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Lisa
Plumley is one of my favorite romantic comedy authors. So when the opportunity came up to have her new book reviewed,
I knew I had to share her with my friend and fellow reviewer, Jen. Jen is newer to the world of romantic comedy, so I knew it
would be a perfect fit!
Together
we are thrilled to have Lisa join us as our June Author Of The Month. Be sure to visit Lisa at her website, www.lisaplumley.com
where you can read a chapter excerpt of her latest. And take a moment to share your thoughts on her writing,
readers can send a note to lisa@lisaplumley.com
Also be sure to check out this month's contest. Lisa was kind
enough to send some goodies for our Summer Contest Basket. You
won't want to miss it!
Tracy
Farnsworth & Jennifer Russell
JR &
TF: Welcome to TRRC. We
are thrilled to have you join us as June's Author Of The Month. Can you tell readers a little more about yourself?
LP: First of all, thank you for having me here! I'm thrilled
to be included at TRRC. It's a really fun site -- one of my
favorites for keeping up with what's new in the romance world.
About
me? Let's see...I'm twenty-two, tall, and size two, with a
part-time Mensa membership. I employ a bevy of cabana boys to
bring me mai tais while I work (poolside) on new books. In my
free time, I enjoy travel to exotic locations interspersed with
pedicures, shoe-shopping, and daily infusions of Godiva truffles, and
-- hang on. You wanted the *real* story? Okay. I'm a
stressed-out, semi-neurotic writer from Arizona with a penchant for
Oreos and a serious addiction to Carmex lip balm. My hobbies
include monitoring my two school-age sons' Nintendo time, performing
the fifty-yard it's-almost-dinnertime grocery story dash, and trying
to bribe my in-laws into babysitting, which would allow a few stolen
moments' romantic time with my husband. As far as twenty-two,
tall, and size two goes...only one of those is true. Let's just
say it's not "twenty-two." And it's not "size
two." You can guess the rest. I'm not sure what goes
on in Mensa meetings -- but it's probably not as fab as a night spent
watching "Sex & The City." The cabana boys and mai
tais? They're real...but they're not mine. Sigh.
TF: Tell
us about the act/process that goes into writing a book.
LP: For me, writing a book is a lot like going on a blind date (at
least as I remember it from my swinging single days). I hope
it'll be fun. I prepare a lot beforehand (synopsizing storylines
instead of shaving my legs; brainstorming plot twists instead of
imagining steamy trysts). But once things are underway, I'm
awfully tempted to skip out before I embarrass myself. I don't
really know exactly how I come up with my books -- I only know that I
don't seem to be able to stop doing it. Lots of little things
spark story ideas for me. After that, I'm off and running.
At this point, writing is my full-time job, so I treat it with all the
seriousness and dedication that implies. I show up at my
computer every weekday morning and stay there until I've achieved my
daily word count goal -- no matter how strenuously my subconscious
urges me to stop for a latte...or to fire up the TIVO to watch an
episode of "Coupling" from BBC America.
JR - I
know some authors like to listen to music when they write. How do you get into your "zone" when writing?
Well, I
like to sing along to music. Which gets embarrassing for the
neighbors when "La Vida Loca" comes on. Plus, it's
rumored that Ricky Martin lodged a formal complaint. So I've had
to find alternatives. I used to get into the zone by playing a
few games of computer Tetris. Suddenly, a personal high score of
eighteen gazillion did not seem like an unreasonable goal...although
it did sometimes take until three o'clock to achieve. So I quit.
Next I tried rituals -- sharpening pencils, repeating self-affirmation
mantras, fixing one perfect cup of tea...popping over to the mall.
You can imagine which ritual became my favorite. So I quit. These days I sit down at the PC and pretend I'm only going to
write for ten minutes or so, which is much less daunting than facing
the four or five hours I really need to create my allotted pages for
the day.
