Ahoy Gum Drop!

I.B. Nosey Meets Gail Pallotta

NOSEY: Greetings again, cyber-nuts! This is your official unofficial reporter coming to you today from the busy newspaper office of The Sun Dial.

Man, there’s a lot of activity going on here. Folks yakking, phones ringing, papers yanked from printers and -- hey, I gotta grab somebody and interview ‘em. Want to see what all this chaos is about. How about you? *grabs beautiful woman as she rushes by, her arms filled with loose manuscripts*

GAIL P: Who, me, what?

NOSEY: This is your lucky day! You’re about to be interviewed by a handsome, famous reporter.

GAIL P: Really? *gives swift look around* Where is he?

NOSEY:  *scowls* Cute, lady, real cute.

GAIL P: Say, I know you. The Sun Dial wrote a story about your recent adventure at the Bermuda Triangle.

NOSEY: That wasn’t an adventure, that was scare -- never mind. Let’s talk about you. What’s your name, and what’s ya carrying around in your arms there?

GAIL P: I’m Gail Pallotta, author of Love Turns theTide. And what I’m ‘carrying around’, are newspaper advertisements of my book.

NOSEY: No fooling. Let me see. *picks up paper and squints at print*  Okay, it says here:  

Cammie O’Shea suffers a traumatic split-up with her fiancé. At the same time a new job in Destin, Florida, takes her away from family and friends. Alone, her spirit broken, she hardly has the heart to meet her boss, Bill Collins, editor of The Sun Dial, let alone deal with the dynamic Vic Delona, a real estate developer. Yet her job and the success of the paper hinges on her writing a successful article about Vic and his new development. While she wants no new relationships he thwarts her efforts to complete the assignment, arranges extra meetings and attempts to court her. She resists his advances. But mysterious break-ins occur at Cammie and her friend’s condos.When Cammie and Vic launch their own investigation into the vandalism, Cammie grows close to him. In the midst of the confusion she gets an opportunity to return home to her old job. Will Vic solve the crimes and win Cammie’s heart or will she leave Destin? 

GAIL P: Intriguing, huh?

NOSEY: Exciting, even…but there’s one thing missing. *grunts as office employee rushes by, tangling his feet in the microphone wire* Scram, kid. You’re annoying people.

GAIL P: Nosey, *dodges employee’s wayward elbow as he struggles to free himself* what’s missing in that piece?

NOSEY:  Why didn’t you add a possum to the plot?

GAIL P. *snaps fingers* Fudge! Did the editor take out the part about Charlie, the possum?

NOSEY: Guess so. *tugs on the microphone cord and employee teeters off-balance* Nothing in here about a Charlie.

GAIL P: Well, I hope he has something in there about me!

NOSEY: Let’s see. I’ll read more. *eyes employee warily as the youth staggers inside the tightening microphone coils*

Oh, here we go. Author Gail Pallotta. Uh huh, he wrote: Gail’s husband, Rick, says she’s the only person he knows who can go in the grocery for a loaf of bread and come out with someone’s life story. That’s probably because she inherited her mother’s love of people and enjoys talking to them. Working as an editor and freelance writer, Gail published a couple hundred articles. While some of them are in anthologies, two ended up in museums. In 2004, the American ChristianWriters Association named Gail a regional writer of the year. She recently published her first romance, Love Turns the Tide. Last fall an excerpt from Love Turns the Tide won the Clash of the Titles Challenge in the best nature /weather scene category. Not long afterward Gail joined the staff of the Clash of the Titles. Also a blogger, she made the Top Ten Blog List on ShannonVannatter’s blog for the Spring Quarter of 2011. When Gail isn’t writing she likes reading, swimming, and getting together with friends and family.

NOSEY: *whistles* That’s pretty impressive stuff there! What inspired you to write this book?

GAIL P: Mm, the romantic dream to walk down the aisle and live happily ever after with your one and only. Over the years I’ve talked with a number of women and men, I might add, who’ve endured hurtful dating relationships and break-ups before they found the right person. While there are many people who never experience tumultuous romances, there are plenty who do. Cammie is one of them. I wanted to support the Cammies and encourage them not to give up on love. *pauses* Why, Nosey, is that a tear in your eye?

