*** WIN A FREE COPY OF MONARCH BEACH! DETAILS BELOW***
Anita Hughes was born and raised in Sydney, Australia where, as she tells us, “I loved to read, write, and play on the beach. I attended Bard College and UC Berkeley’s Masters in Creative Writing Program. Now I’m lucky enough to live in Orange County, CA with my family, where the ocean is almost always within view.”
Her debut, MONARCH BEACH was released in June 2012 by St. Martin’s Press and is about a young San Francisco heiress who discovers her French chef husband is cheating on her and spends the summer in the Presidential Suite of the St. Regis. MARKET STREET will be released on March 26th, 2013 and LAKE COMO will be released on August 13, 2013.
Anita took the Deb Interview for our post today and we’re so glad she did! Welcome Anita!
Talk about one book that made an impact on you.
I remember loving PRINCESS DAISY by Judith Krantz and then reading all her other books. The characters were larger than life and the settings were fabulous. I am a big fan of books with strong heroines and meaty plots. I adore Penny Vincenzi – I could read her books forever – and I just discovered Tara Hyland who writes in the same vain.
Share something that’s always guaranteed to make you laugh.
Peanuts comic strips. When I was a child I had the whole collection of Peanut strips (they released them as books) and I read them again and again. I can still recite Snoopy’s whole book…It was a dark and stormy night… Snoopy was the original tortured writer! When I read a Peanuts strip I still laugh out loud.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
Keep writing. I love to write – there is real magic when it is just you and your computer. When I am close to finishing a manuscript, it is like skiing downhill at top speed. You don’t care about trees or bushes, you are just loving the thrill of flying down the mountain. For me, nothing can beat that feeling. Write what you can’t tear yourself away from, what you can’t wait to get back to, and others will feel the same.
What three things would you want with you if stranded on a desert island?
Frozen yoghurt (this would obviously be difficult but necessary – I can’t live without frozen yoghurt), the complete works of Somerset Maugham – I discovered his books well after college but I honestly believe I learned more from them than from any other writer – and a large sun hat.
What’s your next big thing?
I’m very excited about both MARKET STREET (March 26th, 2013) and LAKE COMO (August 13th, 2013). I’m so fortunate that St. Martin’s has given them such gorgeous covers – every time I look at the cover of LAKE COMO I just want to go there! I adore the characters in both books and can’t wait to introduce them to my readers.
You’re not the only one, Anita. These covers are lovely and they make us want to take a San Francisco vacation immediately!
Learn more about Anita at her website, and keep up with her by liking her on facebook and following her on twitter. You can find MONARCH BEACH on sale at your favorite indie or online.
And… one lucky commenter below will win a copy of MONARCH BEACH, so don’t forget to say hi right here at the Ball!
What a fun post, Anita. I loved Monarch Beach and am looking forward to the release of Market Street and Lake Como.
Anita, love Monarch Beach, and very excited to read Market Steet and Lake Como in the new year!
Sounds wonderful.I live close to orange county love the beach.
What a wonderful way to describe writing. I think if everyone finds a passion for something and can relate it to something else they enjoy it can really motivate them. I’m not much of skier but I can see the thrill in it. Thanks for the opportunity to read your book.