Victoria grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun. She always wrote stories to entertain herself or calm down. But her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, and Victoria spent too many years living other people’s dreams, but when she sat down to see what skill she had that matched what she enjoyed doing, writing became so obvious.
She is represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency and she hopes to continue selling her novels. Connect with her on her website, facebook, twitter, her blog and on goodreads.
Why did you decide to write romance novels?
I read romance. I am not into the death and rape literature stuff where we learn we should be happy because life goes on after all the suffering bull. I don't need to read that lesson and romance is just fun.
How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
I'm a bit old fashioned, a bit modern, and a general mess most of the time. I do believe mood affects us. Gigi is happy but has a pained past. Penny is avoiding her gold digging mother and that life style choice. I've not experienced Gigi's pain in Chaperoning Paris and I've not had gold diggers in the family either. I can just stop and imagine. But life moments get into all books. When Penelope comments on a billboard in Miami advertising a breast implants for $2800 and brazilian but lift for $3500, her comments are similar to my own.
What kind of research do you do for a book?
Well when I write sci fi, I definitely steal someone's body and life... lol. I wish I could be everyone of my heroines. For contemporaries, setting is key, and since I live in Miami, the logistics are easy. I read a book of a cowboy on South Beach, and shook my head... doesn't work. Move the setting to Davie and a drive to South Beach, okay, that's realistic. For contemporaries, I do like to have visited or lived in the place I'm writing. It makes grounding the story just easier.
When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?
I couldn't find the book that fit what I wanted to read. I ran out of books and just needed to write my own.
What genre is it?
The unsold but has 300 rejection letters manuscript? Contemporary with fantasy elements. It was part one of six. Part two is finished. Part three is half done. Part four to six are outlined.
Would you like to write a different genre than you do now, or sub-genre?
I am sticking to contemporaries now, but I wrote science fiction romance.
Tell us about your latest book. What motivated the story?
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush. I wanted a group of friends who can fall in love as a series. Then when I outlined that idea of 3 men and 3 women who all went to high school together, the characters of Penelope and Jay took over.
Do you feel humor is important in fiction and why?
Yes. We have to feel something when reading the book. Literature tugs at the 'oh no' strings. Romance tugs at the lights in the sky and optimistic dreams strings. Humor just makes it even better.
What is your writing routine once you start a book?
Before the wedding brain took over and blocked my creativity, I wrote everyday. I had a daily word count limit that I met. And I wrote one at a time. Post wedding brain, I'm counting on getting my butt in gear to get back into the routine.
What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?
The fiance, about to be husband, 2 days after the book release is supportive entirely. It is one of the things that I love about him. Wedding brain is not him. It's me going on sites wondering what else I can do to have a great wedding.
Congratulations to Victoria! On her book and her new marriage!
Victoria released Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush, a Mainstream Contemporary Romance/ New Adult Romance with Jupiter Gardens Press on June 12, 2014.
BLURB
Penny moves back to Miami to start her new job. She must start on Monday, so she has a list of things to accomplish.
A: Find a place to live.
B: Avoid her mother.
C: Reconnect with old high school friends.
There was her best friend, Sandra, the dramatic Eva, the dark Michael, her half-brother Wyatt, and her old high school crush Jay. Jay had never looked twice at her except as a partner in math league, but at least these people respected her.
Jay spots Penny immediately and sets a plan in action. He needs her to pretend to be his date this week. She’s practical minded and stable, which is what he needs his investors to see in him.
Penny’s caught in a whirlwind of plots. Her gold digging mother, Jay’s, Jay’s mother whose out to stop him, and her own plans are being thrown off course. Worst of it is that she’s falling for Jay, all over again.
Penelope never wanted to fall in love with a rich man. Jay is everything she never wanted.
Read An Excerpt
“Home, sweet, err...coffee.”
Getting out of her car, Penelope brushed her worn jeans to get out a small wrinkle. Not that it mattered. She smelled the coffee drawing her to the door. The delicious aroma of freshly brewed java that could wake her up waited inside. Gainesville had coffee shops, but nothing that held her heart like this place. In high school, this place was her Mecca. Her stomach grumbled for the familiar drink.
The coffee shop looked almost the same as it had years ago, except for the aluminum tables and wooden chairs with red cushions. She remembered the plaid chairs and brown tables, but the place still calmed her, like she was coming home.
She stepped up to the counter. “I’ll have a cinnamon dulce non-fat latte, please.”
Leaving Gainesville after college had always been the plan. Just never back to Miami, but she’d changed. She could live here now.
She checked her lip gloss while she waited for the latte at the counter.
When she accepted the promotion from part-time to full-time position, she knew she would have to face her mother and the catch of the month, Lars, her mother’s plastic surgeon. What that woman would do for a free tummy tuck.
The job she’d accepted had offered to triple her salary provided she moved to the Coral Gables office. Somehow, she’d avoid her mother until necessary. What was the man’s name with money this week? Penny ignored that last call, knowing the man with the largest wallet always took precedence over whatever Penelope needed. Getting the non-fat milk, she watched the barista finish her latte. She’d succeed here, now. She had to.
She’d call Sandra, Eva, John, and Michael later. Wyatt, her half-brother, was stationed overseas, so she’d wait for his weekly call. These people were her real family.
The man handed her the latte. The first sip gave her the strength to do this. The tightness of the ride dissipated while she tasted her liquid savior. Sighing, she tasted heaven, the wake-up to her day.
“Penelope.”
Though the unmistakable voice was deeper, she knew who it was without even turning. Her high school crush, who never noticed her beyond her brain, with a deeper tone. Pulling at her pink tank top, she wished she wore better clothes. “John Jay.”
His steely blue eyes and sandy blond hair were the same color, but his build had grown more muscular. The leanness of his youth gave way to broad shoulders and hard, muscular arms. He had a straight, faded scar on his left cheek that was new--probably a bar fight. Rich boy wore his fancy perfectly fitted polo and jeans, and was definitely hotter with age. His million-dollar smile and devastating dimples sparked a warm flush that sped through her all the way to the tips of her toes.
“I’m going by Jay these days. It’s less formal.” He winked at her, turning off his tablet, pointing her to his table.
“It’s a good name, but I still prefer Dimples,” she teased. “It’s what I called you on online whenever I needed you.”
His rich, deep laugh sent that familiar spark through her.
Damn. Rich boy knew his effect on women, including her. He could manipulate her when she went quiet, but she learned a lot of in college. She’d not let him weaken her.
“When did you get back to town?”
“I’ve been in town for, like, five minutes. I stopped in for morning coffee. How have you been?”
“Good. Busy these days. You?”
