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Interview with author, Catherine MacDonald

 
1.  I know this is the sequel to Seasons of the Vineyard. Can you tell us a little about Romancing the Vines? From Sonoma, Italy, and the Middle Ages Francesca travels to uncover the truth of the wine and the two men who have fought over her for centuries. Romancing the Vines is the sweeping romance of Francesca, Enrico, and Giancarlo and the secret to the wine that has been eluding her for centuries.
Do you have any websites, facebook, twitter, etc., that you would like to share with our readers? Yes. My website is www.superenovel.com.
 
My facebook is https://www.facebook.com/#!/catherine.macdonald.5872, and my twitter is cathiemacdonald@twitter.com 
 
2.  How is this book different from Seasons of the Vineyard? This book completes the tale of the three main characters: Francesca, Enrico, and Giancarlo. What the reader discovers is that the conflict between the three of them has been going on for centuries, not just the current lifetime.
 
3.  How do you go about building your plot? I start with a basic three-act play outline. I have an idea. I sketch, develop my characters and setting, and then I write the "shitty" first draft, which I liken to the frame of the story. Once I have a frame, I let it sit for a while. Next I re-read it, writing notes, then I re-write the story and develop it further.
 
4.  What kind of message does your book relate to the reader? Hmm. Perhaps you've lived before and you'll live again, but you'll still have the same troubles unless you confront them and deal with them.
 
5.  What are your characters like? Nothing like me! Francesca loves to cook and hasn't had much success in the relationship department. (I have been married for 37 years.) Enrico is consumed with hatred for Giancarlo, and lets his anger take control of his emotions. He doesn't have what it takes to be a vintner. Giancarlo is sexy, rich, and the top vintner in the valley. When he loses everything, he does not despair and rolls up his sleeves and gets to work.
 
6.  How do you compose your characters? Usually, I have a vision of the character. Then I sit down and write them out, creating a back story so I know everything about them.
 
7.  What surprise, if any, will we find in this book compared to Seasons? You'll visit the Middle Ages! Also, there are a few twists you won't expect, but when you step back and examine it, you'll see the foreshadowing.
 
8.  Will there be a third in the sequel? I'm never going to say never.
 
9.  Where do you get your ideas to write a book? Sometimes they come from life. Sometimes I read an article that plants a seed. The Divorce Ranch is a good example of this. Romancing the Vines came from a trip to France and the vineyards and castles we visited. Seasons of the Vineyard came from all my trips to the Sonoma Valley.
 
10. Do you have anything in the works right now? Yes, I do. A Matter of Necessity: set in the 1920s during Prohibition. The Buddha and The Bear, which is a fable. The frame of this story is complete. Now I just need to re-write and let the magic dance on the page.
 
 


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