Novelist Lisa Fellinger is chatting with me today about her new women’s fiction, The Serendipity of Catastrophe.
During her virtual book tour, Lisa will be giving away a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Lisa Fellinger writes contemporary women’s fiction with lovably flawed, relatable characters. When she’s not writing her own stories, she’s helping others achieve their writing dreams as a book coach and developmental editor. She lives in Buffalo, New York with her husband, son, and fur babies.
Welcome, Lisa. Please tell us about your current release.
The Serendipity of Catastrophe is about Anita Lorello, a middle-aged woman who loses her husband in an accident the night before they’re set to leave on a long-awaited retirement trip to Europe. Almost a year later, her therapist urges her to ask her estranged daughter, Carrie, to go with her instead. Carrie declines initially, but after losing her job as a talent agent for sleeping with a client, she agrees as a means to get out of LA and let the dust settle. Anita is ecstatic for a chance to repair her relationship with Carrie, but Carrie’s goal is to get in and get out without letting her mother get too close (or drive her too bonkers). But as Carrie’s life gets more complicated, she finds she needs her mother more than she’d once thought.
What inspired you to write this book?
The idea for this book first came to me when I was in graduate school for mental health counseling. We were discussing a case study, and a what-if question came to mind: what if a woman lost her husband the night before they were supposed to leave on a long-awaited vacation? And what if instead she went on the trip with her estranged daughter? Because of my interest in mental health, I loved the idea of exploring this woman’s anxiety and how that’s impacted her life and her relationship with her daughter, and I loved the idea of digging into this broken relationship between a mother and daughter to unpack what broke the relationship and how they might repair it.
Excerpt from The Serendipity of Catastrophe:
“Welcome to London,” the officer said.
Anita smiled, then pushed her way through the turnstile where she was reunited with Carrie.
“Ready?” Carrie asked, tucking her passport back into her purse.
She straightened as she fell into step beside her, full of resolve. She was through the flight, and immigration was less intimidating than she’d expected. Maybe this wouldn’t be so challenging after all.
Carrie led the way outside to the taxi stand, the crisp air and sunshine welcome after the stuffiness of the plane and airports. They slid into a waiting cab, Carrie gave the driver the hotel address, and they settled in for the half-hour cab ride.
Out her window, Anita took in her first glimpses of Europe as the sun began to fade into evening. She was in a country hundreds of years older than the United States, yet it didn’t feel old. There were old buildings, but more modern ones filled the spaces between them. Pedestrians passed by one another on the sidewalks, dressed much like people back home, checking their phones as they walked. Public buses exhaled to a stop in front of designated signs. New moms walked along with their strollers, couples passed by with dogs, and life continued on much the same as in Buffalo.
Anita smiled to herself, unable to believe she’d expected this to be terrifying. It was different, of course, but she was overcome with excitement, not fear. But wasn’t this precisely what she always did—built things up in her mind to the point she had no choice but to be terrified?
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m currently revising my next book to be published, tentatively titled The Girl from the Song. This story is about 27-year-old Tenley Harwell who left for Paris right after college graduation, and now five years later is forced back home for her best friend’s funeral. In coming back to Buffalo, she fears her biggest struggle will be confronting her rockstar ex-boyfriend who, against her wishes, wrote his band’s first album about her and then shared her name with the press. But she discovers the biggest hurdle is actually making amends with her sister who she left behind.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always considered myself a writer since I was in elementary school. Since I was first able to start reading stories, I knew I wanted to write them myself and someday be a published author. Though it took me until my mid-twenties to feel comfortable sharing with others outside of my family that I was a writer (thank you, imposter syndrome), writing has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full-time, and truthfully don’t know that I ever will or will want to. There’s something about the fact that writing isn’t my main source of income that allows me to not feel pressured and I think this helps ward off writer’s block and allows me to write what I love rather than feeling the need to write what I think will sell best.
Besides writing, I have my own business as a developmental editor and book coach. As I mentioned, I went to school for mental health counseling, but after graduation, I struggled to find my footing in that field. I then gained a certification as a life coach but again struggled to decide on a niche. Then during the COVID pandemic when I was six months pregnant, I had a realization. What I really wanted to be doing was helping other writers write their stories. So, I started my business and absolutely love working with other writers in an editing and coaching capacity. This work allows me to combine my love for counseling with my passion for helping others write their stories.
As far as finding time to write, I couldn’t function without my planner. Since my schedule isn’t always the same between work and mom life, I make it a priority to sit down with my planner on Sundays to plan out what needs to get done that week and to schedule in writing times. I do my very best to keep those times from being taken over, although I allow myself grace if things come up and I can’t write when I planned to. But treating writing like an important appointment with myself is the best way for me to ensure it stays a priority for me and that I actually find time for it throughout the week.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have to write in chronological order. As much as I might have a certain scene I’m really excited to write, I can’t wrap my mind around writing out of order. Even when I revise, I start back at the beginning and go through chronologically.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A published author! Even when I debated going to school to be an architect and while I was in school for mental health counseling, I knew that writing was my true passion. It’s an incredible feeling to have finally fulfilled this lifelong dream!
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
If you have a dream, don’t be afraid to work towards it. Even if you don’t have as much time to work towards it as you’d like, slow progress is better than no progress.
Links:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Buy Link
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for hosting today! This was such a fun interview.
If you could spend a day with one of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?
What a fun question! I would spend a day with Carrie and follow her around at her job as a talent agent hoping to meet some famous actors.
I enjoyed the post. Sounds like a good book.
Thank you, Marcy!
Looks like a really good read.