February 1st, 2010 — Author Interviews, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, M-O
Have you ever wanted to get out of your current job? Anne Wyatt feels that way too. Ever want to put in less than 110% and in fact put 110% in doing the wrong thing? That's exactly what Anne does in Fire Me! Come meet Libby Malin, the author behind this hilarious outtake of working life in corporate America.
Was Fire Me your original title for your book?
Fire Me was definitely the original title and the one I dearly loved and wanted to keep-I was very lucky to have an editor who helped retain it even as other titles were considered.
What were some of the other titles that your book went through?
At one point during my writing, I did title it Feels Like Today
, from the Rascal Flatts song of the same name, since the book takes place in one day. But Fire Me kept calling out to me!
What were some difficulties that you faced when writing Fire Me?
Thinking of things for Anne to do to get her boss' negative attention and get her name on the lay-off list was actually harder than I thought it would be! I could think of plenty of things she could do to mess things up, but her stunts had to be attention-grabbers (her boss' attention, that is) and they couldn't be...cruel....or mess things up too much for those with whom she worked.
How on earth did you come up with all those crazy antics that were pulled? I was laughing my butt off throughout the whole book!
Aww....thank you! I love hearing that people laughed out loud while reading the book. I came up with a bunch on my own, trying to think what I'd LOVE to do (like having the boss announce a cut in his own salary!). But I also surveyed friends and relatives and asked what they would do or what sorts of weird things they'd seen employees do. One friend mentioned how she'd had to wait to talk to an employee who was finishing a computer game.
How do you come up with characters (names, appearances, personalities)?
Anne's name and appearance just came to me. I thought of her as having an impish personality, so a pixie-like look fit perfectly. Ken I struggled with a bit, wanting to create someone who had an artistic bent (and thus a rebel kind of look) but who was also very grounded in financial issues. For Mitch....well, there are some CEOs whose images came to mind when I was mentally drawing him.
Do you work with pictures when it comes to appearances and if so who did you base your characters Anne and Ken?
No, I can't say I worked with any pictures other than the ones in my crazy head!
What was your inspiration for this book?
I had a dear friend who was struggling with whether to stay at her job or seek something else more fulfilling. We started joking about how she could mess things up enough that she'd be let go, and thus the torture of indecision would be lifted from her. That lit the spark of the story idea.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yes, I do.
How do you define love?
Wow-that's a deep question. I guess I define love as the feeling of connection and affection that transcends the mundane, a bond between two souls.
What do you think makes a good contemporary romance?
I think characters you can relate to makes for a good contemporary romance. I like characters who are finding their way, muddling through. Not perfect, in other words.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Just a big thank-you to everyone who's read the book so far, enjoyed it, and let me know!
Visit Libby at her website.
Buy Fire Me
Originally posted 2009-05-05 05:11:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 16th, 2010 — 4 Stars, ARC, Artist, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, J-L, Teacher, United States of America
Rich Ronaldi got dumped! It’s not the getting dumped that bothers Rich, what bother Rich is the fact his boss and friend, Craig Stewart, wants to meet his “steady stable girlfriend” at a benefit coming up. Not sure which man asked this, Rich goes by the assumption that it is his boss and not his friend. The only way to get Gina (Rosalie’s best friend) back in time is to prove he is willing to change and become a relationship guy… aka a Domestic god!
Recipe for Changing a Selfish Slob Boyfriend into a Domestic God:
- Dump boyfriend and tell him his cooking and cleaning ability will be the basis of any future relationship.
- Add one girl who’s willing to teach him domestic skills live with him.
- Stay clear while he burns food, explodes the dishwasher, and catches laundry on fire.
- Let him simmer for a while and when he finds cleaning cathartic take him off the burner and get ready to enjoy the change.
**Word of caution, watch out for the girl who’s teaching him how to cook and clean! She may just like what she uncovers under the surface.**
Becca Larsen is Annabelle’s best friend and Mike’s half sister from the last domestic god novel, Too Hot to Handle. She’s an artist who works in clay and oils. It is her unfortunate luck that Annabelle rented out the Park Slope apartment to her and her sister Rosalie rented it to their brother Rich. The man is a hopeless slob and very annoying!
As a reader I found Becca annoying. How’s that for irony. There were plenty of moments where she wasn't but in my opinion, Rich carries the novel. He does it so well and he’s just so cute about everything you can’t help but sigh a little over him.
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: Breakfast in Bed
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April 8th, 2009 — 1 Star, Acting, Contemporary, G-I, Guest Reviews, Journalism, United States of America
By: Cara Lynn, guest reviewer
Some Nerve by Jane Heller promised to be an interesting book, but it turned out to be less than I had hoped for.
The cover looked intriguing, but alas, the story could have been summed up in about 10 pages.
Plus it is quite dated, printed in 2006, and opening with Britney Spears pregnant with her first child. It shows how careful one should be in including various trivia, even if the book is about the fictional Ann Roth, who writes about celebrities.
When Roth's boss demands she go for the main man, the big get, Malcolm Goddard who refuses all interviews and thinks the worst of interviewers to the stars, she has every intention of being the killer journalist her boss expects.
Alas, she is afraid to fly. Goddard knows this too and says he will accept the interview only if she does it aboard his plane.
She can't do it.
She is fired and goes back to her family, where Goddard ends up hospitalized to avoid the paparazzi. She, in turn, decides to become a candy striper in order to get close to him and get a story.
Of course, they fall in love. Goddard doesn't recognize her. She doesn't tell him at all. He thinks she is honest. She wishes she were. Someone sends her story, not her. But all ends well in the end.
There is humor, some laughs out loud, but for the most part this book details again and again and again and...you get the idea...about her fear(s). I ended up skipping huge sections of it except for a sentence here and there.
And there are some decidedly unlikeable characters and situations in the book.
I give it a 1.
I will read at least one more of her books.
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Originally posted 2008-07-10 05:18:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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