Interview with Genevieve Gannon
Author of Husband Hunters & Chasing Chris Campbell
Hi Genevieve, a huge, warm welcome to Living Life With Joy! Thank you so much for participating in this interview. Would you like to start by introducing yourself?
Hi! It’s great to be here. I’m a crime journalist from Melbourne, Australia, and in my spare time I write romantic comedies. My first book, Husband Hunters, came out six months ago. It’s a story about three successful women who decide to use their professional skills to find spouses. My second book, Chasing Chris Campbell, has just been published by HarperCollins Australia. I’ve been describing it as a cross-country version of kiss-chasey…
Can you give us a brief overview of your latest novel and the inspiration behind it?
Chasing Chris Campbell was inspired by all of the backpacking I did – that that a lot of people do – after university. Being a young traveller is such an exciting, scary and potentially funny time. You see amazing things, and meet people you’d never normally come into contact with. I’ve always thought a gap year would be a great setting for a romantic comedy. I first had the idea years ago when travelling through Europe. But after spending some time in Asia I decided to relocate my story. Chasing Chris Campbell is set in Australia, Hong Kong, Inida, Nepal and Vietnam.
How long did it take to write Chasing Chris Campbell? What is your writing process like?
I often work on a range of projects at a time so it’s hard to measure exactly how long each one takes. I tend to write spread out in my lounge room, with draft pages covered in scribbles around me. But my all-time favourite part is printing out some work on nice fresh paper and taking it to a café with a red pen. Mmm…coffee.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the moment?
I’ve just started my third project which is set in my home city of Melbourne. I don’t really want to say too much about it yet because it’s still developing, but parts of it will be set in my workplace – a court. It will still be fun though! I’ve sketched out lots of colourful supporting characters.
If you were given an offer to turn Chasing Chris Campbell into a movie, who would you want to see playing the roles of Violet Mason and Chris Campbell?
Violet is a research scientist. She’s blonde and smart, but a little naïve. I think she’d look a little like Saoirse Ronan – who played the young Briony Tallis in Atonement. (How gorgeous is that film? One of my favourites!) For Chris I think I have to go with Aussie actor Jai Courtney who plays Eric in Divergent. He has those impeccable, boy-next-door looks that spur Violet to go chasing after him…
Is there one book that stands out in your mind that you wish you’d written?
This is a weird answer because it’s a completely different genre – but the first book (or series) that comes to mind is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I loved Katniss. I thought she was such a great, powerful lead female character. The world was beautifully created, there was heaps of action and I was completely transported when I read the series. I blitzed through it in a couple of days. Oh, or One Day by David Nicholls.
How would you describe your writing style and previous novels to someone that has never read your work before?
Story-wise, I think of Husband Hunters as a cross between The First Wives Club, Sex and the City and Legally Blonde. The First Wives Club because it’s about friends who team-up and rediscover an old bond, Sex and the City for glamour, fun, sexiness and – again – the friendship between the women and Legally Blonde because, like Elle Woods, the characters are all capable and self-assured.
Chasing Chris Campbell’s wanderlust-y, traveller story line has elements of Eat, Pray, Love but the characters are more like the type of people you’d meet in an Emily Giffin novel.
Did you always want to be a writer?
The answer to this is yes, yes a thousand times yes. I was first published when I was six – in the school news letter. It was so exciting. After eight years working as a journalist I still get a kick out of seeing my by-line.
Where is your favourite place in the world?
Outside of Australia (which is full of favourite places – I’ve lived in three different cities here) it would definitely be Ireland. I have family in the north, and I spent a winter working at a newspaper in County Cork. I loved all of the beautiful little towns, the vibrant cities and the gorgeous coastline. But I have to say the people are the best part of Ireland. Everybody you meet is warm and full of humour. I love reading Marian Keyes and Maeve Binchy because their books transport me from my house to gorgeous, green Ireland.
If you could be plopped down into any book, which one would it be?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! (I bet a lot of people say that …)
Thank you so much for participating in this interview, I’m delighted to have you on my blog and truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions!
Check out Genevieve’s Latest Release!
Title: Chasing Chris Campbell
Author: Genevieve Gannon
Genre: Romance, Chick-Lit
Published: June 1, 2015 by Harper Collins
Violet is saving money: living on rice and beans and denying herself chocolate éclairs all in the name of saving for a home deposit. Once they save enough, she and Michael can buy a house, settle down and live happily ever after. But when Michael does the unthinkable, Violet is forced to rethink her life choices.
A chance encounter with Chris Campbell (first love, boy-next-door, The One That Got Away) spurs her into travelling to exotic locations she never dreamed she’d explore – Hong Kong, Vietnam, Varanasi – on a quest to catch up with Chris and lead a life of adventure.
Armed with hand sanitiser and the encouraging texts of her twin sister Cassandra, will Violet find true love before it’s too late? Or will the nerve-wracking experience of travelling send her back to Melbourne in search of safety and stability? Can she work out what she really wants before she is left with nothing?
Book Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads | Harper Collins
A bit more about the Author – Genevieve Gannon
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon
Genevieve Gannon is a Melbourne-based journalist and author. She wrote stories for music and fashion street press magazines while at university before moving to Canberra to do a journalism cadetship. In 2011 she joined the national news wire, Australian Associated Press, where she covered crime, politics and entertainment. Her work has appeared in most major Australian newspapers including The Age, The Australian and The Daily Telegraph. She currently lives in Melbourne where she is a court reporter. At night time she writes romantic comedies. Chasing Chris Campbell is her second novel.
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