Q&A with Lynne E. Marino
One of the most exciting things in the Publishing industry is meeting interesting people who are talented authors and write intriguing stories.
After reading The Cha-cha Affair by Lynne E. Marino, I had a few questions about her story and the characters.
About The Cha-cha Affair
Stephanie Ledger isn’t a Scottsdale princess anymore. Her messy, never-ending divorce has left her with an empty upscale house, and an even emptier bank account. She swears that she doesn’t want another man in her life-ever, until she meets Joe Schmidt at a ballroom dance class, and the sparks begin to fly.
The more time Joe spends with Stephanie, the more he wants their fledgling partnership—on and off the dance floor—to be something more. Unfortunately, he works for the IRS and they are investigating her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s finances, and Stephanie herself. Joe knows that if she ever finds out, he’s toast.
Still determined that she’ll never fall in love again, Stephanie ropes Joe into a riotous caper to get some leverage on her lying, lecherous husband in the hopes of finally bringing her divorce to a close. The duo dance their way in and out of trouble, and into each other’s heart, until Stephanie discovers what Joe has been hiding. But will she also discover what everyone around them already knows? While the two of them together may be annoying and imperfect, they are also annoyingly perfect for one another.
Q&A
1) Stephanie is a strong woman who didn’t give up and moved on with her life. How can someone overcome betrayal and leave everything behind?
1) I tried to write Stephanie as someone who was determined not to waste the rest of her life focusing on what she didn’t have, and to move forward and set a better example for her son. In the course of that, she finds her own strength as well.
2) Fear of financial insecurity is a common reason to stay in a bad marriage. Isn’t it sometimes better to walk away than to stay and not to be afraid?
2) I would say so. I think ultimately you feel better about yourself, and that’s a more powerful message to send to your children than having a lot of money. Again, Stephanie was more concerned about being a positive role model for her son than she was about having a lot of “stuff”.
3) After a bad marriage/divorce do we have to fear new people who come into our lives even if we are annoyingly perfect for one another?
3) I don’t know about being afraid, but I think cautious is a good idea. My character, Stephanie, is very concerned about not making the same mistakes she made before, although she was much younger when she married the first time. She felt a great deal of pressure to do what her mother wanted and gave very little time to thinking about what she wanted.
4) Staying in unhappy marriage VS divorce, which one is the true tragedy?
4) I would say staying in an unhappy marriage, but that is a much easier decision for a woman to make if she has the wherewithal to be financially independent. For example, most of my mother’s generation didn’t have and weren’t allowed those opportunities, so should I judge them by the values we, as women, have today? I don’t think so. Perhaps the “right” thing to do back then was to stay in a miserable marriage for the sake of your children’s health, safety, and future.
5) Toxic partners, what do you think?
5) Run! That’s what I think.
6) “Till death do us part…” what’s next? How difficult was it for Joe to make dreams again and start over?
6) Committing himself to starting over, at least for Joe, was the last step in letting go of his first marriage. That, in and of itself, felt like a betrayal of his love for his first wife, even though she encouraged him to do so before she died. And that is love.
7) Stephanie had her best friend by her side during her adventure, what’s the role of a good friend while experiencing bad times?
7) If you’re lucky enough to have a friend like Stephanie’s buddy Peg, you have someone who loves and understands you even when you don’t love and understand yourself.
8) What does family mean to you?
8) Family. They are the people who have your back, but will also take you aside and privately read you the riot act when you need to hear it. But, they will never dress you down in public.
9) Tell me a few things about you.
9) I try hard to see things from many perspectives. Both sides of my family majored in humor and taught me to use it as a source for coping with life, especially when it kicks you around. I love to read about history, particularly the Romans. I have a book of ancient jokes I often read to remind myself that although times have changed, they really haven’t. Yes, technology and engineering have advanced, but humans… not so much.
10) Where can readers find your books?
10) Right now, exclusively on Amazon. Here are the links:
The Cha-cha Affair
Five Things
https://www.amazon.com/Lynne-Marino/e...
