With the Tour de France about to start, it's almost perfect timing that the author you'll be meeting on my blog today - Kimberly Menozzi - is here to talk about her latest novel, 27 Stages, which is set in the world of professional cycling.
Want to find out more? I'll let Kimberly herself take it from here...
I'd be happy
to! 27 Stages is a somewhat 'epic' novel, a love story of sorts set
against the backdrop of a professional road cycling race (à la the Tour de
France), known as the Tour d'Europa.
Federico Renard
has been racing a bike for practically his entire life; his team – from the
sport director to the riders and on down to the soigneurs and the rest of the
staff are, essentially, his family and closest friends. He even met his fiancée
when she was a podium girl. All at once, it seems everything in his life goes
topsy-turvy: his former team leader – retired after a serious injury – returns
to replace Federico in the team ranks, his fiancée is ignoring his phone calls
and texts, and he finds himself the subject of ridicule as the result of an
article in a popular cycling magazine. It's a lot of stress to take on before
the biggest race on the cycling calendar, and he's doing his best to hold it
together.
Abigail White
is sort of on the other end of the spectrum. She's married and settled, but
she's trying to shake things up a bit. Her husband is, too – but not in any way
Abigail would like. She's following the Tour to photograph it for a small
sports magazine in the UK,
and she's determined to do it well in spite of her decidedly amateur status.
The harder she works at shooting the race, the more difficult maintaining her
marriage seems to become. He doesn't understand her devotion to her work, or to
the sport she's photographing, and she is at a loss to explain it to him. When
her husband decides to go home early, she opts to stay and follow through with
her work.
Abigail and
Federico meet by chance in the midst of all this and find themselves
inexplicably drawn to one another. While the race rages on, they each have
their own personal battles to fight, which could bring them together for good,
or ultimately force them apart.
What in
particular inspired you to write this book? Do you yourself have a keen
interest in cycling?
Well, it's
fair to say that the initial inspiration was the result of watching the 2009
Tour de France. It was the first time in years I'd committed to watching the
ENTIRE race, from start to finish, and it was fascinating. Much of the interplay
between Federico and Brunn was inspired by the relationship between Alberto
Contador and Lance Armstrong when they raced on the same team that year. The
team politics were on display for anyone with an eye/ear for them, and I was
absolutely captivated by the dynamic between them as they battled for control.
The character
of Federico was also 'informed' – shall we say – by my newfound fascination
with Fabian Cancellara. I'd seen him ride the Tour the year before but he
hadn't really caught my attention because I wasn't properly focused on the
race. He rode a stunning time trial in 2009 (at least, it was stunning for me)
and his charm in the interviews afterward quickly made him my favorite rider.
He still is. In my opinion, on many levels he is a true champion of the sport
in every meaning of the word.
Yes, I
certainly do have a keen interest in cycling. It's the only sport I really
follow. I first fell in love with cycling when I was a teenager in 1987. I attended
a few criteriums in the US
(small, short course races held in town) which were ridden by amateur riders
because my cousin, who got me into racing in the first place, competed in them.
We dreamed of him becoming a professional, and of me working for him and/or his
team. (Riding as a professional myself never occurred to me, as female cyclists
were rarely mentioned at all in those days.) That dream eventually fell to the
wayside, as teenage dreams often do, but I tried again and again to get back
into riding bikes. I've rarely gone more than a year or two without a bike in
my possession, even though I don't ride 'road' bikes (like pro riders do).
And then I
moved to Italy.
There, I rekindled my interest in cycling in a big way. In 2006 I photographed
the Giro d'Italia as it passed through my new home city of Reggio nell'Emilia. I had never seen a real
professional race until that year. The Giro made quite an impression on me, and
I fell in love all over again.
In Italy,
it's common to see fairly high-level contests pretty much all year 'round. I
love seeing the riders, all decked out in their lycra kits on beautiful bikes. My
husband rides, too. He used to ride with a cycling club with his father, and
competed in small local races as well. In fact, one of the first questions I
asked him when we met online was if he rode a bike. When he answered 'Yes' I
was delighted! So, yeah, you could call me an 'enthusiast'.
Where did the inspiration come from
for the characters of Federico and Abigail in '27 Stages'?
As I mentioned before, Federico was
inspired by the team politics/dynamics on display in the 2009 Tour de France.
