Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Center Courtship
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Massillon
STATE: OH
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
au blog: http://lizabrownsjourneytoprint.blogspot.com/ *
WRITER NOTES:
Category changed from C to D per BP 4/27.
PERSONAL
Married Dan Brown, 1998; children: Lizzie.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
AVOCATIONS:Following the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Liza Brown is a basketball fan from Massillon, Ohio. She especially enjoys rooting for the “home team”—in this case, the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a stay-at-home mom to one daughter, she has time to exercise her imagination, which eventually turned to romance—and basketball.
Center Courtship introduces Mae Rogers to visiting basketball star Elsu Benjamin. Most of the time Mae keeps to herself in the used auto parts shop that she inherited from her grandpa, but when her nephew is sidelined by an injury, she devises a plan to salvage part of his highly anticipated field trip. She takes the boy’s place on a visit to meet Benjamin, hoping to get the celebrity’s autograph on the youth’s sports gear. Instead, something about her impresses the ballplayer, and he offers gestures of friendship.
Mae is wary of his interest. She is neither beautiful nor charismatic, and her family has reinforced her lack of self-esteem for her entire life. Elsu sees something intriguing behind her reticence, however, and over his weeklong visit they become friends. A small-town girl’s growing infatuation with a basketball superstar could easily get Mae into trouble, but instead Elsu becomes her protector, her friend—and potentially more.
A Publishers Weekly contributor found Brown’s debut novel to be both promising and frustrating. On the frustrating side, the reviewer observed, is Mae herself as she seems to careen back and forth between the edge of self-confidence and the verge of emotional breakdown. The reviewer found promise in the other characters, however, not least the softhearted basketball star who wants to win Mae’s love. Center Courtship is the first installment in a projected series, in which Mae and Elsu might share more adventures along their road to happily ever after.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, August 1, 2016, review of Center Courtship, p. 54.
Mae-Belle Rogers is an independent, quirky young woman running a used auto parts shop in a small Ohio town. Her life takes a surprising turn when she is asked to be a stand-in for her nephew on a trip to meet the star player of the new basketball team that has come to town. The trip, which was supposed to be quick, turns into an evening of discomfort and unease as she endures a tour of Elsu Benjamin’s mansion. But her quick visit affects Elsu in a way that even he has a hard time comprehending. Over the next week, Mae slowly realizes that they have developed feelings for each other. When she finds herself flung into a world of celebrity she never knew existed, she learns that Elsu is more than just a crush; he's also a protector and a friend.
Liza Brown is a stay-at-home mom who loves to write. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, two cats, and two dachshunds. She lives in Massillon, Ohio and loves to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers.
She attended Canton Central Catholic High School and supports the Massillon Tigers high school football team. TIG! ERS!!
Interview with Liza Brown, Author of Center Courtship
Author’s Bio: I am a stay at home wife (to Dan – the other Dan Brown) and mom of one girl (Lizzie), two cats (Max and Ruby), and two dachshunds (Nikita and Reggie). My daughter has special needs and it’s much easier to get her to and from multiple appointments when I can be home. I live in Massillon, Ohio and enjoy spending time with my daughter. I enjoy listening to classic rock and going geocaching with Lizzie when we have the time. I’m also a huge Cleveland Cavaliers fan.
What inspired you to write your book?
I was inspired by my own imagination and for my love of the sport of basketball. I continued to revisit this story in my mind and one day just decided to put it down.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
As a child my favorite books were Shel Silverstein’s books of poems. I loved the humor of the drawings and the stories. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized the genius of the man. I’ve also spent a lot of time in the comfort of Dean Koontz and his stories.
Is this your first book? How long did it take to start and finish your book?
This is the first book I’ve written for publication. I wrote when I was in high school for fun. It took me about six months to write this book.
Do you write with an outline, or just let it flow organically?
I have a mental outline. I know where I want the story to go but have never written down a physical outline. In editing the second book I am regretting that plan. But since this is my first time I guess I must live by the mantra of ‘live and learn.’
Do you listen to music when you write? If yes, is there a theme song for this book?
I don’t listen to music as I write. However, I find the sound of the TV show “How It’s Made” to be just enough of a background ‘sound’ to not distract me – but still let me know there are other humans in the world as I write. Also, when I lift my gaze to look around me I learn about things like how tents and chocolate pudding are made. Pretty much a win-win for all.
What are the keys to success in getting your book out to the public?
Since I’m new to this whole thing I don’t know if I know what the actual keys are. I do find myself reading a lot about the subject. I have also learned I need to get more than one point of view for most theories.
Also, talking to other authors who have gone before me has helped. Most people have been so willing to share their knowledge and I am very grateful for that.
Listening to everyone at Intrigue Publishing has been helpful too, as I know they’re making suggestions based on their own background knowledge and on the fact that they are depending on my book doing well as much for their livelihood as mine.
What advice would you give to new authors?
I still consider myself to be a new author but if I were to suggest anything I would say to just write. Do it when and where you can. Take your notebook/tablet/laptop with you wherever you can to take notes or just flat out write. Write! Don’t let anyone derail your imagination. Don’t let anyone say you can’t.
Listen to critics but also, don’t be afraid to say NO! I’m going to do it my way because that’s the way I want it. Stand up for your work. Be proud of your work.
