Interview of Author Charmaine Gordon

Today I'm please to present an interview of romance author Charmaine Gordon.

Latest Book: Breaking New Ground
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BIO:
An actor for many years, I worked on daytime drama, One Life to Live, Another World, All My Children and my first break came from Working Girl when director Mike Nichols cast me to sing Happy Birthday to Melanie Griffith, hold balloons and a big cake. Lots of fun at the break when Harrison Ford shared a hot dog with me and we sang, "Don’t Know Much about History.” More movies, one wonderful lunch with Anthony-call me Tony-Hopkins, and in Fatal Attraction I had a good conversation with Michael Douglas. Don’t Talk to the Stars but that never stopped me. They are people just like us. I was considered to be the best voice similar to Betty White so when a voice over was needed , I got the call. Work combined with fun.Toward the end of a run on an Off-Broadway play, I developed spasmodic Dysphonia and lost my precious voice. Goodbye to the sweet time and I became a writer.

Q: Your novel is being made into a TV series/movie. Who’s in your dream cast?
A: Julia Roberts has the best way to transition from housewife to survive and thrive becoming the woman she used to be. Beth Malone in To Be Continued is the part for her.

Q: What’s your writing schedule like? Do you strive for a certain amount of words each day?
A: Thousand words a day every day is my goal.

Q: What is the most important thing you do for your career now, as compared to when you first started writing?
A: Alas-promo, social media, write more books.

Q: Of all your characters, who’s your favorite, and why?
A: The widow Celia Brown is feisty and ready for romance at an advanced age. My kind of gal. Breaking New Ground is the book.

Q: If you could change something about your first book, what would it be?
A: I'd probably eliminate some of the characters in To Be Continued. What a cast!

Q: How do you choose names for your characters?
A: Names float in my mind whenever I need them.

Q: Give one advice tip to an aspiring author.
A: Write every day; tell your story and don’t despair over rejections.

Q: Out of your entire backlist, which book has the best opening line? What's the line?
A: In To Be Continued, Beth Malone has just had a night of passion with her husband of thirty-five years. In the morning she finds a note.
“Dear Lizzie, it’s not you, it’s me.”

Q: How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas?
A: Oh how they swirl.

Fun Stuff:
Q: What is your favorite holiday and why?
A: My birthday. I’m alive!

Q: What are two things people might be surprised to know about you?
A: I was a competitive tennis player for years-fierce. Now I build patios from found flagstone and plant flowers and hostas.

Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: Singer, actor, dancer. Triple threat.

Q: Favorite food.
A: Filet mignon followed by crème brulee. Yum.

Q: Favorite happy memory.
A: First love, marriage, too many kids and then he died suddenly after thirty seven of the best years ever.

Q: Favorite drink.
A: Half glass of Chardonnay then watch me tap dance on the table.

Q: Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?
A: Hot summer days, thanks.

Q: What is the top thing on your bucket list?
A: To live long enough to watch my youngest granddaughter grow up, have a career, get married and have a couple of kids. Of course as of today, she’s seven and I’m 84.

Q: If you could have a super power, what would it be?
A: Super power of health to give me long life.

Tell us where to find you:
Blog and website: https://authorcharmainegordon.wordpress.com/

Facebook page(s), etc. AuthorCharmaineGordon, Charmaine Gordon.author
Twitter @CharJGordon
Page at Publisher: https://www.vanillaheartpublishing.com/charmaine-gordon.html
BLURB:
When the CEO of a major Construction Company claims a part of Celia Brown’s property, he has no idea what he’s up against. The elderly widow and her six-year-old granddaughter prepare for battle. River’s Edge, the town that believes in kindness to strangers, jumps into the fray. Add romance, kids, and pride to the mix; there are lessons to be learned in Breaking New Ground.

EXCERPT:
Set-Up:
When the new adults -only community was in the midst of breaking new ground, the construction company realized a little old house obstructed their plans. Already they were approved to build on this prime property in the growing town of River’s Edge. Three spec houses were almost finished, each architecturally different and now this complication came to life. The board sent two affable members of the committee to visit the owners of the out dated home. They figured they could buy out the property and relocate the owners. No problem. So the young men drove up to the ancient abode without paying attention to the carefully tended garden filled with vegetables ready to pick and flower beds of petunias, geraniums, and towering colorful gladiolas.

Ignoring the straw baskets filled with red apples next to the door, Frank Randall rang the bell. He straightened his new tie, grinned at his associate, Max Stone and gave him a thumbs up. Whoever lived in this old dump would be happy to move to a new house.

A trim elderly woman answered the door.

“Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying.” She shut the door.

“What the?” Frank raised his eyebrows and checked his notes. “Mrs. Celia Brown is listed as the owner. Husband passed on ten years before. They built this place fifty years ago. Now what?”

“We convince her to pull up stakes and move. Chandler Construction will pay all expenses. Look, Frank, she’s a widow all alone. I bet she doesn’t even have air conditioning.”

“You’re right, Max. You do the talking. Remember to be gentle. She’s old.”

Again they rang the bell, pleasant smiles on their faces.

“I’m busy. Go bother someone else.” She started to slam the door. Max stopped her.

“Mrs. Brown, my name is Max Stone and this is my associate Frank Randall. We work for the new community for adults-only but there’s one small problem.”

“And why do I care about your problems, young man. You, too.“ She pointed to Frank who had begun to sweat.

Max cleared his throat. “The company can’t build on one section,” he gestured to the wooded area close to her home, “because you’re on the grounds. I mean your house is built on part of the property necessary to the plans and owned by James Chandler, president of the construction company’s-”

She laughed. Not a little laugh but a hearty one that rang in their ears. “Tough tushies to your company and to you. Now scat. I have work to do.” She turned her rigid back to them.

“But Mrs. Brown, our company is prepared to relocate you to another part of River’s Edge where you’ll be comfortable with air conditioning and new appliances and whatever you need.”

This time when she faced the young men, she held a broom in her hands. A determined look crossed her face. “You go back to the clunk head of your company and tell him I have no intention of ever moving from the home we built fifty years ago, brick by brick, board by board, nail by nail. Let him build his community for adults-only. And what the hell kind of place is that without kids. Family is the life’s blood of our country."

Anything else you'd like to add?
Giveaway alert:
Since Breaking New Ground has a mature romance going on, I’d be interested in how your readers feel about that When I was widowed my children were not thrilled when I began dating. So for the best most interesting comment, I have a copy of Breaking New Ground.

Thanks so much for the lovely fun interview, Marianne.