I participated in Samantha’s Bohrman’s book launch party last night. This was not my first rodeo, but I did enjoy it very much. During the party I slipped and fell in the kitchen. I’ve written before about my falling and my husband has said that he doesn’t know anyone that falls as much as me. My thigh really hurt and it reminded me of another time that I fell. I was in elementary school on a field trip and we were walking in Washington DC, and I ran into a street pole. I hit my head and fell on the ground. Not only was I physically injured but so was my ego. Alas, that is the reality of falling public.

Today’s Five Question Friday guest has delivered some shiny answers for us to slip on like a pair of ruby heels.

1. I love this blend of Oz and current day, are you a huge fan and have you seen Wicked?

I was about to answer that I’ve never been a huge *Wizard of Oz* fan, but that’s not entirely true. I remember belting out “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at age five when I tried out for the school play. The director cast me as a ray of sunlight. I had a chip on my shoulder about that for years. Since then, *The Wizard of Oz* hasn’t been on my mind much. When I started writing *Ruby’s Misadventures with Reality*, I didn’t mean to write a *Wizard of Oz*-themed book, but towards the end of my first draft I wrote in a tornado and a lightbulb went on. I decided to turn my main character (who previously went by the name of Helen) into a modern day Dorothy. One of the themes in *Ruby’s Misadventures with Reality* is the elusive nature of the American dream, so it seemed fitting.

I’ve never seen *Wicked*! I should probably fix that.

2. Can you share a memorable moment while working as a shoe sales person?

Ahh. All those shoes I should have bought while I had a discount. I have a little mental flipbook with all their photos. Why was I so frugal? Besides that, I had a near celebrity encounter once. It was mid-morning. I was standing by the women’s sandals when a guy walked in to look for hiking boots. I didn’t want to hover, so I let him shop unaware that he was Michael Keaton. I totally missed my opportunity to sell Batman hiking boots.

3. Have you ever used something to find out later it was expired?

I consume tons of expired food every time I hang out with my dad. To him, expiration dates are for sissies. It’s a theory supported by his mediocre sense of smell. Ruby is on her own with the use of life-altering expired products.

4. You’re planning a party at the food court, what’s on the menu?

Okay, I’m going to go with the Food Court at the Empire Mall in Sioux Falls, SD, which inspired the mall in *Ruby* (along with Biosphere 2). I’ve had a lot of adventures at that mall. Most recently, my family and I were stranded in Sioux Falls during a Christmas blizzard. We spent a lot of time at the Empire Mall. After two days (it was a long storm!), we tried to escape on the back roads and ended up stuck in Winner, SD for another night. It made me miss the Empire Mall. For the party, I’ll go with a Ruby theme, so I’ll be serving giant pretzels and some soft-serve ice cream. That’ll make sense if you read the book. Or if you like pretzels and ice cream.

5. What was the plotting like for *Ruby’s Misadventures with Reality*?

Ruby is my first book. Plotting in advance didn’t even cross my mind. Not plotting turns out to make for a long and messy writing process. I probably cut 50,000 words that didn’t pertain to anything. I’m trying to a plot a little these days to avoid that. Not plotting Ruby was lots of fun, though. She went out to eat all the time. Then, she’d get a latte. Then, she’d solve a murder. Every time I wrote, it was like waking up on vacation and saying, “What should we do today, kids?” Some days were good. Some days Ruby and I ended up at a bad Chinese buffet and missed the bus to the amusement park.

Thank you to Ms. Bohrman for stopping by and be sure to check out her book for your Friday Reads!

And as a bonus here is a fabulous new song that pairs well with the book!

Happy Reading,

~GINA