How about sharing an excerpt from Center Courtship?
I looked up at him and saw that he had tomato sauce from his sandwich on the corner of his mouth. Without asking, I reached up and wiped it away. His skin was soft and warm. We didn’t have napkins with us and I now had a big glob of sauce on my thumb that I didn’t know what to do with. Elsu guided my hand to his mouth and put my thumb to his lips to lick the sauce off. Electricity shot straight through me as I felt his wet tongue rub across the pad of my thumb. I smiled and pulled my hand away quickly.
“So, Mae. Tell me something about you.” He must have felt my discomfort because he was changing the subject.
“What do you want to know?” I asked as I turned and faced him, crossing my legs between us.
“Why isn’t a pretty girl like you dating anyone?” he asked.
I laughed openly. “A pretty girl like me?”
“What did I say that was so funny?”
“Girls like me don’t get married. Or date for that matter,” I said.
“What do you mean ‘like you’?”
“Homely, unattractive girls. Our job is to wait for the pretty girls to sweep up all the eligible, virile young men to make babies with. We get the leftovers if we’re lucky when we’re forty and shouldn’t be having kids anymore.”
“What the f kind of nonsense is that?” he seemed angry. “Who fed you that crap?”
“My mom,” I said.
“I don’t much care for your mom,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “She doesn’t much care for me.”
What’s next for you?
Book 2 (Point Guardian) is in the works and Book 3 is yet unnamed but partially written. I look forward to continuing with these characters for as long as I can. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and introducing them to the world.
Where can readers find out more about you and your book(s)?
· Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Liza-Brown
· Facebook: www.facebook.com/lizabrownauthor
· Twitter: @LizaBrownAuthor
· Blog: http://lizabrownsjourneytoprint.blogspot.com/
· Book buy Links: www.tinyurl.com/centercourtship
It’s been a pleasure having you here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you and your work.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Interview With Author Liza Brown by Jacqueline Seewald
Liza Brown is a new author from Massillon, Ohio. She loves to use her surroundings to help create the settings of her books. As a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers, she supports the team in any way she can both at games and from her living room couch. Liza has been married to ‘the other’ Dan Brown since 1998. She is mom to one beautiful girl, two black dachshunds, and two calico cats. She enjoys spending time with her family, writing, and listening to classic rock.
Question: What is the title and genre of your novel? Why did you select them?
Answer: The title of my book is Center Courtship. It is a modern romance between a small town girl and a pro basketball player. I had help from a good friend when it came to the name of the book. It was originally going to be called The Asparagus Embarrassment, but the publisher decided that name wasn’t quite right for the book. So Center Courtship is what my friend and I came up with and I’ve been in love with it ever since.
Question: I like the title! What inspired this novel? How did it come about?
Answer: The inspiration for this book definitely came from my love of basketball – specifically the Cleveland Cavaliers. When you’re from NE Ohio it’s hard to escape news stories about our teams – whether you’re a fan or not. It makes life a lot more fun when you’re a fan, though. Especially when they finally get the championship! GO CAVS!
Question: Could you tell us a little bit about the heroine and/or hero of your novel?
Answer: Mae-Belle Rogers (just call her Mae – she prefers that) is an independent young chop shop owner who goes about her days and nights living in a self-formed protective bubble. Very few people can get in because of her past. She is happy with her way of life until she is introduced to a new one. She quickly learns that being friends with a super-star has its ups and downs.
Question: Can you tell us about some of your other published novels or work?
Answer: This is my first published work therefore you can imagine how insanely nervous and excited I am over the whole thing. I am very grateful to everyone at Intrigue Publishing for helping to guide me through the process. I never knew how much work it was just to get one book published.
Question: What are you working on now?
Answer: Right now I am finishing up the details on the second in the series: Point Guardian. Then I will work on the third. I don’t know how many books there will be in the series quite yet. There are a lot of things in life that I’d like to see these two characters work their way through.
Question: What made you start writing?
Answer: I used to write when I was in high school. I never thought in a million years that I’d be to this point now. I’d had this story in my mind for quite some time and decided one time to just go for it and write it down. After several people read it and claimed to enjoy it I thought that maybe this was something I should pursue.
Question: What advice would you offer to those who are currently writing novels?
Answer: Don’t stop. Don’t give up, and don’t listen to the naysayers. Also, when someone offers you advice take a moment and think about where they’re coming from. Are they just a friend with a suggestion based on their own personal opinions? Or are they someone who works for the publisher who is trying to guide you to the best possible outcome for your book?
Write. Find the time to write. It seems so trivial. It’s like telling a fish to fly or a bird to swim. But it’s as simple as that, I think. Just do it. Make sure the people around you understand that when you are writing, you are working and don’t want to be distracted. It’s no different than any other job. You wouldn’t tell a teacher to stop teaching because you needed them to make you a sandwich. Let a writer be when he or she is writing. When they are done, they’ll come back to the real world.
Question: Where and when will readers be able to obtain your novel?
Answer: My book is available for digital download at Amazon and as of the writing of this interview. The physical copy of the book will be available early to mid-October. You can find it on Amazon here: www.tinyurl.com/centercourtship
"Center Courtship." Publishers Weekly, 1 Aug. 2016, p. 54+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA460285701&it=r. Accessed 9 Apr. 2017.