my heart for
Mansfield Park, because for a woman in that era to have published that story,
using her real name, was the kind of ballsy most people don't give Austen
credit for. Among contemporary authors, a terrible toss-up between Tom Wolfe
and Elmore Leonard. From the first time I read Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers in
a college journalism class to the umpteenth time I read The Right Stuff, Tom
Wolfe is the kind of author I can't enough of. And Elmore Leonard, with
sparkling wit and crisp dialogue, proved that an author could be equally good
in two utterly unrelated genres. And finally, life-long influence: Dr. Seuss,
especially Green Eggs and Ham. I know a band that performs it as a rap. And
throws Pixie Sticks to the audience. Like I said, life-long influence.
5.
How do you feel about bacon? Contrary to the
image of all Southern Californians being kale-loving vegans, I am firmly in the
pro-bacon camp.
The
real questions...
Tell
us about yourself.
Wine
isn't just a vice for me. It's a lifestyle. I own a small vineyard where I
produce Syrah and Zinfandel. I'm a native Southern California girl who has
spent a professional lifetime in journalism and media relations, and a real
lifetime playing and loving all kinds of music, devoting myself to the ups and
downs of the Los Angeles Dodgers and spending far too much time trying to
de-shed two very shaggy sheepdogs.
What's
under your bed? Dust
bunnies, and occasionally the cat.
What
comes first, plot or characters? Give me a moment to waffle, because I
think it's really a combination of the two. It's difficult for me to consider
even breaking open a composition book (yes, I use those old school comp books
to outline ideas) without having some sort of story in mind. But right on the
heels of that first plot vehicle, I think it's important to consider the
characters driving it.
Pantser,
plotter or hybrid? Tell us about your writing process. I plot, I
research, I structure—and then I often throw it all out and fly by the seat of
my pants. But even if the outline isn't particularly detailed, I like to know
where my story's going before I write it. And not long after I write the first
words of a story, I write the very end, so I know exactly where my characters
are going. I know people who can't imagine doing this, but for me, it's an
absolute necessity.
Oddest
thing on your desk? Odd
is relative, isn't it? I mean, my office is decorated with dashboard hula dolls
and some Dodger bobbleheads, which feels entirely normal to me. I think it's
the remnants of old careers that feel odd now: the journalism and public
relations awards that still sit on my bookshelf, and the proclamation by the
California Legislature on my wall. Of course, that's not my desk, is it? So
maybe I should just say my little wind-up robot toy, who helps distract me
whenever I get stuck.
What's
your most interesting writing quirk? I'm not sure I really have one, but I suspect
it's the old habit I developed as a newspaper reporter of being able to write
pretty much anywhere, and using whatever device necessary to take notes.
Cocktail napkins are especially handy.
What's
your favorite thing about the genre you write in? I love watching
the evolution of LGBTQ romantic fiction to something that is not only embraced
by readers of all kinds of backgrounds, but also as quality, well-written
fiction. I get asked a lot why so many women write and read m/m romance. I
think the answer's simple: because love is love, and this is just another take
on it.
What's
the hardest thing about being an author? I think for a lot of writers, the
right answer to this is having to promote a book after you've written it. But
for me, it's much more about another old journalism habit—procrastination. I
think it comes from the adrenaline rush of deadlines—at least, that's what I've
always told my editors. But the fact of the matter is the crunch of work is far
more intense with a book than it is with a 1,000-word news story.
What's
the easiest thing about being an author? Working in my pajamas,
hands-down.
What
do you wish someone had asked you for an interview question? Here's your chance
to get the soap box! Surprisingly, no
one has asked me about the relative merits of forced malolactic fermentation
methodologies versus a dependence on naturally-occurring yeast strains in the production of Syrah.
Just
kidding. I'd actually have loved it it someone had asked about the role of fan
fiction in developing an original book, because that's a fascinating and
relevant subject in this genre.
Before
the prominence of 50 Shades—no matter what your take on the book itself—fan
fiction was something that wasn't discussed much, at least openly, in
publishing. Now, it's like a new gold rush for some major publishers to find the
next EL James. What they're failing to recognize is that there are an enormous
number of talented writers developing works of fiction within the fan
community. It's a way to get instant feedback on a story concept, development
or characterization, and it can be both a wild and supportive community in
which to develop your work.
Tell
us about your latest release! Sotto Voce is a story of
love and wine, when Tom Baldwin, a critic from a New York-based magazine, is
assigned to spend a year in California's wine country, setting up a competition
to pit the big name wineries of Napa against small artisan winemakers of
Sonoma. In order to succeed, Tom is going to need the help of handsome,
enigmatic vintner Greg Kennedy, who has shut himself off from the world at a
remote, bucolic winery. Greg may hold the keys to Tom's success, as well as his
heart.
~*~
Blurb for Sotto Voce...
New York-based wine critic Thomas Baldwin can make or break
careers with his column for Taste Magazine. But when his publisher orders him
to spend a year profiling rising stars of California’s wine country and
organizing a competition between the big name wineries of Napa and the smaller
artisan wineries of Sonoma, his world gets turned upside-down by an enigmatic
young winemaker who puts art before business.
Sotto Voce is the story of love and wine, and how both require
patience, passion, an acceptance of change—and an understanding that sometimes,
you have to let nature take its course.
About the Author...
Erin
Finnegan is a former journalist and editor. She was born and raised in Southern
California, where she lives with two sheep dogs and grows, ferments and drinks
Syrah and Zinfandel in the foothills outside Los Angeles.
Sotto
Voce is her first novel.
Connect
with Erin on the Web...
Twitter at @eringofinnegan.
~*~
Contest Details
Erin
will be awarding a Multi-format Sotto Voce eBook to 10 randomly drawn winners
and a Grand Prize of a $25 B&N gift card will be awarded to one randomly
drawn winner, all via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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