Saturday, April 27, 2013

Lori Verni-Fogarsi stops by Penny's Tales






“A Love/Hate Relationship Between an Author and Her Characters”

Growing up, whenever I visualized “a writer,” it always seemed like a purely intellectual undertaking. There I would be, intermittently scribbling notes and pounding away at the keyboard as my mind emptied onto the pages.

In reality? Sure, there are times when it’s like that but, surprisingly, there are also times when the emotions become overwhelming! I’ve been known to say to friends, “Man, these people are driving me crazy!”

“Who?” they ask.

“The characters!”

“You mean the fictional ones in your book?”

“Yes!” (This is usually followed by them turning one finger in a circle on the side of their head, making a coo-coo sign, then asking if I’d like a glass of wine.)

I confess that my poor husband has also fallen victim to me being mad at him because of things the husband in my book has done, and I’ve had no patience for my kids even at the beginning of a weekend because “they” have already been testing me all week in my imagination.

Conversely (thank goodness!) I also sometimes have warm and fuzzy feelings toward my real life family members and friends due to niceties with the characters at times. I think it would be safe to say that my cat, Indy, who insists on being ON my lap and/or desk EVERY MINUTE that I am working, is probably still on my good side only because Frick (the cat in the book) is so docile.

Come to think of it, I would imagine that most careers cause mixed emotions at times. Social worker? Both rewarding and frustrating. Salesperson? Both elating and disappointing. Professional dancer? Both exhilarating and exhausting. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop now. (If you’d like to comment below about your career and any mixed feelings you might have, I’d love to know!)

Overall, I do find it worth it to have to put up with all of these mixed feelings. In ways, I actually feel like I’ve grown as a person from writing my books and with “Unexpecting” in particular, I feel like I’ve tackled some parenting issues, feelings, and dilemmas that haven’t even come up yet (some of which hopefully never will!).

I hope you’ve enjoyed this perspective and look forward to getting to know you a bit too. Thanks for reading!



AUTHOR BIO: Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author, speaker, and small business consultant since 1995. She has been featured in media including “Lifetime Women’s Network,” the “My Carolina Today Show,” and “Boston Globe Forums Live.” Her public speaking has occurred at many prestigious venues including “North Carolina State University,” “Nassau Community College,” and many more. She has received two awards for her novel, “Momnesia,” and her nonfiction, “Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs,” continues to be one of the most highly recommended in its genre since 2005. Lori is a happy married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. She is very excited about the release of “Unexpecting,” and enjoys getting to know her readers via social media and in person. She invites you to learn more at www.LoriTheAuthor.com.

“Unexpecting”: Shelley and David are a couple of almost-empty-nesters preparing to embark on the next stage of their lives. They just ordered white furniture and planned the vacation they’ve waited their entire lives to take when Alexandra, seventeen and pregnant, shows up on their doorstep and announces that she’s the daughter they never knew they had!


“Momnesia”: Feeling invisible under all the responsibilities of caring for her family, a suburban mom sets about finessing a new version of her old vivaciousness… seeking balance between her “momminess” and her “sexiness!”


“Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs”: Whether you have a puppy who is first learning, an adult dog with ongoing confusion, or simply want to teach your pet to use a designated area, this book answers literally every housebreaking question!

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4 comments:

  1. Lori, all your books look like wonderful reads. I am going to take a look. Best of luck to you.

    Sandy

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  2. Love the interview. I get all sorts of strange reactions from people as I write too. I lol, I cry, I talk back to my characters. It drives my husband's employees nuts.

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  3. Nice post. These books sound interesting.

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  4. Hi everyone! Thanks for commenting, and I'm glad you enjoyed the post! It was fun to write, and I enjoyed being a guest on Penny's Tales!

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