Cathy Lamb: Our guest today is Rosanna Chiofalo, a wonderful author from New York City. (Pretend I said that as if I’m on a talk show and am wearing a pretty dress and red high heels instead of my old jeans and a t-shirt.)

What do you like most about being a writer? Least? I happen to love the daydreaming part but I am not so fond of the deadline part where I wander around in pajamas muttering to myself and meowing back at my cat. It makes me feel slightly crazy.

Great question! I like exploring my characters in great detail to not only get to know them, but also discover what makes them tick. I also enjoy the fictional worlds I create in my stories. What has been the most satisfying experience for me as a writer is getting feedback from my readers, especially when they understood what I was trying to accomplish with my stories.

I have been moved by readers who felt that I have brought back warm memories of their own Italian American upbringings or even memories of a parent or grandparent who is no longer with them. It’s amazing to see the connection my readers have had to my books!

One of the most moving e-mails I received from a reader was from a woman who told me she was on dialysis, and as a result, she could not travel. But when she reads my novels, she is able to travel to Italy where my books are also set. I had never thought that my books could make such a difference in someone’s life, and it is very humbling to be able to do so.

I’d have to say what I like the least about writing is the discipline and the pressure to complete a novel by my deadlines. So far, I have been able to meet my publisher’s deadlines when writing my novels, but while working on my books I hate that thought in the back of my head that the days are ticking off the calendar and I still have to complete my novel!

Also, since I am a freelance copywriter in addition to an author, I am always writing. So the temptation to not work on my book one day or other can be great! My latest obsession for the past four months has been watching all of Giada DeLaruentiis’ shows on the Cooking Channel and Food Network, and then trying her recipes every week. It’s a great way for me to unwind and not think about writing for a bit.Needless to say, my husband has been eating like a king lately, and he’s not complaining 🙂 !

Anyway, some days all I want to do is curl up on my couch and watch back-to-back episodes of Giada’s shows, but I can’t because my writing is waiting for me!

Can you send me some lasagna? Your husband is a lucky man. My husband would love it if I cooked better. My kids say I “re-heat.”  Sheesh. They’re lucky I feed ’em.

Tell us about both of your books. 

My first novel BELLA FORTUNA is about a young woman, Valentina DeLuca, who owns a custom-made wedding gown shop with her mother and two sisters in Astoria, New York. After making countless brides’ dreams come true, this is finally the year that Valentina will be tying the knot in Venice! She’s engaged to her childhood crush, Michael Carello. But Valentina’s life takes a quite unexpected turn of events. The book is also set in the magical city of Venice.

My second novel CARISSIMA is also partially set in Astoria, New York. But the last third or so of the book is set in Rome. A few of the secondary characters we met in BELLA FORTUNA make an appearance in this book. Italian silver screen legend Francesca Donata has mysteriously arrived in Astoria, much to the shock and pleasure of the residents who cannot fathom why a famous star would be in blue-collar Astoria.

Even more mysterious is her connection to Signora Tesca. All the neighbors wonder how an introvert like Signora Tesca could know divaesque Francesca Donata.

Pia Santore is staying with her Aunt Antoniella for the summer while she does an internship at celebrity magazine Profile. When she hears that the famous star is in Astoria, she hopes to snag an interview with her. She believes the interview could help her burgeoning journalism career.

At first, Pia believes she has nothing in common with conceited Francesca, but as she gets to know her, she discovers they have more in common than she initially thought. And as Pia falls in love, she will be forced to confront the ghosts from her past as well as the present. Likewise, Francesca has skeletons in her closet that she will be forced to confront.

I think we all have skeletons throughout life we have to confront. I, personally, don’t like skeletons, their bones rattle too much, and they’re scary, but it is what it is, right?

But moving on. Was it always your plan to be a writer? What other jobs have you had?

Yes, it was always my plan to be a writer. As a child, I was a bookworm! And as such, I could not imagine doing anything that was unrelated to books. After majoring in English in college, I began working in book publishing as a junior copywriter after answering a classified in The New York Times.

I worked at Penguin USA and loved every minute of it! I worked for a few other publishing houses as well before my husband and I relocated to Austin, Texas, five years ago. However, we only stayed in Austin for a year and returned to New York City.

My career in publishing has spanned to 21 years! In addition to writing my novels, I am a freelance copywriter for several publishing houses in New York. Now that I am a published author, I still have to pinch myself to know my childhood dream of becoming an author has come true! It’s been a wonderful blessing.

People are always curious about when and where writers write.  I do my best writing late, late at night when I can calm down and think in quiet. When and where do you write each day?

I write in a corner of my bedroom that I’ve set up a tiny desk for my netbook. When guests visit my husband and me, I always joke that he has the huge desk and he’s not even a writer!

But living in New York City forces one to get accustomed to the smaller living quarters. When I lived in Austin, TX, we had an office/guest room in which I had an enormous desk! How I miss that! But someday I’ll have that monstrosity of a desk again! LOL!

