THIS ONE IS MINE: PREVIEW, INTERVIEW, AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THIS ONE IS MINE

BY MARIA SEMPLE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Maria Semple has written for television shows including Arrested Development, Mad About You, and Ellen. She has escaped from Los Angeles and lives with her family on an island off Seattle. This is her first novel.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Thank you to Maria Semple for agreeing to answer some interview questions. THIS ONE IS MINE is a very enjoyable and fun read and her interview is presented so you can get to know her better. I am sure we will be hearing more from Maria in the years to come!

1. Is there any personal information or websites you would like share with us before I forget to ask you?

Maria does have a website and I hope you all will visit when you have time as there is more information on it about the book and Maria. Here is the link: www.mariasemple.com

2. What is the next or current book/project you are working on?

After TWO LONG YEARS of struggling with a novel that I finally abandoned a couple of months ago, I swore off writing forever. After a couple of days of yoga, museum-going and closet-cleaning, a new idea sprung into my head. It's only been about two months, but I've written more pages, and with more energy, than I did for those two years. So this is a good sign. (But I hope I didn't jinx it by writing about it here!)

3. What have you just finished reading?

I just finished rereading one of my favorite books of all time, LES LIASIONS DANGEREUSES by Laclos. It's an epistolary novel; so is the one I'm working on now. I loved this book back in college and I am happy to say I love it still. Anyone who hasn't read it yet, go read it now! It's romantic, hilarious, gripping, French-- everything you want in a novel.

4. What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?

Starting out, I'd have to say THE GREAT GATSBY. I think I read it for the first time in tenth grade. It was the book that made me understand there was more to a story than simply what happened in it. I had a great English teacher, one who changed my life, (Meg Ryan's mother, how cool is that?!) and it was she who taught me about symbolism, language, structure, point-of-view, and various other techniques a writer could use. What better introduction to that than THE GREAT GATSBY, right? It got me really excited about the idea of writing fiction.

5. What gets you started on a new book? A character or story idea or….?

A powerful feeling inside of me that is causing me to suffer. I zero in on it, then slowly build on it, first with a character, then a desire, then the opposition, etc. and eventually I have a story. I do this because the suffering will serve as much-needed fuel during the long slog it takes to write a novel. One of the trickiest things about the form is how long it takes-- one year, two years, three-- and you have to make sure the there's something about it deep down that can carry you through.

6. What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?

It's a rare sunny day in February in Seattle and I am hunkered down inside. I don't like the sun!

7. What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

Read. And write the book you'd want to read. Don't think about what agents want, the marketplace or any nonsense like that. Write what you love. If you love it, they'll love it.

8. What is something you would like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general?

Every day I am so humbled and amazed that I wrote a book that got published. I've always been a voracious reader, and a devoted fan of many writers. To be in the same company with them is truly an honor.

Thank you, Maria, for a great interview!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO VALERIE AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I HAVE THREE COPIES OF THIS
LOVELY BOOK TO GIVEAWAY!

THE RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY


HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOUR FOUND OUT ABOUT MARIA IN THE INTERVIEW ABOVE.

+1 MORE ENTRY: GO TO MARIA SAMPLE'S WEBSITE HERE AND COME BACK AND SHARE SOMETHING INTERESTING YOU FOUND THERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON HOW YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. DON'T FORGET YOU CAN TRY SUBSCRIBING AND MY POSTS WILL BE IN YOUR EMAIL DAILY SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HUNT THEM UP! CHECK THE LEFT HAND CORNER TO SUBSCRIBE!

BONUS ENTRIES: WATCH FOR MY REVIEW AND THE READING GROUP GUIDE COMING LATER IN MARCH. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR BOOK CLUBS SO YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER IT AFTER YOU WIN A COPY, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME BONUS ENTRIES COMING UP!

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, MARCH 30