An Interview with Theresa Rizzo

The Reading Cafe is happy to introduce first time author, Theresa Rizzo. She is here to discuss her new book, He Belongs to Me, and to tell us a bit about herself.

Before we begin the interview, let’s find out something about Theresa.

Theresa Rizzo is an award-winning author who writes emotional stories that explore the complexity of relationships and families through real-life trials. Born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, she now lives outside of Boulder, Colorado with her husband of thirty years. Learn more about Theresa at www.theresarizzo.com. Follow Theresa on Twitter (@Theresa_rizzo) or Facebook.

Hi Theresa.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

TRC: Will you please tell us about yourself?

Theresa: Hi Barb, Thanks so much for having me on The Reading Café, today! I married my high school sweetheart thirty years ago and I have four great kids-- 19-26yrs old.  I haven’t killed any of them yet, so I’d say I’m eminently qualified to write about families and relationships.

TRC: Have you always been interested in writing?

Theresa: I’m that rare writer who didn’t know in the womb that I wanted to write.  As a kid, I enjoyed telling stories, but was diagnosed as dyslexic in the third grade, so the execution of writing wasn’t much fun.  I always loved reading romances, but I didn’t start writing until raising my kids.  I thought my calling in life was to be a stay-at-home mom, but who knew how exhausting and thankless that job could be?

Not that my kids were terrors—they weren’t.  But they’re kids.  Four of them—one of me.  You do the math.

So writing was a terrific intelligent, creative outlet.  I could create the perfect man, and when he pissed me off I could punish him in ways that didn’t get me thrown into jail.  And then I also got to enjoy the fun of making up with my sexy hero—without committing adultery.  Win-win.

TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing?

Theresa: Writing is a ton of fun—that’s why I do it.  When it’s not fun anymore, I’ll stop.  The thing that is most challenging about writing for me is  . . . well, let’s just say having sex, is a WHOLE lot easier and more exciting than writing it.

TRC: Can you please tell us how you came up with the idea of He Belongs to Me? Is this a standalone book, if not, how many books do you plan?

Theresa: He Belongs to Me is a standalone book, but I have a second book, Just Destiny, coming out in the fall.  Back in the late 1990s, shaken baby syndrome was a popular or new concept. I read about a young couple where the boy was accused of shaking his baby to death. When it went to trial, the young man was undisputedly acquitted, but I couldn’t help but wonder how this tragic experience had irreparably changed them.

How could they go on and salvage their marriage? How could their love survive? His son died in his hands. How could he not subconsciously feel like he had killed the baby? How could they move on to create a happy family with this horrible legacy? Hence, He Belongs to Me was born.

TRC: Would you please give us a brief description of He Belongs to Me?

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

Theresa: Catherine Boyd will do anything to regain custody of her young son...Even reconcile with the husband accused of killing their son’s twin.  Catherine graduates from college, eager to start a new life with her six-year-old son, Drew. But when she tries to bring him home, her parents refuse to relinquish control of the grandson they’d raised.

Wrongly accused of a horrible crime, Thomas Boyd has buried himself in his career, determined to forget his painful past and the family he lost. But now, five years later, Catherine is back, requesting his help to regain custody of their son — custody he thought she had.

Though older and wiser, when courtroom battles reveal lies and secrets and generations of pain, will Thomas and Catherine find more tragedy and loss, or will old wounds finally heal?

Links to order He Belongs to Me:

TRC: Can you tell us what are you currently working on?

Theresa: I’m finishing polishing my next women’s fiction book, Just Destiny.

Jenny is a beautiful young woman whose seemingly perfect marriage to Gabe is shattered by a tragic accident that leaves her husband brain dead. Devastated at the sudden loss, she decides to preserve the best of their love by harvesting Gabe’s sperm for later insemination. But her husband’s powerful, grieving uncle, the man who raised him, thinks of Jenny as a gold digger and is willing to risk exposing long-held family secrets in court to stop her.

The prospect of a grueling trial tests Jenny’s resolve, until an unexpected ally comes to her aid giving her the opportunity to win and the possibility of a second chance at happiness.  

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place?

Theresa: My process?  I marinate a bunch and then spew.  I’m a spewer—and it’d not pretty.  I’m a little OCD, so I’m a planner.  I think about the story a bunch—who the characters are, what they want, why they can’t have it, then I work out the major plot points.  I get to know my characters fairly well.

I usually like to find a picture of what they look like and then print them all out and put them in a frame or on a poster board and keep them nearby—just for reference—I don’t know, maybe for company.

But once I have a fairly good handle on my characters and what’s going to happen, I’ll sit down and just spew.  I’ll write the story as quickly as I can, writing just dialogue and notes—like, “Set scene”, “description”, “what IS she thinking?”,  “Reaction here” I just get the story out.  Then after I leave it alone a week or so, I’ll go back in and spend months clean it up and layer in all the good stuff.

I’m not really particular when I write.  Inspiration comes to some people in the shower—me?  When I sleep.  And I’m not nearly as smart as I thought I was. I’ve learned that when that brilliant idea, that is so freaking AMAZING there is NO WAY I could forget it, comes to me in the middle of the night. . . I’d better get up and start writing, ‘cause I’m an idiot and I WILL forget.  Every. Dang. Time.  So I write it down immediately.

I mostly write in my study, then when my butt gets sore, I’ll take my laptop into the kitchen and stand at the counter for awhile, then when I’m tired of that, I’ll wander upstairs to my bedroom and sit on my bed.  Yeah, a laptop is a non-negotiable item for me.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with family and friends.  With whom do you bounce ideas?

Theresa: I bounce ideas off my writing pals and select friends and family who have a knack for plotting or are really insightful about people.  But other writers who don’t writing in my genre are really my best problem-solves when I’m stuck on something.

TRC: Is there anything in particular that you have always dreamed of doing, and have not yet done so?

Theresa: I’ve always dreamed of designing and building my own house.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Theresa: I hope you enjoy Catherine and Thomas’s story.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: varies-friend chicken, Steak, French fries, hot artichoke dip—oh and bacon and cheese—not necessarily together.  Bacon and cheese make EVERYTHING better.

Favorite Dessert: Chocolate mousse.  Mousse cake. Oh-but lemon tarts are great too . . . and there’s nothing like a warm chocolate chip cookie—though brownies are MUCH better room temp and chewy.

Favorite Novel: Romance

Favorite Movie: The Guardian

Favorite Literary Character (Male or Female) Not your own: Is it terrible to say, I don’t have one? I really don’t.

Thank you Theresa, for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with He Belongs to You.

Theresa has graciously offered one lucky member of The Reading Cafe a chance to win an e-copy of her new book,  He Belongs to Me.

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open Internationally

4.  Contests runs from June 23 to June 26, 2013