My Year Of Casual Acquaintances Book Tour

I’m so pleased to be part of the book tour for author Ruth F Stevens’ latest book, My Year Of Casual Acquaintances. And, my oh my, what a fun read it was – it was a delicious mix of laugh out loud moments, sad moments and great “people watching” type moments. Just the type of book to read when it’s cold outside but also great to pack for your holidays too. Before I introduce Ruth onto the blog, here’s a quick book summary to whet your appetite…

BOOK SUMMARY

When Mar Meyer’s husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it’s not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures – as long as she can keep things casual.

With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant, a kindly older gentleman . . . and Charlie, a handsome best-selling novelist who wants more from Mar than she’s able to give. She learns something new from each encounter. But can she change enough to open herself up to happiness and true connection? Surrounded by an ensemble of quirky, endearing characters, Mar follows a tortuous and unpredictable path as she navigates the first year of her reinvented life. My Year of Casual Acquaintances is packed with laugh-out-loud moments mingled with scenes of loneliness and self-doubt that will put a lump in your throat.

MY INTERVIEW

Hello Ruth and welcome to the blog. Please tell us a bit about yourself 😊

Hello, 😊 I like to create stories that will make readers laugh and cry. A former public relations executive in New York and Los Angeles, I’m a produced playwright and author of a previous novel, Stage Seven, which was a featured selection of national online book club and Alzheimer’s awareness organizations. I volunteer as acquisitions editor in charge of fiction for AlzAuthors, a nonprofit online organization that offers books, podcasts, and other resources to dementia patients and caregivers. I’m also a proud member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and the Dramatists Guild of America and proud grandmother to two wonderful boys. My husband and I live in the coastal South Bay area of Los Angeles, where my two upcoming novels are set.

Who or what inspired you to write “My Year Of Casual Acquaintances”? 

I’ve worked from a home office for many years, starting way before it became common practice. Every day I’d go to a nearby health club, mostly to fitness classes. Before long, I realized I was doing it as much for the social interaction as I was for the exercise. I became fascinated by the way people interact at the gym and the relationships that are formed. I thought this would be a terrific premise for a work of fiction.

“My Year Of Casual Acquaintances ” is a “funny -sad” of a 50 year old divorcee (Mar Meyer), embracing growth post divorce and her casual acquaintances she meets each month.  I absolutely loved Mar – and her determination to get a life for herself away from her ex husband and new partner.   I laughed until I cried at some of Mar’s antics and yet, there were sad moments too, with the occasional comeuppance moments thrown in too.  The characters are very believable  – did you base a lot of your characters on you and people you’ve met in life? Which character did you enjoy writing about the most?  Which character was the hardest?

Well, Mar definitely inherited my snark and my love of hip-hop classes and wine. But her life is not my life. In general, the characters come from my imagination, but some of the dialog and certain events in the story are based on real-life. For example, in the Prologue, Mar crashes her Prius, and the description of that collision is based closely on an accident I had several years ago.

Which characters were the most fun to write? Mar, for sure; and I also enjoyed writing about Charlie, the main romantic interest. Confession: I always fall in love with my leading men. (Don’t tell my husband, please.)  I also enjoy writing sarcastic characters like Judith, the potty-mouthed organizational consultant. Writing about Mrs. Ostrowski, the elderly neighbor with memory issues, was a bit painful because it brought back memories of my mother, who also had Alzheimer’s.

Hypothetically speaking, if “My Year Of Casual Acquaintances” was made into a film who would you cast as the main characters, especially Mar, Charlie, Henry & his new partner? oh, and the other acquaintances too?

Mar (narrator): Sutton Foster would be perfect.

Henry (ex-husband): Thibault de Montalembert, a French actor who was in a very funny television series titled Call My Agent. When I saw him for the first time, I pointed at the TV and said, “He’s Henry!” That’s never happened to me before.

Alice (Henry’s new partner): Maybe Kathy Bates when she was around 50.

Charlie (love interest): Still undecided on that one. I can picture his long, lithe physique, but the face is still blurry. If you have a casting suggestion, I’d love to hear it!

For Pinning Later

If you could visit any country/place in the world, to base your next novel in, where would you go and why? 

Every time I read a book set in Italy, I’m enchanted by the setting, the food, the characters.  So that would be my top pick. Full disclosure: I’ve only traveled to Italy once, and I need a good excuse to go back and spend more time there. A lot more time. 

 Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

I lead a book club and am a member of three others, so I guess that qualifies me as a bookworm. I used to confine my reading to literary and women’s fiction. But after signing with my current publisher, Black Rose Writing, I discovered that the authors frequently read one another’s books and exchange reviews. This activity has opened me up to many genres I used to ignore: YA, memoirs, mysteries, crime fiction . . . you name it. I’m enjoying them all.  

There’s still nothing quite like holding a “real” book in my hands. But I travel so much, I’ve come to enjoy the convenience of e-books. A couple of years ago, I also started listening to audiobooks while walking, driving, or fixing dinner. I try to have an audiobook and a regular book going at all times. It’s probably doubled my reading output.

Is “My Year Of Casual Acquaintances ” available to purchase worldwide?

Yes! It’s available from all major online retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. 

Growing up had you always wanted to be an author or did you have other career aspirations?

I always wanted to be a writer of some sort. From the time I was a little girl, I would sit at the typewriter and write poems, stories, even newsletters. I guess it was good training for my PR and advertising career. 

When you are not writing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy travel, hiking, hip-hop and fitness classes, yoga, Broadway musicals, wine tasting, book clubs, and visiting my grandsons in NYC

An Italian cup of coffee © Linda Hobden

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Since I work from home and exercise daily, I’m pretty casual—fitness attire or shorts and t-shirts, long pants and hoodies in cooler weather. For footwear: sneakers or sandals. For hip hop classes, I wear jazz shoes, even though they are no longer considered fashionable.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Lately,  I’ve been shopping at the Soft Surroundings website—I find their clothes to be comfortable but stylish. Lululemon and Athleta for fitness, REI for hiking, Uniqlo for value sweaters and packable down.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Smart-looking jackets! 

Boots or Shoes?

Definitely shoes—for two reasons: (1) In Los Angeles, boots are not really necessary from a weather standpoint; and (2) I inherited my father’s bulging calf muscles, and it’s always been difficult for me to find boots that fit well.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Website: https://ruthfstevens.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthfstevensauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rfsauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ruth-f-stevens

BOOK TOUR DATES

Lovely to chat with you Ruth! I’m still thinking who could play Charlie …..

My thanks to Ruth for the preview copy of “My Year Of Casual Acquaintances “. All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Ruth F Stevens; (other photos are by Linda Hobden where marked).

Linda x

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