Spills On A Page

Sorry to all my author and blogger friends, but sometimes I find these author interviews rather repetitive and boring. What I'd really like is to hear the wacky stuff that really goes behind the scenes.  If I were to interview authors, I'd have to ask them the  goofy, sarcastic, questionable questions to keep things interesting. Maybe something like these...

1. Which one of your characters would you most want to be?
2. If you could go back and change anything about your story, what would it be?
3. Which one of your characters would you want to have a... um...physical relationship with?
4. Which one of your characters would you want to have an emotional relationship with?
5. What is your "drug" of choice while writing?  Or, what "drug" were you coming off of when writing this book?
6. What is your writing to Twitter-goofing-off ratio? (in hours, minutes...)
7. Are there any parts of your childhood secretly written into your story? Which ones?
8. What is the biggest unknown, or most embarrassing fact about this book?
9. Which one of your family members suffers the most while you write?
10. Have you ever based a character off someone in real life that you hope they never find out about?
11. What is the one question you've always wanted to be asked, but no one ever has? What is the answer to that question?
12. What was your favorite day dream/fantasy that ended up being written in your story?

What would you do if:

• You lost your job?
• Found your husband in bed with another man?
• Informed that your self-absorbed mother was pregnant (from her thirty-year old boyfriend, who also happens to be an ex-classmate of yours)?

Now, what would you do if this all happened in the same day?

Natalie Spencer from Milwaukee, does what I, and many others, would want to do, but probably wouldn't have the courage (or money) to pull off. She jumps on the  first international flight to any English speaking country!



Four Thousand Miles, by Jesi Lea Ryan, is about healing and creating a life again after losing it all. Natalie finds a friend in Gavin Ashby, a songwriter from Pluckley.  Thinking that her life can't get any worse, she accepts an offer to recuperate on his family farm while helping renovate the stables into guest rooms. She becomes fast friends with Gavin's sister, Maggie, and her daughter, Emma.

However, this family is  full of secrets and struggles of its own. Gavin is introverted and recovering from his past, while Maggie and Emma struggle to connect as mother and daughter.  Natalie lands  in the midst of their struggles as she finds herself falling in love with Gavin, an idea that is not acceptable to some at Flenley Farm.

While reading Four Thousand Miles, I found Natalie's time at Flenley Farm a bit too perfect. She fell into life there easily, and for a bit, there seemed to be a lack of drama in the story. However, all good things come to an end and Natalie's life gets more complicated as the story goes on.  She realizes that the life she is creating in England may not be right for her and has to make important decisions for her future, including what continent to call home.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel. I'm not one for heavy romance, so I was happy with the love story that developed between Natalie and Gavin.  I also enjoyed the plot lines that developed between secondary characters and how those interwove with the bigger picture. Most of all, I loved the imagery of the English countryside.  I have always had a fascination with England, and Ryan makes the country come to life.

My favorite line from the book is a spoiler, so scroll over the space below only if you've already read the book:

Read this book of you like contemporary women's lit or romance novels (even though I wouldn't classify this as a romance novel, I think you will still enjoy it).

Get your copy of Four Thousand Miles by Jesi Lea Ryan HERE!

Who knew Death was such a compassionate soul, who remembers things by it's color, and is fascinated by the life (not death) of 9 year old German foster girl? Through Death's perspective, we watch Liesel Meminger become a thief (of the best kind) as she copes with the world going crazy around her. While losing her family, befriending Jews, living under Nazi rule, and dealing with her best friend, 9 yr old Liesel struggles to put her mind around what is going on with the world.

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Steve Martin's journey into comedy is funny and inspiring. Through the narrative of his struggle to the top of comedy, anyone on a creative path will be able to draw insight from his thoughts and experiences.

In the book, Steve (not a ghostwriter, and it shows) chronicles his journey from small boy to big time comedian to movie star. I was surprised mostly by the amount of time and thought (did you know he majored in philosophy?) his journey took.

Family relationships make a major impact on the rising star, both in good and bad ways. The book is full of touching and tragic moments were we can see the life behind the man and his unique comic persona.

Most of all, what I took from the book was that the path to your dreams is not usually a short one. Thought, planning, practice, persistence, and old-fashioned hard work cannot be circumvented. Failures happen. Rejection happens. Depression happens. Self-doubt happens. And all of it is ok. Get through it and move on.

The only thing that disappointed me about this book was its rapid ending. After a detailed account of the early years of the 60's and 70's, which included stories on not only his professional but also his personal life, the book races through the 80's and 90's with much less detail. Was this because of it's more recent nature or because there is less to learn from the success then the struggle to get there? Only Mr. Martin knows. I would have liked the last 20 years to be as detailed as the rest.  Then again, maybe that's just not what the book was suppose to be about.

My favorite bit of insight: "There is no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration."

View all my reviews >>

I have read so many books lately.  I actually read one in less than 12 hours the other day.  Ok, it was a YA book, but still give me some credit.  (This should really be a testament to how dull my life has been, I actually have time to READ!)  Here are my thoughts on some of them.

I did finally finish "My Life In France" by Julia Child for our book club. The book was interesting but it isn't something I would have picked up on my own and I'm not even sure if it would have keep my attention all the way through if I didn't have to meet with the group to discuss it. I know who Julia Child was but had no idea how she became a world renown chief. All I can say is, now I do. It is not a page turner, but if you like autobiographical books, cooking, or France, this book is for you.