We are excited to launch another blog tour for an incredible book you'll want to add to your reading list. Author Ruth F. Stevens is launching a tour for her novel My Year of Casual Acquaintances. It's a perfect book for readers who like funny-sad, character-driven novels with compelling or quirky protagonists. Join us as we celebrate the tour launch with an interview with the author herself and a chance for you to win a copy of the book.
But first, here's more about the book:
When Mar Meyer's husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures - as long as she can keep things casual.
With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant, a kindly older gentleman . . . and Charlie, a handsome best-selling novelist who wants more from Mar than she's able to give. She learns something new from each encounter. But can she change enough to open herself up to happiness and true connection?
Surrounded by an ensemble of quirky, endearing characters, Mar follows a tortuous and unpredictable path as she navigates the first year of her reinvented life. My Year of Casual Acquaintances is packed with laugh-out-loud moments mingled with scenes of loneliness and self-doubt that will put a lump in your throat.
Publisher: Black Rose Writing (September 26, 2024)
ISBN-10: 168513484X
ISBN-13: 978-1685134846
ASIN: B0D43GW5XZ
Print Length: 322 pages
Purchase a copy of My Year of Casual Acquaintances on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. Add to your GoodReads reading list.
About the Author, Ruth F. Stevens
Ruth F. Stevens likes to create stories that will make readers laugh and cry. A former public relations executive in New York and Los Angeles, she is a produced playwright and author of a previous novel, Stage Seven, which was a featured selection of national online book club and Alzheimer’s awareness organizations. Ruth is a proud member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and the Dramatists Guild of America and serves as a volunteer and acquisitions editor for AlzAuthors.
Ruth lives in Torrance, California with her husband. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, hiking, hip-hop and fitness classes, yoga, Broadway musicals, wine tasting, leading a book club, and visiting her grandsons in NYC. Visit Ruth at https://ruthfstevens.com and consider signing up for her monthly newsletter to receive publishing updates, book reviews, and special offers.
Website: https://ruthfstevens.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rfsauthor
-- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: First of all, congratulations on your novel My Year of Casual Acquaintances! What inspired this novel?
Ruth: Thank you! The idea for this novel started at the gym. For years, I’ve enjoyed going to health clubs, where I’ve met lots of fun and interesting people. It struck me that sometimes I’d have a very personal—even intimate—conversation without knowing the other member’s name. There’s something about the gym environment that gives us a sort of casual closeness. I felt certain this could translate into an unusual twist for a novel.
I also like stories about second chances, and the idea that life can still be fresh and exciting through middle age and beyond. So I decided to write about a fit, youthful-looking, fiftyish woman named Mar trying to start over after a bitter divorce…and I set her story in and around a new gym she’d joined as part of her reinvention. Mar was determined to meet new people at the gym and have a good time, but with no commitments.
WOW: I think that's great insight and I love that setting. One burning question for me: are you a plotter or a pantser or a blend? And why?
Ruth: Definitely a plotter! I had a long career in PR and advertising agency work, so I’ve been writing professionally for years. When working on an article or brochure, I always had to plan it out meticulously—so I later carried over that same discipline into fiction writing. I’ve found that when I know where the story is going and who my main characters are, the writing flows. It’s a great way to prevent writer’s block.
WOW: I'm slowly becoming a plotter myself! So, I totally get the benefits. I love that this novel approaches the idea of loneliness in a fun but deep way at the same time. What was your approach in building out your character and her overall story arch?
Ruth: The narrator, Mar, is smart and witty and outspoken, and that makes for an often humorous read. But she’s grappling with loneliness and rejection, which is where the serious themes come in. I decided to make her journey an episodic one. Every month she meets up with a different character who impacts her life in a unique way. So each month has kind of its own story arc, but there’s also the overriding arc of how Mar grows and changes in the course of her first year of divorced life.
WOW: What a great approach! What was your revision process like?
Ruth: The initial draft was harder for me than any other first draft I’ve written. I found the episodic structure to be challenging, and it required intricate plotting and a larger-than-usual cast of characters. But the revision process ended up being more like a fine-tuning process than a major overhaul. I worked on revisions with a critique group of three other writers, and their feedback was incredibly helpful.
WOW: Good thing you had that kind of help! What has it been like to work with your publisher Black Rose Writing?
Ruth: Reagan Rothe and the team at Black Rose are terrific. They are responsive and efficient, and I believe they are more marketing-savvy than a lot of indie publishers—an important benefit, as book marketing is one area where authors are most in need of education and support. The Black Rose author community is also a strong one, with an active Facebook group, a monthly book club, and more. It’s been a great experience so far.
Before signing with Black Rose, I had a contract with a different indie publisher, TouchPoint Press, for this book. After about a year, they stopped working on my project due to massive internal problems, and it became clear that they might never publish the book. Many authors who did publish with them are still waiting for royalty payments going back a couple of years. I’m one of the lucky ones: My contract expired and I signed with Black Rose. Their professionalism has been a breath of fresh air. In mid-September, the Authors Guild announced that TouchPoint has agreed to shut down publishing operations and abide by a court-enforced payment plan to distribute royalties to those owed money.
