- We Are So Pleased to Have Celia Bonaduce, Author of
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The Merchant of Venice Beach & Comedy of Erinn
(out in Sept.)
Rad-Reader: What made you decide to become a writer? How and when did you realize you wanted to do it?
Celia: Both my parents were professional TV writers, so I never had a “light bulb” moment when I figured “hey, I should try writing. It always seemed like an option, and I wrote for several animated series a few years ago, but making the big leap to novelist is recent!
Rad-Reader: Tell our readers about yourself… Is there anything personal, you the writer, would like to share with our readers that they would find interesting. Something no one knows about you? How about something personal?
Celia: I’ve had a great professional life, but it has been filled with ups and downs. I started out in Children’s’ Programming and worked on Hey, Arnold, and Chalkzone at Nickelodeon and then moved on to being a producer and director for various lifestyle shows at HGTV. I’m a pretty good seamstress and actually got my first job as a producer on an HGTV show called SIMPLY QUILTS more because I knew how to sew rather than I knew how to produce. A few years ago, I decided I wanted to try writing a novel because I only wanted to produce lifestyle programming and not REALITY TV. I took a break from TV work (and TV work took a break from me) and wrote THE MERCHANT of VENICE BEACH and the follow-up A COMEDY OF ERINN. As soon as I was finished, I got an offer to work on ABC’s EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION – a show I adored and when that was canceled, I moved right onto HGTV’s House Hunters, which is one of the longest running shows and fun shows on cable. It’s also a dream job – travel, people, and houses. What’s not to like? So, it appears for a while, I’ll be doing both producing and writing – and I couldn’t be happier!
Rad-Reader: Where do you get your inspirations? How did you create the characters for your current book?
Celia: Inspiration comes out of the blue – and is always a surprise. You can’t force it. My sister-in-law always regaled me with stories about her dance lessons. One Christmas, she said that her dance instructor had quit and hadn’t told her. She was so upset she went into therapy. I thought this was fascinating – and it led to THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BEACH
Rad-Reader: What genres do you like to write and which do you write the most of?
Celia: While my publisher thinks of me as a “contemporary romance writer”, I think of myself as a humorist.
Rad-Reader: What about your characters? Are any of them real? You know based on real people you’ve known or at least some of their traits?
Celia: I call my characters “blender people” – I take traits from several different REAL people to create my fictitious characters. I think it’s really helpful to have a solid base in reality to which you can refer. If you don’t think ANY of the people you are using to form a character would react the way you want to character too – you’re probably barking up the wrong tree.
Rad-Reader: Out of your books do you have a favorite character? And why? If your book was to become of a movie who would you cast as your lead characters? Or was there an actor in mind as you wrote each character?
Celia: I love my characters – the good guys and the bad guys. I think my favorite character is Erinn, the oldest Wolf sister and the heroine in book two of The Venice Beach Romance Series. She is just so – valiant, and yet would never describe herself that way. I don’t think of actors when I’m writing, but I think Janeane Garofalo would make a great Erinn and maybe Amy Adams as her sister Suzanna.
Rad-Reader: How many books do you have out?
Celia: I have one book on the market now – THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BEACH, but its part of a trilogy called THE VENICE BEACH ROMANCE SERIES. My second book, A COMEDY OF ERINN will be out in September – and whenever I finish MUCH ADO ABOUT MOTHER, that will wrap up the series.
Rad-Reader: Any other genres you want to try that you are just too afraid to?
Celia: I’m a pretty bold individual, so I wouldn’t say there is a genre I’m afraid to try, exactly. I would love to do an historical novel of some kind. I love the idea of spending a huge chunk of time researching a story. But that will probably have to wait until I don’t have a full time job!
Rad-Reader: Do you have a day job that allows you to write and give you great insight into your writing?
Celia: My day job as a lifestyle producer gives me insight into the human condition every day! The great news is, every person has a wonderful story to tell!
Rad-Reader: What other projects aside from writing can you tell us about?
Celia: When I went to write THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BEACH – about a woman who falls for her emotionally unavailable dance instructor, I realized I knew nothing about the culture of a dance studio. I started taking lessons and I got hooked. I would love to do a TV series about dance. It’s on my professional bucket list!
Rad-Reader: What do you get to do during you down time for fun?
Celia: My days on SIMPLY QUILTS left me with an absolute passion for sewing. I make quilts whenever I can (especially baby quilts) – I also use sewing as avoidance. I sew when I should be writing!
Rad-Reader: Did you self-publish or go to a publisher? If so why? Was it hard and what would you recommend to up and coming writers on how to go about it?
Celia: It took me two years to get an agent and another year to get a publisher, so I definitely took the long route. But it was important to me to go with an established publisher, Many of my friends have self-published, but they universally seemed to hit a wall with sales and had no back-up. When trying ANYTHING new, I think it’s important to find the experts!
My advice to up and coming writers (although I feel weird giving advice, since I consider myself to be “up and coming”) is to make sure you have a tough skin and don’t shrink from rejection. When someone turns down your book, your life is exactly the same as it was before you opened that envelope, or read that email. But when someone says “yes” – everything changes. It’s always worth the risk.
Rad-Reader: Do you have any hopes and dreams for your future as a writer?
Celia: My dream is that one day I can write faster, so I can write more! There are a million stories out there, and at my pace, I’ll be lucky if I can tell one a year!!!!
Would you like to say something to encourage our readers to read your books?
I feel my characters are quirky, charming. Relatable and vulnerable their own ways. They’re fun to hang out with and I don’t think you’ll be sorry you met them.
Rad-Reader: Finally: How can we get in touch with you? Do you have a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Web page...?
Celia: Yep! Got all that good stuff!
Website: http://www.celiabonaduce.com/
Twitter: @celiabonaduce
Instagram: Yocelia
Media: http://www.celiab.name/
Amazon to purchase The Merchant’s of Venice Beach
THANK YOU
No, Thank You so very much for being our very first interview. It has been our great pleasure. Continued Success and I can't wait to finish
Comedy of Erinn :)
1 Rad Reader Reviews Family
No, Thank You so very much for being our very first interview. It has been our great pleasure. Continued Success and I can't wait to finish
Comedy of Erinn :)
1 Rad Reader Reviews Family
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