Christine Simon
Author Interview - Christine Simon
Author of The Patron Saint of Second Chances
Signor Speranza, vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of tiny Prometto, Italy, has a problem: unless he can come up with 70,000 euros to fix the town's pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all its residents will be forced to disperse. In a desperate bid to boost tourism—and revenue—he spreads a harmless rumor that movie star Dante Rinaldi will be filming his next project nearby. Unfortunately, the plan works a little too well, and soon everyone in town wants to be part of the fictional film. To Speranza's surprise—and considerable consternation—he realizes that the only way to keep up the ruse is to make the movie for real. As the entire town becomes involved (even the village priest invests!) Speranza starts to think he might be able to pull this off. But what happens when Dante Rinaldi doesn't show up? Or worse, what if he does?
Author Interview - Christine Simon
Author I draw inspiration from: My favorite authors are L.M. Montgomery and Alexander McCall Smith. They're both so funny! I particularly admire their stylistic use of comedy—the sillier the thing they are describing, the more formal their sentences become. They both also depict their characters with great love, which is something I've tried to do in my book.
Author Interview - Christine Simon | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: My favorite place to read a book was always at school when I'd finished an assignment early. There's just something about the quiet noises of a classroom along with the smells of pencil sharpenings and chalk and brown bag lunches waiting in the cloakroom that I haven't been able to top since. I also loved the escape of it—that even though I was in school, I could really be anywhere I wanted to be.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: I would dearly love to spend some time with Mma Ramotswe from Alexander McCall Smith's Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series. She's so kind and cheerful. I'd also like to meet Mrs. Lynde from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables so I could hear all the local gossip.
Author Interview - Christine Simon | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I was in fifth grade and my teacher had assigned a round-robin story game. "It was a dark and stormy night..." We had to write for five minutes, then switch papers and pick up where the other person had left off. We broke for lunch, and a classmate stopped to tell me that my stories were really good, and was I going to be a writer when I grew up. I was absolutely stunned by this question. Even though I had always loved to read, it had literally never occurred to me that a real person had put the words down on paper. And that was it—a single, electrifying moment
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: I love hardbacks because they're so pretty, but paperbacks and ebooks are much less cumbersome.
The last book I read: The Maid by Nita Prose
Author Interview - Christine Simon | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: I write first drafts in pencil and do edits on the computer. When I'm working on a first draft, I aim for 1500 words a day, so I have to count them as I go!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: I only read this book recently even though it's quite old, but I think I'd get along with Miss Buncle from Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson. She's a writer, too, and I think it would be fun to talk shop
Author Interview - Christine Simon | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: teacher. I taught both high school English and second grade before my kids were born.
Favorite decade in fashion history: I love the dresses from the 1950s
Place I’d most like to travel: I'd love to go to Port Isaac, which is a small fishing village in Cornwall, England. It's where they film the UK show Doc Martin, only in the show they call it Portwenn. It's just beautiful, and since they film on location, I imagine going there might feel a bit like stepping into a fictional world
My signature drink: Water! Boring, I know
Favorite artist: Norman Rockwell. I love that his paintings tell funny stories about everyday people
Number one on my bucket list: I don't have a bucket list! I do, however, really, really want to order myself a ludicrously expensive mail-order cake
Find more from the author:
Twitter: @CSimonWrites
Instagram: @csimonwrites
Author Bio: Christine Simon grew up in a very large and very loud Italian family and now lives with her husband and four children. The Patron Saint of Second Chances is her first novel.
