Welcome to my stop on the #KitchenSizzles blog tour! This is author Chrissie Peria's second solo novella and she's on a roll this year, also being nominated for a 2014 Filipino Readers' Choice Award (no big deal...)! Here's my interview with Chrissie:
1. Let's get this out of the way -- how awkward was it to write the "steamy" scenes? (And I don't mean cooking.)
Writing steamy is not as awkward as I thought it would be. I had a clear idea of how I wanted to handle the steamy scenes, so it was just a matter of tapping into the characters' emotions and getting the words down.
Truth be told, it's owning up to writing the actual prawn-y bits that I found more awkward than the actual writing. How do I tell people I wrote this? I even considered using a pen name, but in the end, I decided to stand by what I wrote and take credit for it. I slaved over this book, damnit, I want my name on the cover.
2. How did you decide to write and publish something a bit more adult as your next book?
Following All's Fair with a more mature book wasn't a conscious decision. Kitchen Sizzles was supposed to be a short story for #steamyreads. In fact, my first draft stopped somewhere halfway the current story. But it didn't feel right, so I kept writing.
In the end, I fell in love with the characters and I wanted everyone else to get to know them, too, even if it wasn't part of the plan. Kitchen Sizzles takes me out of my comfort zone, but it also feels so rewarding to broaden my horizons, so no regrets.
3. Would you have featured more food in the book, if you could? Were there dishes that didn't make it through the edit?
Yes! There was supposed to be an elaborate dessert (with bacon) that was going to be a plot device but as I was writing it, I realized that I didn't need it. I had Sticky Chinese Ribs from the start! So bye-bye dessert. I'm more of a savory dish person anyway, so I don't feel bad.
4. Did you encounter any resistance from yourself or readers to casting a chef as your love interest?
None from me since I've been wanting to feature a chef LI for the longest time. I haven't gotten any complaints from those who've read it either. (Except maybe from a certain fictional art director / photographer named Jesse, but we know he's biased.) I think we can all agree that a hot guy who can dish out a mean creme brulee is a keeper.
5. What's next for you?
A little of everything! I'm juggling stories right now, letting a bunch of story ideas gestate before choosing one to be fleshed out fully. There's a contemporary YA retelling of a Filipino classic, a YA fantasy, a new #LunaEast story, and a few NA romances, some sweet, some steamy. I'm leaning towards this sweet NA romance featuring characters from a kiddie show, but I'll have to see what the universe throws at me.
About the book
Olivia Nadal is an almost perfect girl with an almost perfect life. She has stunning good looks, an exciting job that pays well, men lining up to date her, and a homey little condo she calls her own. The only thing keeping her from perfection is her utter inability to cook.
Enter Nate Olivarez, a hotshot chef who's filling in for Olivia's cooking instructor. Sparks fly when they meet, but a fling with the visiting hottie is the last thing Olivia needs. But as things keep heating up in the kitchen, she can't help but wonder. Can things work out between her and Nate? Or is the sizzle all set to fizzle?
About Chrissie Peria
When not obsessing over fictional people doing fictional things, Chrissie obsesses about food: the eating, the cooking, and the procuring of it.
An advertising copywriter in her past life, she now spends most of her time writing, taking photos, cooking, and babysitting a tiny human and a curly-haired dog. She still plays with dolls and she thinks that bacon is the answer. Her first book, All's Fair in Blog and War, is a finalist in the 2014 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards.
And oooooh join this giveaway!