TF: You
started out writing Precious Gems. Following that line, you moved to historical romance and time
travels before turning to romantic comedy. Which sub-genre do you most enjoy writing? Which is your least favorite? Why? Are there any sub-genres you
want to tackle in the future?
LP: I love writing romances. Period. They suit me like
leather pants on Madonna. (The subject of *me* in leather pants
is best left unexplored. Trust
me.) Until someone invents a genre which includes (a) greater
versatility, (b) hotter heroes, (c) wilder sex, and (d) more of the
heartwarming, happily-ever-after part, I'm sticking with romance -- in
all its guises. Picking a favorite would be like perusing a
fabulous dessert menu and choosing a lifetime order of chocolate
soufflé cake. What about the crème brûlée? What about
the apple pie à la mode? I love diversity too much to settle
for one thing forever. That said, I did seem to find my niche in
big contemporary romantic comedies. Writing them feels
incredibly natural. But there's not as much difference between
my contemporary and historical books as you might think. Both
share the same lighthearted tone, the same quirky characters, the same
emphasis on finding the (unlikely) common ground between men and
women. Also, both will leave you smiling. Or maybe that
goofy grin is just my reaction when I find out someone has read my
books. I'm not sure.
JR - I
was looking over your list of historicals. I'm a sucker for westerns
and cowboys myself. Did you do a lot of research when you wrote
historicals and how do you incorporate your research into your books?
LP: I adore research. I find the details of popular history
fascinating, and have spent countless hours immersed in reference
books, period diaries, out-of-print medical texts, and reproduction
catalogs. I've hiked parts of the Oregon Trail, and I've dragged
the whole family along on visits to historical sites all over the
country. Research allows me a peek into my historical
characters' day-to-day lives, to discover real truths about human
nature, and to enrich my stories with a sense of verisimilitude.
Also to spend entire afternoons lounging at the library with a vintage
copy of Vogue and officially still be "working." It
doesn't get much better than that. As far as incorporating research into my stories goes...when
I'm writing, I try to become as fully involved in each character's
viewpoint as possible. If
I'm successful, the necessary historical details will emerge when
they're needed. So far, I've yet to have a grizzled miner pop
his bacon into the microwave, so I guess I've got it nailed.
TF &
JR - On your website you are quoted as saying, "True love awaits
everyone brave enough to reach for it." Many romances are based on the "happily ever after"
or "love at first sight" theories. Do you believe there is the perfect man or woman out there
waiting for their true love?
LP: Absolutely. True love is as real as bad hair days,
vanilla-fudge-swirl ice cream cravings, and PMS. (Okay, so
people who haven't experienced those things firsthand sometimes doubt
them. But everyone who's awakened with Bride of Frankenstein
hair, rolled pennies to buy Ben & Jerry's, or mainlined Advils and
chocolate-covered potato chips while sobbing over a Hallmark
commercial knows the truth.)
Statistically,
true love is twice as likely to occur as the fabled
I'm-starting-on-Monday diet. People fall in love -- and stay in
love -- every day. My husband and I are living proof (thanks,
honey). We might not wrangle babysitting very often, but for the
past fifteen years we've been pretty much inseparable. We'll
move heaven and earth to stay that way. Come to think of it,
that might be the secret to lasting love. Either that, or
separate bathrooms.
JR - In
PERFECT TOGETHER, you take a has-been actress trying to jump start her
career and a sportscaster and put them on a dating show. I have to say
that this really made for some funny moments between the two of them. How
much fun was PERFECT TOGETHER to write?
LP: PERFECT TOGETHER was a hoot for me to write! From the
first page, Jake endeared himself to me (or maybe his buffed-up bod
and sexy smile just turned my head...I reserve the right to change my
mind). Marley began as a foil for her twin sister Meredith,
whose story I intended to write first. But as soon as Marley appeared on the page, she won me over
with her determination, warm-heartedness, and bafflement over pink
polyester waitress uniforms. Once I added in Jake's son, Noah,
Marley's posse of crazy showbiz staffers, and the unpredictable
Madison clan, I was hooked. I hope and pray readers will feel
the same way. My heartfelt goal is that PERFECT TOGETHER will
meet lots of nice readers, settle down, and find eternal bliss on
several lovingly dusted bookshelves (which rules out my own,
unfortunately, since they're usually covered in fluff).
