Author Interview: Anita Hughes (Monarch Beach)

Today I welcome Anita Hughes, author of Monarch Beach, her debut novel that comes out tomorrow June 19th.  I was contacted by Anita a little over a month ago and she's very nice and personable so I was very eager to read Monarch Beach and have her for an interview.  And I'm glad I did.  I will be posting my review of Monarch Beach later today, which is a wonderful book, but now enjoy learning more about this wonderful new author and her book.

What's the first sentence of Monarch Beach? 

The day my life changed forever started like any other Tuesday.

Do you have a favorite line in Monarch Beach? 

One of my favorite paragraphs is:

I held the butterfly up high and closed my eyes. I blinked and looked down at the golf course that spilled into the Pacific Ocean. The greens and blues blended together like a Monet painting. I didn’t know what to wish for.

I remember that one, I loved how visual it was and how I understood Amanda's feeling so well right then.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? 

I decided to become a writer when I won a nationwide writing contest in Australia when I was eight years old.

Wow, that is impressive and young!

How would you describe yourself? 

I’m fairly quiet with a good sense of humor.

If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be? 

I love so many books – I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t reading. One of the first books I remember loving was The City Boy by Herman Wouk.

I'm unfamiliar with that one, so I must go check it out.

What are some of your hobbies?

I love to walk my dog near the beach, read and go to the movies. I love romantic comedies.

If you had to pick a character who really spoke to you in Monarch Beach who would it be? 

I would have to pick Amanda. She thought she had a wonderful life and then she went through so much pain. Her whole life was turned upside down.

Tell us what is Monarch Beach about. 

Monarch Beach is about a young San Francisco heiress who finds her French chef husband wrapped around his female sous chef. She accepts her widowed mother’s invitation to spend the summer in the Presidential Suite of the St. Regis, Monarch Beach.

The opening to Monarch Beach is rather emotional, did you find yourself feeling the emotions right there with Amanda? 

Yes, I am always right there with my characters. I can feel their emotions and hear their voices in my head. I still feel for Amanda.

How did you feel when you finished Monarch Beach?  

Happy because I loved the ending, sad because I hated leaving my characters. 

I understand that feeling completely, that's how I felt when I finished the book as well.

If you could take one trip, no expense spared, where would it be to? 

I think I would choose Capri. I went there when I was young and fell in love with it. I love that there are no cars and the water is such a beautiful green. There are wonderful shops and delicious food; it’s pretty heavenly.

Ooooh, that does sound heavenly, sounds like a new place to add to my must-see places.

What do you have in the works right now?  

A second novel, MARKET STREET will be released next April, and a third, LAKE COMO, later next year. I’m working on a new novel in another gorgeous location. I love novels with great settings because I feel like I’m on vacation when I write.

I can't wait for Market Street, I read the little preview and I'm already excited.  I have to say I am already hooked on your books after Monarch Beach!  

Thank you Anita for joining us today!

Make sure you come back later today for the review of Monarch Beach. 

Anita's website

About Monarch Beach:

Anita Hughes' Monarch Beach is an absorbing debut novel about one woman’s journey back to happiness after an affair splinters her perfect marriage and life—what it means to be loved, betrayed and to love again.

When Amanda Blick, a young mother and kindhearted San Francisco heiress, finds her gorgeous French chef husband wrapped around his sous-chef, she knows she must flee her life in order to rebuild it. The opportunity falls into her lap when her (very lovable) mother suggests Amanda and her young son, Max, spend the summer with her at the St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach. With the waves right outside her windows and nothing more to worry about than finding the next relaxing thing to do, Amanda should be having the time of her life—and escaping the drama. But instead, she finds herself faced with a kind, older divorcee who showers her with attention… and she discovers that the road to healing is never simple. This is the sometimes funny, sometimes bitter, but always moving story about the mistakes and discoveries a woman makes when her perfect world is turned upside down.