WOW: I'm so glad you shared that experience! It's great to share with our WOW writers. What wisdom can you share with writers about pursuing their writing dreams?
Ruth: The first step is to understand what your personal writing dream really is. I met a retired corporate executive who loved to write poetry. He self-published his work using a company that produced beautiful, high quality volumes that he signed and distributed to friends and relatives. This was his sole publishing goal, and he derived great pleasure from sharing his work this way.
True, most writers are a bit more ambitious. Many of us dream of seeing our work hit the bestseller lists. But in reality, competition is beyond tough and authors with high ambitions must be willing to invest a huge amount of time (and often, money) to break through the noise—with no real guarantee of success.
On the bright side, I’ve read that out of 1000 people who start writing a novel, only around 3 percent or 30 people go on to finish. So if you’re in that 3 percent, give yourself a huge pat on the back! Then, an estimated 6 out of those 30 go on to see their work published. I can assure you from personal experience, being a published author is immensely rewarding, even if you’re not breaking any sales records. In summary: First define your dream; then pursue it with a balance of realism and optimism.
WOW: That is great advice! What are you working on next that you can tell us about?
Ruth: I’ve completed a sequel to My Year of Casual Acquaintances, titled The Unexpected Guests. Black Rose Writing will publish this book as well, just three months after the first title. The story picks up right where the previous book leaves off. Mar is still very much a player, but she does not narrate the sequel: It is told in alternating POVs of three characters from the first novel who are all very involved in Mar’s life.
WOW: I can't wait to see it! Thank you so much for your time today. Enjoy the blog tour!
--- Blog Tour Calendar
September 23rd @ The Muffin
Join us at The Muffin when we celebrate the launch of Ruth F. Stevens' book My Year of Casual Acquaintances. We'll be interviewing the author and giving away a copy of her book.
September 24th @ The Faerie Review
Join by Lily's blog for a spotlight of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
September 25th @ Words by Webb
Visit Jodi's blog for her review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
September 27th @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
Stop by Lisa's blog for an interview with author Ruth F. Stevens.
September 29th @ Book Review From an Avid Reader
Visit Joan's blog for her review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
September 30th @ Just Katherine
Visit Katherine's blog for an excerpt from My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
September 30th @ Choices
Visit Madeline's blog for a guest post about how casual acquaintances play an important role in our life.
October 1st @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra's blog for a spotlight of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 2nd @ Create Write Now
Visit Mari's blog for a guest post by Ruth F. Stevens about why fifty is nifty for a fictional character.
October 3rd @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy's blog for a review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 5th @ What Is That Book About
Stop by Michelle's blog for an excerpt from My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 6th @ Storey Book Reviews
Visit Leslie's blog for a review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 7th @ Life According to Jamie
Stop by Jamie's blog for a review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 9th @ Beverley A. Baird's blog
Stop by Beverley's blog for her review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances
October 11th @ Beverley A. Baird's blog
Visit Beverley's blog for an excerpt from My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 12th @ Author Anthony Avina's blog
Join Anthony for his review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 13th @ Rosh's Reviews
Visit Rosh's blog for her review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 15th @ Frugal Freelancer
Visit Sara Trimble's blog for a guest post by the author about whether AI is a friend or a foe.
October 18th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy's blog for an excerpt from My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 20th @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie's blog for an interview with author, Ruth F. Stevens.
October 23rd @ Boys' Mom Reads!
Visit Karen's blog for a review of My Year of Casual Acquaintances.
October 26th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Visit Linda's blog for an interview with author Ruth F. Stevens.
***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****
Enter to win a copy of My Year of Casual Acquaintances by Ruth F. Stevens! Fill out the Rafflecopter form by October 6th at 11:59 CT for a chance to win. We will choose a winner randomly the next day and follow up via email. Good luck!
18 comments:
This sounds like a great fun read and I can't wait to check it out!
Thank you for introducing me and my work to your readers! And for asking such interesting questions.
Wonderful interview! I loved hearing about your inspiration for the novel. I'm a huge fan of middle age and beyond books, and fitness, so it's a perfect combo for me. Looking forward to reading it, and good luck on your tour!
Congratulations on your book!
Great interview and very informative
This book sounds great! Congratultions.
Do you write in a daily journal?
Sounds like a book our book club would really enjoy.
This sounds really good. I love the cover too!
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the book.
Thank you, Nancy!
Thanks so much.
Thank you!
Actually, no. But I keep files where I record notes on book and blog ideas as they come to me.
Check out the Book Club page on my website for discussion questions, etc. And I love to meet with book club members online or in person (Los Angeles area). If interested, you can contact me via my website.
I appreciate the comments. Jamie Ponchak was my talented cover designer.
This sounds like a fun read. What is your normal writing process?
Sounds like a fun read!
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