1--What is the title of your latest release?
MICKEY CHAMBERS SHAKES IT UP
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A widowed bar owner who, upon returning to college at 42, inadvertently hires the 33-year-old woman who turns out to be his teacher to help tend bar at his struggling establishment. He’s a grump and she looks for the sunnier side of life.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Columbus Georgia was an easy choice because this story is actually based on my time working at an Irish pub there. I only lasted a year at Scruffy Murphy’s but it made a huge impact on my life.
4--Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Yes! I feel like I can learn a lot from her can-do attitude. It might take her a little longer to reach her goals, but she works really hard to get there. She asks herself “can I do it?” and then dares herself to try.
5--What are three words that describe your hero?
Loyal, Protective, Hopeful
He’s very loyal to his late-wife, and strives to protect the legacy (bar) she left behind, but he feels increasingly more hopeful with Mickey in his life.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I had to learn how to put myself on a writing schedule. Since this book wasn’t under contract, I had to figure out how to write for myself. As an author with ADHD, I have to be a bit more aware of my time and build healthy work habits.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I have to wait until I finish a draft. If I edit throughout, I get easily distracted.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
We live above a Greek restaurant, and I love going downstairs for the occasional grilled lamb chop and pita.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
The spare bedroom has a desk for all my office supplies. I try to keep the desk as clear as I can… lol! But I’ve got all my craft books, notebooks, and pens at my disposal. I also keep a few novels on hand when I need to take a break and entertain myself.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Ruth Ware is my favorite mystery writer, an auto-purchase author I keep following. Of course, I enjoy the twists and turns she manages to pull off in her plots, but her character development is probably what keeps me coming back.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
When I read Ralph Ellison’s INVISIBLE MAN in college, it completely shifted my understanding on Black Existentialism. It meant a lot to read a novel that accurately described what it’s like to be Black in America. The ending is very ambiguous (purposefully), and I’ve always been haunted by that.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
The call couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. My husband and I had just moved to Sweden and I was unsure of what my next move would be. It was a weird transition at thirty-five. When Harlequin reached out about my novel, THE WRITE ESCAPE, they had developmental edits that they wanted to make sure I was okay with before proceeding. They let me know what they loved and what I could do to make my story stronger. I really appreciated the thoughtful approach they took to review my work. I remember trying to play it “cool” throughout the call but I probably still sounded a little too eager. I had to write copious notes while my editor spoke, because I knew I would hang up and forget everything in all the excitement. I celebrated hard, but then I got right to work.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
ROMANCE! And then a close second, comes horror and mystery.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
JAWS. I don’t have time to get into it, but it’s probably the greatest movie in American cinema.
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall. When you work in academia, autumn feels like a renewal, the start of something. Also, Halloween is my favorite holiday. There’s mystery and magic in the air.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
By eating and drinking well. I’m at the age where gifts aren’t all that necessary. Experiences are more valuable to me and I love celebrating with loved ones over a good meal.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’ve been enjoying dramas lately: The Diplomat (Netflix), Love and Death (HBO), and The Citadel (Amazon). Most of my favorite podcasts are about history: American History Tellers, American Scandal, and Against the Odds.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love Latin American and Caribbean food. Whenever I return to the United States, those are the spots I hit up first.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I watch A LOT of television and read tons of books. I’ve been good at entertaining myself with solo activities since I was a child, lol!
20--What can readers expect from you next?
My next book from Canary Street Press will be a jewelry heist story!
Total opposites. Totally irresistible.
Mickey Chambers is an expert at analyzing modern literature. But when it comes to figuring out her own story, she’s feeling a little lost. At thirty-three, she’s an adjunct instructor with a meager summer class schedule and too many medical bills, courtesy of her chronic illness. Picking up a bartending gig seems perfect. Sure, Mickey’s never done this before, but the gorgeous, grumpy bar owner, Diego Acosta, might be the perfect man to teach the teacher…if he wasn’t so stressed.
Diego is worried he’s running his late wife’s bar into the ground. Add the pressures of returning to college part-time at forty-two, and it’s no wonder he’s making rash decisions. Like hiring the sunny, sexy woman who looks more at home in a library than slinging beers to rowdy barflies, and who turns out to be teaching his online writing course, a complication neither was expecting…
It’s not long before Mickey starts reenergizing The Saloon with cocktails, karaoke and an optimism even Diego can’t ignore. They need to fight their feelings if they want to keep things professional, but all it takes is one sip, one kiss, to shake both their worlds forever…
Romance Multicultural [Canary Street Press, On Sale: June 6, 2023, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781335453556 / eISBN: 9780369734785]
Charish Reid is a fan of sexy books and disaster films. When she's not grading papers or prepping lessons for college freshmen, she enjoys writing romances that celebrate quirky black women who deserve HEAs. Charish currently lives in Sweden, with her husband, avoiding most forms of exercise.
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