Interview with Penelope Bloom, author of His Treat

What can you tell us about your new release, His Treat?

His Treat is a really fun holiday romance that takes place leading up to and after Halloween. It’s the third in my Objects of Attraction series. All of the books can be read as standalones, but they do follow chronologically from one to the next and include fun cameos from previous characters. With the exception of knowing that the main characters of a book ended up together, there aren’t any spoilers, so you can still read the series in any order you like.

This book has the series’ staple tone and humor. You’ll hopefully laugh a lot and smile on almost every page. At least that’s the plan!

If His Treat is turned into a movie, who would you pick to play the main characters??

I think I’d pick Chris Pratt would be Ryan, but the rugged version where he’s in really good shape! I’d need to be an actor who can do serious but also pull off self-deprecating and funny. For Emily, I’d pick Ellie Kemper or Anna Kendrick maybe?

If you could invent anything, what would it be?

Hmmmm. I mean if we’re going deep and dark down the *anything* category, I’d want a time machine without all the horrible consequences of time travel movies, and no weird technicalities like, “yeah, I took you back 100 years like you asked, BUT THE EARTH WAS 500,000 miles away from this point 100 years ago, so now you’re floating in space!”

And if I had to go with the more practical and less out-there option, I’d want to invent some kind of shock system that electrocuted you (just a little) if you touch your steering wheel and phone at the same time while the car is moving. Sorry, not sorry, distracted drivers suck.

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

A balance of things. My family is the obvious answer, but it’s also the boring answer, since you don’t know them. The more interesting part of the equation would probably be that I really thrive when I feel like I’m growing and improving as a writer. Some of my darkest months are when my previous release flopped or reviews give me the feeling that I let readers down. I know it’s not realistic to make every single book my best book yet, but that’s my goal, and I’m usually flying really high when I feel like I nailed it.

How do you like to spend a rainy day?

Just like most days, except I like to be close to a window and listen to the sound instead of music. But it doesn’t really change my routine, because I live in Florida and it’s too hot to go outside 80% of the year. Basically from like… February or March through about mid-December, it’s an average of 80+ and so humid that your sweat can’t even evaporate and cool you off. If only all my family and my husband’s family didn’t live around here, we’d be far, far north by now if I had my way! I am not a hot weather person at all.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

That’s actually a tough question. I’ve never found a lot of success from sort of seeking out motivation. I most often feel like I would need it to help push myself to write more or write faster, but at some point, you realize you can’t train yourself to need a motivational burst of inspiration every time you have to produce. Eventually, writing has to be a habit, and self-discipline has to be automatic. I’m not sure if I absorbed that philosophy from advice somewhere, but that would be my answer: “Don’t rely on motivation, rely on self-discipline.”

What scene in His Treat was your favorite to write?

I usually have a scene early in the book that’s most fun, but I probably had the most fun with the climax of this book. I did something a little different and it felt very dramatic, silly, and fun. I’m excited to see what people think of it, and I’m hoping they like it. It happens so far into the book though that I can’t really explain much more without spoilers, but it’s a team effort from the characters in the book, and you’ll know it when you get there!

Penelope Bloom is the author of the new book His Treat

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