Today’s special author guest is Cherie L. Genua. We’re chatting about her new coming of age story, Greetings from Tucson.
During the virtual book tour, a lucky winner has the choice of giveaway prize:
Since the book is set in both Connecticut and Tucson, Arizona, Cherie thinks it will be cool to do a state-centered food prize of the winner’s choice from Goldbelly. Either a:
OR
OR
- A $75 gift card to Goldbelly
Use this link to enter for a chance to win.
Bio:
After facing a life-changing breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 34, Cherie co-authored the non-fiction book, Wisdom from Five Cancer Travelers: Lessons Learned with others affected by the disease. She was declared “no evidence of disease” in 2019 and made it a mission to write and publish her first fiction novel, Greetings from Tucson, inspired by her grandmother’s story.
Cherie lives in Connecticut with her husband, Matt, and their Portuguese Water Dog, Poppy. She holds a B.A. in English from Southern Connecticut State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Welcome, Cherie. Please tell us about your current release.
Greetings from Tucson was inspired by the real-life story of my grandmother and her sisters. In the 1940s, tragedy struck and Cookie and her three younger sisters were torn from everything they knew—their parents, their home, and each other. Forced to live thousands of miles apart (2 sisters remaining in CT and 2 moving to Arizona), they stayed in touch and strengthened their sisterly bond through letters, far before social media made it simpler to stay in touch. The book follows the heartwarming story of these four girls from adolescence into adulthood, as they deal with losing their parents, finding love, heartbreak, marriage, and more. It also contains letters at the beginning of each chapter to help tell the story!
What inspired you to write this book?
After my grandmother passed away in 2012, I found a box of letters in her closet that I had never seen before. Those letters told the untold story of my grandmother’s early life and taught me that sisters could be soulmates, too. The story of these courageous sisters and their beautiful journeys was on my mind for many years. It wasn’t until I was recovering from my own difficult journey after facing a breast cancer diagnosis that I decided to write this book.
Facing a cancer diagnosis at a young age (well, at any age, really) will open your eyes in ways you never thought possible. I discovered how precious life really is and how I no longer wanted to wait to do the things that were most important to me—like traveling, being in nature, and writing. This meant putting pen to paper and writing the story that has been in my heart since her passing—Greetings from Tucson. This novel is so special to me because it’s based on my grandmother’s early life. My grandmother was very special to me and someone I miss every single day. I am so excited to share this book with the world!
What exciting story are you working on next?
I am working through the concept of my next book, which will be related to Greetings from Tucson. I think the beauty of the story is that there are many storylines that could be explored further. There’s one pair’s story in particular that I’d like to dive deeper into, and that is the origin story of the girls’ parents and I’d love to set the book in Boston in the 1930s. Also, Dottie’s character resonated with many readers and hers is a story that would beautifully unfold.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always been interested in writing, but it wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I thought I might actually be a decent writer. I had some excellent college professors that really helped me improve my writing abilities. I took a creative writing course while studying abroad in London and that sparked my interest of writing short stories. I loved imagining a scene in my head and describing it in full detail on paper! I became a technical writer after graduation, and it wasn’t until 2020 that I decided to write the book that had been on my mind for almost 10 years at that point!
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full-time, but I do get to write a lot at my job. I’m the director of product management for a tech company, and I get to write all kinds of things—from marketing language about product launches to technical writing, most of my job involves writing in some capacity or another. While I was recovering from breast cancer treatments in 2020, I slowed down and was able to focus on writing Greetings from Tucson. Having breast cancer at a young age was such a driving factor for me—it helped me set goals for myself of all the things I wanted to accomplish for myself!
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I edit as I write… many people will write a first draft and go back and clean up mistakes, but I tend to catch most spelling and grammar issues as I write. It slows me down for sure, but it makes the editing process a bit easier for me! And this isn’t really a writing quirk, but one of the things I absolutely loved about writing Greetings from Tucson was feeling my grandma’s presence as I wrote it. It was so fun to think about what she would have been like as a young woman going to school, dating, and getting married. I encourage you to think of your grandparents at a young age and imagine their mannerisms, senses of humor, and the fun times they had as children!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up! I still would love it, I think. The ocean is so calming, but it’s also very fierce—I’ve always been drawn to it and all the unknown and mystical wonders that lie beneath.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I contributed to another book about my cancer journey called Wisdom from Five Cancer Travelers: Lessons Learned that showcases some very raw and emotional essays about my own journey. If anyone is facing a cancer diagnosis and might need someone to talk to, I invite you to contact me on my website. I find comfort in sharing my story with others in the hope of helping others get through a difficult time. And I’m a good listener, so I’m happy to listen as well!
Links:
Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram
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