Blog Tour - Christa Banister and Blessed are the Meddlers

I toured Around the World in 80 Dates, which was Christa's first novel. Now, we're back again with her 2nd, Blessed are the Meddlers. If you love romantic comedy and/or you enjoyed her first, you won't be disappointed by her 2nd.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christa Ann Banister is a full-time freelance writer and respected music, movie and book critic in St. Paul, Minnesota. When she's not writing, she's probably hanging out with her husband, Will, cooking or on a plane heading somewhere fun.

BLESSED ARE THE MEDDLERS
by Christa Banister
Published by NavPress

ABOUT THE BOOK

Writer Sydney Alexander has just hit the jackpot. After finding the man of her dreams and eloping to Las Vegas, she permanently retires her serial-dating status for good. And now that she's found marital bliss, her friends are ready for Sydney to apply her matchmaking skills to their love lives. What could possible go wrong? Well, everything.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this book?

I absolutely love romantic comedies, but what has always bugged me about the genre is that the audience never has a chance to see what happens after the dream couple you'd been rooting for all along gets the big happy ending. So I knew that was something I wanted to explore with Sydney Alexander in Blessed Are the Meddlers. And thanks to Sydney's motley crew of single girlfriends, (and Sydney's recently acquired Emma complex) there's still plenty of that laugh-out-loud relationship angst from the first book. And because I loved this character so much, it was very inspiring to pick up the story right where it left off in 80 Dates and see new themes and crazy scenarios really emerge in the process.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

I've always been taught that the best writers "write what they know," so a little bit of me couldn't help but rub off on Sydney. But it was important to me that she wasn't my clone either. There are a few qualities about Sydney that are definitely unique. For one, she dresses way better than me with that insatiable shopping bug of hers. And personality-wise, she's way more outrageous and spontaneous. She's also taken a few risks that I wouldn't have along the way, and I'm pretty sure her life is going to turn out way different than mine will because her priorities are different.

3. If your heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would she be and why?

Hmmm, this is a tough one. I guess I'm going to go with Dulce De Leche because it tastes the most like a caramel macchiato, Sydney's favorite drink.

4. What themes exist in Blessed are the Meddlers that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

One of the themes is that we have to be careful what sort of advice we give to people. Rather than spouting off something flippant, especially in regard to someone's love life, we need to carefully choose our words because they can have unexplainable ramifications. Another theme that's present—albeit unintentionally until the story began to take shape—is that when it comes to love, we have to be picky about the right things. In the beginning, Lucinda was very superficial when it came to choosing a mate, but when she began to regard the things that were really important, she found true, lasting love.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

There wasn't really anything that was difficult to write. The most difficult process of writing the book was finding time to do it while juggling a full-time freelance writing job. But it was such a joy that I made the time. My favorite scenes to write were any that involved Lucinda. Thanks to her over-the-top demands, Sydney is forced to spy on Lucinda's boyfriend at a Radiohead concert to see is he's cheating on her. Because Sydney is so incredibly nervous (and certainly not of Matt Damon spy caliber in any of the Bourne movies), the scene plays out very humorously and shows Sydney at her most self-deprecating.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

I don't have a release date yet for the third (and final) book in the Sydney Alexander series, but I do know where the story is headed. When Sydney gets her dream of becoming a published author, she begins to buy her own hype and slowly begins morphing into a person she (and her friends and family) don't recognize. So really I'm going to be exploring the subtle but ugly side of someone who has let pride (and a small amount of fame) go to her head.

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Thank you, Christa, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Blessed are the Meddlers.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

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Spotlight on Christa Banister and Around the World in 80 Dates

In addition to possessing a funny, whip-smart pen, Christa Ann Banister has the gift of gab. She talks. And talks. And she keeps on talking. Maybe this is in part what separates her from the mighty throng (or small army) of chick-lit writers working today, other than the fact that her dynamite debut novel, Around the World in 80 Dates, is already creating a tidal wave of underground buzz.

