#Blog Tour & #Review: The Merchant of Venice Beach by Celia Bonaduce

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The Rollicking Bun–Home of the Epic Scone–is the center of Suzanna Wolf’s life. Part tea shop, part bookstore, part home, it’s everything she’s ever wanted right on the Venice Beach boardwalk, including partnership with her two best friends from high school, Eric and Fernando. But with thirty-three just around the corner, suddenly Suzanna wants something more–something strictly her own. Salsa lessons, especially with a gorgeous instructor, seem like a good start–a harmless secret, and just maybe the start of a fling. But before she knows it, Suzanna is learning steps she never imagined–and dancing her way into confusion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Currently a Field Producer on HGTV’s House Hunters, Celia Bonaduce’s TV credits cover a lot of ground – everything from field-producing ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to writing for many of Nickelodeon’s animated series, including Hey, Arnold and Chalkzone. An avid reader, entering the world of books has always been always a lifelong ambition.

www.celiabonaduce.com | twitter.com/celiabonaduce

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review:

Bonaduce’s contemporary romance follows our characters in California, but it’s the California without all the entertainment and fame. I love how the story is an exploration of relationships. It also reminded me of one of my favorite movies, “Bridget Jones’ Diary.” It has all the same makings just less of the single angst. Those who love beautifully written stories and fun characters with something to learn from them will love. After all love takes time, Bonaduce teaches that there has to be patience and understanding. I look forward to reading more of this author’s works.

Interview

1. Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

I had an interesting childhood.  My parents bought and remodeled a 100 year-old schoolhouse way out in the Pennsylvania countryside, not far from Valley Forge.   My brothers and I grew up surrounded by dairy farms.  My parents were TV writers and were bi-coastal for many years.  By the time I was 15, we were living full time in Los Angeles. California, leading an entirely different kind of life!

2. Tell us about your book?

My first book, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BEACH, is part one of a trilogy called THE VEÑICE BEACH ROMANCES.  The books focus on a family of very strong-willed women.  “The Merchant” is Suzanna, a 32-year-old woman who decides she needs to make some big changes in her life…including having an affair with a hot dance instructor who doesn’t seem the least bit interested in her. Did I mention she is strong willed?

Book 2, A COMEDY OF ERINN, centers around Suzanna’s older sister, the know-it-all and anti-social Erinn and book 3, MUCH ADO ABOUT MOTHER, brings the matriarch, Virginia, into the mix. While my books are officially slated as “romances”, I think of them more as “romantic comedies” – because I like to think that first and foremost, the reader is going to get a laugh or two out of them.

3. How did it get started?

My sister-in-law, a very practical and pragmatic paralegal had been taking dance lessons for years when she found out her tango instructor had quit the studio without saying goodbye.  She was so upset by this betrayal, that she went into therapy.  I thought that was just fascinating and kept trying to come up with a scenario that made some sense to me.  When I finally had something – I realized I had a pretty cute story to tell.

4. How do you create your characters?

My characters are usually a composite of people I know in my real life.  A dash of this person, a dash of that person and voila!  A CHARACTER is born!

5. What got your started in writing?

I had been a field producer in lifestyle programming – house renovation, gardening shows, cooking programs – for about ten years, when reality TV started increasing in popularity.  I had no interest in that sort of programming (I had no plans to Keep Up with The Kardashians), so I thought I would try my hand at writing.  I’m now working on a great show – House Hunters for HGTV and writing novels, so I have the best of both worlds.

6. Where do you write? Is there something you need in order to write (music, drinks?)

The perfect environment for me to write is in my home office, in front of my giant monitor, with absolutely no noise.  Just me and the keyboard.  However, since I’m constantly traveling for work, I have had to learn to write in airports, in hotel rooms and on planes.  It’s been a real challenge, but deadlines are not going to wait until I have the luxury of writing at home!

7. How do you get your ideas for writing?

I never really think about “getting an idea” – there will always be some observation that surprises me and then I make up a story around it.  Case in point:  I live in Santa Monica, CA and I was recently riding my bike by the Santa Monica Carousel, where a man was concentrating on cleaning one of the carousel horses.  I thought that was so interesting.  As I continued down the bike path, I thought about how that man might have gotten to that point in his life.  By the time I got home, I had the beginning of a new storyline.

8. What do you like to read?

I’m a sucker for great, funny writing –  Neil Simon, Nora Ephron, Steve Martin, Fannie Flagg and the newer writers like Joshilyn Jackson (who probably doesn’t consider herself a comedy writer, but her dialogue always makes me laugh – she’s just great!)

9. What would your advice to be for authors or aspiring in regards to writing?

Visualize writing as something more than a dream.  Sit down every day and write. You can’t sell a dream – you have to have pages.

10. Anything else you’d like to share?

I’m actually a pretty good quilter!