Friday Spotlight with Ute Carbone & a Contest

Welcome to Love Romances & More Reviews Ute Carbone. Comfortable? Let’s begin, shall we? Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

It’s lovely to be here. Thanks for having me over!

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

Searching for Superman is a romantic comedy set in an old theater that’s being renovated. The heroine, Stephanie, loves working at the theater but wishes he love life could be perfect. She’s looking for a hero, a dream hunk who resembles Superman. When she meets Doug, dressed as Superman for her niece’s birthday party, she doesn’t think he’s the real deal; just an ordinary guy who teaches high school. He’s a great guy and, of course, turns out to be the one—but it takes Stephanie a long time to figure this out.

The idea for the book came from a (male) friend, who complained that, though women said they were looking for nice guys, the bad boys always seemed to be the star attractions in romance. I didn’t believe the nice guys always came in second, so I wrote a book where the nice guy wins.

Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate them when they refuses to inspire you?

We have a kind of love hate relationship, my muse and I. Sure, she can be fun and full of new and exciting ideas, but she also likes to skip town when the going gets tough. She sits on the beach sipping Mai Tais and ignoring my phone calls and I’m left to slog it out alone. I’ve learned to stick it out and keep slogging, she usually turns up at some point with a sun tan and a gift package of new ideas. 

Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?

I’m working on balancing writing with new releases and life at the moment. Besides Superman, I have two other releases this summer; a trilogy of short stories called “The Lilac Hour” and my first historical romance, a novella called “Sweet Lenora.” I liked the characters in Sweet Lenora so much that I wrote a part two; “To the Wind” picks up the story where Sweet Lenora leaves off. I’ve just contracted for it with Champagne Books and it will be out in October. I have ideas for a part three and will probably start writing that soon. But first I have to finish the romantic comedy I have in progress, the story of a daytime drama star whose character gets bumped off after 32 years on the show. 

If the world was to end tomorrow, what three things would be on your bucket list? 

The world can’t end tomorrow! I haven’t seen the new season of Mad Men yet!!  In the theoretical, I’d have to visit the Sistine Chapel. I want to lay on my back and gaze up at the ceiling, though I think I might get arrested if I do. I also want to hike and ski in New Zealand. And read an entire library’s worth of books. It’s going to be a busy day. 

What comes first for you: Setting? Storyline? Characters? 

I usually start with some sort of a ‘what if?’ And think about it for awhile. By the time I start the story, a kind of  convergence has happened; what if this person in this place and time had to do this? 

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Do not jostle, bend or mutilate. May explode if shaken.

Dealing with writing deadlines can be a challenge. What do you do to cope with the stress? 

Chocolate and coffee. Also, I take walks. It helps to get away from the desk and clear the noise in my brain. 

About Searching for Superman:

Available at Champagne Books

Stephanie Holbrook has finally found a job she really loves: working as an assistant to Conrad Finch in a small regional theater that’s about three dollars and a power outage from being torn down.  Stephanie wishes her love life would be as perfect as her job. She’ll be thirty on her next birthday and she still hasn’t found Mr. Right.  According to Stephanie, Mr. Right has to be strong and brave, with great values and good looks. A guy a lot like Superman. 

            When Doug Castleberry shows up at her niece’s birthday party dressed as Superman, Stephanie is positive he’s not the real deal. Sure, he’s great with kids and he’s kind of cute.   But he’s just a high school teacher making extra money by dressing up for kid’s parties. Hardly the strong, brave, and drop-dead gorgeous guy she’s looking for.

            As the theater teeters ever closer to the edge of disaster, Doug proves to be a better man than Stephanie had ever imagined. Could he be the Superman she’s been looking for all along?

CONTEST GIVEAWAY:

Ute is giving away one of their backlisted titles to one lucky reader. All you need to do is leave a comment along with your email address (in case you won we have a way to contact you) and that is it. You can check out this author's Amazon Author Page for all their books.

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