That's right. After years of working as a respected music critic and freelance writer for various Christian publications: CCM Magazine, Crosswalk.com, Christian Single, ChristianityToday.com, not to mention kickstarting the inaugural Christian music blog for MTV's Urge.com, Christa has inked her first novel about her erstwhile adventures in dating, and she hopes that her story will inspire countless twenty and thirty-somethings in their quest for snagging Mr. Right, even as they hold fast to their Christian values.

Inspired by authors Judy Blume and Jane Austin, and a host of other writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald and C.S. Lewis, Christa tells the tale of Sydney Alexander—a gal who is not shy about life, her faith, or her career as a travel writer. Yet finding her lifelong soul mate proves to be a bit more elusive than she had originally thought.

"In a lot of chick-lit books it seems like the girl's ultimate goal is to get the guy," Christa says. "And she wants to get the guy for sure, but she's very ambitious as well, and she loves life and is willing to try all kinds of different adventures—all without letting go of her Christian values."
And in answer to the question of whether this romantic roller-coaster is fact or fiction, Christa plays coy: "I'll have to be honest and say that the experiences that Sydney, the lead character, goes through in the book are very similar to experiences that I've had in the past. And of course I had to protect the guilty, so I changed a few names and a few situations, but some of situations were inspired by actual events."

In the end, Around the World in 80 Dates is a novel that is full of pluck and wit, and humor, and it is a shoo-in to become a classic for any guy or girl who is in the throes of navigating the pitfalls and quirks of the single life, all without letting go of what they believe.

Christa lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband, Will. They love to play Scrabble and throw darts on a map and dream about going wherever the darts land someday. They have no pets. And until her book hits the New York Times bestseller list, Christa is happily employed as a freelance writer for her many, many clients.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DATES
by Christa Banister
Published by NavPress

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SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

1. This is your first fiction novel. Congratulations! You've got a heroine who changes dates as often as some folks change their clothes, coupled with her sarcastic outlook on life. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

Like many writers, I was definitely inspired by my own experiences (or as I say train wrecks) in the world of dating. A friend of mine enjoyed my stories along the way so much that he dared me to write a book. And when I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, in my case) the inspiration for Around the World in 80 Dates was born.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced the character of Sydney? What aspects became traits that were hers and hers alone?

One of the first pieces of advice I ever received as a writer was to write what I knew. And of course, my experiences are the ones I'm the most familiar with. But in the interest of creating a character, someone who wasn't a carbon copy of myself, it was important for Sydney to have her own voice, her own characteristics that made her distinct. Not only does Sydney look and dress differently than I would (she's far more fashionable, trust me!), but she also reacts to situations differently. She's more impulsive, which leads her to jump to conclusions quickly before eventually seeing the light. Career-wise, she writes for a travel magazine for a living (something I've never had the privilege of doing). And those are just a few things that differentiate Sydney from myself.

3. What themes exist in Around the World in 80 Dates that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

A theme that definitely became obvious as the story took shape is that life (and dating) is an adventure that can be learned from. And that without risk, it's difficult to truly grow as a person. I also wanted readers to realize that settling, whether it's in your career, relationships or faith, is never the best option because God has so much more for us if we're willing to not settle for anything less than His best.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The ending was the most difficult to write. I'd been working on the beginning for so long that I felt really good about it. But like probably all authors, I wanted the ending to not only be satisfying but not predictable. So I worked hard on that. My favorite section of the book was when Sydney met Gavin and the scenes in London, my favorite city in the world.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

My next book, the sequel to Around the World in 80 Dates, is titled Blessed Are the Meddlers and is tentatively slated to release in June 2008. This time around, Sydney is playing matchmaker for her sister and all her single friends. And while she likes to think of herself as a modern-day Emma, meddling in people's love lives is far more complicated than she could ever imagine. Chaos ensures. People fall in and out of love. Your basic nightmare, basically.

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Thanks, Christa, for being in the spotlight the day after Christmas. Hectic time of year, so I appreciate your time.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE copy of Around the World in 80 Dates. If you don't wish to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile, since many of you don't return to check the winner notification. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.