Some days, I go to the library just to get out and be around people. But mostly, I do write from home. I mostly write in the mornings, when my brain is the freshest, but I also write in the afternoons. I rarely write in the evenings. I’m too busy cooking all of those Giada DeLaurentis recipes and getting in some quality time with the hubby!

You have two jobs, you busy lady. It makes me tired thinking about it. I will sit down and relax and eat chocolate FOR you.

You write cover copy for most of the publishing houses in New York City and you write novels. Tell us about the cover copy writing.

I used to joke that when people heard I was a copywriter for publishing houses, they would always ask me, “Do you have to read the book to write the jacket copy?” Yes, I do have to read the book. But since I love reading, I don’t mind! I believe copywriting has also helped my novel writing in that it trained me to just get my ideas down on paper and worry about perfecting the sentences later. It’s helped me overcome writer’s block.

Also, with all the reading I’ve done for copywriting, I have been able to draw on the books I’ve read for research in my own writing. It really is true that in order to master the art of writing one must read, read, read!

What’s it like living in New York? It sounds exciting to me. Coffee shops everywhere. Take out at two in the morning. If you lived somewhere else where would it be?

Living in New York City is never dull. I was born and raised here and love it, but I also have a hate affair with it from time to time, especially as I get older and want more quiet in my life, which is hard to get when living here.

I did live in Austin, Texas, for a year five years ago, and I missed New York terribly! It’s particularly difficult for someone who has lived in a large city for quite some time to then move to a much smaller city. Austin was great and now there are things about that city that I miss. And while Austin has grown quite a bit in the past few years, it still paled in size to New York.

I found myself missing the myriad of things to do in New York City and all the varied ethnic food. But the crowds and noise in New York City can get to you as well as the faster-paced, more stressful lifestyle. I would love to live in San Diego or even Italy!

Now that’s an Italian last name…have you researched your ancestry? 

Yes, my name is quite Italian and a mouthful 🙂 ! And it’s always butchered, especially since most people do not know that in Italian, “ch” is pronounced with a “k” sound. So my name is pronounced “KEY-OH-FAHLO.” While I knew that it would be hard for most people to pronounce my name correctly, I always knew that if I got published some day, I would write under my maiden name to honor my father’s memory as well as my Italian heritage.

My wonderful husband understood when I explained to him. My parents emigrated to the U.S. from Sicily in 1961, and to now see our name on a book cover is very moving, especially when I think about the many sacrifices they made.

No, I have never researched my ancestry, but my uncle who lives in Sicily has. Supposedly, we have Spaniard, Greek, Irish, and possibly even Native American in our ancestry. I wasn’t entirely surprised by the Native American since I have had a fascination with their culture dating back to when I was in second grade. I used to joke that if reincarnation does exist, I probably was Native American in another life since I have always been so moved by what happened to them.

In my first novel BELLA FORTUNA, I actually talk a little about a Cherokee belief that one of the characters believes in. My husband and I love to travel, as you can see from all the vacation photos I’ve given you! One of my favorite places in the world is New Mexico, mainly because of all the Native American culture there. I forgot to add Santa Fe, New Mexico, to my list of places where I’d love to live!

Rosanna! You forgot to mention my home state – Oregon!! You must visit, at least. Beaches and mountains. The cool city of Portland.

So what are your grand plans for the rest of your life? Where do you see yourself in ten years, twenty, fifty?

Oo! I wasn’t expecting that question! LOL! I’ve never been one of those people who makes plans a decade or so down the road. I do set goals for my life in general, but I don’t specifically say, “In ten years, I want to sail the Amazon.” Hey! Now that’s a goal! I just would like to be able to continue writing novels that my readers enjoy, and as always, I want to see more of the world.

My husband and I are going to Barcelona, Spain, in November, and I can’t wait! I’ve never been to Spain! I hope to be able to go back to Italy next year. It’s been eight years now since I’ve last visited. I’m also dying to go to South America, Thailand, Bali, New Zealand, and South Africa. Now that I’m writing books that are also set in other countries, I need to keep traveling so that I can write about them in my books!

I love travelling, too. Love it. In fact, if I stay in a hotel fifteen minutes from my house, I’m perfectly content. Is that traveling? Is that pathetic to think it’s traveling? There’s something about a clean room that you don’t have to clean that is very appealing. And it’s quiet in hotels. So blissfully quiet. But I digress.

Speaking of Rome and the Trevi fountain and wishes. What three wishes do you have?

1) Keep my family and friends healthy.

2) Grant all of my husband’s dreams.

3) Don’t let the flow of ideas for my novels stop 🙂 !

Have a yummy recipe or two you want to share for the readers who love to cook?  (Unlike myself. I love the eating part. When I meet you, Rosanna, you cook, I’ll eat what you cook.) 

In the back of both of my novels, I’ve listed a few of the recipes that were mentioned in the books. I’ve had several readers contact me and tell me they tried the recipe for Palline di Limone (Lemon Cookies) that was featured in the back of BELLA FORTUNA. That’s always been an especially yummy and popular recipe with everyone. My personal favorite is a recipe I received from my mother, who received it from her mother, called Ravioli Fritti (Fried Pastry Ravioli).

Thank you, Rosanna!