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Gigi: Hi Lisa. To warm things up, what's the haps in Podunk? Any tumbleweed sightings, or is the latest breaking news more exciting than that?
Lisa: Well, you know you live in Podunk when you have to drive 200 miles to shop at a real mall. Oy vey! Fortunately, I no longer live in a place where I smash into tumbleweeds as I speed across the plains. J.Crew is just around the block. Hallelujah! But once upon a sad time, when I did live in tumbleweed town, it was more fun to watch E! News. And since we’re on the subject of tumbleweeds, do you know that you can make tumbleweed Christmas trees? It’s an old American west tradition. There’s a song they play during the holiday season that goes something like this . . . “Christmas time in Notrees, Texas, wind blowing through the cactus. Santa Claus was a rich kid's saint and a poor kid's dream. I'd trade every fancy present I ever had or ever will get for the night of the tumbleweed Christmas tree.” Sorry, I got sidetracked there for a bit.
Gigi: When I was around 8 years old, I had a flash that I might try opera singing. Saw myself on the stage in a long gown & everything. The singing never happened, but the memory is a good set-up for the next query. The first time you ever, ever thought about writing, what flashed into your mind?
Lisa: A pirate ship. When I was a kid, I wanted to become a pirate captain and commandeer a ship. So when I first picked up a pen to write a story, it was very Peter Pan-ish. And growing up, I loved Peter Pan. That book is chock full of memorable sayings that I cherish, even till today. *COUGH* If I may? Here goes ~
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.”
“To love would be an awfully big adventure.”
“To live will be a great adventure.”
“If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!”
“Wendy,’ Peter Pan continued in a voice that no woman has ever yet been able to resist, ‘Wendy, one girl is more use than twenty boys.”
~ by the great J.M Barrie
Gigi: If you wrote a letter to the self that wrote this book, what would you tell her, in hindsight?
Lisa: Don’t do it. Bwah-ha-ha. Just kidding. Well, maybe only half kidding. The letter would simply say this . . .
“Dear me, don’t fear the unknown. And whenever you feel like a loser, always remember what the grandpa said to Sheryl in Little Miss Sunshine ~ Losers are people who are so afraid of not winning, they don't even try. You tried. And try to remember what Gigi said ~ Stand up straight in your pumps with your head high and be the author that you are.”
Gigi: Now you've just written a letter to your future self about 20 years ahead. What do you want her to know?
Lisa: "Dear me, our kids, grandkids and great grandkids will know that you tried."
Gigi: Before we go, how about confessions! Surely you've heard some on your end of the line. Will you kindly oblige and share one with us?
Lisa: Oh yes, tons! *AHEM* And they’re all sprinkled in my book, Confessions of a Call Center Gal. Here is an excerpt ~
“Thanks for calling Lightning Speed Communications, this is Maddy. How can I help?”
“G’day. Me name is Poida White. And I need some help with me password.”
How awesome! An Aussie from down under! I peer at his name on my computer screen. It displays: Peter White.
“I can help Mr. White, but first—”
“Poida,” he interjects kindly. “Just call me Poida.”
“Okay Peter,” I say amiably. “I’ll just need to ask you a couple questions to verify you.” And once that is out of the way, I tackle the task at hand. “Now you mentioned earlier on that you needed help with your password?”
“Aye mate,” he huffs in affirmation, like pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. “I’d like to change it to Inicondi88.”
“Now Peter, let’s make sure that I’ve got this right. Is the first letter I like igloo?”
“Norrr, I as in Int,” he corrects.
Int??? What the heck is int????
“Um, you mean I as in India?” I persist.
“Nyet! I as in Ipple,” he says, agitation creeping into his voice.
Pause.
Now I’m even more confused. What the hell is an ipple?!?
“De fruit!!!” His voice rises with frustration. “Ipple de fruit! I for the first letter of the ilphibet!”
“Ohhhhhh.” I stifle a laugh. “A as in Apple. Yes. Gotcha! So you want your password to be Anaconda88?” I confirm.
“Ibso-bloody-lutely!” he exclaims with a mixture of relief and exasperation.
My mouth twitches at the corners.
I reckon that they don’t speak English in Down Under; they speak Strine.
Peter chuckles heartily. “Bloody hell Sheila, I was beginning to think ye were a muppet. Ye dun’t know i dunny from i bottom dollar. More is the pity, the great Ozzie vernacular is fizzing ind only i galoot like ye ne’er tire of diddling me, mekin me seem silly as i two bob watch.”
O-kayyyyyy, I didn’t understand nearly half of what he was saying. Something about a puppet, I gather.
“Puppet?” I ask perplexed. “Did you just call me a puppet?”
“Muppet.” He emits a throaty laugh. “Muppet means idiot.”
An idiot?!? Who is the idiot here?!?
At least I can pronounce the letter A. I’m sorry but A is not I. Crikey! After that call, I have this sudden urge to throw some shrimp on the barbie. Perhaps I’ll even adopt a dingo and name him Mitch. On second thought, I’ll name him Poida.
Gigi: Heee heeee...awesome! You're off to a book signing. What ever will you wear?
Lisa: Oh, that’s an easy one. My very first Anthro purchase ~ The Bold Boutonniere dress. And if the air is chilly with a hint of frost, I’ll throw on a J.Crew Jackie cardi and call it a day.
Thank you, Lisa, for a fun interview! You'll look smashing in your dress. Best of luck w/your book and any Poidas in your life. :-)
For more...
* Read the book's back cover in this post.
* Lisa blogs about this interview and shares excerpts from our email exchanges.
* Become a Facebook Fan Page for updates.
* Read reviews & buy the book on Amazon - Paperback or on Kindle ($4.95 today)
I haven't read the book yet, and hope to do so in the next couple of weeks. I don't even know how to say this because it still cracks me up. Gigi's Gone Shopping is mentioned on a page in the book, with a number of other fashion blogs enjoyed by the main character. How rad is that! When Lisa let me know I had to shed a tear. Thanks so much, Lisa.
Have you read Lisa's book? Do you like chick lit?
♥ *******************************************
p.s. If you're wondering about the Bold Bout dress, irl pics are in this post.
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