NOSEY: ‘Course not. *sniffs* It’s just that this blasted kid stumbled across the top of my foot!

GAIL P. He’s stumbling across his own, too. Poor dear. I think he’s turning green.

NOSEY: *grimaces* Couldn’t he choose a better color? What about sunset orange?

GAIL P: Oh Nosey, now that’s romantic! My favorite color depends on which day and my mood, but I find myself choosing purple, dark green and black a lot. Of course, black’s just easy. Everything goes with it.

NOSEY: Including grooms, I guess.

GAIL P: My, yes, grooms love black! Nosey, are you proposing? But you know full well that I’m married.

NOSEY: *sputters* N--no! I just meant, this being a romance book and all…*tugs at shirt collar*

GAIL P: Young man…*jumps aside as employee rocks on his heels*…don’t you know it’s impolite to intrude on a woman’s space?

NOSEY: Speaking of space, which we seem to be in short supply of here *moves to the end of the aisle, stretching microphone cord to a taut line, and sending employee in a rapid, dizzying spin* you placed your story on a beach. Is that because you prefer ocean settings over mountains, or valleys?

GAIL P: Not necessarily. Personally, I favor being in a warm, tropical place, but I’ve lived in the mountains and find them a fascinating setting.

NOSEY: Sounds like you made a good choice of putting your young couple near the ocean. At least that creates no friction between them, I guess.

GAIL P. They do have friction, of course. All romance books must have it. In my story, the friction is that he’s fallen for her, and she’s trying to avoid relationships, especially with someone she sees as arrogant at first.

NOSEY: *puffs out chest* I’m sure they both would be thrilled if I dropped in and granted them an interview.

GAIL P: Oh. Would they?

NOSEY: Sure they would! Uh…*mouth drops open* You mean, your hero or heroine doesn’t mention me at all?

GAIL P: *puckers brow* Well, let’s just say that speaking of heroes, my hero is I.B. Nosey in disguise as a real estate developer.

NOSEY: Your hero? Well, I like that! Hey…*pushes teetering employee to tilt the opposite direction* Listen, Mac.You’ve interrupted this interview all the way through. Are you lost? Or don’t you have a place where you need to be?

GAIL P: He’s looking rather pale right now, Nosey. Maybe we should pluck him in a chair and steer him toward an empty office.

NOSEY: Your arms are full of manuscripts. How are you gonna steer? Or maybe use your feet? Or…heh heh…like Heathcliff the possum, rely on that limber tail.

GAIL P: *chuckles* Nothing like Heathcliff, I fear. Unfortunately, my tail got caught in a wood chipper. I’m stuck using both hands.

NOSEY: Watch it! *bounds aside as employee slumps, then tumbles to the floor* Why, he’s asleep.

GAIL P: Hardly. His eyes are open.

NOSEY: Lots of folks sleep with their eyes open. Don’t you?

GAIL P: No. They’re always shut.

NOSEY: You can’t know that.

GAIL P. Of course I can. I know because I have to open them to see when I wake up.

NOSEY: Well, he’s snoring, so he’s asleep.

GAIL P: Actually, those aren’t snores. They sound more like growls. And see how red his complexion is? I think he’s about ready to let off steam.

NOSEY: Hey, he’s ripping apart my microphone cord!

GAIL P. Um, you know what? I hear the surf calling my name. Bye, Nosey! *speeds down the aisle and bursts through office doors*

NOSEY: I’m right behind you! *grunts as he trips over employee’s upraised leg* Wait a minute, fella! Let go of my tie! Aack! *twists away, shrugging off jacket clenched by employee’s fist* GAIL!!! *lumbering to feet, he sprints forward, trailing a broken length of microphone cord behind* Save me a spot beneath a palm tree!

(photos courtesy of Photobucket)

Visit Gail Pallotta at her site, and blog

Love Turns the Tide

Available from Awe-Struck Publishing

###############################

***Nosey will take a break through the rest of this month, but be sure to come back in January 2012 for more ridiculousness interviews! *** 

NOSEY ANNOUNCEMENT: If you'd like to be interviewed by none other than that "official unofficial reporter", send an email to M.M. (Addy on 'About Me' page. All books must be G-rated, and approriate for this site). You know you want to. After all, aren't you salivating to display this badge at your site/blog?