His appearance was influenced by Fabian Cancellara (and a few other riders),
but his personality is all his own. I did a considerable amount of research to
find out what riders are like off the bikes and out of the spotlight, too. The
more I read and watched, the more I found them engaging and funny and, of
course, genuinely human and relatable. I really wanted to get that down on
paper, and I believe, with 27 Stages, I've managed to do so.
Abigail, however, was inspired by my own
dreams and ambitions from my teenage years, and heavily influenced by past
events in my own life. She's not a kid anymore, and she's deeply concerned with
what she feels is a surprising immaturity in herself as she forms a crush on a
rider who is nearly ten years younger than she is. In matters of appearances,
she's just a normal, approaching-middle-age woman. She has become accustomed to
being taken for granted, but she starts to blossom as she finds her way to her
dreams and goals. Generally speaking, I don't write 'perfect' women in my
stories, but women you see every day on the street. (Although, to be fair,
Federico thinks she has amazing legs. LOL)
Finally, I wanted to write an older
woman/younger man story. I didn't want to go the 'cougar' angle (I'm beginning
to feel it's getting over-done), and I thought it would lend an interesting
twist, particularly with the younger man being a well-known athlete. There's a
delicate balance to be struck in any relationship, but when the male partner is
somewhat younger than the female, it becomes even more volatile, especially in
the eyes of the public. For some reason, we (meaning society) still have some
difficulty accepting that kind of relationship, and I still don't understand
why that is.
When
you're not writing, what kind of books do you enjoy reading? Are you a fan of
Sports Romance yourself?
I read a little bit of everything. I know most writers say that, but I really do – from Stephen King to Tim Parks to Adriana Trigiani to Jennifer Weiner and just about everyone/everything in-between. I read voraciously, to the point that my family understand I don't read books – I eat them.
And yet, I have to confess that, in spite of writing love stories, category romances aren't something I seek out. Which is to say: I don't browse the Romance section of the book store or library. While I read books written by my friends – especially by my critique partner, the lovely and talented Nell Dixon – I don't go out of my way to find romance novels. When they find me, however, I will read them.
I do seek
out a lot of fiction (particularly Literary Fiction and Women's Fiction) as
well as non-fiction, and I used to read a LOT of Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Piers Anthony,
Mercedes Lackey, etc) when I was younger. I made a point of reading a number of
cycling biographies before starting 27 Stages, but have saved the
cycling fiction for when I finished the book (I didn't want to be unduly
influenced, after all).
What do you like to do when you're
not working? How do you like to spend your free time?
Aside from reading, I enjoy surfing the
internet and watching television. I try to ride my exercise bike for at least
half an hour, Monday through Friday, unless it's cooler weather and I can ride
my real bike outside. I love photography, and I'm lucky enough to live most of
the year in an incredibly photogenic place. I also like playing with book cover
designs. I do my own book covers, now (for better or worse), so I keep
practicing to keep my so-called digital art skills sharp, and to learn new
things for future use.
What's
next in the pipeline for you, writing wise? What are you working on at the
minute?
I have a few
different projects lined up at the moment, which I need to focus on and find
some follow-through to complete. There are two novellas in the works; one, None
So Blind, is a prequel to my first novel, Ask Me if I'm Happy. The
other, Milan, NC, is a love story inspired by my own
experiences when I met my husband, Alessandro.
In addition to
that are two spin-offs/sequels to 27 Stages, which include The Off
Season, which picks up a short time after 27 Stages leaves off, and
an untitled novel focusing on a female cyclist who will feature in The Off
Season.
Of course,
there will also be a follow-up to Ask Me if I'm Happy, which is shaping
up to be a full-length novel. I hope to get to work on that very soon.
And these are
only the projects I've gotten outlines/scenes jotted down for! LOL! I've got
more percolating in my head, if I could just get them out fast enough. Needless
to say, I'm pretty optimistic – and hopeful that readers will enjoy all of the
above!
AUTHOR BIO:
An aspiring
writer from the age of eight, Kimberly Menozzi began writing her first stories
instead of paying attention in school. While her grades might have suffered,
her imagination seldom did. She managed to keep most of her stories together
for years, then lost them after a move when she left a trunk full of papers
behind. (She meant to go back and get them, but circumstances prevented her
from doing so.)
