Interview with Delancey Stewart, author of Mr. Big

What can you tell us about your new release, Mr. Big?

Mr. Big is a bit of a departure for me. I wanted to write a really alpha hero, the kind of man who knows his place in the world but maybe has a softer more vulnerable side that only certain people (like our heroine!) get to see. That said, the book still has a kickass feminist heroine (because I really won’t write any other kind) and a cast of good people who carry through on my signature theme – that we make family where we find it.

Who or what inspired you to become an author?

My mom. Plain and simple. Her love of stories and literature led me to find escape in books as a kid and to admire writers above all others when I needed to choose heroes to emulate. We were both English majors who set about proving that you could do a hell of a lot with an English degree!

Which books would we be surprised to find on your bookshelves?

Let’s see… I write romance, but I’m a dragon geek. If the book has a dragon in it, I’ve read it! (Game of Thrones, I’m looking at you…I’ve read them all and am still waiting for George R.R. Martin to conclude the series. Which doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying HBO’s version of the end…)  I also have a collection of classics (from my English major days) and revisit the American greats—F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway (who I’ve come to grudgingly admire) and Steinbeck.

You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

Cassandra Clare (because…shadowhunters, hello?), Nora Roberts – the queen of romance who isn’t afraid to tell things like they are, and Dennis Lehane. Because he’s amazing and poetic and in your face and so real.

What makes your world go round. Why does it bring you joy?

My little boys. I have two and while the answer might be trite, I’m not just trying to be cloying with my answer. They are really my world. And my nemesis

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Calm the eff down. You rock and you just haven’t realized it yet.

What scene in Mr. Big was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene with a big giraffe that I love. I don’t want to give anything away, but giraffes have a special meaning in my house because my littlest little loves them. So we have a few standing around. It’s kind of a theme around here.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I do. I think I share it with a college friend who still means the world to me. It is: Things work out.

I know it isn’t deep, but it seems to be true. I try not to sweat the small stuff (notice I said “try”) because things do work out. And generally in a way that feels like it’s for the best.

Delancey Stewart is the author of the new book Mr. Big. 

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