I Wrote it My Way - Bonnie Trachtenberg

It's time for another lovely author to visit Miriam's Ramblings! In fact this is long overdue, but with holidays and life in general, blogging has been swept aside in recent weeks.
 
Welcome Bonnie, from across the pond - I am really delighted to have you here in Appley Green land!
 

Bonnie Trachtenberg is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of Wedlocked: A Novel and Neurotically Yours: A Novel. She writes a monthly relationship and advice column for LoveaHappyEnding.com. Bonnie was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club and has written seven children’s book adaptations. She has also written for three newspapers and penned countless magazine articles. She lives in New York with her husband, four cats, and a dog.

 

Bonnie explains her journey to writing her award-winning novels.
 

'I’ve always been a sucker for a good romantic comedy, whether through the books of Jennifer Weiner, Janet Evanovich, Marian Keyes and others, or at the movies watching “When Harry Met Sally,” “Something’s Got to Give,” or “Pretty Woman”. Let’s face it, real life can be sad, frustrating, and maddening at times, so I never seek out depressing or gut-wrenching stories no matter how good they are. I’m sure I’ve missed out on some great books and movies, but somehow I know I’m better off. Smiling is a priority for me. If I want misery I’ll turn on the news!

When I decided to pen my first novel, I realized I’d be spending many long days and nights holed up in the “alternate universe” I was creating. I also knew that if I was going to find my stay there a pleasurable experience, it had better be a romantic comedy! Luckily, since I was writing a story based on my first brief, disastrous marriage (Wedlocked), I had the perfect material. I never even gave the genre selection a second thought. Romantic comedy wasn’t just the right decision; in actuality, it really wasn’t a decision at all. It was completely organic. And as I developed my characters and wrote witty dialogue, I found myself giggling, swooning, and truly enjoying myself. Nothing is more entertaining to me than a good romance with lots of laughs, so for me, romantic comedy was a natural fit!'

We certainly do all need cheering up after following the news these days; although I don't write 'rom-coms' myself, I agree with Bonnie. Even in a reality novel, humour is vital to give the reader a lift and maybe provide an escape to a better place.

 

Thanks again!

Learn much more about Bonnie at her website: http://www.BonnieTrachtenberg.com

Read her advice column at: http://www.loveahappyending.com/category/in-search-of-a-happy-ending/
Find her on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/BonnieTrachtenberg
Follow her on Twitter: @Writebrainedny

Buy Wedlocked

Amazon: http://is.gd/2XLInB
Amazon UK: http://is.gd/hIKHRa
Barnes & Noble: http://is.gd/t8Izux

Buy Neurotically Yours

Amazon: http://amzn.to/HY4PyF
Amazon UK: http://is.gd/e14qU0
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/KumteQ

I Wrote it My Way - Janice Horton

You may remember (it was less than a couple of weeks ago!) that I invited Darlene Jones to tell us how she decided on her chosen genre. It was fascinating to hear what inspired her. Now I am delighted to welcome my second guest! Come on in, lovely Janice Horton!

I met Janice at the Summer Audience, Love a Happy Ending eventheld in Tetbury. She lives in Scotland and, interestingly, was previously traditionally published but now writes as an Indie.

As described in her Author Bio, she 'writes Scottish set romantic novels with humour and heart.' This sounds like a special sub-genre! Rom-com but has to be Scottish!  Her new book 'How Do You Voodoo' does not actually sound at all Scottish, but you may have heard of her Kindle bestselling ebooks 'Bagpipes & Bullshot' and 'Reaching for the Stars'. I read the first and it certainly made me chuckle. You can tell from the title that this is going to be humorous as well as romantic, and it surely is.

Janice tells how she was drawn to write this kind of book.

'My favourite books have always been upbeat contemporary romance stories about love, life, and adventure. I want to escape into a book and to be whisked away to a place where amazing things can happen and love can always be found. Humour is such an important part of life that it is also an essential ingredient in the kind of books I love to read and in those I write. I enjoy reading about people and situations larger than life so you will always find interesting and eccentric characters in my novels too. The ideas for my stories are usually sparked by something that has happened in real life that has the effect of putting my imagination into overdrive!

My romantic and magical novella How Do You Voodoo? is being launched in October and is a fun contemporary story. It’s about a beautiful but lonely and loveless young woman, a top model, who starts to think being beautiful is a curse. But after a ‘spat’ with another passenger on a flight back from the Caribbean, after which her looks immediately begin to fade, she starts to believe she really has been cursed! How Do You Voodoo? is being launched on Friday 26th October. See my blog for more on how to take part in The Spellbindingly Fun Blog Party to celebrate the launch!'

Find out more about Janice and her novels:

Author Blog: http://www.janicehortonwriter.blogspot.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter: @JaniceHorton
Like her Author Facebook Page
Featured Author & Associate Editor at: Loveahappyending.com

Link to her ebooks on Amazon.co.uk

Link to her ebooks on Amazon.com

 

Thank you Janice. I wonder who will be my next author visitor and what kind of book they write - and why?