When I finally got my act together and joined a chick lit writer’s group on Facebook, CeCe Osgood was the first of many lovely ladies with whom I connected. She is a former HBO script analyst turned novelist, and the title of her debut novel is one you simply can’t ignore!
Exploring life after divorce, The Divorced Not Dead Workshop is a romantic comedy about dating after divorce. After the interview, leave a comment for the chance to win a copy!
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Hi CeCe and welcome to Skipping Midnight! Your debut novel, The Divorced Not Dead Workshop, is described as a romantic comedy about dating after divorce. What else can you tell us about the story?
It’s an opening-your-heart-again story. Going through a divorce can make you wary about getting back into dating or even considering the possibility of looking for a partner again. I believe finding out who you are and what you want is the first step: I call it your “me skills” in the novel’s workshop. I wanted to deal with serious subject of divorce in a funny and, I hope, helpful way. Another aspect of the story is the friendship with Dorsey and her BFFs, Pilar and Mimi. They’re the kind of friends we all want to have: true blue, forgiving and yet they can kick your butt when you need it. Especially Pilar!
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What inspired you to write it?
Frankly, it came like a bolt out of the blue. I woke up one morning with the notion of a dating workshop on a cruise ship and Dorsey Bing, the main character, came ambling toward me in her kitten heels. I liked her so much I couldn’t help but fashion a plot for her. It took a few drafts before I worked out the nuances of the romance and how it threaded into the dating workshop.
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What do think people will love most about this book?
I hope they’ll love the characters. I’ve tried to make them funny yet realistic and very human.
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What do you love about it?
I get a kick out of the character interactions; some of them still make me laugh. And I love hearing from readers. One told me she almost fell off her couch laughing so hard, and several mentioned using tips from the “workshop” in their dating lives. Yay!
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In the spirit of Desperately Ever After, I must ask: If you had to choose, which fairy tale character (doesn’t have to be a princess and doesn’t have to be Disney), would you be and why?
I guess it would be Beauty and the Beast, although I don’t remember it as a fairytale from my childhood. Seems to me my first memory of it was in film school when I saw Jean Cocteau’s movie, made in the ‘40s with a lot of incredible special effects for the time. And I adore the Disney animated version. I can still hear Angela Lansbury singing “tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme.” The fairy tale’s theme of substance over appearance resonates deeply with me. Belle chooses the Beast unaware he is the handsome man in her dreams. She chooses him because of their friendship and her growing awareness of loving him, no matter what he looks like. So, I guess my fairy tale character would be Belle … or, on my bloated and grumpy days, the Beast!
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Spreading the word is one of the most daunting aspects of being an indie author. How do you get your titles out there?
I’m just learning my way around cyber-space and it is daunting. Sometimes I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. But what’s been fun is visiting a lot of blogs and connecting with bloggers and reviewers who are really insightful, knowledgeable and so passionate about books. Overall though, I’ve realized I have to take the long view in regard to getting visible in the self-publishing world.
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A writer’s life is certainly not an easy one—from rejections to dwindling sales, to tough reviews, and so on. How did you get through the bad days?
Ice cream! (laughs) Seriously though, I felt a book about divorce had to deal with rejection, disappointment and thwarted expectations, so I did a lot of research on how to get through the down times and the negative thinking that seems to prevail when love and career and life in general appears bleak. I put some of what I learned into the book’s workshop and that process has helped me on my bad days.
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What is the best piece of advice you’ve received that you can share with aspiring writers?
Get a gallon or four of “butt glue” to keep your butt in the chair or wherever you write. And think in terms of many drafts, not one or two, but many.
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What can fans expect from you next?
I’m puzzling out a mystery, although it’ll most likely be a comedy mystery since humor keeps popping up.
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In addition to her website, ceceosgood.com, CeCe is active on Twitter (@CeCeOsgood), Facebook and Pinterest. Her book is available at both Amazon.com (US) and Amazon.co.uk (UK).
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ENTER TO WIN!
Comment below to win an e-book copy of The Divorced Not Dead Workshop. The giveaway will remain open until 11:59 p.m. (PST) Tuesday, July 15, at which point a winner will be chosen at random.
Best of luck to you all!
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FEED YOUR BEACH BAG!
Desperately Ever After imagines what happened to our favorite fairy tale princesses in a Desperate Housewives/Sex and the City sort of way. It’s a 2014 NIEA Chick-Lit Finalist and an Amazon Top 100 seller for both Women’s Fiction and Humor. It’s on a 99-cent Kindle Countdown sale for the next few days, so snag one before the sequel comes out next month!
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Click here for Amazon US or here for Amazon UK
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COMING UP!
Next Wednesday, July 16, Hilary Grossman will stop by to talk about her debut novel, Dangled Carat.
Don’t miss it!
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laurakenyon.com 
Laughter is so important to coping with life, especially when you are struggling. I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. I am looking forward to reading The Divorced Not Dead Workshop.
Thank you. I so agree with you. Mark Twain said “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” Right on, Mr. Twain. Having laughter in my life keeps me sane. Hope you get some laughs from my novel!
Interesting title
I wondered about the title quite a bit. A few people didn’t care for it at all, others started to laugh. I went with the laughs!