1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE SPICE MASTER AT BISTRO EXOTIQUE
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
On the cusp of opening her flagship restaurant in Paris, an American chef faces disaster after disaster until she enlists the help of a wealthy spice master. Only caveat? She has to work with the woman’s infuriatingly talented (supremely handsome) and egotistical son.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I live in France—southwestern France, but my heart always leaps to Paris– it’s where I met my husband.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes. But only if we could belt out Taylor Swift songs while beating a hang drum and drinking red wine. (Um, I’m totally stealing this from the book.)
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Quirky. Feisty. Talented.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned how to make the best coconut ice cream ever—the recipe is included in the book.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I go along, which makes the writing process slower. I need those first lines, that first chapter, exactly right in order to move on. This process, although grueling and possibly a time-kill, works for me.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Dark Chocolate.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
Organized! I swear! A cat on my lap, an iMac in my face, and, aside from the cat’s purring, quiet.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Anne Lamott. She’s giving, inspirational, and doesn’t have to try to be cool. Bird by bird, word by word, she can carve out the most beautiful sentences.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The Giving Tree by Shell Silverstein.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
Actually, I have a bizarre publishing journey. I started with memoir and middle grade– had an agent, then didn’t have an agent. But I believed in myself, and my story, and I fought through the madness– word-by-word, rejection-by-rejection. Who was I to write a memoir? I wasn’t a celebrity. I was just me. But I did have a story to tell. A hook. Through a lot of teeth-grinding, I actually sold my first book, my memoir, Seven Letters from Paris, to Sourcebooks myself. When Anna, my then-editor, wrote back, asking to read the full, I screamed so loud my cat may have jumped out of her fur. When Anna emailed me three days later asking to set up the call, I knew what was going to happen. There was more screaming! More cat hair! When Anna offered to publish the book on the call, I had to clasp my hands over my mouth to withhold the screams. When we hung up, oh boy, did I dance like nobody was watching. (My cat hid). On a serious note, I knew I couldn’t write memoir forever and I made the move to women’s fiction, connecting with authors along the way. I knew I wanted and needed an agent to guide me through my writing journey. After my second memoir hit the shelves, I wrote The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux and queried it, focusing on my now agents, Kimberly Witherspoon and Jessica Mileo. I had about 20 queries out there, landing with four or five offers, and went with my dream team! More cat fur floated in the air and dancing ensued. There might be a video somewhere of me dancing. At any rate, the people I’ve connected with along the way made all of the difference.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I read across all genres, but I’m drawn to fun women’s fiction and thrillers with strong female leads.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall. I’m an October baby. I also like the weather—not too hot, not too cold, just right.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Funny, I just turned 35! (Reverse the numbers). We, the hubs and I, went to Corsica—ate well, visited 9 different beaches, and hiked/climbed a mountain. With that said, I like to travel and live to tell about my journey. That mountain! We shouldn’t have climbed the rocks—but the view was worth it. And we survived! Hi! Still here!
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Movie: The Queen’s Gambit (not new, but love this film)
Tv Show: The Ozarks or Dynasty (the remake– such a guilty pleasure—love Fallon!)
Podcast: Liz and Lisa! https://www.lizandlisa.com/podcast Best friends, books, and more! Love them! They tell it like it is…and fight so you don’t have to.
Books: Too many to list! But my favorite book is Life of Pi by Yann Martel—an excellent movie, produced by Ang Lee!
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I’m a huge fan of acovado, limes, and black beans. I’d go with Cuban. Or fusion—French fusion to be precise! Frexican! Frushi! Okay, I’m a foodie. I love everything except for salty fish like anchovies or sardines.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I scuba dive, preferably in tropical waters. I read—a lot! And I cook—making up recipes. Sometimes they work out perfectly, sometimes they don’t, but that’s life!
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m currently working on a rom-com and a thriller. Yep, at the same time. Sometimes it’s hard to switch gears, but I love driving outside of my lane – not in an actual car - and I’m a firm believer in expecting the unexpected! Thanks to writing, all the possibilities are endless, and we can create new worlds to explore.
Kate Jenkins doesn’t believe in fate. She believes in a clear vision, meticulous planning, and hard work in order to achieve her culinary dreams. On the cusp of opening her own Parisian restaurant, Bistro Exotique, she isn’t even concerned when her standoffish—and annoyingly sexy—neighbor dismisses her as a crazy American tourist or when she meets the wildly eccentric Garrance, the self-proclaimed Spice Master of Paris, who ominously warns her of the previous owner’s failures.
Confident and optimistic, Kate keeps calm and cooks on. Until a series of unfortunate events derail her plans and her entire staff quits.
Kate is about to throw in the kitchen towel on her lifelong dream when Garrance offers to use her mastery of scents and spices to help her, but it comes at a price: Kate must work with Garrance’s son, Charles, a world-class chef and total jerk. After Kate hesitantly concedes to the deal, she slowly learns to open her heart and mind to new concepts, not quite sure if the magic she’s experiencing comes from Garrance’s spices, from within herself, or from the growing chemistry with Charles. One thing is certain, though: her kitchen is getting increasingly hot.
Women's Fiction [Berkley, On Sale: December 6, 2022, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593546000 / eISBN: 9780593546017]
Samantha Verant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, at home French chef. She lives in southwestern France, where she's married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989 (but ignored for twenty years), a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to a ridiculously adorable French cat. When she’s not trekking from Provence to the Pyrénées or embracing her inner Julia Child, Sam is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations.
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