Awesomesauce Authors: Kelly Siskind

Happiest of Happy Book Birthdays to the fabulous Kelly Siskind! I'm thrilled to have her hop by the blog today for an interview. Here's a little bit about Kelly and her debut book baby.

About the author:

A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in Northern Ontario. When she's not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head. She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings-Gummy Bears heal all. She's also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning.

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Tell us a little about your writer's journey so far:

My journey began four years ago when I put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, and wrote THE BIG HOT MESS THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED. That fine piece of literature is hidden in a dark corner to be revisited at a later date. Then book two happened.

*insert rejection here*

There were lots of NOs during this time. No, I didn’t connect with the characters. No, this book isn’t for me. No, this doesn’t fit my current wish list. No. No. No. I made toilet paper from the sheets and decorated my house.

It was my third novel, CHASING CRAZY, that took me the next step. I entered the manuscript into Pitch Wars, an online writing contest, and spent two months tightening and polishing the story. Soon afterward, I signed with my agent, Stacey Donaghy. I then signed two book deals with Grand Central’s Forever Yours. The first was for CHASING CRAZY, and the second was a three-book adult contemporary romance series that has been a blast to write. The novels will each release a few months apart, the first set to go live April 5^th, 2016.

Okay, let's hear your Twitter Pitch! (140 characters or less.)

A mayhem-inducing guy with a secret.

A disaster-magnet girl desperate to shed her past.

An unforgettable trip to New Zealand.

What inspired you to write this book? How is it a book only you could write?

I spent two months backpacking through New Zealand, and writing CHASING CRAZY was an opportunity to relive the experience I had in that beautiful country. It was the perfect backdrop to develop Sam & Nina’s relationship and push them outside their boundaries. Rediscover themselves somewhere new.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

EVERYTHING. Creating worlds and characters. Falling in love. Breaking hearts. Making people laugh. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world…except maybe a bag of gummy bears.

What's your least favorite thing?

Looking at the words CHAPTER ONE. There’s nothing scarier than a blank page. That’s when the nerves kick in, the doubt and fear that you’ve exhausted your creativity and won’t be able to pull it off again. But the words always flow.

Now it's time to brag a little--What do you love most about your book?

I love how awkward Nina is with her crazy stories and busy mind, always on the verge of her next disaster. She was a blast to write, as were the smexy scenes. And I, of course, love everything Sam.

Who was your favorite character to write? Why?

Writing Leigh was a ton of fun. She’s perfectly honest and blunt, and I envy people who speak their minds.

What has surprised you most about publishing post-agent?

The process is never easy. There are good days and bad days. Things move slowly, then really fast. It’s a constant rollercoaster, but one I’m happy to ride.

Okay, now a little about you. (And yes, I stole these questions from In the Actor's Studio with James Lipton.)

What is your favorite word?

Chardonnay

What is your least favorite word?

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

What turns you on?

Football pants

What turns you off?

Lack of football pants

What sound or noise do you love?

Laughter

What sound or noise do you hate?

My dog retching in the middle of the night.

What profession, other than your own, would you most like to attempt?

Professional break dancer.

  

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear G-d say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

You can eat whatever you want, and you’ll never gain a pound.

Finally, what's the one question you've always wanted to answer in an interview? (And of course, you have to answer it!)

Why do you write? Because I love to read.

CHASING CRAZY by Kelly Siskind (February 2, 2016; Forever Yours E-Book)

"With an endearingly awkward female protagonist, a swoon-worthy male love interest, and Siskind's superb storytelling, this is one of the best New Adult contemporary romances I've read to date." -- USA Today bestselling author K.A. Tucker

Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I'm going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetimes' worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going-across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina's next mistake.

Once Sam's life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life.

Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn't just a fling. They're falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret-and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.

Buy the Book!

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