Welcome Author Gail Pallotta

Good morning everyone! I’d like to introduce you to my friend and fellow author, Gail Pallotta. Gail is an award-winning author, wife, mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. 

Gail, I’ve read several of your books, and I’ve always wondered where does your story line come from? Real events in your life? Totally fictional? Or a whisper from God?

A mix of all three. Sometimes I observe a situation or have an experience that nags me until I write about it. In general I know something about my subject matter. As a result, I understand what a character would do in a certain situation from a personal perspective as well as from research. However, I weave fictitious stories around the things I know. In Barely Above water a young woman finds out she has Lyme disease. I have the disease, so I know the subject matter, but I only wish I were in my twenties living at the beach. In my new book Hair Calamities and Hot Cash, the heroine runs her own beauty salon. I practically grew up in my mother’s beauty shop, so I’m familiar with the perspectives of the hairstylist and the customers. However, I researched today’s new products and techniques.

When did you begin writing? In school? Or was there a particular life changing event that directed you to write?

I’ve made up stories for as long as I can remember. For years, I penned stories and essays and stuffed them in a desk drawer. My first published piece appeared in a grammar school newspaper a friend and I wrote for our class.

Readers always want to know more about their favorite authors than what appears in our short bios. Where did you grow up? Are you married? Who’s the lucky fella and do y’all have children or grands? Tell us a little about your family.

I grew up at the foothills of the North Carolina Mountains, and yes, I’m married to Rick Pallotta. We have a wonderful daughter and son-in-law, but no grandchildren.

 Is there a particular event or scripture that affected your writing? Will you share that time with us?

In college I was asked to participate in the school’s first ever creative writing class. Now, am I old or what? I’d always wanted to write, but knew I had to make a living. I learned in the class I could support myself writing for a newspaper, magazine, radio station or possibly for a large company. And that’s what I did. I graduated and worked as an editor and copywriter. Then, I took a job in public relations handling press releases and writing articles for the company magazine and newspaper. It wasn’t writing books, but it paid the bills. I tucked away the desire to write fiction for many years and am happy to have the opportunity to do it now.

When and what was the first thing you ever had published? And how did that happen? I believe new writers are always wanting to know how that happens for the writers they read.

The first thing I had published outside of a school assignment was a poem. The instructor for the creative writing class in college required us to send a poem or short story to a publisher, so we would better understand the submission process. Fortunately, “The Wave” was accepted and published by Anthology of American Poetry, Book V.

When you’re not writing, what fills your time-outs?

My family, church, friends, swimming, reading, going to lunch with hubby. I don’t sew or create crafts. However, when I have time I enjoy making flower arrangements.

Now let’s zip toward the exciting news—the reason we’ve scheduled this interview for this point in time—YOUR NEW BOOK—Hair Calamities and Hot Cash, which I believe releases November 2^nd.   Will you please give us a sneak preview…from your lips to our eyes and ears?

Here’s a statement about Hair Calamities and Hot Cash—“A comedic romp from small town to big city in search of missing money, hair catastrophes, and love. A truly fun read”—Cynthia Hickey, author of the Shady Acres Mystery series.

In the story a New York stockbroker crashes his car into Eve Castleberry’s North Carolina beauty shop...on the same day the young widow’s defective hair products are causing wild hairdos.  Soon Eve finds herself helping the handsome stranger hunt the thieves who stole his client’s cash...and hot on the trail of two of the F.B.I.’s most-wanted criminals! Romance blossoms amid danger, suspense and Eve’s hair-brained plan to get back the money.

What do you want readers to take away from this latest book?

A sense of people accepting and caring about each other. The atmosphere of the book reflects the small-town ambiance of my mother’s beauty shop. The people there weren’t perfect, but they were kind and caring. They had best friends, acquaintances, people they tolerated and those they kept at a distance. However, in times of crisis, illness or grief, prayers went up and casseroles went out whether the person was a close friend, somewhere in between or someone kept at a distance. They were all God’s children. I wanted to bring back the sense of community.

Please explain to our Diamond Mine viewers how much their reviews mean to all of us who write.

Good reviews are priceless. They’re a vital part of a book’s journey the author can’t fulfill. Other people decide whether or not to read a novel based on what reviewers say about it.

I always want to hear this next answer from every writer I interview…If you could give an unpublished, new writer one piece of solid advice that helped you and you believe would help or encourage them, what would those golden words be?

Keep writing. Keep learning everything possible about the craft, and don’t get discouraged.  

And, as always, readers want to know what’s next…will there be a sequel? A new series? Or is to early to be thinking about a new current WIP (work in progress)?

Thank you for asking. I’m working on a couple of romantic suspense novels, but they’re in early stages.

            Gail, it’s been fun having you on The Diamond Mine. And guess what…Gail’s going to

be giving away a copy of her award-winning book “Barely Above Water.” All you must do is comment by answering this question…

Question: Finding a hairstyle we like isn’t always easy. What qualities do you look for in a hairdresser?

            And don’t forget, you can pre-order Gail’s new release, Hair Calamities and Hot Cash. Again, release date is November 2^nd    and if you pre-order the price is 99 cents. Be sure to check back with us here on the Diamond Mine, Tuesday, October 30th around 9 p.m. to see who wins a copy of Barely Above Water. 

Pre-order link for Hair Calamities and Hot Cash

long - https://www.amazon.com/Hair-Calamities-Cash-Gail-Pallotta-ebook/dp/B07J63WXR6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539170647&sr=1-1&keywords=Hair+Calamities+and+Hot+Cash+by+Gail+Pallotta

short - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J63WXR6

Blurb for the giveaway book - Barely Above Water

Barely Above Water is a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award Winner.

An illness comes out of nowhere and strikes Suzie Morris. Her boyfriend dumps her. She has no living family, and her physician can’t diagnose the malady. Suzie relies on her Christian faith as she faces the uncertainty of the disease, and turns to a renowned alternative doctor in Destin, Florida. She takes a job coaching a county-sponsored summer swim team. She’s determined to turn the fun, sometimes comical, rag-tag bunch into winners. Her handsome boss renews her belief in love, but learns of her mysterious affliction and abruptly cuts romantic ties. Later he has regrets, but can he overcome his fear of losing a loved one and regain Suzie’s trust?

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/1W4fUXB