Interview: Barbara Meyers

Time is passing so quickly these days – especially when I’m on deadline to finish the second in my new Genie series! Anyway, I’ve taken time out today to bring you a fantastic author – and you may recognise the name from my rave review of her amazing romance WHAT A RICH WOMAN WANTS. It’s Barbara Meyers, everyone! *pauses for applause* 🙂

Welcome, Barbara. Thanks for appearing here today. 🙂 Let’s kick this interview off. Name something I wouldn’t be able to find out about you through Google.

Who my first serious boyfriend was. See? Google doesn’t know everything.

Lol. Very true! 

Can you tell us a little about this book (which I absolutely LOVED)?

Ah, the haves and the have nots crash into each other. For this book I drew a lot on my experience of living in Naples, Florida for thirty years. There is a lot of extreme wealth in that town. But money doesn’t insulate Lesley from infidelity and betrayal. In fact, there a lot of things money can’t buy. Like integrity or good health. Niko has learned this the hard way. The question becomes can Lesley give up society’s expectations of her and choose the happiness she finds with Niko?

Trust me – it’s a question you guys will want answered. For more, you can find my review here.

Do you have a dream cast for this book?

Oh, I’m horrible with remembering names of actors and actresses although I got a lot of good suggestions from readers at a Facebook party a while ago. I bet Rachel MacAdams could be Lesley. She seems to adapt to whatever role she’s given easily. Other suggestions were Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts. They might be too old, though.

Niko? William Levy maybe.

I have an image in my head of what my heros look like, but when I try to find photos of who would fit the role later, I’m usually stumped. My imagination is apparently so much better than reality!

I’d like to live in your imagination then! 😉 I’ve never heard of William Levy, but after studying his photos on Google, I’m a new fan.

What is your favourite part of writing?

The creative aspect of playing the “what if?” game as I start a story and then seeing the characters come to life.

Yeah, that’s amazing. If they play nice. Mine sometimes collapse or run around, flailing. 🙂 

What other projects are you working on?

Currently editing a romantic comedy entitled Cleo’s Web which I hope to release fall 2016. On the back burner are two stories: one about a former adult film actress who relocates to small town Iowa and the other about a dating expert and a celebrity heartbreaker.

Intriguing, especially the dating expert and celebrity heartbreaker. 🙂 Sounds promising! Can’t wait for all of them. 

Who are your biggest influences in how you write?

I never understand this kind of question. I’ve had other writers critique my work over the years. There are authors I certainly admire and would like to emulate their success. But I don’t know what influences how I write. One person I always listen to who gives me feedback about my works in progress is my daughter. She is brutally honest and very in tune with the marketplace. She instinctively knows what works in fiction and what doesn’t.

An honest perspective is something very valuable indeed! I always have to take a breath before I get my critiques back 🙂

What one book would you reread over and over again?

I rarely reread books these days. In high school, however, I reread Gone With the Wind numerous times. I might have read Jane Eyre more than once. Sometimes now, I’ll pick up one of my own published works just to look for a line or two to use for promotion and I’ll get caught up in reading it. I did that with A MONTH FROM MIAMI the other day and kept thinking to myself, “This is so cute!”

LOL. That is the best feeling if you get wrapped up in your own book. 🙂 Now for a bit of fun. What flavour of ice cream best describes you?

Well, Rocky Road would certainly describe my writing journey thus far!

Ha. I think most writers could relate. 🙂

To end, tell me your best pickup line.

“Should I leave room for cream?” (I’m a barista serving coffee by day and I haven’t used a pickup line in 36 years.)

That’s better than my initial thought of where that pickup line was going… LOL.

Thank you so much for appearing today, Barbara. Looking forward to all your new projects – and if you guys are interested in Barbara’s previous works, here are the links! 🙂 Have a great one.

Barista by day, romance novelist by night: When not writing fiction, Dr. Seuss-like poetry (for adults) or song lyrics, Barbara Meyers disguises herself behind a green apron and works part-time for a world-wide coffee company.

Her novels are a mix of comedy, suspense and spice and often feature a displaced child.
Barbara is still married to her first husband, has two fantastic children and one almost perfect dog. Originally from Southwest Missouri, (she blames her roots in the Show Me state for her somewhat skeptical nature) she currently resides in Central Florida.

Find WHAT A RICH WOMAN WANTS on:

Amazon, Samhain, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, Kobo and Itunes

And find Barbara on these social media sites 🙂

Her website, her blog, her Facebook Author page, her Samhain Author page, her Amazon Author page, her Pinterest, her Goodreads account, her BookBub, and her Twitter!

(phew!)