A Fabulous Interview with Author Gretchen Galway!!!

Monday Morning… Hmph! BUT… I have Gretchen Galway on my blog today, which puts a smile on my face. We hope you enjoy getting to know her, and her writing, a little better. Remember: Chick-Lit/Romance writers rule! At least, in my mind they do.

Welcome, Gretchen!!!

ME: Thanks so much for being with us today! I’m a fan, so this is extra specialJ. What are you writing now?

GRETCHEN: My first reaction to this question was guilty panic... you know, because I'm doing all the little things except writing my new book... like chatting online with terrific people such as yourself... or eating pumpkin muffins and staring at the ceiling.

But as soon as I finish this interview and brush the muffin crumbs off my ample bosom, I'll be outlining the sequel to Love Handles, my contemporary romance set in the San Francisco apparel industry. The new book will have a genuinely plus-sized heroine (not just a size 12) finding her happily-ever-after with the brilliant, handsome, and hopelessly geeky brother of the hero in Love Handles. My working title for this book is Fat Girl Gets the Guy. We meet our heroine just as she is told she's too large to be the size-18 fit model for Fite Apparel (an exercise wear company) and the hunky geeky guy next door thinks she's a lesbian. She is too tough to let either of these things bother her for long.

It is not intended to be a serious, culturally-impactful read. It should be gobs of fun.

ME: I love it! Not only the plus-size aspect (which is so needed today), but the humor I’m sure you’ll include! And now I want pumpkin muffins. How closely do your characters resemble you? (Any particular quirk?)

GRETCHEN: Well, I wish they didn't resemble me so much, but they do. All of them, even the guys. If there's one quirk that keeps popping up, it's the fear of not measuring up to your potential. My main characters tend to be people in their late twenties and thirties who aren't hugely successful in the eyes of the world, but are loyal to their own dreams.

As a fiction writer who years ago rejected the idea of law school... or graduate school... or business school... or a real job... I can relate.

ME: That’s a common theme in my own life… probably why I enjoy your writing so much! Do you ever wish you lived a character’s life (not just in your imagination)?

GRETCHEN: God, no! (Laughing.) I'm too busy making them suffer (before they get their happy ending) to envy any one of them. Perhaps in the epilogue.

ME: We do tend to make our characters suffer for our art, don’t we? How about this: Sunglasses (a particular fetish of mine): designer or drugstore cheapies? How many pairs are enough?

GRETCHEN: In between. My favorite pair right now are a sporty $35 pair from REI. I can't get them too expensive (though that's the most I've ever paid) because I destroy or lose them.

I have only two demands for my sunglasses:  1) wrap-around so I can see when I drive, and 2) they must be purple.

I love me some purple sunglasses.

ME: Ha! I bought an adorable pair of purple sunglasses on the beach in Mexico this summer. But my designer shades were jealous, so I gave them to my sister-in-law. Wish I’d have known… I would have sent them to you instead. Back to writing: Would you ever want to work on a combined project with your favorite author? If so, who?

GRETCHEN: It would be hard to have a co-author on the same story, but I'd enjoy writing a novella within an anthology with other writers. Though I like the idea of being a star-struck parasite on a famous genius like Jenny Crusie, I'd also enjoy working with other newcomers (and Indies) who are unknowns like me.

ME: Finally - someone drops a name I’ve actually heard of! I love Jenny Crusie!  I agree though, I’d probably be star-struck. I like the anthology idea though.

I've found that readers really enjoy connecting with authors… what is one thing you want your fans to know about you that they may not already be aware of?

GRETCHEN: I recently discovered I'm allergic to hair conditioner? That I have one leg shorter than the other? LOL. There is SO MUCH TO KNOW.

(Oh, shoot. You said one thing and I gave you two.)

ME: The more the merrier! Haha. Thanks so much for being with us today and I look forward to reading Fat Girl Gets the Guy (or whatever the final title ends up being. I’m sure it will be fabulous!

Want to know more about the conditioner-allergic Gretchen Galway? Be sure to check out her latest release: The Supermodel’s Best Friend (also available for Nook). Or, go to her Amazon Author’spage for her bio and a complete listing of her books!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Heidi