Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature author Danielle Bannister with a return visit to us as she celebrates the release of The Second 100 Kisses, Book 2 in the Practice Makes Perfect series. This time we get to chat with Liam McGeary.
Welcome, Liam. Let’s start with where you’re from. I was born in Massachusetts, but my parents moved to Gorham, Maine when I was young. I now live in Portland.
Tell us a bit about The First 100 Kisses. Yes. Well, that is something Chloe came up with. That phrase. I was having some trepidation about an upcoming date. I was a bit rusty. Chloe, who happens not only to live in the apartment just diagonally from mine, is also my best friend. Because she has more dating experience than me, I asked her if she might instruct me on the proper way to kiss a woman. My date, Angel, you see, was my high school sweetheart. I’m not the most personable individual. I asked Chloe for some help. That’s where the first 100 kisses came in. She assured me that once I’d had my first 100 kisses, I wouldn’t feel nervous about kissing any more. So, I took her up on her offer to help.
What
did you think the first time you saw Chloe? That she was going to throw her back out lifting boxes that way. We met
seven years ago when she moved in. I offered to help her finish moving in.
What was your second
thought? That she was beautiful, but I knew she wouldn’t care for
someone odd like me.
Did
you feel it was love at first sight? There
was attraction on my part, for sure. Chloe didn’t see me that way. Well, not at
first anyway. Our friendship was the thing that grew first. Love came some time
after that.
What
do you like most about Chloe? Her
strength. Her tenacity. But also, her honesty. She’s the only person who tells
it to me straight. Let’s me know when I’ve put my foot in it. She’s helped
teach me social cues I never quite understood before.
How
would you describe Chloe? I suppose
the traditional answer for a man to give is beautiful, kind, and smart. And
while she is all those things, she is also so much more. While she is my
opposite in a variety of ways, she is the thing that has been missing. My
anchor. She is my person. And I am hers.
What
made you choose Financial Planning a career? I grew up quite poor. I remember lots of nights going to bed hungry. I
did not want that for myself. So, I decided to learn everything I could about
money. How to manage it, save it. Invest it. A career where I could help others
navigate it seemed only logical.
What
is your biggest fear? Not being able
to provide for my family. I suppose before meeting Chloe, the fear would have
been never having a family. But with her, I can now see a future for myself. Something
I never thought I’d get to have.
How
do you relax? Holding Chloe. Or
cooking if she is not around.
Who
is your favorite fictional character? Chloe
would probably like me to say Claire Fraser, but I’m quite fond of Detective
Pepperwood from the Pepperwood Chronicles, by Nick Miller.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? The proper way to kiss a woman. I’m sure that will
make Chloe happy.
Thanks, Liam. Now we’d like
to speak with Danielle.
What
event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you
feel it impacted the novel? The
character of Liam is actually based on a friend of mine. Loosely, of course,
but his speech patterns I stole, with his blessing, of course. He actually
helped me with both drafts to perfect the unique way in which Liam speaks. I
think it brought about an authenticity I wouldn’t have been able to achieve
otherwise.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced
your decision to submit to them? This
series is self-published because too many publishing houses wanted the POV to
be in third person, and I just couldn’t do it with this story. It felt
important to me that Chloe be in first person. We needed to be fully inside her
head and feel her insecurities for the story to play out the way I wanted it
too.
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Darkfever by Karen Marie
Moning. I’m a little late to the game on this series. Better late than never?
To purchase The Second 100 Kisses, go to Amazon.com
To learn more about Danielle Bannister, go to:
Newsletter http://bit.ly/DanielleBannisterNewsletter
Website https://daniellebannister.wordpress.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DanielleBannisterBooks
Fan
Group http://bit.ly/WriteAllTheWordsDanielle
Twitter https://twitter.com/dbannisterbooks
Amazon http://bit.ly/DanielleBannister
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/daniellebannisterbooks
BookBub http://bit.ly/BookBubAuthorPage
Goodreads http://bit.ly/DanielleBannisterGR
lovely interview! congrats on the release!
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