Love on the Lido Deck
Barbara Oliverio
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Scolapasta Press
Date of Publication: June 2, 2014
Number of pages: 240
Word Count: 72,180
Cover Artist: Lisa Hertzi
Available at the following retailers:
Amazon BN iTunes Smashwords
Amazon BN iTunes Smashwords
Excerpt:Sharp-witted, always-organized Keira Graham has traded in her high tech career as a systems analyst for the whirlwind world of event planning. As she builds up her fledging business, she learns that her widowed mother has news of her own – she has a serious gentleman caller! Is Keira ready for mom’s new romance?
When she gets a game-changing opportunity to organize a major event on a luxury Caribbean cruise, Keira turns to best pal chef Alexandria D'Agostino to help recruit famous chefs who will offer classes for foodies looking for fun in the sun as they gain cooking know-how. The cruise becomes a rollicking adventure for Keira, her sassy assistant Juliet, the entire D'Agostino clan, Keira's mother and other surprise guests. And has Keira meet her match in charismatic Cruise Director Brennan McAllister, who could have something more than keeping everything shipshape on his mind?
“Well, now that you mention it. How do you know he’s not after you for your money? It’s not exactly a secret that you’re wealthy.”
“Right, Keira. He found my name in ‘Rich Widows Monthly.’ We’re all posted in there.” My mother shook her head at me.
And my friends think I’M the snarky one!
“We met at church, if you must know.”
Right. Like men out to troll for rich widows wouldn’t haunt churches.
“He is the new director of family development programs at the archdiocese, and Father Anthony had him over for dinner at the rectory with those of us on the parish council.”
Oh. Rats. Who could argue with that pedigree? “How long have you been dating?”
“Six months.”
I jumped up.
“SIX MONTHS! AND YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT HIM? Not to mention I’m just hearing about him!”
“Keira! Again, we’re not children! We are intelligent enough to enter into a serious relationship. We’ve both been married before. He was widowed about the same time I was. And why would I need to bother you with all the gentleman callers I’ve had that weren’t serious when you’ve been so busy?”
I guiltily ignored the last part of that statement and pulled myself together.
“Does he have children?” I asked patiently.
“Why, are you worried that I’ll love them better than you?”
“Well, I WASN’T, but now that you mention it—”
“Calm down,” my mother said, smiling. “He doesn’t have children. And you know I couldn’t love anyone better than you.”
Interview:
Today, we welcome Barbara Oliverio, author of Love on the Lido Deck: A Nautical Romantic Comedy, to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give a great big Geeky welcome!
Thank you so much for having me here today. I appreciate your time.
Let's start with some writer specific questions before moving into the fun stuff. That way everyone can really get to know the person behind the writer. We will finish things off with round of Think Fast. Ready for the interrogation to begin?
Writing Specific
1. Is your writing style more plotter or pantser?
I write with a combination of both. (Is that cheating on the answer?) I create a sweeping outline of the story, but occasionally I let my characters go down a path that they prefer. I figure that they know their lives better than I do. Sometimes that works better, and sometimes I delete what I’ve written and go back to my own path. Also, I’m never afraid to add a piece to the story that bulks it up after the story has been completed.
2. When is your favorite time/place to write? Do you write structured or patchworked?
I’m a morning person, so I set a deadline of a minimum number of words per morning to write. Even if those words sometimes turn out to be just awful, I figure that I would rather put SOMETHING down than nothing. The story starts at the beginning and goes to the end for me. Even if I return to certain places and add parts, it always works better to work in the structure than to jump around.
3. Tell us something about yourself that's not in your bio.
I have an irrational fear of volcanoes. (I guess that means my husband can’t surprise me with a trip to Hawaii, right?) You might ask how a girl who grew up in West Virginia developed that, but it all started with reading a book. The boy in the story found a hole in the ground that turned into a volcano within days and his town was destroyed. Now the fact that I read the book when I was six – I was precocious – and it was science fiction probably had a little to do with it, but I’ve never been able to shake the fear.
4. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I read – a LOT. I also love the NYT crossword puzzle. My husband and I are sports fans, so we follow our favorite teams in the appropriate seasons: pro and college football, baseball, soccer, and recently lacrosse. We are also fans of well-written TV and movies. (Stay out of my way when Game of Thrones is on!)
5. How did you choose the genres you write in?
I wanted to tell a story where young women could be shown in a setting where they could be witty and fun and manage to live their lives while maintaining their values. I had also always been told that I have an ear for writing dialogue. Romantic comedy seemed to lend itself best.
Fun Stuff
1. What was the last movie/concert/show that you saw?
Denver has one of the last working drive-in theaters in the country! We packed up the pillows and popcorn and went to see Godzilla.
