Women's Fiction
Date Published: 05-16-2023
Publisher: Creative James Media
When a career-ending injury and a messy breakup send prima ballerina Daniela Verdi back to Queens, New York, she fills her days with countless distractions: meaningless sex, pinot grigio, and video games.
It takes a chance meeting with her brother's best friend, Vincent LaBate, for her to remember who she was before the stage lights and distractions of the Upper West Side. She's convinced that Vincent could never love a girl like her: broken, insecure, and stumbling her way through life. What Daniela didn’t count on is that Vincent is as scarred as she is after divorcing his cheating wife and going through an equally messy child custody fight. Soon enough, old vulnerabilities rear their ugly heads, opening a crack in Daniela’s perfectly imperfect romance.
As Daniela and Vincent's relationship develops, will Daniela learn to accept that a dream life isn't all it's cracked up to be?
Tell us about your book?
Sushi and Sea Lions is a women’s fiction novel heavy on romance.
When a career-ending injury and a messy breakup send prima ballerina Daniela Verdi back to Queens, New York, she fills her days with countless distractions: meaningless sex, pinot grigio, and video games.
It takes a chance meeting with her brother's
best friend, Vincent LaBate, for her to remember who she was before the stage
lights and distractions of the Upper West Side. She's convinced that Vincent
could never love a girl like her: broken, insecure, and stumbling her way
through life. What Daniela didn’t count on is that Vincent is as scarred as she
is after divorcing his cheating wife and going through an equally messy child
custody fight. Soon enough, old vulnerabilities rear their ugly heads, opening
a crack in Daniela’s perfectly imperfect romance.
As Daniela and Vincent's relationship develops,
will Daniela learn to accept that a dream life isn't all it's cracked up to be?
What is the PRIMARY benefit, above all others, that your potential reader will gain from reading this book?
I believe a potential reader will finish
reading this book with a sense of hope and joy. That no matter the challenges
that present themselves in life that they can sort out what to do and how to
work through it. That’s the main character’s deep struggle in Sushi and Sea
Lions.
If you had to compare this book to any other book out there, which book would it be?
Sushi and Sea Lions is comparable to The
Nanny by Lana Ferguson.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out every year. Why should someone buy THIS book?
Sushi and Sea Lions gives a raw look
from the female perspective about what it’s like to start over when an entire
life crumbles at the seams. While that’s happening Daniela works hard on
figuring out the new things that she wants while falling in love and staying
true to what she’s worked hard to achieve. It isn’t just a romance, but a
heartfelt book about loving oneself and figuring out how to be true to that
journey every step of the way.
Who is your target audience?
This book is perfect for millennial
women who have struggled with changing careers and finding love.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage?
My environment played a huge role in the writing of this book. I used a lot of my personal experience to bring this story to life. I grew up in Queens and the main character moves back there from the Upper West Side. Growing up in the outer boroughs and living there is an extremely unique experience and I highlighted that throughout the novel.
Daniela is also a former ballerina, as
am I, and I used that experience to tell the story as well. The ballet world is
unique in itself, as well as leaving it. Ballet leaves a mark on those who love
it and walking away from an artform like that can be devastating but it’s also
beautiful when you can find your way back.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since publishing your work?
The most rewarding thing I’ve
experienced so far is reviews from readers saying they want to be Daniela’s
friend, or that they understand her and her struggles. This is the connection
that I hoped my story would forge for readers. I think all of us can relate to
a story of starting over in some capacity, but reading reviews like that shows
me that a book like Sushi and Sea Lions was needed.
How would you describe your writing style?
My writing style is quippy, fun, raw,
and easily accessible.
Are your characters pure fiction, or did you draw from people you know?
I draw from people that I know to create
well rounded real characters. It’s rare that I create someone purely from thin
air. I also noticed that each of my characters has a piece of myself embedded
in them as well.
Are you more of a character artist or a plot-driven writer?
I am entirely a character driven writer.
This means my plots are often quiet and take time to develop over the course of
the story. I let the character tell me what they need and where the story will
go. This doesn’t always allow for these bursting plot points. My stories often
are about women figuring out their lives and how to live their best one.
They’re joyful books.
About the Author
After declaring herself a pretty pink princess during her first ballet class, Rachel dreamt of sugarplums and began pirouetting her way through life. While studying to become a ballerina, she compulsively read books under her covers by flashlight and scribbled in spiral-bound notebooks. The urge to tell stories culminated in her graduation from Columbia College Chicago with a B.F.A. in fiction writing.
Never one to keep her feet on the ground, she traveled the world from Prague to Cape Town. Once settled back in Queens, she dabbled in journalism before working as an Editorial Assistant for a medical publisher. Seeking a more fulfilling career, she earned her MAT from Queens College and currently works as an English teacher in an alternative program in NYC.
Rachel spends her time sipping coffee, trying to cook, and practicing her pirouettes. She currently resides in Freeport, Long Island.
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