So, she started over again. And she lost those, too.
After a trip to England in 2002, she began work on A Marginal Life (Well-Lived), inspired by the music of Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. The novel was completed in 2003, and is undergoing rewrites with hopes of publication in the near future.
Also in 2003, she met and fell in love with an Italian accountant named Alessandro. She married him in 2004. This necessitated her arrival in Italy and she has lived there ever since. After several months of working for language schools and writing blog entries for her family in the US to read, new story ideas began to develop.
Finally, in 2007, she began work on a new project, inspired by her love/hate relationship with her new home. The novel Ask Me if I'm Happy was completed in 2009.
Ask Me if I'm Happy was first released November 15th, 2010 in the UK, and was re-released in the US on May 31st, 2011. Also in May of 2011, Kimberly published the novella "Alternate Rialto", a prequel to Ask Me if I'm Happy.
Kimberly released her latest novel, 27 Stages, in April of 2013.
So, she started over again. And she lost those, too.
After a trip to England in 2002, she began work on A Marginal Life (Well-Lived), inspired by the music of Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. The novel was completed in 2003, and is undergoing rewrites with hopes of publication in the near future.
Also in 2003, she met and fell in love with an Italian accountant named Alessandro. She married him in 2004. This necessitated her arrival in Italy and she has lived there ever since. After several months of working for language schools and writing blog entries for her family in the US to read, new story ideas began to develop.
Finally, in 2007, she began work on a new project, inspired by her love/hate relationship with her new home. The novel Ask Me if I'm Happy was completed in 2009.
Ask Me if I'm Happy was first released November 15th, 2010 in the UK, and was re-released in the US on May 31st, 2011. Also in May of 2011, Kimberly published the novella "Alternate Rialto", a prequel to Ask Me if I'm Happy.
Kimberly released her latest novel, 27 Stages, in April of 2013.
EXCERPT: 27
STAGES
"Abigail,"
he said, a smile spreading across his face and lighting his eyes. "You're here."
He looked at me with such sincere surprise, I almost
laughed. Of course, he couldn't have been much more surprised than I was
to find him there.
Maybe if he hadn't seemed so happy to see me, things
would have gone differently. I would have excused myself and he likely would
have done the same. Or maybe we'd have exchanged pleasantries and small talk,
and then gone our separate ways. I certainly wouldn't have permitted myself to
believe, even for a second, he'd come there to find me. My ego wasn't big
enough to believe that.
But faced with such a genuine smile, what else could I
think? I knew I wasn't imagining the relief in his expression once the surprise
had faded away.
There was something else I couldn't pin down,
something in his face which made me think this meeting was no coincidence.
Not this time.
"Yes, we are." I was careful to use
the plural, if only to remind myself of the fact that Charles was on the phone
upstairs. "It's wonderful to see you. I didn't think your team was staying
here."
"No, no – we're across the street." Federico
gestured toward the front doors, and I nodded, recalling the team bus parked on
a side street earlier that evening. "I thought I saw you come in here a
while ago, so I…" He trailed off, his tanned face reddening slightly.
My breath caught in my throat and I did my damnedest
not to show it. I waited for my heart to start again while a single foolish
thought flitted through my mind in the interim: I could die happy, knowing
this.
He'd come looking for me. God, how ridiculously
romantic was that?
Ever the realist, I decided to press my luck. I didn't
want to drift off into some ridiculous daydream about his intentions.
"You didn't come here to look for me," I
said, opting not to phrase it as a question.
"Yes, I did."
I swallowed hard, not caring if he heard it, though it
wasn't likely he would in the noise of the arriving guests.
English isn't his first language, right? Surely he
misunderstood what I said, or meant, or –
"I'm glad I found you, Abigail."
"Abby," I said, my lips forming my own name
in spite of the fact I couldn't feel them, any more. "My friends call me
Abby."
That smile again – innocent, not sly or seductive –
and I couldn't pull my gaze away. I was aware of heat rising to my cheeks. And
a few other places, as well.
*****
Kimberly, thank you so much for a really fabulous interview, and for giving us such an interesting insight into you and your work. I wish you loads of success with 27 Stages - I'm certainly looking forward to reading it - and lots of luck for all your future writing projects.
27 Stages is available HERE from Amazon, in both Kindle format and paperback.
And you can check out all of Kimberly's books over on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
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