Interview:
I live in Roswell, Georgia, which is a northern suburb of Atlanta – about half an hour from where I grew up. I live with my husband, two sons, and an old cat named Two.
2) How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since before I can remember. I wrote a poem about a fire drill in second grade that got published in my elementary school literary magazine and it totally went to my head.
3) Do you have a favorite place to write?
I have several. I work on a laptop, so I move around. There’s a quiet corner of a favorite coffee shop, an office in my basement, and a rocking recliner in my bedroom. And I know it’s not good to write in bed, but I do that sometimes too. Also in the minivan between errands.
4) Why did you decide to write Regrets Only?
The Suzanne character was one of the fun surprises about writing The Marriage Pact. She’s Marci’s best friend, and a great character: an aristocratic and refined Southern girl, but also neurotic with a bit of a potty mouth. She goes through men faster than most people go through shampoo! In TMP, she stole the show in a couple of scenes. I was inspired to write her story, and it turned out to be so much fun.
5) Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
Suzanne is wonderful, of course, as I mentioned above. But I also love Dylan Burke. He’s a famous country singer with a bit of an ego and a crazy family. He’s still a good old boy at heart, though, and he challenges Suzanne in almost every way. He brings her down to earth, which is no easy task. I also love Suzanne’s smartass assistant, Chad. And Dylan’s soft-spoken sister, Kate. Wait. I have to pick one?
6) How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
I can’t say who my least favorite character is without giving away too much of the plot! I’m sure readers will agree with me when they learn more…
7) Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I definitely get help with that. I have beta readers who give me initial feedback, and a professional proofreader – Faith Williams – who does light copyediting and proofing for me. I revise everything several times myself before it gets to her, though!
8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love spending time with my boys, hosting parties, hiking, traveling when we can, and doing Jazzercise. And reading, of course!
9) Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?
I read almost everything I can get my hands on. I love classics like Jane Austin; modern romances like Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones; Southern authors like William Faulkner, Katherine Anne Porter and Eudora Welty; and all kinds of genre fiction. I like some thrillers, historical fiction, fantasy, paranormal, YA, and sci-fi. Basically anything that will suck me in and hold my interest!
10) How do you measure success in your writing career?
Oprah. I want to be interviewed by Oprah.
Okay, that might be a pipe dream, so I’ll settle for just enjoying what I do, having people (other than my friends and family) read my work and some of them like it. Ideally, I’d like for my writing to help provide for my family in some meaningful financial way, too, so that I’m free to focus on writing instead of worrying about paying the bills. But mostly I want my kids to see that I had the courage to do something I loved, so that they feel free to do the same. And hopefully they won’t be too embarrassed by my writing!
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: July 2012
Regrets Only is the second book in the Marriage Pact series, but it can be enjoyed by those who have read The Marriage Pact and first-time readers alike. A fast-paced and charming story, Regrets Only centers on Marci’s picky best friend, Suzanne, whose event-planning skills are almost as legendary as her exploits with men.
At thirty-three, Suzanne Hamilton has it all. A successful party-planning business with an elite client list. A swank condo in a hot Atlanta neighborhood and a close group of friends – especially her longtime best friend Marci. A list of men a mile long who have tried to win her heart and failed. Plus, she’s just landed the event that will take her career and social status to the next level. What could she possibly have to regret?
Then a freak accident changes everything, and Suzanne discovers that her near-perfect life is just a few steps away from total disaster. She is humiliated and at risk of losing it all… except the surprising support of her newest celebrity client. With nothing else to go on, Suzanne follows him into an unexpected job and unfamiliar territory. Soon she will question everything – her career, her past, her friendships, and even her own dating rules.
But when her catalog of past relationships turns into a list of criminal suspects, she is faced with the horrifying possibility that she may not live to regret any of it…
M.J. Pullen
When she’s not chasing two little boys or trying to wipe something sticky off the floor, M.J. (Manda) Pullen is the bestselling author of two contemporary women’s fiction novels: The Marriage Pact (2011) and Regrets Only (2012). She is working on several new projects as well, including more women’s fiction and a YA paranormal adventure series.
M.J. grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. Writing has always been a big part of her life, both professionally and personally. She studied English Literature and Business at the University of Georgia in Athens, and later Professional Counseling at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She practiced psychotherapy for five years before taking a sabbatical to spend more time writing and raising her brood. Since high school, she has also been an executive assistant, cashier, telemarketer, professional fundraiser, marketing guru, magazine writer, grant-writer, waitress, box-packer, HR person, and casual drifter.
M.J. loves creating true-to-life characters who are flawed, relatable, and most importantly redeemable. She tries to explore all aspects of relationships, from romantic entanglements to battles between mortal enemies, and everything in between. She reads and writes across many genres, and learns something from everything she does. No matter what she’s writing, M.J. believes that love is the greatest adventure there is, and that hopeless romantics are never really hopeless.
After years traveling and living in places like Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas, M.J. has now returned to her home city of Atlanta (actually Roswell, for hard-core Roosevelt fans and connoisseurs of suburban culture), where she lives with her husband and two young sons. She loves to hear from readers and other writers – so drop her a line!
Website: www.mjpullen.com
Facebook: facebook.com/mjpullenbooks
Twitter: @MJPullen
Blog: mjpullen.com/blog/
http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/m-j-pullen.html
BUY LINKS
http://www.amazon.com/Regrets-Only-ebook/dp/B008QD09P4/
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