TF: Your
recent books contain plenty of humor. Are you by nature a "class
clown" type or does the humor come slowly as you write?
LP: All right, who told you about the incident with the purple
culottes and the karaoke machine? The dancing hamster was *not*
mine! Actually...humor is completely accidental to me. I
had no idea I could write anything (at least on purpose) that would
make people laugh, so the fact that I've wound up here, with my job,
is as much a shock to me as anyone. I populated every early
manuscript's first chapter with dead bodies (drama!, I thought).
I can't tell a joke to save my life, and I'd sooner sniff glue than
attempt a pratfall. It wasn't until I essentially gave up, and
quit trying to be A Serious Writer, that I discovered romantic
comedies. By now, I've learned a few tricks of the trade, but
mostly I rely on instinct. Let me tell you, instinct is
veeerrrry slow going.
JR - You
gave Jake and Marley (by the way did you ever watch Another World with
Jake and Marley on it?) some real issues to deal with, especially when
it came to Jake's son. In real life, we're all thrown these curve
balls that we weren't expecting. Do you try to base your romances on
real-life situations that we all come across?
LP: Another Jake and Marley? Can't be! No, I haven't
seen "Another World," but now I'm intensely curious.
Anyway, yes...I do try to base my stories and characters on situations
and emotions everyone can relate to. Who hasn't (especially when
faced with a real-life, sock-strewing, beer-guzzling boyfriend)
yearned to create the ultimate man (MAKING OVER MIKE)? Who
hasn't struggled to find their place in the world, despite an offbeat
family or a talking wallet (FALLING FOR APRIL)? Who hasn't
desperately needed to prove they're over an ex-boyfriend -- especially
when said ex-boyfriend is nearby (RECONSIDERING RILEY)? The
situations my characters find themselves in are sometimes off the
wall. Their perspectives on those situations are sometimes
kooky. But at the end of the day, everyone wants to be loved for
themselves...and in my books, everyone is.
JR &
TF - In September you have THE MATCHMAKER coming out, then next June
THE PERFECT SWITCH. Are these contemporary comedies as well?
LP: THE MATCHMAKER is a whimsical historical romance set in 1880s
Arizona Territory, about a group of diehard bachelors who team up to
stop the mysterious, meddlesome matchmaker who's wreaking havoc on
their peaceful town. She's encouraging the women to take charge
of courtship themselves, which is more than these traditional-minded
males can stand. They don't have a clue, of course, what they're
really in for when they wrangle with the independent Crabtree sisters.
Writing an Old West "battle of the sexes" story was lots of
fun.
PERFECT
SWITCH is a follow-up to PERFECT TOGETHER, featuring Marley Madison's
twin sister, Meredith. Bored by her job as an L.A. historian,
Meredith decides to snag a piece of the limelight for herself and
takes her famous sister's place for what she thinks is a free weekend
stay at a posh resort. Instead, she winds up tutoring tourists
at Valentine Studios' actor fantasy camp...and tangling with hunky
entrepreneur Tony Valentine, who expects tomboyish Meredith to stand
in for super-glam Marley. That's a tall order, even for a
modern-day Cinderella like Meredith! She gets a lot more than
she bargained for, including a steamy romance. I'm knee-deep in
the story right now, and I'm really excited about it.
JR &
TF - Thank you for taking time out to visit with us here at The
Romance Reader's Connection. We look forward to future books by Lisa
Plumley and wish you the best of luck with PERFECT TOGETHER.
Thanks
Jen and Tracy! I've had fun with your interview. I hope
TRRC's visitors have just as much fun reading it!
Best
wishes, Lisa
(Click
here for a review of PERFECT TOGETHER)
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