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a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. And to increase your chances of winning, you can visit other tour stops and leave comments there.
Welcome,
Cherise. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I waited almost too long to get
married. First, I wanted to graduate from college. Working my way, that took
ten years. I was 28, and all the guys who had been begging me to marry them
when I was 18-21 had already gotten married and settled down. I was 31 by the
time I finally did get married. The next mistake I made was waiting too long to
have children. I never did have any, and now I'm past it and full of regret.
Please
tell us about your current release.
Fifty women who got married after 1990
tell us their true stories: how they got him to marry them and not just live
together for the rest of their lives. Half of these women were young when they
got married, but half were over 30 and some were over 40, like me. Not all of
them are white. Some are very poor. Some are single mothers.
What
inspired you to write this book?
This book pulled at me until I got it
written. I want to help all the single ladies who are out there either alone or
with men who are fine with just being boyfriend and girlfriend for the rest of
their lives. Don't settle for that, Ladies! You deserve for him to marry you.
Let these 50 true stories show you how to accomplish that.
Excerpt:
The truth is, when I met Dan I was not looking for a
husband. Indeed, I had just ended a relationship with a man who was pushing for
a more serious commitment. I was a fiercely independent woman, still trying to
make it on my own. All that changed the night the two of us met at a local
restaurant. We met in the summer of 2000 when I was 24 years old. I knew from
the first conversation I had with Dan that I wanted to marry him. However, he
was not so sure.
We had seen each other around a time
or two before. He'd caught my eye at my friend Landry's 4th of July party the
previous year, then again during a weekend at her lake house. I had inquired
about his status, but she had told me that he was in a serious relationship. I
have never been the type of person to pursue someone who is committed.
Therefore, I put him out of my mind for good. He only knew me as "Landry's
friend Kathi" and had never given me a second thought.
The night Landry invited a bunch of us out to meet her
new husband was interesting. The newlyweds showed up late, which gave Dan and I
a chance to talk for the first time. I learned that he and his long-term
girlfriend had recently broken up after he had bought a $5,000 engagement ring for
her but before he'd been able to offer it. He was devastated. He swore that he
would never marry. I thought it was the grief talking, but I had no idea how
pervasive that thought was in his mind.
What
exciting story are you working on next?
I am working on novel-length versions
of a few of these true "Marry Me" stories! Sign up here if you would
like to be notified when the next one is available! http://eepurl.com/w96_v
When
did you first consider yourself a writer?
In high school, I first realized that
English was my favorite class and writing was my favorite activity. I didn't
get paid for my writing until I started publishing articles online, in 1998.
Do
you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do
other than write and how do you find time to write?
I have the perfect part-time job for a
writer: I'm a high school substitute teacher. I only work when I want to. I get
summers, Christmas Vacation, and Easter Vacation off. I also love hanging out
with teens all day, on days when I work! I wrote a book about my part time job:
High School Substitute Teacher's Guide:
YOU CAN DO THIS!
What
would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I'm an introvert, which means activity
outside of me drains me. I have to have silence when I write (and when I read).
As
a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
In first grade, I wanted to be a
first-grade teacher. In second grade, I wanted to teach second, and so on. I
ended up teaching high school English for a few years, but now I have an even
more amazing job as a writer and editor!
Anything
additional you want to share with the readers?
Thanks for reading!
Links:
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-i-got-him-to-marry-me-cherise-kelley/1114814242?ean=2940016181950
Thanks,
Cherise! Readers, don’t forget about the giveaway, leave a comment below to
enter for a chance to win.
