Today we are interviewing a friend and fellow author Rosie Genova!

Welcome tothe blog, Rosie!  Tell us a little aboutyour background

As my bio states,I’m a proud Jersey girl. I grew up in a small town with a tiny library thatbecame my favorite place to hang out. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I waseight. When my kids were young, I did some magazine writing and I taughtjournalism for years. But writing fiction has always been my dream, which cameto fruition twelve years ago, when my first novel was published.

Tell us abit about your latest book

Murderon the Steel Pier is a time travel mystery featuringTess Mancini, an investigative reporter who celebrates her thirty-fifthbirthday with her bestie in Atlantic City. Many tequila shots later, she wakesup in a boarding house in 1955, where she finds herself living the life of herown great-aunt, also a reporter. While there, a guest in the boarding house(who happens to be a Nazi on the run) is murdered, and Tess’s teenagedgrandfather is accused of the crime—leaving Tess stuck in the Nifty Fiftiesuntil she can clear his name and make sure she has a future.

How do you“get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

It starts with aspecific voice in my head, especially if I’m using first-person narration.Writing Tess in Murder on the Steel Pier was a bit of a departurefor me; she’s a Millennial, she’s a badass, and she’s pretty snarky.

Do you havean “How I got my agent” story you want to share?

Contrary topopular opinion, the “agent phone call” is not necessarily an offer ofrepresentation. (I’d had three such conversations in my past that did not turninto offers.) So when my current agent emailed me asking for a phone call, Ikept my expectations low. I figured she’d be asking me to rewrite and thenresubmit the book. On the call, I was amazingly calm and confident. When sheasked if she could give me feedback, I thought, oh, here it comes. Iwalked downstairs to where my husband and sons were waiting and gave them athumbs down. The agent and I talked about revisions, and I told her I wouldresubmit promptly. There was this silence, and then she told me she assumedwe’d go through the process together. It was an offer, after all. Then Idropped all my notes and started babbling like an idiot! So much for myprofessional cool…

If youcould take only three books with you for a year-long writing retreat in agorgeous setting with no library, which three would you take?

Hmm. Guess I’m notallowed my Kindle, huh? I would take Persuasion by Jane Austen, TouchNot the Cat by Mary Stewart, and Agatha Christie’s collected stories. Anice mix of the literary, the romantic, and the mysterious.

What’s thecraziest thing you’ve ever done?

(See answer tobiggest splurge in Fast Five.)

What’s onething your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

I write acrossgenres. I started out writing rom-coms, which are as yet unpublished. Then Iwrote a cozy series, The Italian Kitchen Mysteries. I’ve also written twostandalone suspense novels, both much darker than my usual humorous take. And Murderon the Steel Pier is a mix of historical, paranormal, cozy, and noirelements. Something for everyone!

Whatquestion do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

Question: What isyour superpower? Answer: My homemade meatballs.

What songdo you like to sing along to?

“You Turn Me On,I’m a Radio,” by Joni Mitchell. You can not shut me up if I hear that song.

What smelltakes you back to your childhood?

Lilacs. There wasa beautiful lilac bush at my grandmother’s house, and it’s a strong associationfor me.

What’s thelast thing you splurged on?

Blowing throughevery last one of my credit card points to fly business class to Italy thissummer!

If youweren’t a writer, what would you be?

I’ve been blessedto follow both my vocations; I was an English teacher for 25 years beforeleaving to write full time.

Whatcelebrity are you dying to meet (or have met)?

I once stood next to the aforementioned JoniMitchell in the ladies room of a West Village restaurant. But I was stuck dumbin the presence of my musical goddess!

Where can our readers learn more about you?

Book Bub www.bookbub.com/profile/rosie-genova

Website www.rosiegenova.com

Goodreads  www.goodreads.com/author/show/6462450.Rosie_Genova

Facebook www.facebook.com/RosieGenova

Thank you for a wonderful interview, Rosie!  Now it's GIVEAWAY TIME.

Rosie will give away two e-pub editions of MURDER ON THE STEEL PIER to two lucky commenters!  To enter leave your name and email address! It's that easy. Chazz will pick the winners at random.  Contest closes midnight April 16th!