Interview: Gina Maxwell, author of Seducing Cinderella

Published August 14, 2012 | By Theresa

The Book…

Seducing Cinderella

by Gina L. Maxwell

Entangled Publishing – July 2012

He’ll teach her the art of seduction…for a price.

Mixed martial arts fighter Reid Andrews’s chance to reclaim
his title as light heavyweight champ is shattered when he’s
injured only months before the rematch. To make sure he’s
healed in time, his trainer sends him to recuperate under a
professional’s care—Reid’s best friend’s little sister, all
grown up.

Disorganized and bookish Lucie Miller needs some
professional help of her own. She’d do anything to catch the
eye of a doctor she’s crushed on for years, so when Reid
offers seduction lessons in exchange for 24/7 conditioning
for the biggest fight of his career, Lucie jumps at the chance.

Soon Reid finds himself in the fight of his life…winning
Lucie’s heart before she gives it to someone else.

Title: Seducing Cinderella
Author: Gina L. Maxwell
Genre: Category – Contemporary
Length: 277 pages
ISBN: 978-1-62266-949-3
Release Date: July 2012
Imprint: Brazen

Purchase from Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Praise for Seducing Cinderella

“Deliciously sexy and fabulously fun, with a hero who knocked me out from the first page!”
- USA TODAY Bestselling Author Cari Quinn

The Interview…

1- What part of the writing process is the easiest/hardest for you?

As much as I love the thrill of the rough draft and learning all the nuances of a new story, it’s also the stage that’s hardest for me. I have a hard time allowing myself to write poorly and just get the bare bones of the story on the paper. I strive for perfection right out of the gate and it slows me down. Not only that, but if I have to take a break for several days to work on something else, I have a VERY hard time jumping back into the story. I feel almost intimidated by the idea.

The easiest part of the process for me is editing. It plays into my perfectionist tendencies and when I make changes that make a sentence, paragraph, or entire chapter better, it’s a total high!

2- Do you follow a writing schedule, or just write whenever you get the chance?

I’m not a rigid schedule person, though I give it the old college try at the beginning of every week, only to resign myself to the crazy ways I’m most comfortable with. I try to write Mon-Fri in the afternoons as much as possible. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t. My brain isn’t worth the fluid it floats in until around noon, so I try to do the social media stuff in the morning. I also write really well in the evenings, but that would take away from family time, so I only do that on occasion if everyone is otherwise engaged or sleeping. Oddly enough, my favorite time to write is in the middle of the night.

3- Do you listen to music while you write, or do you prefer quiet?

There have been VERY few occasions when I’ve used music to tap into a certain emotion while writing. It’s easier for me to write with complete silence or ocean/thunderstorm sounds blaring in my ear buds. I grew up as a singer and dancer, so the problem with music is that it isn’t just a background noise to me. It becomes my focus and I’m compelled to sing along and tap my foot.

4- How long did it take you to write your book?

From start to finish it only took me two months to write Seducing Cinderella, which was an amazing accomplishment to me considering the only other book I’d ever finished before that took me three years before it was in a final(ish) condition.

5- Did you use an outline or make some sort of “book plan” before you started writing?

It’s funny because normally I would answer “no” for this question, but this time I can’t. I’m a pantser by nature, but my editor wanted me to read Save the Cat by Blake Snyder so I had a better understanding of how a book is put together with certain beats, or plot points. So, not one to half-ass anything, I read the book and then proceeded to outline my story beat-by-beat just like Mr. Snyder had taught me. And I mean I plotted EVERYthing. When I sent it to my editor to show her how good I’d followed instructions she immediately called me, laughing, and said, “What are you doing? I didn’t mean you had to get THAT specific. I just wanted you to get the basic idea. You’re a PANTSER! PANTS the story before you screw up your awesome voice!” So, needless to say, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief, chucked the outline, and pantsed my ass off from then on. LOL

6- Aside from family occurrences, what event or accomplishment would you consider to be the highlight of your life thus far?

