#MMBBR #Showcase Gamer Girl by Glynis Astie @GlynisAstie

Struck by tragedy at an early age, Meri Palmer escaped into the only world she understood. Within the virtual realm of online gaming, she lived a life filled with mythical creatures and thrilling adventures, where she was strong, powerful, clever, and beautiful—everything she believed she wasn't in real life. As the years went by, her desire to cling to her cherished fantasyland only grew stronger.

But when Meri meets Morgan, equal parts gorgeous and goofball, she begins to wonder if the time has finally come to rejoin the so-called real world. Channeling the bravery of her fairy warrior alter ego, Meri slowly lets Morgan beyond the protective walls she’s built around her heart. Just as she finds a comfortable groove in an uncertain world, Morgan succumbs to insecurities of his own, leaving her lost and confused. Through her battle to regain her equilibrium, Meri will discover that even in reality, things aren’t always what they seem.

Will Meri win the battle raging in her heart and summon the will to rescue her knight in shining armor? Or will she give in to the fear and find her game over? 

Glynis never expected in her wildest dreams to be a writer. After thirteen years in the Human Resources Industry, she decided to stay at home with her two amazing sons. Ever in search of a project, she was inspired to write the story of how she met and married her wonderfully romantic French husband, Sebastien, in six short months. The end result became her first novel, French Twist. As this was just the beginning of their epic love story, Glynis continued to chronicle their adventures in the sequel, French Toast, and the final installment in the series, French Fry. After she finished milking her life story for all it was worth, she decided to write straight-up fiction with Gamer Girl, which infuses her beloved chick lit with a hint of fantasy.

When Glynis is not writing, she is trying to keep the peace amongst the three men and two cats in her life, finding missing body parts (Lego pieces are small!), supervising a myriad of homework assignments and keeping a tenuous hold on her sanity by consuming whatever chocolate is in the vicinity.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A. Initially, my writing was inspired by my life. I had never planned to be an author, but after I left my job as a human resources manager to become a stay-at-home-mom, I found myself in need of a project. (Once my youngest decided sleep was actually necessary.) I had often been told that the whirlwind romance I experienced with my husband would make a great movie, but I had a better idea—I would write a book! It was daunting at first, but eventually I found my path and French Twist was born. Since our epic tale couldn’t be contained in just one book, I ended up writing a trilogy. And it seems I’m still not quite done, because I’m planning to write a holiday novella for the series later this year.

However, I’m about to release my first work of complete fiction, Gamer Girl, which was inspired by watching a documentary about the origin of video games. I’m a true believer that inspiration can come from anywhere.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

A. Making people laugh! Nothing brings a smile to my face like coming across a review in which the reader has laughed out loud. I particularly love the ones where the person confesses to making a spectacle of themselves in public. (Then you can be sure you earned a good, hearty laugh!) I crack myself up as I write my books, so knowing I brought the same feeling to a reader is priceless!

Q.  What is the toughest part of being a writer?

A. The toughest part for me is finding the time to write when I’m feeling inspired. I can’t tell you how many times I sit down to write, but nothing comes out right or I have tons of ideas, but can’t find time to get to my computer. It almost feels like the planets have to align for me to be able to get some worthwhile writing done. Those voices in my head can be really unpredictable!

Q.  If you could not be writer, what would you do/be?

A. What an excellent question! I’ve already been down the road of social work and human resources, so if I were to veer away from writing, I would like to do something a bit more fun. I spend a lot of my spare time baking delicious treats for my boys (and half the neighborhood), so I think I would start a small baking business out of my home. I have a friend who is a real estate attorney and bakes cakes as a side business, so why not? Anything is possible!

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

A. Lucky Girl. I have certainly had my share of problems—a severe case of scoliosis, divorced parents, self-esteem issues, etc.—but everything worked out in the end. My back healed, I gained an amazing stepfather, and my family helped me find the courage to embrace life. With the support of my incredible husband and two angelic sons, I became a writer, which has enriched my life more than I could begin to describe. And I’m supposed to be good with words!

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

A. This is a very difficult question. After a lot of thought, I would have to say Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. My mother gave me this book when I was seven and it sparked a lifelong love of reading. I spent my childhood getting lost in Anne’s adventures (there were eight books of glorious material!), wishing I could live life as fully as she did. These days I do my best to channel her bravery.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A. I fancy myself a slightly toned down Bridget Jones. I’m neurotic, I don’t always think things through before I do them and I definitely have the capacity for zany activities. I also like to think I’m as cute and lovable as I find her to be.

Q.  What character from all of your book are you most like?

A. This one is far too easy for me. I am Sydney Bennett/Durand from my books. Well, for the most part. While everyone else in my family got a small makeover for the books (I really did make them look good!), I exaggerated my neuroses just a bit. In retrospect, perhaps I should have left my personality as is. Sydney has been touted as “intense” on her best days. You live, you learn!

Q.  Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

A. Hands down, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I would love to explore Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and any other place I could travel to within my limited timeframe. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t make it out of the castle. There would be so many places to go and people (and ghosts) to see!

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A. I love fall. The crisp air, the gorgeous leaves and the beautiful clothes. I get bundled up in a cozy sweater, bust out my favorite boots and head to the nearest orchard to pick baskets of delicious apples and chow down on cider doughnuts. I lived in California for over ten years and went through serious season withdrawal. Thank goodness we moved back to New York!

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A. I’m lucky enough to have an extremely talented sister who designs all my covers. I give her a basic idea of what I want and she makes it look even better than I could have imagined. I’m particularly impressed with her latest cover—Gamer Girl. She is such a whiz with images, colors and fonts. She draws everything herself and arranges it in a way which reels those readers in! Then I have to pull them the rest of the way with my thrilling synopsis.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

A. One of my favorite things about publishing books based on my life is having people ask which events were true and which were “embellished.” While I have been lucky enough to live an exciting life, not all of the elements lend to a great story, so things did have to be altered to some degree. (I did confess to giving my family a bit of a makeover earlier, didn’t I?) The best part of promoting my books has been seeing the anticipation in people’s faces (or hearing it in their words online) when they ask about some of the most outrageous scenes in my books. What’s even better? Getting to tell them yes, that crazy event actually took place—and I lived to tell about it!

Q.  Are you working on something new?

A. My fourth book, Gamer Girl, will come out on May 31st. Once I finished the initial promotion, I plan to write French Roast, a holiday novella to continue my French Twist series. This one will be a little harder for me to write as it will deal with a tragic event in my life, but I’m hoping it will be a cathartic experience. And if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to help others deal with their grief. After all, laughter through tears can be quite healing.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A. Thank you so much for taking the time to find out a little about me! I would love to hear from you, so feel free to stop by my blog (www.glynisastie.com) or my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/glynisastieauthor/) to introduce yourself.