Sunday Coffee Time Chat with Author Bonnie Trachtenberg

Welcome to Sunday morning Coffee Chat time!

Today’s guest is Bonnie Trachtenberg!

SE: Good Morning Bonnie, and welcome to Coffee Time Chat! I have known Bonnie for a few years now, and am excited to have her here joining us this morning.

BT: Hi Stacy! Thanks for inviting me to chat. I?m excited to be here!

SE: Glad you could make it! To set the scene, I always ask this question, Coffee or Tea?

BT: Well, I would say coffee, particularly decaf, flavored coffee, but due to stomach upset I?ve recently switched to tea (also mostly decaf as I?m an anxious mess on caffeine!) However, I?ve discovered some awesome teas like chocolate chai, vanilla chai, and cinnamon streusel. Then, once in a while, I treat myself to some hazelnut or vanilla coffee. Hope you weren?t looking for a one-word answer!

SE: lol… One word answers are not part of an authors vocabulary! Those teas sound great! Okay, let’s get started Bonnie, we know you?re an author, but do you work another job when you are not writing?

BT: Not any more, unless you call Cat Mom a job. I have four indoors, three strays in my yard, and a couple of occasional squatters at the front door. Between feeding, grooming, and scooping litter, I feel I deserve two weeks vacation and full health benefits.

SE: Cat mom… lol… What are your favorite things to do when you aren?t writing or working?

BT: Reading, watching old movies, napping, fine dining, and weekend trips with hubs in my Sprinter RV!

SE: Those RV’s are cool! What is your favorite color?

BT: Green. Always loved it. My eyes are green and my birthstone is an emerald. I love the earthiness and calm it evokes.

SE: Green does calm, so what about your favorite season?

BT: Summer. Even if I have to work, it still reminds me of my childhood summers, which were so carefree. I also love summer activities, socializing, and outdoor dining by the water. There?s only one downside: mosquitoes!

SE: That is my favorite too, and I’m not a fan of those little pesky bugs either. If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be?

BT: Right where I am on Long Island?s north shore. It?s so beautiful here and not too far from Manhattan. If I had to move, I?d pick The Hamptons, which are a couple hours east of me. It?s gorgeous there, too. And if I had to leave the country, I?d definitely pick Italy!

SE: Oh! Nice Choices! Other than writing, what do you have a passion for?

BT: My family, my cats, my close friends, Italy, great food, and wine tasting. I also have a passion for spirituality, gun safety, and investigating life after death.

SE: Those are some very cool things Bonnie! You live in New York ? what is your favorite thing about the city?

BT: How much there is to do there. Not only does it have amazing restaurants (yes, I?m a bit of a foodie), but there are shows, clubs (which I admit I haven?t been to in quite a while), Central Park concerts, fabulous shopping, and so much more.

SE: I do have to agree with you, NY is a pretty exciting place! So, let’s talk about your writing now. How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby?

BT: I?ve been writing since grade school. It always came naturally to me. I went to NYU for Film and TV production and writing, and then I decided to try my hand at screenplays. But when I got published in my first national magazine things really snowballed, and I started writing everything from children?s books and videos to ad and marketing copy to journalism and much more. Then I landed my dream job at Book-of-the-Month club as Senior Writer and Copy Chief. Working there gave me the confidence to finally write my first novel. I also write an advice column at LoveahappyEnding? Lifestyle Magazine.

SE: I never knew you worked at Book-Of-The-Month club! See… this is why I like to interview my friends, I get to learn so much more about them. So how many hours a day do you devote to writing?

BT: This summer I?ve been goofing off something fierce, but I try to get in two hours work on my current WIP. Doesn?t always happen, though, as some days I amaze myself at the level of procrastination I have advanced to.

SE: lol… I have to agree, this summer has been a bust for me too! Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

BT: Being that I suffer from Chronic Fatigue, it?s hard to write on a schedule, because I never know how exhausted I?ll be. However, it seems late afternoon (sometimes after a nap) is a good time to plant my butt in a chair!

SE: I bet that does make it hard! Is there some place special you like to be when you write?

BT: I let my mood determine that. I like to move around. Sometimes in my home office, sometimes on my terrace, other times at my kitchen or dining room tables. On rainy or snowy days, I love writing from bed with the kitties all around!

SE: lol… Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?

BT: I tend to need quiet. Lyrics distract me. However, I use music to inspire me to write in the first place.

SE: Music is a huge inspriation for me, let’s talk about your books. Do you write series books, or stand alone’s??

BT: I don?t write series books. Each is a stand-alone. Presently I?m changing up my usual romantic comedy writing and adding a touch of the metaphysical. I?m not sure of the name yet, but I?ll certainly let you know when I decide!

SE: Very cool! What is it about?

BT: It?s about a wealthy, selfish, and driven woman who has a near death experience that upends her life. But there is romance and, of course, some comedy, too.

SE: We can’t have a book from you with out some comedy! Where did the idea come from?

BT: I?ve been researching the afterlife for 30 years. I find it to be the most fascinating subject, and with recent medical advances, the instances of coming back from ?death? have escalated to the point that there are so many amazing stories out there about life beyond this one. I just knew I?d have to take on the subject in a novel, and now seemed like as good a time as any.

SE: That sounds really great Bonnie! Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published ? Tell us about them?

BT: I?ve written two multi-award-winning romantic comedies. The first is Wedlocked, which is based on my first brief, disastrous marriage to a nut. The second is called Neurotically Yours. It?s about a single Los Angeles advice columnist who opens a dating service for the romantically challenged. Since I was basically single until I turned 40, and an advice columnist, I used many of my own experiences in that book, too. I?m happy to say that both of my novels became kindle bestsellers. Additionally, I wrote a humor/satire book called the Fine Art of Delusional Thinking: Happiness Means Never Having to Have a Reality Check. It?s a how-to book on deluding your way to a happy life. When all else fails, right?

SE: lol… Yep. It sure is!? Thank you so much Bonnie! I know I am really looking forward to your new work and I’m so glad that you came by to join us!