Q&A w/Sheila
Roberts author of
Better Than Chocolate
Better Than Chocolate
Debbie - Hi
Sheila, welcome to the General Fiction book club forum
Shelia - Thanks, and thanks hugely for allowing me to come visit you.
Shelia - Thanks, and thanks hugely for allowing me to come visit you.
Can you tell us a little about your newest released novel?
I’m very excited about this book. It’s a fun read (at least I hope it is!) about a woman who’s trying to save the family chocolate factory. She and her mother and sisters come up with the idea of hosting a chocolate festival. This sounds great to the rest of the town movers and shakers since the town is in an economic slump. But thiings don’t go as smoothly as our heroine hopes they will. When the bank’s about to foreclose, when you don’t have a lot of time to pull together something so big, when Mother Nature isn’t cooperating, and when you’re attracted to your arch enemy, well, it’s not so easy. (And of course, it shouldn’t be. All good heroines need to struggle!)
I’m very excited about this book. It’s a fun read (at least I hope it is!) about a woman who’s trying to save the family chocolate factory. She and her mother and sisters come up with the idea of hosting a chocolate festival. This sounds great to the rest of the town movers and shakers since the town is in an economic slump. But thiings don’t go as smoothly as our heroine hopes they will. When the bank’s about to foreclose, when you don’t have a lot of time to pull together something so big, when Mother Nature isn’t cooperating, and when you’re attracted to your arch enemy, well, it’s not so easy. (And of course, it shouldn’t be. All good heroines need to struggle!)
Is it part of a series?
Yes, this is the first book in a series of books set in the fictional town of Icicle Falls, which is based on one of my favorite towns: Leavenworth, Washington. By 1960 Leavenworth was on the verge of becoming a ghost town. The town literally reinvented itself and today it’s a charming alpine village and a tourist destination spot. I love that kind of success story.
Yes, this is the first book in a series of books set in the fictional town of Icicle Falls, which is based on one of my favorite towns: Leavenworth, Washington. By 1960 Leavenworth was on the verge of becoming a ghost town. The town literally reinvented itself and today it’s a charming alpine village and a tourist destination spot. I love that kind of success story.
Sheila, I was looking on your website at your biography, it
says you once owned a singing telegraph company. Could you tell us a bit about
your background and how it all led to your becoming an author.
Well, I’ve always loved to write so my writing and my music have run on parallel tracks all my life. The singing telegram company was great fun. I also sang in a band and that was fun, too. And I still dabble in music, especially songwriting. My songwriting buddy and I wrote a country song and made a music video based on one of the story lines in my November release, MERRY EX-MAS and I can hardly wait for my readers to get to see that.
Well, I’ve always loved to write so my writing and my music have run on parallel tracks all my life. The singing telegram company was great fun. I also sang in a band and that was fun, too. And I still dabble in music, especially songwriting. My songwriting buddy and I wrote a country song and made a music video based on one of the story lines in my November release, MERRY EX-MAS and I can hardly wait for my readers to get to see that.
I also saw on your website a link to your blog.
Do you think blogging is a good way to connect with your readers?
I do. It gives readers a chance to find out what’s going on in my life and what I’m thinking. (Well, if they’re interested.)
How else do you connect with your readers?
Do you think blogging is a good way to connect with your readers?
I do. It gives readers a chance to find out what’s going on in my life and what I’m thinking. (Well, if they’re interested.)
How else do you connect with your readers?
I have a Like page on
Facebook and I tweet. (I’ve met some wonderful people doing that. I have the
best readers in the world.) And, of course, I do lots of book signing parties
in my area. For this book the theme is chocolate madness and I’m bringing ...
you guessed it, lots of chocolate.
Do you write full time?
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
Did this release day give you as many butterflies as your
very first one did?
Release day is always fun and exciting. With my first book I didn’t know enough about the business to have butterflies. Later in my career I did, though. Now, I’m just plain happy on release day. Of course, I want people to buy my book and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it, but that sort of thing is out of my control.
Release day is always fun and exciting. With my first book I didn’t know enough about the business to have butterflies. Later in my career I did, though. Now, I’m just plain happy on release day. Of course, I want people to buy my book and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it, but that sort of thing is out of my control.
Walk us through a normal day in the life of Sheila Roberts.
Oh, my. Well, a typical day will always include writing and a smidge of housework. After that, it varies. There are usually errands to run, friends to hang out with, fun things to do. And, like all good moms, I harass my kids on a regular basis. My hubby and I go dancing once a week. I love to play tennis and do that as often as I can. And I’ve just taken up golf so today I was at the driving range practicing. Come evening, after all my adventures, I’m usually crashed on the couch watching a movie on TV. Now that the new season of DANCING WITH THE STARS has begun I’ll be glued to the set watching that. (They need an author – me!- on there.) Then it’s off to bed to read. And weekends, well that’s for partying with friends, having company for dinner, doing something with the family.
Oh, my. Well, a typical day will always include writing and a smidge of housework. After that, it varies. There are usually errands to run, friends to hang out with, fun things to do. And, like all good moms, I harass my kids on a regular basis. My hubby and I go dancing once a week. I love to play tennis and do that as often as I can. And I’ve just taken up golf so today I was at the driving range practicing. Come evening, after all my adventures, I’m usually crashed on the couch watching a movie on TV. Now that the new season of DANCING WITH THE STARS has begun I’ll be glued to the set watching that. (They need an author – me!- on there.) Then it’s off to bed to read. And weekends, well that’s for partying with friends, having company for dinner, doing something with the family.
Tell us something that would surprise us about you
I’m a hypochondriac. (This, my friends, is the dark side of imagination.)
I’m a hypochondriac. (This, my friends, is the dark side of imagination.)
Sheila I see you have many events coming up, including many
at Barnes & Noble locations on the sightings part of your
website.
Is this the best way to find out where you’ll be?
Thanks for asking. Yes, we always post my appearances on the website.
Is this the best way to find out where you’ll be?
Thanks for asking. Yes, we always post my appearances on the website.
Sheila thank you for taking the time to let us know you a
little better.
Good luck with the novel.
Thank you so much and, again, thanks for having me!
Good luck with the novel.
Thank you so much and, again, thanks for having me!
Here are Shelia’s Barnes & Noble events:
Thursday, October 25th,
8 p.m., Chocolate Madness book signing, Olympia Barnes and Noble, Olympia, WA
Saturday, November 3rd,
3 p.m., Merry Ex-mas book launch party, Silverdale Barnes & Noble,
Silverdale, WA
Saturday, November
10th, 11 a.m., Chocolate Madness book signing, Federal Way Barnes & Noble,
Federal Way, WA
This sounds delightful, I love tales setting in small towns, thanks for sharing the interview and I am adding this to my reading list
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim :)
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