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1. Welcome, Katie Oliver. For those who might not beĀ familiar with you, would you be a dear and tell the readers a little aboutĀ yourself? How did you get your start in the writing business?
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(Katie) Iād be happy to introduce myself toĀ your readers. My name is Katie Oliver and Iām currently a writer for CarinaĀ UK/Harper Collins.
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I realized my dream of gettingĀ published a little late in the game. Like a lot of women, life got in the way ā
love, marriage, kids ā and there was a full-time job to contend with as well. Ā But with the kids finally grown and flown fromĀ the nest, I knew it was time to quit dreaming of āsomedayā and get seriousĀ about writing.
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In 2011 I began jotting down some storyĀ ideas on a legal pad. The US economy was tanking and āausterityā was the new buzzwordĀ in England. Businesses closed on a daily basis, department stores among them;Ā at the same time, Gordon Ramseyās āKitchen Nightmaresā was a wildly popularĀ television program.
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Putting the two concepts together, itĀ got me to thinkingā¦what if a very old, family-owned British department store isĀ facing closure? What if a sharp business consultant is brought in to whipĀ things into shape? And what if the very spoilt daughter of the currentĀ department store owner butts heads with said austerity-minded consultant?
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I knew as I rapidly filled up notebooksĀ and my laptop screen with words that I was on to something. Prada and Prejudice was the result, andĀ a year later it became my first ā and thus far my best selling – book.
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2. Do you ever suffer from writerās block? If so, please share how you handle it.
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(Katie) All writers hit that dreaded wall now and then. I think thatĀ when your creative muse fails, you need to give yourself a break from writing.Ā Go and watch TV. Go for a walk. Eat a sandwich. Anything thatāll get you outĀ and away from your laptop is good. Oddly enough, I get some of my best writingĀ epiphanies while Iām in the shower, or walking on the treadmill. Go figure. ButĀ it worksā¦because it gives your brainĀ a much-needed break and a change of scenery.
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3. Contrary to what some people envision about a romance writerās life, itās not all glitz and glam. Well not for the majority of us. With that bubble sadly busted, when youāre not writing, how do you spend your time?
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(Katie)Ā Darling, my life is a non-stop glitzy, glam party! At least,Ā in my head it isā¦
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Seriously, though, when Iām not writing? Iām doing boringĀ things like laundry, or grocery shopping, spending way too much time in the stationery aisle, or reading cookbooks forĀ pleasure. (Donāt judge ā itās fun. I donāt cook anything, I just look at theĀ recipes and say, āsomeday, I will make this.ā My husband and I both know this
for the lie that it is.)
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4. I know many writers, such as myself, keep their pastime/careerĀ a secret. Do those close to you know you write? If so, what are their thoughts?
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(Katie)Ā Oh yes, my family knows all about my writing career by now,Ā in tireless detail.Ā Theyāre proud of me,
but also a little puzzled. They donāt quite know what to make of having āaĀ writerā in the family. I suspect they think I sit home all day and watch game showsĀ and soap operas while quaffing diet soda and potato chips. I swear, I really am writing, you guys!
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They always know when Iām on a deadline, though, because IĀ disappear into my office and become more antisocial than Greta Garbo.Ā Nonetheless, theyāre a pretty understanding bunch, on the whole. I love āem.
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5. Will you share with us your all-time favorite authors? If youāre like me, itās a long list so give us your top ten.
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(Katie)Ā This is a tough one! Letās have a stab at it.
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1. Charlotte Brontƫ. Jane Eyre. Enough said.
2. Ā Jane Austen. PrideĀ and Prejudice. A perfect book.
3. Ā James Lee Burke. Lyrical, gritty, hauntingĀ stuff.
4.Ā Sarah Waters. The Little Stranger. Classic spooky tale.
5.Ā Ā Sadie Jones. TheUninvited Guests. A ghost story you wonāt forget.
6.Ā Helen Fielding. Bridget Jonesās Diary. Unrivalled romantic comedy.
7.Ā Mary Kay Andrews. Her books are a Southern hoot.
8.Ā Marian Keyes. The Mystery of Mercy Close. A funny, moving book.
9.Ā Paul Torday. SalmonFishing in the Yemen. A truly gifted writer.
10. AnneĀ Rivers Siddons. Downtown. A gem set in the 1960s.
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6. If you could choose one book to go to the big screen, yours or otherwise, which book would you choose and whom would you love to see cast in the parts?
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(Katie)Ā Well, I could lie and be nice and say Iād choose someoneĀ elseās bookā¦but honestly? Iād love to see PradaĀ and Prejudice make the big screen one day. Or even the little screen. IādĀ cast Felicity Jones as Natalie Dashwood and either Gerard Butler or JamesĀ McAvoy as Rhys Gordon. (I donāt want much, do I?)
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7. Would you care to tell us what youāre working on now? That is if itās not top-secret information. If so, just whisper it in my ear. I swear itāll go no further.
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(Katie)Ā And the checkās in the mail, right? Lol.
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Iāve written two romantic ādramedyā books ā one finished,Ā one half finished ā the first set in Baltimore and the second in New York. IĀ had to put them aside to write, edit, and promote the Dating Mr Darcy andĀ Marrying Mr Darcy series for Carina UK, and now, for my upcoming āJane AustenĀ Factorā series coming in January 2016.
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The new books are re-imaginings of three beloved AustenĀ novels, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility. My modern-day retellings are titled What Would Lizzy Bennet Do?, The Trouble With Emma, andĀ Who Needs Mr Willoughby? Carinaās artĀ department came up with gorgeous pop art covers based on vintage designs. IĀ absolutely love them.
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That said, Iām itching to get back to my American manuscriptsĀ and hope to have three books completed by early next year.
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When your name is Lizzy Bennet, and the object of your affections just happens to have the surname Darcy, it seems fitting that life should imitate art, and you should end up together ā right?
So when a film crew arrive to shoot Pride and Prejudice at the Darcy estate next door to the Bennet home, and Hugh Darcy arrives home after eight years away, Lizzy knows that their time has finally come. Until, that is, he introduces her to Holly ā his fiancĆ©eā¦
What is Lizzy to do? It canāt hurt that Holly knows nothing about country life, and that her ex-boyfriend and film star Ciaran Duncan just happens to be the main star of the new movie. And itās clear that Lady Darcy does not approve of Holly either. Lizzy knows Holly isnāt right for Hugh, but can she make him see that and get her Austen ending after all?
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8. Where can we find your stories, and is there a particular reading order?
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(Katie)Ā My ebooks are available online at Amazon, Google Play, Kobo,Ā Apple, and all major US/UK digital retailers. Prada and Prejudice is also available in trade paperback.
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Ideally, readers should start with the Dating Mr DarcyĀ series ā Prada and Prejudice, Love and Liability, and Mansfield Lark ā and then move on to theĀ Marrying Mr Darcy series (And the BrideĀ Wore Prada, Love, Lies, andĀ Louboutins, and Manolos in Manhattan).Ā But they can be read as stand-alone books as well.
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9. Would you please share how your present and future fansĀ can contact you?
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10. Before we conclude this enlightening interview, do youĀ have anything else youād like to share? The stage is all yours.
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(Katie)Ā Thank you, Kameron!
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Itās been a whirlwind and slightly unorthodox trip fromĀ unpublished to published writer. It involved lots of hard work, some sacrificeĀ (TV shows? What TV shows?), and the discipline to meet deadlines head-on and āgetĀ āer done.ā When Carina UK bought my first three books I was still working fullĀ time; I had a lot to learn and had toĀ find a way to make it all work. Somehow, I did.
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And you know what? Iād do it all again in a heartbeat.Ā Thanks so much for having me overā¦great questions, Iāve enjoyed it! Hope youĀ have, too.
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(Kameron) Katie, I absolutely adored your book covers above. They came across as retro/old school which happens to be my favorite form of art. I’m sure others will find them quite charming, too. With that said, ladies and gents it’s time to hear from you. Ask a question, say hello, rave about her…… Just leave us a comment! š
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Author: Maureen L. Bonatch
