Thursday, February 6, 2014

Book Tour: Notes from Nadir by Lisa Maliga Interview & Giveaway



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: 


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