Life isn't always a walk in the park, but when Patrice takes her Pomeranians to the park after a rough day at the office, fate steps in. An unlikely hero comes to the rescue when one of her dogs gets loose. Short, pale, and kind of cute, Seth doesn't have a lot of confidence with the ladies, but he hits it off with Patrice.

But some things might be too good to be true. While Patrice wonders if Seth could possibly be "the one", fate steps in again with a horrible twist. Will it be a deal breaker or just a storm before bright blue skies?

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Author Q&A
1.  What would you consider to be your Kryptonite as an author?

2. Favorite childhood memory involving books?
I remember my mom taking me to the bookstore at the mall when I was about 10 or 11. She told me I could choose any book I wanted. After browsing for a while, I pulled one off the shelf, read the back and took it over to her. She asked if I was sure I really wanted that one. I was positive.

I still have that well-worn and loved book in my bookcase and both of my kids have read and loved it as well. What book is it? Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy. I still love it.

3. If you could dine with any literary character, who would it be and why?
Meg Giry from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. The first “novel” I ever wrote was when I was 13. That entire year, I lived and breathed The Phantom of the Opera. The musical, the book, and everything written about it. My novel was a Phantom retelling written from Meg Giry’s point of view. In my version, Meg was hopelessly in love with the Phantom, even though he was obsessed with Christine. When Andrew Lloyd Webber released Love Never Dies, I felt that my 13 year old self was vindicated because he had included a similar storyline. I’d love to dine with Meg and see how she actually felt about the whole phantom situation.

4. Did you want to be an author when you grew up?
I realized that I really loved to write when I was in 2nd grade. My teacher made each student a little construction paper journal and we had to write in them every week. It was the highlight of class for me.

I had an amazing teacher in 3rd grade who encouraged my love of writing. She put a basket on the windowsill in our classroom and I could put my stories in there. On Fridays, at the end of the day, I could read my stories to the class. Not all of them were hits, but once I realized I could make my classmates laugh, or when they’d come up to me and say they’d like my stories, I thought maybe it was something I was pretty good at and could keep doing. I haven’t stopped yet!

5. What’s one movie you like recommending to others?
The Enchanted April. It’s such a visually stunning, feel good, fun movie. It lifts my spirits every time I see it, which has been quite a few times. It’s a testament to the power of women’s friendships and how transformative they can be. And it takes place at an Italian villa! Gorgeous.

6. Have you ever met anyone famous?
I’m the kind of person who would wait by the stage door after plays to see if I could meet any of the actors. I still go to conferences and comic cons. Probably the most famous people I’ve met are Henry Winkler and Wallace Shawn. Henry Winkler was a speaker at a writer’s conference I attended. Wallace Shawn was at a comic con. I also got to have a great little chat with Ethan Embry. They were all really nice.

 7.  What is the first book that made you cry?
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson. I remember reading it as a child and crying through the end of it. It’s a good book, but heartbreaking.

8. How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
I learned, at the beginning of this year, that when I have the luxury of treating writing as my full time job, I can complete the first draft of a novel in three months. Before that, I was a much slower writer. My first novel, (written as S.J. Lomas) took me 10 years to write! The sequel to that took me 3 years. Thank goodness I’m getting quicker!

9. What creature do you consider your "spirit animal" to be?
I love sloths. They have that goofy smile. They’re awkward, but they seem friendly, calm, and approachable. They give epic hugs, and let’s not forget that they sleep so much. Sloths are amazing.

10. What are your top 5 favorite movies?
In no particular order: Notting Hill, Shakespeare in Love, Authors Anonymous, The Wedding Singer, Lost in Translation.

 

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