Out now! Read on to find out all about Patty and her new book, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Thanks so much for agreeing to be with us today!
Thank you so much for having me. I’m super excited to share a bit of The Reason I Stay with you.
What 5 things should readers know about you?
Let’s see . . . I’m a hopeless, sappy romantic. To me, ninety percent of the good in the world comes from Disney. I believe in superheroes with all of my heart. I think that soup is something you should eat all year round, and finally, I think that the best way to be happy is by being ourselves and helping others to be themselves.
Excellent!
Tell us all about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a desert isle? 😉
The main characters in The Reason I Stay are Lexie and Matt, and they are absolute opposites. Lexie is an upbeat, responsible, caring small town girl who takes her life into her own hands and works hard to get what she wants. As for Matt, he’s a fun loving, whiskey drinking jerk who doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself. The only thing they actually have in common is that neither of them is afraid to speak their minds, which often makes for interesting—and explosive—dynamics.
If stranded on a desert isle, Matt would make sure he’s got a nice supply of Jack Daniels, because there’s no way he’d go through that sober. As for Lexie, she’d be fine as long as she had some chocolate.
Mmmm. You had me at “chocolate”.
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
Being a Disney girl, I’ve always been fascinated with the idea that true love can change even the most screwed up people and bring about the best version of ourselves. To me, that life altering love is incredibly romantic and inspiring. The idea of Matt and his love story with Lexie definitely came from that.
Can’t go wrong with Disney! 😉
How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?
Although I’ve always loved to make up stories and spent my whole life keeping journals, I started writing novels two years ago. I never thought that writing for a living was a possibility until I started reading indie books like Easy (Tammara Webber), Love Unscripted (Tina Reber) and the Slammed Series (Colleen Hoover). Those authors were just regular women, like me, who decided to take their passions to the next level. They gave me the courage to give it a go, and I couldn’t be more thankful that I did.
Publishing has certainly changed a whole lot in recent years. Indie books have really given us some gems!
What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?
I think my favorite part is being able to write at home, in comfy clothes, with my cat on my lap. A close second would be making fictional people fall in love. I’m a deeply romantic person and having the opportunity to experience that awesome new love feel over and over is the best thing ever.
I think the most challenging part is juggling writing with my personal life. Writing is so much fun that I easily get lost in it, and if I’m not careful, I’ll forget to do my other obligations.
Being able to wear comfy clothes while working is a definite plus!
What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?
At the moment I’m in the early outlining stages of a still unnamed book. I’m extremely excited about this project. I think it’ll be very different from both Exception and The Reason I Stay, but in a cool, challenging way. I’m already anxious to get it into readers’ hands.
Along with this new, unnamed project, I also have a novella featuring Lea from The Reason I Stay planned. I’m also super excited about it because she was a character that stole my heart. And I’m sure that writing Matt in his pre-Lexie, bad boy prime will be lots of fun.
Sounds great—and very busy!
What authors and/or books have inspired you?
That’s a mile long list, but my top five are: Easy by Tammara Webber, every single book written by John Green, Colleen Hoover, Love Unscripted by Tina Reber and The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare.
Great list!
What are you currently reading? What are your thoughts about it so far?
I just started Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. I’ve been dying to read it since the book came out, but since reading within my genre while I’m writing is a bit hard for me, I only got to it now. Colleen is one of my favorite authors, and as always, she’s not disappointing. I love her ability to create connections between her characters that are at the same time so simple and so intricate. Also, she has the best sense of humor.
True—I loved Colleen’s Slammed series. Maybe Someday is in my TBR…
If you had to “sell” this book in a single Tweet, what would you say?
I talk too much which makes writing tweets really hard for me, but let me give it a try . . .
“Sometimes love is hard and stubborn and painful, but it’s The Reason I Stay.”
Nice! 140 characters is a challenge, isn’t it? 🙂
AUTHOR BIO:
Hopeless dreamer, tattoo enthusiast, Disney addict and hoarder of nail polishes and vegan recipes. Patty lives with her husband, her crazy cat, two dogs and elderly bunny in a house frequently visited by wild birds and chipmunks.
Author links:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPattyMaximini
https://twitter.com/pattymaximini
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7141876.Patty_Maximini
The Reason I Stay
by Patty Maximini
Publication date: September 10th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Jack Daniels is the cure to all evils.
Sex should be casual and, preferably, anonymous.
Giving a damn is for nurses, philanthropists and suicide hotlines.
Those are the values Mathew Rogers built his adult life on and plans to spend the rest of his days honoring. In his pursuit of happiness, he embarks on a one year journey where he’ll have to prove he can live by his values and rely only on himself.
Four months and thirteen days later, due to a series of unfortunate events, he finds himself in the rickety town of Jolene, Alabama. There, he meets Lexie, a waitress with some serious attitude and values of her own.
Never underestimate the healing power of chocolate chips.
If it walks and talks like a jerk, it’s definitely a jerk. Stay the hell away.
When in doubt, go with a smile and kindness. It goes a long way.
Taken by her beauty and personality, Mathew questions all he’s ever known and, much to his surprise, begins to give a damn about someone else for once in his life. The problem, however, is that Lexie seems to despise him.
Desperate to get his life back but unable to get in his car and drive to the next unplanned destination, Matt stays in Jolene. In the midst of arguments, unlikely friendships, new values and heartbreak, they’ll both try to find a reason to stay.