Interview with Christina Hoffman, author of 'Invitation'
Christina Hoffman was born in London, England. She moved with her family throughout Canada and the US, and has finally put down her suitcase, for
now, in San
Francisco.
How would you describe your book?
I call my book
Contemporary Romance (18+). I wasn’t sure about going into this steamier
territory, and started off trying to write a book that went “fade to
black. . . “ when the action started; but this particular story couldn’t be told without very intimate scenes. It’s tricky to be truthful about the experience without using either a lot of fluffy euphemisms or pretty coarse “straight-up” talk. It made me realize we don’t have a great vocabulary for discussion sex.
How long
have you been writing? How long did it take to write your book? What motivated
you to write it?
This is my
first Contemporary Romance. It has take me about two and a half months to
write, though there was some thinking about it before I ever sat down at the
computer.
Is it a
stand alone novel, or part of a series?
This book is a
stand alone. I know it is very popular to write books in pieces, so your fans
are dying for the next instalment. I get that, and well done to the people who
do it well. I myself, though, hate when I get to the end of a book and don’t
feel some kind of sense of completion, so I’m writing for the people who feel
like I do!
If it’s a
stand alone would you consider making it part of a series? Why or why not?
I would
absolutely consider making it a series. I love these characters. If readers
like the story and seem interested, then I am more than ready to write the next
part of their lives together. The whole thing is already in my head! It’s just
a matter of being able to justify the time it will take to get it all down on
paper.
Who are
your main characters in your story and how would you describe them?
My heroine is
Madison Spencer. She’s a 23-year-old medical student recovering from a recent
trauma. She used to love life and feel passionately about everything; but now
she is closed-off and shut down. She feels safe, but she is also achingly
lonely. She is ready to push her own boundaries a little to try to get her old
self back.
My hero is
Liam Mason. He’s a 27-year-old emergency resident who offers Madison a chance
to re-experience the physical side of things, no strings attached. Lots of fun,
no broken hearts. He’s afraid of commitment because of his parents’ miserable
marriage, and wants to keep things casual. But he’s actually aching for a
intimacy, too and his feelings for Madison threaten to topple the carefree
facade. So, they’re both willing to take a chance, but things don’t go so smoothly.
Is there
any symbolism in the book that you’d care to share with potential readers?
Hmm. That’s an
interesting question. I certainly wasn’t thinking of any as I wrote it, but
looking at it now there’s a lot of water! It’s winter in Seattle, so it’s just
raining all the time. And some interesting moments happen in the shower. I was
really going for a sense of the reawakening of two people, so the rain, the
springtime arriving could have been a part of that. I like the idea of second
chances, of being washed clean and getting to start again.
She believes that everyone has the right to
feel both smart and sexy. We don't have to be one or the other! She writes
stories about characters who live in the real world and who, somehow, still
believe in love.
She's starting a mini-revolution. She writes
sexy stories, but hasn't lost the romance from her Romances. Enough with whips
-- back to lips!
She hopes you enjoy her stories and see
yourself in her characters. After all, they are based on smart and sexy people,
just like you.
Christina’s latest book is the contemporary
romance, Invitation.
Visit her website at www.christinahoffman.com.
How would you describe your book?
black. . . “ when the action started; but this particular story couldn’t be told without very intimate scenes. It’s tricky to be truthful about the experience without using either a lot of fluffy euphemisms or pretty coarse “straight-up” talk. It made me realize we don’t have a great vocabulary for discussion sex.
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