After reading The Cha-cha Affair by Lynne E. Marino, I had a few questions about her story and the characters.
About The Cha-cha Affair
Stephanie Ledger isn’t a Scottsdale princess anymore. Her messy, never-ending divorce has left her with an empty upscale house, and an even emptier bank account. She swears that she doesn’t want another man in her life-ever, until she meets Joe Schmidt at a ballroom dance class, and the sparks begin to fly.
The more time Joe spends with Stephanie, the more he wants their fledgling partnership—on and off the dance floor—to be something more. Unfortunately, he works for the IRS and they are investigating her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s finances, and Stephanie herself. Joe knows that if she ever finds out, he’s toast.
Still determined that she’ll never fall in love again, Stephanie ropes Joe into a riotous caper to get some leverage on her lying, lecherous husband in the hopes of finally bringing her divorce to a close. The duo dance their way in and out of trouble, and into each other’s heart, until Stephanie discovers what Joe has been hiding. But will she also discover what everyone around them already knows? While the two of them together may be annoying and imperfect, they are also annoyingly perfect for one another.
Q&A
1) Stephanie is a strong woman who didn’t give up and moved on with her life. How can someone overcome betrayal and leave everything behind?
1) I tried to write Stephanie as someone who was determined not to waste the rest of her life focusing on what she didn’t have, and to move forward and set a better example for her son. In the course of that, she finds her own strength as well.
2) Fear of financial insecurity is a common reason to stay in a bad marriage. Isn’t it sometimes better to walk away than to stay and not to be afraid?
2) I would say so. I think ultimately you feel better about yourself, and that’s a more powerful message to send to your children than having a lot of money. Again, Stephanie was more concerned about being a positive role model for her son than she was about having a lot of “stuff”.
3) After a bad marriage/divorce do we have to fear new people who come into our lives even if we are annoyingly perfect for one another?
3) I don’t know about being afraid, but I think cautious is a good idea. My character, Stephanie, is very concerned about not making the same mistakes she made before, although she was much younger when she married the first time. She felt a great deal of pressure to do what her mother wanted and gave very little time to thinking about what she wanted.
4) Staying in unhappy marriage VS divorce, which one is the true tragedy?
4) I would say staying in an unhappy marriage, but that is a much easier decision for a woman to make if she has the wherewithal to be financially independent. For example, most of my mother’s generation didn’t have and weren’t allowed those opportunities, so should I judge them by the values we, as women, have today? I don’t think so. Perhaps the “right” thing to do back then was to stay in a miserable marriage for the sake of your children’s health, safety, and future.
5) Toxic partners, what do you think?
5) Run! That’s what I think.
6) “Till death do us part…” what’s next? How difficult was it for Joe to make dreams again and start over?
6) Committing himself to starting over, at least for Joe, was the last step in letting go of his first marriage. That, in and of itself, felt like a betrayal of his love for his first wife, even though she encouraged him to do so before she died. And that is love.
7) Stephanie had her best friend by her side during her adventure, what’s the role of a good friend while experiencing bad times?
7) If you’re lucky enough to have a friend like Stephanie’s buddy Peg, you have someone who loves and understands you even when you don’t love and understand yourself.
8) What does family mean to you?
8) Family. They are the people who have your back, but will also take you aside and privately read you the riot act when you need to hear it. But, they will never dress you down in public.
9) Tell me a few things about you.
9) I try hard to see things from many perspectives. Both sides of my family majored in humor and taught me to use it as a source for coping with life, especially when it kicks you around. I love to read about history, particularly the Romans. I have a book of ancient jokes I often read to remind myself that although times have changed, they really haven’t. Yes, technology and engineering have advanced, but humans… not so much.
10) Where can readers find your books?
10) Right now, exclusively on Amazon. Here are the links:
The Cha-cha Affair
Five Things
https://www.amazon.com/Lynne-Marino/e...
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