Today I'm interviewing Peter Merrill, the hero of Office Relations, which is available for purchase tomorrow at Cobblestone Press. Peter works at Stanwood Enter-- Labels: contests, hero interviews, Office Relations
Peter: {Holds up a hand} Stop.
Lia: What? Why?
Peter: Readers don't need all that boring introduction stuff.
Lia: But--
Peter: They know I'm the hero of Office Relations. That's enough for now.
Lia: All right. Let's get started. First, are you nervous about the book's release tomorrow?
Peter: No. As far as I'm concerned, the story's the story. {Pauses} You're the one who's nervous.
Lia: You're right. Okay, let's move on to the story. Do you want to explain how it got started or should I?
Peter: Go ahead.
Lia: I work in an office with dozens of conference rooms, and I thought it made a good setting for a story. So I visualized a man and a woman who had to work together in a conference room on a project, and from there, Peter was born.
Peter: That's right. I showed up first.
Lia: Yes. Your voice came through quite clearly, even before I knew what you looked like. You were pretty frustrated being in a room with Sabrina and not being able to--
Peter: Can you blame me? Sabrina's beautiful, and her beauty is only one of the things I like about her.
Lia: Peter, that's sweet.
Peter: {Rolls eyes} I have my moments.
Lia: Let's talk about Sabrina.
Peter: No problem for me. What do you want to know?
Lia: As I mentioned, I heard your voice almost immediately, but the story actually starts in her point of view. Tell readers how she developed as a character.
Peter: Okay. Lia asked me to talk about the woman I was so interested in, so I told her about Sabrina. Pretty simple.
Lia: You're not the one who had to write it.
Peter: Hey. Living it wasn't any easier.
Lia: Point taken. I'm sorry. Please continue.
Peter: That's it. I talked, and you listened. Something you don't always do.
Lia: {Considers how to change the subject} Back to Sabrina--
Peter: Nice try.
Lia: {Gives up} All right. Readers, Peter is referring to a recent shopping trip--
Peter: I'll tell this one. First of all, Lia's doing a contest to celebrate the release of Office Relations, so she came up with this idea to give away office supplies--
Lia: I call it an office survival kit.
Peter: Whatever. Anyway, while she was out shopping, I mentioned a must-have item. She ignored me.
Lia: I didn't ignore you.
Peter: You didn't buy what I suggested.
Lia: You suggested condoms. I decided against including condoms in the kit.
Peter: You said it's an office survival kit, right? I wouldn't have survived that conference room without a condom. It came in handy.
Lia: Yes, it did. But I'm not including them in the office survival kits.
Peter: {Sighs} The kits don't include condoms, but they are pretty cool. Sign up for Lia's newsletter and you'll be entered for the contest as well as any other contests she does. Just put your e-mail address in the box in the left column of this blog. She'll draw two winners for this contest on July 1.
Lia: {Mutters} You're better at promo than I am.
Peter: Yeah, because I'm used to it. It's a big part of my job.
Lia: Well, thanks.
Peter: No problem. We done here? I want to take Sabrina out to dinner to celebrate the release of our story.
Lia: Aren't you forgetting someone?
Peter: Three's a crowd. Besides, two of your coworkers are taking you out to lunch tomorrow.
Lia: Right. But--
Peter: See you. {Leaves}
So, that was Peter Merrill. I hope you enjoy the interview. His and Sabrina's story, Office Relations, comes out tomorrow.
2 Comments:
That was a great interview! If the books as good (what am I saying... of COURSE it is!) I'm going to love it.
Off to register for the newsletter now ;)
By
K.A.S., at 2:55 PM, June 09, 2006
Thanks, Karen. Glad you enjoyed the interview. Hope you like the story, too! :)
By
Lia, at 11:36 PM, June 09, 2006
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