1--What is the title of your latest release?
YOU SHOULD SMILE MORE
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
What happens when your resting bitch face is wide awake…at work?
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I was vague with the location of this story. I tried to make it nondescript so people could imagine it unfolding wherever they live because I think it’s a universal experience. Women face experiences unique to their gender in the workplace regardless of location.
4--Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely! Vanessa is a blast, and her co-workers Jane and Trisha are too. Her too-helpful mom, maybe not so much lol.
5--What are three words that describe your hero?
She’s sarcastic, loyal, and honest. She also has a need to make things right. She’s a strong woman who stands up for herself, and the book is about strong women in general and the ride-or-die friendships we all wish we had.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned that everyone has a ridiculous workplace story. So many people have told me they can relate to the awkward weirdness that Vanessa suffers through in her job. I wanted to make fun of it, exaggerate it a little, but I’ve heard some stories that would shock even Vanessa.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I definitely edit as I go. Each chapter gets a round of edits before I continue. That way, if there are major plot problems or issues with pacing, I’m more likely to catch them before they become a bigger problem later in the manuscript.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate croissants. I could eat them for every meal and never get tired of them.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
My office is my favorite place on earth. It has navy walls (my favorite color), a comfy couch, bookshelves, and lots of aquariums. I have 8 planted tanks with fish and shrimp in my office. The whole room has a calming feel that makes me want to be creative. It also has a resident cat.
10--Who is an author you admire?
My mom, first and foremost. She’s a writer, so I grew up around writers. I learned early what it takes to make a good story. My favorite non-familial author is Kurt Vonnegut.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It hit me in the chest when I read it for the first time, and I read it every year. Vonnegut’s angry and dark, yet somehow comedic, writing resonates with me strongly.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
The moment that really stands out for me was getting a call from an agent I had queried who had read my book and really liked it. After a lot of rejections, I couldn’t believe she wanted to represent me. It was the most surreal feeling. Then, when she called to say that I was being offered a contract, I kept thinking, “This can’t be real.” I’m so grateful to her and the publisher for taking a chance on me.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Comedy. The real world is scary enough, and I like my fiction to take me away from my day-to-day worries and help me relax.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Not a movie, but I loved the series Wednesday on Netflix and have watched it more than once. Her RBF is perfection.
15--What is your favorite season?
Summer, all the way. I hate being cold!
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Snuggled up with coffee and a good book. And my family. As an introvert, staying in is my favorite.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I currently binge podcasts like it’s my job. I have a lot of favorites, but my top two are Let’s Go to Court and Last Podcast on the Left.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love Thai food! I don’t get it very often so it’s extra exciting when I do.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I like to work with my hands. I make paper sculptures, paint, embroider, build miniatures, you name it. I also have a zoo of rescue animals that take up a lot of time.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
My next novel, Not Bad for a Girl, comes out in January 2024. It’s a comedy about a work-from-home office where a simple misunderstanding causes the main character to be mistaken as a man. This gives her the unique opportunity to see how her appearance and gender have impacted her ability to succeed at her job. Chaos, of course, ensues.
When Vanessa Blair is fired because of her "resting bitch face," her friends help her get revenge...
Telemarketer Vanessa Blair isn't in love with her job. It pays the bills and feeds her foster kittens, but offers only one other perk: her friendships with Jane Delaney and Trisha Lam. But, as mind-numbing as her job is, things are about to get worse. Xavier Adams, her self-absorbed boss, calls Vanessa into the conference room and fires her. The reason? Her facial expressions. Apparently, she has resting bitch face, and it doesn't matter that her sales numbers are stellar or that she organizes office events.
After a girls' night of schnapps and imaginary retribution, Vanessa awakens to find her friends bent on a revenge strategy based on the classic business book The Art of War by Sun Tzu. At first, Vanessa wants nothing to do with it. She wants to file for unemployment and move on with her life, possibly with Carter Beckett, the cute, cat-loving unemployment rep assigned to her case. But when Xavier contests her unemployment and ruins her shot at her dream job, Vanessa is all in…
Women's Fiction Family Life | Romance Contemporary [Sourcebooks Casablanca, On Sale: January 17, 2023, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781728253350 / eISBN: 9781728253374]
Anastasia writes about what she loves best: humor, coffee, and cats. She has several useless degrees and fills her time listening to True Crime podcasts. You Should Smile More is her first novel, focusing on what happens when your resting bitch face is wide awake...at work.
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