Blog Tour: Strangely Incredibly Good by Heather Grace Stewart

Today I am delighted to part of the tour for Strangely, Incredibly Good with an interview with Heather Grace Stewart.

Synopsis

Cat Glamour is an overweight 38-year-old divorcée who is struggling with finances, self-esteem, and balancing her personal life. While her 91-year-old, decidedly different, grandmother provides emotional support, Cat needs to take control of the life that has been shattered by her abusive ex-husband and tragic events of the past. On the day Cat decides to start an exercise routine, the last thing she expects is a modern-day Genie to pop out of her Wii machine. Unfortunately for Cat, her Genie is somewhat unreliable in his wish-granting capabilities. In a series of hilarious misadventures, he sends Cat to a castle in France and back in time 20 years in an attempt to solve both Cat’s weight issues and emotional stresses. Cat’s journey is one filled with quirky adventures, realistic love, and above all, self-discovery.

1.Please could you give us a brief synopsis of your book Strangely, Incredibly Good?

Sure, thanks for having me here!

Cat Glamour is lost in a world of pain and self-imposed guilt. She hides behind her weight, her children, and a past she can’t forget. On the day Cat decides to start an exercise routine, the last thing she expects is a modern-day Genie to pop out of her Wii machine. Unfortunately for Cat, her Genie is somewhat unreliable in his wish-granting capabilities. In a series of hilarious misadventures, he sends Cat to a castle in France and back in time 20 years in an attempt to solve both Cat’s weight issues and emotional stresses. Cat’s journey is one filled with quirky adventures, realistic love, and above all, self-discovery.

2.I really like the title. How did you come up with it?

Thanks so much. I was talking with a writer friend, and happened to say that I felt "strangely, incredibly good" about how my life was going at the time. We both kind of did a double take, and I said, wow, that would be a great title for a book some day! I wrote it down in my journal and dated it - it was mid-summer 2013 - but didn't apply it to one of my works-in-progress, which was at that time called Gene, about a Genie who pops out of a Wii. I didn't realize that was my new title until I was part way through the writing and realized this woman was in the midst of strangely, incredibly good adventures and a strangely, incredibly good metamorphosis. I think it was September 2013 when I found my note that was in my writing journal and had the ‘Aha!’ moment that this was definitely the title of my work in progress, not Gene.

3.Who was your favourite character?

Oh, you can't ask me that! (I'm laughing) I love them all like children, equally, but for different reasons! I love Cat because she's been through so much but maintains as sense of humor. I love Gene because he's a good man, and he's hot but not perfect-hot. He's clumsy and hasn't perfected his magic yet. And I love Bad Ass Grandma, or Gram, Cat's quirky grandmother with a Twitter account, because she's probably me in 40 years!

4. Can you write anywhere or do you have a specific place for writing?

 

I usually write at home. I have a home office, and get the most writing done in there. I can do synopsis, character development or just jot down ideas though if I'm at my laptop in a comfy chair in our living room, sitting outside under our gazebo, or even by the ocean if it isn't too noisy and I have my iPad with me for note-taking. I don't like to write in busy, noisy environments. I get too distracted.

5.What do you love the most about writing?

I love how it takes me away to other worlds. I also love how it teaches me about myself. Sometimes I write something and after I finish the sentence, I laugh or do a double take because I didn't even realize I felt that way about that issue. I surprise myself often.

6.What inspires you when writing?

People ask me this a lot. I'm inspired to write most of the time, I just need to be well-rested, and have some time set aside every day to write. My world around me inspires me: people and their stories, the way the ocean hits the sand, the way a cat sits when it's ready to pounce. 

7. If your book was a movie, who would you cast as the main character?

I've already thought about this, and find this such a hard question! I know I'd like Hugh Jackman as Gene, and Betty White as Gram. I can't figure out who'd best portray Cat. I love Drew Barrymore, but she'd have to put on some weight for the role. Also, does Adele act? I don't know why she comes to mind but she seems like she'd have a sense of humor, and then she could sing the soundtrack, too! I'd love the readers to get back to me on this!

8. Where can others connect with you?

I love to hear from readers. I have a blog called Where the Butterflies Go at http://heathergracestewart.com, my Facebook Author Page is http://facebook.com/heathergracestewart, and I tweet at @hgracestewart.

A big thank you to Heather for stopping by my blog :)

Strangely, Incredibly, Good is available from Amazon