Danielle is currently on holiday so I have been left to fill her rather massive shoes! Today, we have a trifecta of Brooke Moss goodies. A review of her debut novel The What If Guy, a giveaway where you can win a paperback copy of the novel and now, we have an interview with the lady herself! It’s part of her blog tour, so we hope you enjoy the interview (I did) and do remember to pick up a copy of her novel ASAP!

1. Can you tell Chick Lit Reviews readers a little about your path to publication?

First off, thanks for having me here today! What a pleasure.

I’ve been writing stories and books my entire adult life, but have been working towards publication for about four years. Entangled publishing was the last publishing company I submitted to. I’d started toying with the idea of self publishing, because I was feeling really ready to move on to my next project. When they requested a full, I didn’t think much about it. I’d been in that position before, so I didn’t allow myself to get excited. (Which is so not the norm for me—I was born excited.) When the managing editor emailed me a week later, I assumed it was another rejection, and avoided opening the email. Once I finally did, and realized it said that she wanted to speak to me, I didn’t quite know what to do with myself. I felt completely numb. The entire conversation with the managing editor, Heather Howland, is a total blur. I know that at one point I told her she could pay me with a pet pony. It was very surreal.

2. You also mention you have written a total of six books. Do you plan to publish those as well?

I do! I have a trilogy (women’s fiction) coming out through Entangled Publishing in the summer of 2012. And another novel I am hoping to sell sometime this year. One of the aforementioned books is my first book, which is a 200K epic saga that should probably never see the light of day. It has some wonderful elements, but is overall not fit for human consumption. I don’t know of any published author who would willingly put out their very first novel. It’s one of those, If I knew then what I know now kind of things.

3. Are those all primarily women’s fiction as well?

I bounce between Women’s Fiction and Contemporary Romance. I’m hoping to carve out my own niche in the genre-verse someday. In my books, I enjoy having the emotional content and juicy subplots of a women’s fiction, with the lighthearted voice, sexiness, and H.E.A. (happily ever after) of a contemporary romance. I love a good women’s fiction to read, but I crave a good H.E.A., and many authors of WF don’t wrap things up with a pretty bow. I say, why not have the deep emotional content and throw in an H.E.A.?

4. What’s been your favorite part of becoming a published author?

Wow. Besides just having the amazing confirmation that I am doing what I was meant to do? It’s strange to write stories from the time I was eight or nine years old, and to finally be able to say, “I made it!” I also really enjoyed seeing my incredible cover, and the blurb I got from Jane Porter (Flirting With Forty)…it was like seeing my story come to life! Amazing. Also, it has been really incredible to show my kids, especially my daughter, that a woman can have a family and chase their career dreams, too. What a great thing to teach my kids!

5. Do to the fact that your mother was a librarian and an obvious influence on your reading habits in your youth, which were your favorite books to share with each other when you were young?

My mother worked at the Fairfield Library (yes, I really grew up there), which was across the street from our house growing up. Every day after school, I would come home, grab a snack, kick off my shoes (I swear I spent 75% of my childhood barefoot) then walk across the street to visit with her. My mother was a children’s librarian, so she did storytime every week. I not only had the chance to read hundreds of classic children’s stories, but was able to have them read aloud to me by my mother. My favorites were Poor Gertie by books by Larry Bograd, anything by Aliki, and all of the Berenstein Bears books. (My nickname was Bear) When I was a teen, I read a lot of Judy Blume, the Babysitters Club and the Sweet Valley High books. My mother is an adult fiction reader, and doesn’t understand my need for a happy ending, but brought home Home Song by LaVyrle Spencer on the off chance that I would like it. I was instantly hooked on romance novels after that.

6. Coming from a family of all girls myself I wonder, if you had had sisters how do you think things would be different than growing up with two older brothers?

I only had brothers! In fact, I resented that fact so much that I “invented” two sisters. Their names were Ellen and Paige, and I cut pictures out of a magazine and framed them. When I showed the pictures to one of my brothers, he said, Hey, she’s cute, and it made me mad. She was supposed to be our sister. I threw the pictures away after that. I always envisioned growing up with sisters to be an endless slumber party with fingernail painting and lots of pink everywhere. Maybe that was because growing up with brothers meant I was surrounded by G.I. Joe dolls and Star Wars Figurines. SIGH

7. Do you feel growing up in a home with two brothers propelled you into a life of enjoying women’s fiction over other genres? Or was it something else, if so what was it?

Actually, I do. When I was a kid, things in our home weren’t always easy, so I practiced a lot of escapism. Reading romance and women’s fiction provided an escape from the real world, and it blossomed into a hobby, which eventually led to my career. One of my brothers is a writer, too. He is still unpublished, but won’t be that way for long. He writes the most amazing adult fiction ever. He, too, adopted the need for escapism.

8. How do you think small town life compares to life in a big city?

I think growing up in a small town was difficult for me, because I wasn’t your typical athlete/cheerleader type. (though I did try…I have the horrible pictures to prove it) So because there weren’t many extra-curricular activities offered, I didn’t feel like I fit in. However, times have changed, and now that I am a full fledged city girl, I have come to love the small town of my youth! There are all sorts of programs available now that weren’t in place before, and I’ve really developed a respect for small town life. Tight knit communities take care of one another. You know the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”? That was written about small towns! If I were raising my children in Fairfield, I would have friends around me all the time, at a moments notice. There is a camaraderie in small towns that you just can’t get in a big city.

9. My hubby’s a huge “cheese” guy, so when I saw that you were also a fan I had to know…What’s your favorite kind of cheese?

LOL! That is the best question ever! Actually, my cheese tastes change from time to time. I tend to be an equal opportunity cheese lover. My motto is “leave no cheese behind”. But currently, my favorite would be Jamaica Jerk cheese, by Beechers, from the Pike Street Market in Seattle, Washington. It is AMAZING. Life changing. Try it…and email me. We’ll talk.

10. When can we expect to see your next novel?

Like I said, my trilogy will be out through Entangled Publishing in summer of 2012. We’re still ironing out titles, but think of it as: My Best Friend’s Wedding with a strong, emotional twist. Friends who are secretly in love torn apart by some ugly, painful secrets; a colorful cast of characters; and an impending wedding. Lots of tears. Lots of fun. I am also working on another single title that I hope to find a home for this year. Plenty more drama and laughs to come!

Find me elsewhere on the web at Website, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Thanks so much Brooke and don’t forget to buy her new novel The What If? Guy!

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