Without a doubt, the release of Seducing Cinderella is the 4th best day of my life (behind my marriage and the birth of my children). Since I was little all I ever wanted was to suspend people’s disbelief for a few hours at a time and let them forget about their troubles for a while. (Granted, I’d always thought I’d be doing it through Broadway or Hollywood, but thankfully our dreams evolve as we get older.) I can’t tell you how thrilling it is knowing my characters and their stories are being read by people all over the world; that they no longer have to live inside my muddled brain, but get a chance to live again and again each time someone reads their book. Best. Feeling. Ever.

7- What thought or sentiment would you like to have copied and put into one million fortune cookies?

The best advice my mother ever gave me: In a relationship, two halves don’t make a whole; two wholes make a whole. In other words, you need to be a complete and whole person yourself before you can ever hope to thrive with someone else. I think that’s essentially what romances are about. Getting over those conflicts that have held you back for so long so that you can love yourself just as completely as you love that person you want to be with for all time.

Fun Stuff:

Coffee or tea? Coffee
Paper book or ebook? I love them both equally, but for different reasons. (Also what I tell my kids.)
Summer or winter? SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER!!!
Werewolves or vampires? Vampires
Morning person or night owl? What’s this “morning” thing you speak of?
Pantser or plotter? Pantser
Pepsi or Coke? Either, as long as it’s ice cold and super fizzy.
Dogs or cats? I love both, but prefer to live with cats.

Favorites:

Drink: Starbucks mocha
Food: Medium rare steak
Movie: The Sweetest Thing
TV show: Modern Family
Book: Impossible to choose. Seriously. I can’t even fathom picking.
Late night snack: Edy’s Double Fudge Brownie Ice Cream
Writing tools: WriteWay Pro
Sport: MMA
Vacation destination: Anywhere tropical and ocean-side
Music: Country
Place to read: Porch swing. Or it would be if I owned one. I’m working on that.
Place to write: Living Room couch? (I really need an office!)
Way to relax: READING

Author Information

Growing up in small town Fort Atkinson, WI, Gina L. Maxwell, formerly Bisbee, could often be found onstage in the latest theatrical production, performing with her high school show choir, or holding office in her local FFA chapter. She dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps in the entertainment business, of enabling her audience to forget about life for a few hours as they enjoyed the stories she told through her love of singing, dancing, and acting. It wasn’t until her sophomore year in college when she realized she had no acting talent to speak of and her dream needed some adjusting. Another ten years would pass before she discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream.

Within those ten years Gina married her high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children, and moved more times than she cared to count. In 2009 she started writing as a hobby while her kids were in school, and it quickly became an obsession she couldn’t stop, and then a dream to publish stories of love and passion for romance addicts just like her.

Three years later, her dream came true when she signed with Entangled Publishing for a total of seven books in two of their imprints.

Her Fighting for Love series with MMA heroes debuted July 20th, 2012 for the digital Brazen imprint with the first book, Seducing Cinderella, and reached #9 on Barnes & Noble’s best seller list in just seven days.

The first book in her paranormal romance trilogy, Desires of the Soul, is set to release both digitally and in mass trade paperback in Summer 2013 for the Entangled Select imprint.

When she’s not writing or wrangling plot bunnies, Gina keeps busy with her wonderful family and their ever-growing extra-curricular schedules. Thanks to their immense patience and support, she’s able to do The Thing She Was Meant To Do and live her dream of bringing a little romantic fantasy to the world, even if only in the pages of a good book.

Visit Gina: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Posted in Entangled Publishing, Interviews

Gina L. Maxwell says:

August 14, 2012 at 11:35 am

Thanks so much for having me over today, Theresa! I enjoyed answering your questions and I look forward to talking with your readers today!

Theresa says:

August 15, 2012 at 9:22 pm

It was absolutely my pleasure, Gina! Feel free to stop by anytime and email me if you ever want to be featured again

Pat F. says:

August 14, 2012 at 2:54 pm

Thanks Theresa for letting us find out all Gina’s deep dark secrets!!! I love the advice your Mom and your Aunt Marlene give you!!! Always the best!!

Auntie Mar says:

August 14, 2012 at 11:29 pm

wow, great interview. Even in your answers to her questions, you allowed us to picture how you wrote, where, and I could even picture you eating that Edy’s ice cream! lol Love you Sweetie.