INTERVIEW ~ Forbes Arnone

About Forbes ~

Jennifer Garcia’s (aka Forbes Arnone) love of travel began when she traveled to the West Coast to visit her father at the age of three. Her home until she was sixteen was a small coastal town near Boston. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

Her lifelong love for reading and writing was put aside for many years while she made her way in the world and nurtured her young family. Even though she is older, and life never seems to settle, she’s finding her way while attending college full-time in pursuit of a B.A. in English Literature. She also runs a business, and is still caring for her family. Believing she can do it all, with the help of her family, she worked on her first novel during the late hours of the night while balancing the rest of her life during the day. Her hard work paid off, as her first novel, My Mr. Manny, will be published August 2013.

Connect with Jennifer Garcia (aka Forbes Arnone):

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | About.me | Authorsdb

Goodreads (Forbes Arnone)

Goodreads (Jennifer Garcia)

Anela Alborn’s life is a lie. After growing up without the love of a father, her mother reveals his identity. Tragedy strikes and she sets off on an adventure that leads to more than she could ever imagine. Bumping into Christian Sivers distracts her from the real man of her dreams, her father. Will he live up to her dreams? And does she follow in her mother’s footsteps?

Click HERE for an excerpt of IN MY MOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS.

 

IN MY MOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS can be purchased individually from Amazon or as part of the SUMMER HEAT (Beach Reads) anthology.

 

Hi Forbes.  Welcome the Read Your Writes Book Reviews.  Could you please interview yourself?

My name is Jennifer Forbes Arnone Garcia. I write using two names: Jennifer Garcia and Forbes Arnone. I just turned forty-two, I’m a mother of two incredible boys, and I have the best husband in the world. I work full-time, go to college full-time, and write part-time (sometimes full-time). I have a very busy but great life with extremely supportive family.

You’re a newly published author.  What advice would you offer to another author trying to get published?

Go for it. If you love to write and feel you have a story to share, write it and share it. I’ve heard rejection is common but we can’t let that stop us from trying. Write your story and submit it to a publisher. Try. You can’t succeed unless you try.

Tell me about In My Mother’s Footsteps.  What exactly is its premise?

Anela is told she does not have a father that her mother doesn’t know where he is or if he’s alive. Growing up, Anela wanted nothing more than a father. To have the love of a man, a father-daughter bond, but it just wasn’t for her. Until one day her mother confesses that she knows who he is and where he may be. Betrayed by her own mother, Anela runs and doesn’t speak to her mother for almost a year. Then tragedy strikes and amends cannot be made. But Anela’s given a gift, the chance to find her father and visit his home in Oahu, Hawaii. The rest is the story of how Anela sightsees, meets a boy, and the finally the father she’s always wanted. But will it all work out for her? That’s what you’ll have to read to find out.

Tell me about your characters and what do you love about them.

Anela is lonely and alone. Truly alone. She’s lost and is a bit naïve. But she learns on her journey to find her father that she is strong and brave. Her constant struggle with regret can sometimes keep the things she wants most away from her, but she works through them. I love her acceptance to change and her strength at dealing with difficult hands she’s been dealt.

 

Christian is Anela’s possible love interest and he is cocky, handsome, and a soldier. I like the way he struggles and tries to fight the inevitable. I like his crystal blue eyes and his lopsided smile. But mostly, I like his soft, romantic side.

What’s your writing process like?

Once I come up with the basic premise, I try to work out how I can make it work in a story. I write it in my head over and over until it makes sense. When I have scenes, I write them down. Sometimes the characters take over and do things I did not plan and other times I need to spend days working the story out in my mind. Writing is a long process, more time spent in my mind than in front of the computer.

Do you a favorite scene from In My Mother’s Footsteps that you can tell me about?

I think it’s Anela’s first day on the beach. She meets a rowdy group of soldiers paying volleyball and it distracts her from her hot Highlander book.

~ Jennifer’s Tidbits~

Sunrise or Sunset?

I have had the pleasure of seeing both. I was born and raised in Boston and grew up with sunrises. I have lived in Los Angeles since I was sixteen and lived the past twenty something years with sunsets. I’d have to say, sunrises are amazing. To watch the sun peak out of the ocean and rise up in the sky, lighting it on it’s way, is beautiful. It brings a new day, a new chance, and new experiences.

Plane, Train or Automobile?

Plane every time. It’s faster and I’m used to them. I grew up in the airline industry. My mother worked for a major airline when I was young, my stepmother worked for a major airline most of my life, and my first real job was for a major airline. I grew up on airplanes.

Favorite zoo animal.

I’d have to say any of the monkeys. They look like babies, soft and cuddly.

Favorite color.

Red.

Favorite quote.

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford

Thank you Forbes for joining me today.  Is there anything you would like to share that I might have missed?

No. I just want to thank you for having me and for hosting my first book. This is a very surreal and exciting time for me. Stay tuned; after this novella is released my first novel will follow.