Allirea’s Realm, Coffee and Conversation with Donna Fasano

 

After my first interview, I was sure no other author would agree to do an interview, but after much begging and pleading, Donna decided to shut me up and just do it!  Over a cup of coffee, we discussed anything that popped into my head (that was G-rated).

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR DONNA FASANO is a three time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, and a Golden Heart finalist. Her books have sold nearly 4 million copies worldwide and have been published in nearly two dozen languages. Her books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times, climbing as high as #9.

Visit her blog at www.DonnaFasano.com where you can sign up for e-mail updates and be the first to hear about new releases.

Find Donna on facebook at www.Facebook.com/DonnaFasanoAuthor. She loves to chat with readers.

Follow her on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/DonnaFazInterview with Donna Fasano

What is your favorite coffee drink?

Cappuccino; however, I rarely drink it. My usual is regular coffee with a splash of French Vanilla creamer.  I think I like cappuccino so much because it brings back wonderful memories. I’ve enjoyed cappuccino in Italy and in the French Riviera. Mmmmm!

Have you ever been recognized in person as an author?

Yes. But does it count that it was in my home town? The local paper is very supportive of me, and whenever I’m out and about, I can see the do-I-know-you look on people’s faces. Sometimes they realize who I am and say hello. It’s really nice.

When did you first, without hesitation, call yourself an author?

I was a closet writer for about 18 months. I didn’t tell anyone except my husband that I was writing a romance novel. I was too afraid of failure. However, once that first book earned a finalist spot on an international writing contest and sold to Harlequin, I felt safe enough to come out of the closet.

How many books have you written in your lifetime?

Thirty-two, but there are many more inside me just waiting to be unleashed.

Do you ever dream about book ideas?

Ideas come to me at all times, so I always have a pad and pencil nearby! If I don’t write down an idea that comes to me, I will forget it. It’s happened to me before and it’s a terrible tragedy.

If you had a chance to write in another genre, what would it be and why?

I would write cozy mysteries because, as a kid, I loved books written by Agatha Christie. Death on the Nile, Murder on the Orient Express, Murder at the Vicarage…each book took me to an exotic locale where Christie introduced me to intriguing characters.

What is stopping you from doing it?

In a word—life. But like I said, there are lots of stories in me. I intend to find the time to tell them!

How do you pick character names?

Sometimes my characters come to me already named, their personalities already formed. However, when the story line comes to me before the characters put in an appearance (the inside of my head can become a crowded place), then I will use a baby name book to find the perfect name.

What do you wear when you write?

I’m not the kind of person who regularly writes in my PJs. I need to get dressed and put on my mascara before I feel “ready” to write.

What is your favorite hobby unrelated to reading/writing.

I love to cook. And I’m often in the kitchen stirring up a new recipe.

Have you ever made a FLOP dish? Details please.

Oh, my, yes! I was a newlywed and I learned that my husband loved olives. So I found a recipe for London Broil, braised in beef broth with onions and green olives. Gag! The bitterness of the green olives did not marry well with the beef broth. My wonderful husband never said a word until I cried, “This is horrible!” He chuckled with relief and told he hated green olives. I said, “But your mother told me you love olives.” He explained, “I do—black olives.” Lesson learned.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

My glass is always half full! What good is grumbling and complaining? All that does is make everyone around you feel bad. I’ve learned that if I smile at people, they almost always smile back. If they don’t, I can tell they’re wondering what I’m up to. And they should.

Describe your personality in one word.

Happy

Ask your husband to describe your personality in one word.

Onehotredhead

Did you really ask him or did YOU make up his answer?

I texted the question to him and that’s what he texted back.  Seriously.

Do you have any children?

Yes. I have two sons. My oldest earned a Masters Degree in Urban Development and takes after his analytical father. My youngest earned a Masters Degree in Fine Arts and takes after his bohemian mother.

Have they read any of your books?

They have, and they’ve both told me they’re proud of my accomplishments. However, I know full well that neither is an avid romance reader.

Tell me the ONE character in your books that is the most like you.  You can only pick ONE, no cheating.

Although there’s a lot of me in each of my characters, I’d have to say I’m most like Laurel in Mountain Laurel. She kidnaps her kid sister in some wacky attempt to save her from going down the wrong path. I care a lot about the people I love, and I could easily see myself doing something crazy like that.

For you, what character was the most fun to write?

I think the character who was the most fun for me to write was Lou Hunkavic, in The Merry-Go-Round. I am positive and upbeat, and I rarely gripe or complain. When I stepped into Lou’s shoes, I got to experience all of those things. It was fun to write a character who was so different from me.

As an Indie writer, how do you promote your books?

I use every means at my disposal. I use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Pinterest. I contact bloggers and reviewers. I offer giveaways. I utilize the Quick Deal “99¢ Sale” and I also buy ads on sites like BookBub and Ereader News Today.

What’s the latest bit of juicy gossip? Of course, only the bit that’s safe for you to share…

All my juicy gossip is safe. The best bit of news I have is that I’ve been picked up by Amazon Crossings. They will translate and publish His Wife for a While in German. The book will be available as an ebook and in paperback with an option for audio. Look out, Germany, here I come!

Name a US city that you would like to visit.

There are so many places I want to explore. I will one day visit Key West, FL. I want to visit Hemingway’s home and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. And I’d love to see a Florida Keys sunrise, then walk to the other side of the island at the end of the day and watch the sunset. That would be fabulous.

Name the one person (besides family members) that can always make you smile.  Why?

Dr. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. What I love about him is that he doesn’t understand that he’s being funny. My husband has some of those similar traits, and I’m grinning as I type that. Many times I have heard my husband say, “Well, Donna, once again it seems I have been put on this earth for your amusement.” I do realize being married to me isn’t easy.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

That would be when I had to speak in front of a group of people and my knees turned to jelly. Something about that microphone rendered me completely mute. I knew everyone in the audience, and I never had a problem speaking to them (from my favorite spot in the back of the room), but I stepped behind that podium and became a quivery mass of nerves. It was very odd and very embarrassing, and I have avoided public speaking ever since.

 Tell me the most dangerous thing you have ever done.

I’m not a thrill seeker, so I’d have to say the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done is go para-sailing. Yes, I was all strapped in and secured to the chute with a sturdy harness. (I said I’m not a thrill seeker, didn’t I?) But I loved the experience.

 I hear there is a different story to that last question, but I will let that go!   Thank you, Donna for giving me your time and answering all of my questions.  Best of luck to you in everything you do.

Check out all of Donna’s books at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords.