Overlords fans, I'm sorry to say that today is the last day of the ARIA Blog Tour. However, that still means we have one more great author to hear from! I saved Christine DePetrillo for today since I'll be her school today to whip her students into a frenzy during a wild Monster Creation session.
Mike:
Hi, Christine.
I’m happy to have yet another Association of Rhode Island Author (ARIA) to
introduce to my Overlords fan base. As
with the others, we’re going to do an old fashioned interview. Here we go!
Mike: Christine, please introduce yourself to my
Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.
Christine: I’d like to say I’ve lived for hundreds of
years and I’m from Transylvania, but sadly, that’s just not true. The reality
of it is that I’ve been teaching fifth grade for the past 15 years during the
day and by night, I love hanging out with my characters. I’ve lived in Rhode
Island all my life, but look forward to calling Vermont my home in the future.
Mike: What are you working on
these days and what’s the current status of that project?
Christine: Right now I’m working on my Maple Leaf Series,
a set of contemporary romances set in Vermont. The first is titled MORE THAN
PANCAKES and tells the story of a maple syrup company owner and a hotel
designer. He’s quiet country. She’s busy city. They couldn’t be more different
and yet… there’s something pulling them together. I’ve written book two in this
series and am now tackling book three. I hope to release the books in quick
succession this summer.
Mike: You have collaborated with your husband, Mike
(a standup guy I must say!), in the past.
Can you tell us how that experience worked?
Christine: My husband, Mike, is a standup guy! I’ve never
met a Mike who wasn’t. Our collaboration was fantastic. We’ve worked on many
projects over the years including home improvement and landscape design and
those experiences have all been marked by respect of each other’s ideas and a
drive to reach the finish line. Working with him on writing was no different.
We each brought our strengths to the table. He’s great with plot, and I love
developing characters. I’m really pleased with how our book, A LESS PERFECT
UNION, came together.
Mike:
You’re an elementary schoolteacher by day. How do you decompress and write after dealing
with young kids all day!?!
Christine: Having a transition plan helps. When the
school day is over, I come home, do any remaining school business that needs
doing, then take my enormous German Shepherd for a long walk through our
neighborhood. We spend about 45 minutes walking and during that time, I’m
actually walking with my characters too. I hear their voices so clearly as we
meander through the ‘hood and when we return home, I’m ready to hit the keyboard
and write those happily ever afters.
Mike: You have a thing for
werewolves. Please elaborate!
Christine: Some of my best friends are werewolves! I love
animals of all kinds, especially wolves, and the notion of someone being part
wolf—and by “someone” I of course mean a hot guy with ripped abs and serious
biceps—is really exciting to me. I actually got my all-black German Shepherd
because he resembles a werewolf.
Christine: Adult contemporary romance is my favorite
genre, but I’m easily swayed to write other things. This is part of my dilemma
in branding myself as an author. I’ve got to pick something and stay there. I’m
trying to do that with my Maple Leaf Series, but The Voices come from all
genres and I’m a slave to the stories they ask me to write.
Mike: Any upcoming projects we should know about?
Christine: I’m really focusing on the Maple Leaf Series
and seeing where that takes me. I’ve recently written a teaching book too, so
I’m gearing up to do some professional development workshops centered around
teaching writing at the elementary level.
Mike:
OK, time for some quick ones, ready? Favorite movie?
Christine: When
Harry Met Sally. My favorite line from that movie is when Billy Crystal goes to
Meg Ryan at the end and says, “When you realize you want to spend the rest of
your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as
possible.”
Mike:
Favorite food or dish to make?
Christine: Pizza. Totally boring I know, but I could eat
it every day. No joke.
Mike:
Favorite place you have ever visited?
Christine: Alaska. Best trip ever. I’d go back in a
heartbeat.
Mike: Favorite music band?
Christine: Metallica
Mike: Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of
yours!
Christine: Umm, all of them? Okay, okay. I’ll give you
one of my favorite books to use with my students—TUCK EVERLASTING, by Natalie
Babbitt. It toys with the notion of eternal life.
Mike: Christine, thanks for being such a good
sport! Is there anything you would like
to leave my fans with?
Christine: Always make time to read. It’s a great
escape. Thanks for having me, Mike!
Mike: Christine, the pleasure was all ours! And Overlords fans, thanks for taking this five-day journey with me to meet some of Rhode Island's best authors. Please visit Christine's websites and purchase some of her books!
Christine's websites:
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com
for adult romance
www.christymajor.weebly.com for
YA romance
www.christineteaches.weebly.com
for teaching writing
www.goodwinreed.weebly.com for
political fiction
2 comments:
You got to love a romance novelist whose favorite band is Metallica! You rock, Christine!
I try not to be stereotypical, Mike. :)
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