Interview with Monica Murphy, Author of Save The Date

What can you tell us about your new release, Save The Date?

Save The Date is a fun contemporary romance with a hint of women’s fiction in it. This book isn’t just a romance though – it’s also the story or Caroline, and her friends, and her life choices. She works at a stationery store and helps future brides pick out their save the date cards and wedding invitations. One of her clients happens to be engaged to the man (Alex) who was Caroline’s first kiss when they were kids. All sorts of things happen, including Caroline discovering that Alex’s fiance is cheating on him, Alex asking Caroline to go to Paris with him…this story was a lot of fun to write!

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I was always a big reader when I was a kid. When I was a teen, I discovered my mom’s stash of romance books in the hall closet. I devoured them. Then went to the used book store in my hometown and bought a bunch more. Judith McNaught and Jude Deveraux were my absolute favorite authors in those early years and I often thought to myself after I read them, “I want to write something like that.” Finally, many years later, I started writing, sold my first book (under my other pen name Karen Erickson) in 2006, and the rest is history.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

This is such a tough question! Okay, let me see what I can come up with:

The Stand by Stephen King
On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves
Paradise by Judith McNaught
A Knight by Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
Any book by Jill Shalvis (I love her all of her books, can’t choose one!)

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Stephen King – I’d ask him about his experience as a writer, because he’s done so much, and had so much success. I’d also ask where does he come up with his ideas. So many of us writers get asked that, and it’s hard to answer, but I’d ask him that question anyway because the ideas for some of his books are so INSANE. His brain fascinates me.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I love immersing myself into the worlds I create. Sometimes I get so into it, I start to feel like the characters I’ve created are actually real. I love the romance writing community. There are so many authors I admire that I can also call my friends! Being able to work from home is pretty great, especially when my kids were younger and they needed me. Being able to write stories about people falling in love is seriously so awesome. I feel pretty lucky to be able to do this.

What is a typical day like for you?

I am seriously all over the place. I don’t always have a steady routine. For instance, right now it’s summer, so my kids are home from school and they’re a complete distraction. Lately I get up in the morning, feed my animals, check my roses (I’ve recently become a bit of a gardener, I seriously feel like my grandma right now LOL), then I start working. Usually working on tasks, answering emails, etc. I start writing in the afternoon, and write best in the evening. I think that’s a hold over from the days when my kids were small and I couldn’t get any writing done until they were in bed.

What scene in Save The Date was your favorite to write?

Oh, I absolutely loved writing the scenes where Alex and Caroline are in Paris. Only because so much of what happened to them, happened to me when I went to Paris back in April. I tried to infuse as many real life details in those scene as possible.

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

I’m a big believer in no regrets. I encourage everyone to ask for what they want – the worst that’ll happen is you’ll hear no. But a lot of the time, the answer will be yes. You won’t know if you don’t try…

Monica Murphy is the author of the new book Save The Date.

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