Monday, September 5, 2011

Beth Harbison: An Interview

Beth Harbison, author of Always Something There To Remind and Shoe Addicts Anonymous (to name just a few) was kind enough to join us on Chick Litaholic this week to answer all our questions. I recently reviewed her latest novel Always There To Remind Me: here

1. What was your inspiration for Always Something There To Remind Me?

It's about a woman who finds herself chewing and chewing on the ancient and unresolved remains of her first love relationship, to the point where it distracts her present life until she finds a way to resolve it.
It was inspired by me finding myself chewing and chewing on the ancient and unresolved remains of my first love relationship. Seriously. Had a dream about my first love, emailed him, which I've done periodically over the years, and expected to just feel weird for a few days and then get over it, as usual. But somehow this time we immediately starting tangling over who was the bigger jerk when we broke up and, at long last, the real reasons behind the break-up and the real feelings in the aftershocks. I went into the conversation half wondering if I'd ever really mattered to him. Now I know all the answers I needed to know, but it took months of back and forth. While I was in that process, I stopped the book I was writing and switched to this one, thinking I could put the crazy, angsty energy to good use. It nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. Truly.

2.  Wow it must have been a crazy time. You definatly got me and I'm sure many other readers thinking about past relationships! How has your writing changed from your first novel to now?

I don't know. It's gotten crisper, faster to the point, fewer superflous details, I think. Early efforts at novel writing tend to be pretty masterbatory - this is what I think, and this is how I think it and blah blah blah. That said, I think some of my old Silhouette romances contain some of my best writing.

3. What is your biggest challenge when it comes to writing?

Doing it. Every day.

4. I love all of your novels! Which of the novels you have written is your favourite?

ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME, and a Silhouette Special Edition called DRIVE ME WILD (another love story about coming home to the boy you never quite stopped thinking about....hmm.....I sense a theme).

5. A great theme at that. If you were sent to a deserted island and could only take three books with you, what would they be?

1. A SHORT HISTORY OF EVERYTHING by Bill Bryson - I keep meaning to read it but never feel I have time

2. THE SHELL SEEKERS by Rosamunde Pilcher, an all-time favorite 


 3. HOW TO GET OFF A DESERTED ISLAND by anyone but Gilligan, Skipper, The Professor, the Howells, Ginger or Maryann.

6. When your not writng what do you enjoy doing to relax?

Sitting poolside under a palm tree in Disney World, reading.

7. Sounds like my idea of heaven! If you weren’t writing novels what job do you think you would be doing now?

I'd work at Sephora. No, I'd OWN Sephora. Go big or go home, right?

8. Love your ambition. One of your novels, Shoe Addicts Anonymous is being made into a movie - can you tell us any news about it?

Everything is moving along at just about the pace everyone expected -- apparently movie-making takes forever and there are a million details that need attention along the way, but Halle Berry is signed to star and Paul Weiland is signed to direct, and I am delighted.

9. Sounds exciting - I can't wait until it's released. If you could choose any of your other novels to be made into a movie which would you pick and what would be your dream cast for it?



Actually, I think SECRETS OF A SHOE ADDICT would be a fun movie. I don't know who I'd cast, honestly, but I always love to watch Sandra Bullock and mid-80's Meg Ryan. So - them.

10. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Not really, beyond the usual "write" and "submit" - it's a pretty straightforward process, though definitely not easy.

11. Are you working on a new book at the moment and if so can you tell us a little bit about it?

WHEN IT DOUBT, ADD BUTTER - about a personal chef who cooks up way more than she means to...


Thankyou so much Beth for joining us! Its been a pleasure interviewing you

Dont forget you can visit Beth Harbison here

And you can purchase here novels here:





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