BLURB:
A Los
Angeles-based writer returns to her Midwestern home due to financial
difficulties. Moving back in with Mom, she lands a job at an online auction
site. From encountering wacky characters to dealing with unsympathetic
relatives, to her mother's health issues, the narrator struggles with being in
Nadir--the place and the state of mind.
EXCERPT:
From
Chapter 19 ~ The Boss of Bakery Bleu
I
met Gordon, a tall auburn haired man bordering on pudginess. He wore a navy
polo shirt with the golden-brown Bakery Bleu logo [a pair of crossed
breadsticks] above one of his manboobs. He shook my hand and sat down across
from me so he could see both me and all the baked goodies to the north.
"Do
tell me about yourself," he said in a hearty voice. His accent wasn't
local, that's for sure. He sounded English. Of course, I didn't think he wanted
to know about my personal history but about how valuable I'd be as a minimum
wage slave, I mean, employee. I smiled, and for once, I wasn't unhappy about
sitting across from the man even though he could only offer a part time job. I
pulled out a pale blue resume and handed it to him. He nodded and looked at it.
I knew he was probably surprised when he saw the word Dreamweaver on the bottom
where I listed a few web related things.
"You
had your own business," he studied that piece of paper atop the black
table. "You lived in Los Angeles…what're you doing here?"
Much
as I want to, I couldn't avoid that question. The man was scrutinizing me now.
I looked at his dark eyes, then down at the darker table. "Cheap rent. I
live with my mom."
He
had a genuine, hearty laugh. It sounded so wonderful after not hearing much of
it that year. And I laughed out loud myself. It was true, that cliché about
laughter being healthy.
"I
did too when I first moved here from London."
"Not
London, Kentucky?"
He
smiled broadly and I was feeling more comfortable with this man I had just met.
"England." He replied, though I knew the answer and he knew I knew
that he was from across the pond.
"The
people are so boring here," I said. Oops, not the kind of thing to say in
a job interview, especially as I was applying for a job where I'd be waiting on
those boring people. But somehow this didn't really feel like one. "I
didn't say that," I said.
He
leaned forward a bit, covered his ears, and replied, "I didn't hear
that!"
God,
we were like teenagers on a first date.
INTERVIEW:
1-Where did you get the idea for the novel?
After
completing my narcissist novel, I wanted to tackle a novel that was sort of
serious and sort of funny, but with sympathetic characters. As I was away from
California and in the cold Midwest, the idea of writing about that time and
place hit me. I decided to write the book like a series of notes, or even
journal entries, and came up with the Notes
from Nadir blog. I wrote a good portion of the book before I began posting
it.
2-Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever
change your title?
Even though some people don't know what the word
nadir means, I needed to use it as it accurately describes the tone and feel of
the book. I explain the title's meaning in the beginning of the book, right
after the Introduction.
3-Why did you pick this genre? What do you like
about it?
It's fiction and I love writing fiction of any
genre. I classify it as contemporary fiction although others would consider it
women's fiction since the protagonist is female.
4-Since becoming a writer, what’s the most
exciting thing to ever happen to you?
Being able to afford that hot red Lamborghini.
Yes, writing pays very well and investing in a sports car that will only
deteriorate in value is a very shrewd investment. OK, I'm kidding.
5-What book are you currently reading or what
was the last book you read?
The last novel is a Hollywood story about child
actors called Seeing Stars by Diane
Hammond. It's at once realistic yet she manages to show the vulnerability of
all the characters in this beautifully written book.
6-What is your writing process?
To sit down in front of the computer and write.
Usually this is done in the late morning as I don't like to write waaaay early
like some do. Sometimes I'll write in a notebook by hand. I also like to go for
long walks, get story ideas, and think even more about my characters. If I walk
in a crowded area, I observe the people around me and sometimes that triggers
something in a character or a place I might want to add. If walking in a less
populated area I'm mindful of my surroundings, but I also concentrate on my
current project.
7-At a book signing, do you just sign your name
or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?
I sign them with invisible ink.
8-What is something people would be surprised to
know about you?
I once temped at a bank and was in the vault for
several minutes because I had to pick up some keys. Yes, I thought about taking
the money. It was stacked up on the shelves in these big piles. However, it
occurred to me that one or two of the employees might notice it was missing
because these people count money all day long—even the coins.
9-How do you react to a bad review?
I read it the same way as I do any review. People
have varied opinions and with that in mind, I read the review.
10-How did you celebrate the sale of your first
book?
It was nice to see a number next to the title on
the Amazon reports page.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Lisa Maliga has been writing
ever since she learned how to put crayon to paper back in kindergarten. Since
then, she has learned to type and uses a laptop, citing it as way more
convenient. She still makes and uses her own soapy creations. You'll find more
about her work at:
NOTES FROM NADIR – Book
Links
GIVEAWAY:
Lisa will be awarding a PDF copy of Notes From Nadir plus their
choice of one of the following ebooks: Sweet Dreams, Diary of a Hollywood
Nobody, The Wilkes House Haunting, North of Sunset, South of Sunset or Out of
the Blue to one randomly drawn commenter at each stop during the tour, and a Grand
Prize of a Print Copy (US ONLY) of Notes From Nadir will be awarded to one
randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour.
The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The
tour dates can be found here:
Nice interview
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