MY REVIEW:
Paula Takes A Risk by Randi Sherman is an quick
and fun read. You will laugh, get frustrated and pump your arm in the air. The
novel takes you on a journey with, Paula, a boring, unadventurous and somewhat
fearful woman.
Paula is hit with some devastating news right off
the bat; her longtime boyfriend dumps her stating that she is way too boring,
does not take risks and that he no longer loves her. To make matters worse she also loses her job.
This set Paula into giving up and shutting in.
Then Paula's bum of a neighbor has a new
"scheme" up his sleeve, and he needs Paula to pull it off. He figures that this down on her luck women
needs his help. Through a lot of crazy events, Paula gains some great skills
and confidence, but not without consequences.
How will this story end? Pick up
your copy to find out.
BOOK DESCRIPTION: After thirty-four years of just letting life happen to her, Paula Tenenbaum’s mundane existence was suddenly interrupted. It was bad enough to be fired from her job because she was “average”, but on that same day, her boyfriend also dumped her for being “un-dynamic.” Somehow, someway Paula needed to make a change. But before she could figure out what her first step should be, her scheming neighbor Larry tapped into her silent desperation and dreams and challenged everything that she believed about herself. At first Paula was skeptical and scared, but quickly, she realized that she had nothing to lose, as she donned the persona of the successful, and vibrant individual that she had always dreamed of being, navigating thru business, colorful personalities and the people that she had idolized from afar. Written with sharp humor, and huge personality, Paula Takes A Risk is the hilarious story about the metamorphosis of Paula Tenenbaum, who naively enters into an adventure that changes her life. This is a story certain to strike a chord in anyone who secretly desires change, but is afraid to make it.
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Q&A
Q.
What inspires your writing?
My writing is inspired
by the people I know and observe, mixed with my very active imagination.
Q.
What is your favorite thing about being an author?
Writing is like
solving a puzzle. I just love that I have the opportunity to create characters,
and personalities and challenge them. I can write them to be big, small, smart,
not-so-smart, insincere, good or evil. Through writing, I am able to assign
scenarios where my characters do or say just the right thing at the right time
(not in the car on the way home) or make the worst decisions possible. The
challenge is to bring it all together at the end. It’s very satisfying.
Q.
What is the toughest part of being an author?
Releasing my
characters into the world has to be the hardest part of being an author. I love
them. I am proud and protective of them and like sending a child off to
kindergarten for the first time. I hope that they will be well liked. I want to
tell them to hold hands while crossing the street.
Q.
If you could not be author, what would you do/be?
A sinecure.
Q.
What would the story of your life be entitled?
Where are my glasses?
Q.
Can you tell me a little about the inspiration behind your book cover?
For the cover, I
selected a woman on a tightrope which represents risk. The color pink was
selected because there is a recurring theme of Paula’s go-to outfit - a
comfortable, yet unattractive pink fleece sweat suit.
Q.
What is your favorite book of all time?
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton is perhaps my favorite
book of all time. It is a story of a woman living by her own rules and
who is a victim of her own indiscretions, and a cruel society. Edith Wharton’s
writing makes you care deeply about Lily Bart. I had a true sense of loss at
the end of the story.
Q.
Which part of your book was the easiest
to write?
I love writing
dialogue. When I write, I recite the dialogue out loud to hear the flow of the
words and define the tone. My partner is constantly shouting “What?!” from the
other room, thinking that I’m taking her.
Q.
Which part of your book was the hardest to write?
Writing the chapter
immediately following the arc of the story is the hardest part of the book to
write. Similar to climbing a mountain, once you hit the summit, it’s all
downhill from there. My job is to make the first steps down captivating enough
to make the reader excited to realize that the hike to the end as exhilarating
as the trip up.
Q.
Which character from any book are you most like?
I am most like Paula
Tenenbaum, the main character in Paula Takes A Risk. Years ago, I
too, seemed to be positioned right in front of the fan when you-know-what hit
it. During my dating life, my criteria for selecting men were pitiful. And like
Paula, I simply could not get out of my own way. Then I decided that I had
nothing to lose. I started trying new things, taking risks and just like Paula
my life changed.
Q.
What is your favorite season?
At first I was going
to answer Lemon Pepper but then I realized you didn’t ask about seasoning. I
love the fall and the color of the sunlight, when
it hasn’t quite lost its entire warm yellow summer glow. I love the crispness
of the air and I like wearing sweaters.
Q.
Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting
your book.
I received a review
written Mandarin. I don’t speak Mandarin. The publicist who sent it to me said,
“I don’t know what it says, but the reviewer said she recommended the book…I
think.”
Q.
Are you working on something new?
I am. Thank you for
asking. Believe it or not I ended up using the words “Oh no, that’s not right”
as the working title, because I change it so often. The new work is a humorous novel about a
couple who after a devastating break up twenty years earlier, meet up again and
foolishly attempt to pick up where they left off.
Q.
Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just
stopping by?
Thank you so much for
taking the time to learn a little bit more about me. Remember to take a
risk. The outcome doesn’t matter. You still did it. Congratulate yourself. Then
take another risk.
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View Randi's guest post HERE
Connect with Paula!
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Friesen Press l B&N
Thanks for being in the tour!
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