2. What was the name of the last book you read?
I always read several books simultaneously, so I just finished two books: Christianity and Democracy by Jacques Maritain (philosopher and expert on St. Thomas Aquinas) and The Fault in Our Stars (I finally got around to it!). I’m currently reading a book on screenwriting.
3. What is your biggest pet peeve? Inappropriate usage of apostrophes! I cringe every time I see a sign that says “Kid’s eat for Free”. Kid’s what? Another glaring mistake is “Its/It’s”.
4. You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?
Ooh. Luxury is in the mind of the beholder, I think. I would want the ability to read so either an e-reader full of books, or a library full of books. I’d want some method to watch all my favorite movies/TV programs. Finally, I would need a larder/refrigerator stocked with my favorite foods.
5. What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
My husband and I are pretty healthy eaters so you’ll find a lot of fresh veggies, yogurt, hummus, etc. Then there are the olives that I must ALWAYS have and good Italian cold cuts and cheese. Lots of bottled items needed for recipes since I love to cook. Apparently, I can only cook for a platoon, and my husband likes to say that our leftovers are better than a lot of people’s “first times” so you’ll find containers of leftover pastas, curry, chili, etc., ready to have a second night or take to lunch.
Think Fast
1. Elvis or Sinatra? Definitely Sinatra. The combination of those blue eyes and that baritone voice was just heart melting. I don’t want to offend the fans of the King, but Frank really was the better actor, too.
2. Meat or Veggies? I can’t give up my mother’s meatballs. Oh sure, I love my veggies on the side, but you’ll risk losing a hand if you reach for my steak.
3. Italian or Chinese? The food of my ancestors will always win out over ANY other cuisine. Pasta, lasagna, prosciutto – hey, I’m getting hungry right now!
4. Coffee or Tea? The smell of coffee brewing is very enticing, but I’m a tea drinker. I love a cup of hot black tea or a tall glass of iced green tea. If I’m in the South, definitely sweet iced black tea (“the house wine of the South”, as they say in Steel Magnolias.)
5. Print or Electronic? Mmm. Holding a brand new book and cracking it open for the first time is a heavenly experience. I’ve been reading since I was a tiny tot, so I’ll never lose that appreciation. I can understand the convenience of e-books, and, of course, I publish mine that way as well for people who like them, but if I could only choose one, print would win.
Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?
Keep reading books, and pass that love to any children in your lives. When we lose the desire/ability to sit and lose ourselves in a book, we will have lost a lot in society.
Giveaway:
Barbara will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Book Tour Info:
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:
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Straight from the Library
Author Bio:
Readers' Favorite Award™ Winner Barbara Oliverio is the daughter of Italian immigrants and grew up in North Central West Virginia with a love of reading and a passion for learning. Following a career path that included being a teacher, journalist, and marketer, she has lived as far away from home as Italy where she practiced her family's native tongue as well as took advantage of living near to other European countries to travel extensively. A rabid Pittsburgh Steeler fan, she lives with her husband, an equally committed New York Giants fan, in suburban Denver where off-football-season dinner conversation is calmer and is usually accompanied by a meal she cooks from one of her mother's treasured recipes. Other interests include New York Times crossword puzzles, good movies, and travel. She volunteers extensively for her parish and writes for its publications. She also teaches part-time for the St. Catherine of Siena Institute.
To connect with the author online:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Goodreads
Author Bio:
To connect with the author online:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Goodreads
A great interview thank you.
ReplyDeleteOur host was such an easy person to visit with and had some thought-provoking questions -- the interview was a lot of fun for me.
DeleteThank you so much for letting me drop by today! I look forward to chatting with folks that stop in to chat.
ReplyDeleteLove on the lido deck sounds like a fun romantic book. I would enjoy this read. Thank you
ReplyDeleteLinda -- I had fun researching and writing it -- hope you have fun reading it and trying some of the recipes, too! Have you been on a cruise?
DeleteThanks Rita! Friends of mine who have parents embarking on second-time-around relationships say this resonated with them. Anyone else out there in this position or know of situations like it?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting me today! It has been a great visit!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a good time. Thanks for hanging out and being available for questions. Good luck with the book. It sure sounds like a winner!!
DeleteI really like the cover and enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSerena91291 -- Thank you so much...my cover designer Li Hertzi is amazing. We had fun coming up with a design that made us feel like we were on the Lido Deck.
DeleteGreat interview, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi collenga -- thanks for stopping by! Judy came up with some good questions!
DeleteI really liked the interview....definitely helped me get to know the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Kimberly...You probably can tell that food is an important part of my life by the fact that I have included recipes in my first two books.
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