1. Tell us about your newest release.
This is a reissue of
my first and favorite novel, You Have to
Kiss a Lot of Frogs, about fifteen years of bad dates in the life of
single, Jewish actress Karrie Kline, taking place in New York and LA. I always loved the Frogs, first published by Red Dress Ink, Harlequin. And I was tickled pink, okay maybe green,
when I received an email telling me that MIRA, another division of the
publishing house, wanted to reissue the book this month. Frogs
is a novel-in-stories about this woman who approaches her mid-forties and has
really lived, loved, pursued her career and had much success in life. But she has not landed. The idea that her life would be settled by
that point: solid career, relationship, perhaps a marriage, a kid, a co-op is
just that, an idea, because it is not become her reality. And Karrie wonders if it ever will. So one sleepless night she looks back on her
last fifteen years of dates to see how it brought her to where she is. And along with learning a lot of lessons she
also learns that life is not linear, and when it comes to love you just have to
kiss a lot of frogs.
2. Can you tell us a little about your favorite scene in the
story?
One of my favorite
scenes is this very short story, just two or three paragraphs, called My Worst Date – Almost. Funnily, or sadly enough the premise was
completely true. When I was living in
Los Angeles my roommate threw a party, and I met the man in our living
room. He was holding hands with a woman
I thought to be his wife, but in fact it was his sister. Of course that should have been my first
clue, but I guess I wasn’t looking for any as it led me to one of my funniest
stories. Read it, and I won’t say
anything more.
3. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in
creating your story?
The most surprising
thing, I believe, for any author to discover when writing a story is what
happens when you get to the point where you are just the vessel, and the story
writes itself.
4. What authors or friends influenced you in helping you
become a writer?
I was deeply
influenced by the late, great, phenomenal Nora Ephron. The brilliant Carrie Fisher. Television shows like That Girl and Mary Tyler
Moore. And New York City, that
inspires me no end.
5. What does your family think about your career as a
published author?
They are proud. I will be often be introduced as an
author. It is always exciting. And a trip.
6. Besides writing, what other interests do you have?
I worked as a
professional actress for over twenty years and still love acting and the
theater, and am a very active member of WorkShop Theater Company for fifteen
years. I also work in public
relations. In addition, I do pilates and
run the reservoir, volunteer in a homeless shelter at my synagogue, belong to a
book club, love to entertain and throw fun themed parties, like a MadMen soiree
for the season premiere, a movie night, an Oscar party. I like to read, be near water, I like to eat
and find it fun to cook.
7. How can readers connect with you online?
Please stay in touch by Liking my Facebook Fan Page, connecting to
me on Goodreads, following me @LaurieGraff and checking out my website to read
my FrogBlog.
Links:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauriegraffpage
FrogBlog on Website: www.lauriegraff.com
Bio
Laurie
Graff, author of
the bestselling You Have to Kiss a Lot of
Frogs (reissue 11-12) that received
multiple printings here and abroad (Italy, Australia, and Amsterdam), has also
written the novels Looking for Mr.
Goodfrog and The Shiksa
Syndrome. A
contributor to Complaint Box NY
Times, Live Alone and Like It, It’s A Wonderful Lie and Scenes from a Holiday, her work is included in the upcoming
anthology, No Kidding, (2013), and is represented in New Monologues
for Women by Women and Best Men’s Stage Monologues of
1999. One-act plays All My
Problems, Telephone Call for Francine Stein, Love in the Time of Recession, and
Charlie & Flo (at PS NBC) have
been produced at WorkShop Theater Company where she is a member. Her favorite acting role was “Frenchy,” in
the Broadway hit Grease, she plays
herself in the documentary, Mr. Right, and promotional appearances include Fox & Friends,
Better TV, Joan Hamburg, SiriusXM, CNN Radio, and ABC World News Now.
Laurie lives in New York City.
YOU HAVE TO KISS A LOT OF FROGS
Forty-five-year-old
actress Karrie Kline doesn’t usually lose a lot of sleep over her age or her
single status. But after one too many
bridal showers, a notice on her apartment, an expired unemployment claim and
her acting prospects drying up – too old to play the ingénue, too young for the
role of matriarch – she’s awake at 2:00 a.m. and determined to get perspective
on her life. Starting with the men she’s
dated.
From the
man whose parents loved her more than he did, to the famous actor who had more
bark than bite, Karrie traces back through her love life to uncover how her
experiences have shaped her and how to find meaning in the past.
Told
with warmth, wit and poignancy, You Have
to Kiss a Lot of Frogs shows how to face your memories – even the darkest,
most secret ones – with courage, humor and hope.
**********
“I
never knew bad dates could be so good.” -Kelly
Ripa
“A
provocative and intelligent look at the ways that people search for a
meaningful life.”-- Publisher’s Weekly
“More
than just a catalogue of loser guys and bad relationships, Graff’s smart and
funny novel shows just how hard finding the right man can be and how easy it is
for a relationship to fail.” -Booklist
“We’re
rooting for her to find everything she’s been missing – which turns out to be
less than she imagines.” -Daily
News
“…this
book ventures out of the frog pond in search of a deeper meaning of self worth
and completion… a quirky spin that keeps you reading and keeps Karrie from
giving up.” –Fit
“Loved
the book!” -New York Times bestselling
author and actress Fran Drescher
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment