I’m interviewing Brenda Moguez, author of new adult / sweet romance “Loving is Good”. I hope you enjoy the interview.
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
Aside from the obvious, which includes riding the query coaster, self-marketing, being less of an introvert, finding balance and maintaining harmony with the beast that drives most writers, the hardest part is seeing past the uncertainty that plagues all creatives and keeping the faith in yourself. Rejection is a harsh mistress and most of us mere mortals struggle to overcome the emotional tsunami that follows a Dear Author, no thank-you, letter.
Can you give us a short synopsis of Loving is Good?
Celia’s life is off track and not going according to plan. Instead of attending graduate school and living La Vida Loca, she’s back home, working as a romance advice columnist—a job she has no first hand experience for—and working part time for a family business, and dodging come-hither glances from Gabe Mercer. He is trouble with a capital T, and has reputation for collecting hearts. Celia can’t seem to resist him, especially since he has a habit of showing up wherever she is, challenging her to take a chance. Her head screams caution, but her heart is doing the happy dance, which makes her wonder if Gabe isn’t the bad boy he pretends to be. With only her heart to lose, Celia takes a gamble on love.
What inspired you to write this book?
The lyrics to an old Spanish love song, Volver, Volver. It means going back. The song’s essence is about a lover wanting to return to a passionate love affair after it is over, how the heart cannot stop yearning for what was lost. It’s madness to do so, but the heart doesn’t always care. Celia, the heroine of Loving is Good, came from there. I saw her sitting in front of her laptop dishing out advice to the brokenhearted when she herself was lost in in her own struggles with love and life.
How many hours per day do you spend writing?
I don’t have a specified time of day or hour goal. I strive for 1,200 + words. Since I have a day job that funds the incidentals—mortgage, utilities, and food—I tend to squeeze time in between meetings, during a lunch break, and some time after dinner I resume what was started earlier in the day.
Name your top five favorite books.
This is a surprisingly easy question for me..
Eight by Katherine Neville
Désirée by Annemarie Selinko
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
What are you working on now?
While waiting impatiently to hear back on a completed novel riding the query coaster, I’m working on a new WIP. It’s a story about a recent college graduate, Lucia, who falls for a summer fling. She realizes on the day of her wedding to the irresistible, older, Colin Ainsworth, that all she knows about love is what she learned watching the Disney channel. She manages to get through the ceremony wondering what awaits her. After being whisked off to London and getting caught up in an international scandal she is forced to ditch her compliant nature. Discovering she’s gutsy and has opinions comes as a surprise, which transforms the young woman who struggled to say I do. But finally comprehending the true meaning of love, what it takes to overcome the tribulations, and that passions can get lost in the weight of life, nearly breaks her spirit. But being a Disney graduate of romance, she finds her way back.
That’s the story so far, but I never know how a story will unfold until I get through it.
What do you consider the most beautiful thing you’ve written?
I am old school and enjoy writing letters even though most are crafted on a blank Word document. I’m not sure I can pick one. I’d say it’s a toss up between three things: a goodbye letter to my father, the confession of love to the lover who never left my heart, and a book I penned last year called Nothing is Lost In Loving. Great question, by the way.
Loving is Good
Title: Loving is Good
Author: Brenda Moguez
Genre: Sweet romance / new adult
Celia Mendoza is not living La Vida Loca. She put her graduate studies on hold after her father died. Now she dishes out advice in her e-zine column, Luna Love, Loving is Good. The problem is, she hasn’t had a second date or a kiss in over a year. Then Gabe Mercer, a modern-day Adonis, shows up, daring her to take a chance. The string of broken hearts in his wake turns Celia off, but his relentless encouragement to pursue her dream of becoming a serious journalist contradicts his reputation, making it hard to fight the pull of his topaz, come-hither eyes. He’s everything Luna Love tells her readers to take a chance on, but Celia can’t decide if a chance encounter is worth the gamble. But life has a will of its own, and hers is pushing Celia to accept the uncertainty and run towards her destiny.
Author Bio
Brenda Moguez lives in San Francisco. She writes fiction with quirky, strong women, with non-formulaic endings because life isn’t always perfect. She writes by the light of the moon and between conference calls. She has aspirations for a fully staffed villa in Barcelona and funding aplenty for a room of her own. When she’s not working on a story, she writes love letters to the universe, dead poets, and Mae West. You can find her at http://www.brendamoguez.com and https://www.facebook.com/BrendaMoguez, where she explores passionate pursuits in all its forms.
Links
Amazon
Barnes and Nobel
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loving-is-good-brenda-moguez/1120060641?ean=2940149624850
Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaMoguez
Twitter: @BrendaMoguez
Email: brenda.moguez@gmail.com
My website:
The Single Librarian 
Elise. thanks much for hosting. On a side note, I work for a company that provide ILS systems to libraries. I work in technology and this is my first library company. Librarians are definitely unique.