1–What is the title of your latest release?
MALIBU SUMMER
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Ivy Bauer is a rising scientist and inventor of a game changing organic irrigation system. She’s on top of the world when, suddenly, her husband is killed in a biking accident. Needing space to grieve, she takes a summer job as a gardener on the Malibu estate of television writer Conrad Reed, who is reeling with the death of his wife and the care of his five-year-old stepson—all while trying to resurrect his entertainment career. It’s a clash made in heaven!
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
After working for many years in the television industry, I knew I wanted to write about that unique and often crazy world. Beverly Hills would have been the obvious choice of location, but where better to put an in-over-his-head TV writer/producer than Malibu? The natural beauty of the ocean and hillsides juxtaposed with the unbridled extravagance of that world made it a perfect spot.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Since it’s a romance, I really have two protagonists. I’d definitely hang out with Ivy. I love spending time with smart, strong women—those are my friends in real life. Imagine how much fun it would be to sit in the garden with Ivy, drinking a nice glass of rosé while she shares some gardening tips. And I have already hung out with Conrad, or people similar to him, when I worked in the television business, publicizing TV series from Married…With Children to The Dr. Phil Show.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Ivy is intelligent, passionate, and conflicted!
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I had been a bit of a gardener before I started writing Malibu Summer, but once my husband and I moved from LA to Southern Oregon, I went at it in earnest. I took a horticulture class and learned how to test soil composition and pH levels. And I learned how to build a green bean tower just like Ivy does for Hudson. We had yummy green beans for months!
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I go but I only allow myself to go back one chapter as I’m writing or I’d never be able to move ahead. Momentum is key!
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I am a total foodie so I have way too many indulgences, but here are a few: My husband’s homemade pizza, especially the one with charred broccolini. My blueberry crostata using berries from my garden. And when we eat out, sushi! (Sorry, Hudson.)
9–Describe your writing space/office!
We are so fortunate to live in a historic home in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon—it’s even got its own Wikipedia page. I have a comfy office with a little sleeping alcove from back in the days when people used to sleep open-air in the summer. I love sitting there and writing where I can gaze out at the trees and mountains.
10–Who is an author you admire?
It’s so hard to pick one! I love Alice Hoffman, Katherine Center, Paige Toon, Elizabeth Strout, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Gilbert.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
I read Jane Eyre in middle school and I will never forget the profound effect it had on me. The title character, the moody settings, the troubled romance, and, most of all, the beautiful language. I think it planted the seeds of my desire to write.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
My wonderful agent, Alice Martell, told me that Pamela Dorma –who is literally a publishing legend—was interested. I could barely believe it when I learned that my debut novel had caught the eye of Pam and her team at Penguin Random House. It’s such a cliché to say this was a dream come true, but it absolutely was—and still is!
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’m all over the map when it comes to reading. Women’s fiction, romance, historical fiction, reality-grounded science fiction. I used to live on business and leadership books when I was developing my speaking and executive coaching business, but since I’ve switched to fiction writing, I read a lot more fiction than nonfiction.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Oh, man! How can anyone pick one film? All About Eve and Notting Hill.
15–What is your favorite season?
This one is easy. Spring. Now that we’ve moved from LA to Oregon, I really get to enjoy the seasonal changes.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Doing something I’ve never done before. Rafting a Class 5 river, hiking a challenging trail, and, of course, eating an amazing dinner made by my husband David in the back garden with friends and family.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I really enjoyed the book First Lie Wins. I love a good con man…or woman!
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Here you go again with those favorites. I love Italian and Japanese.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
I love to travel. I lived in Japan when I was in high school and definitely caught the travel bug. I’ve been to about 40 countries so far. Closer to home, I love to read (of course), hike, garden, and attempt to play golf.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
I’m playing with a couple of ideas but, I will probably stick with the wacky world of entertainment. Having spent 15 years working in television, do I have some stories for you!
MALIBU SUMMER by Libby Gill
A Novel
Lose yourself in this opposites-attract romance set on a sunny Malibu hillside
Ivy Bauer is a young, bright soil scientist and inventor of a game changing organic irrigation system. She’s on top of the world when, suddenly, her husband is killed in a biking accident. Needing space to grieve, she takes a summer job as a gardener in Malibu.
Conrad Reed is a wealthy Hollywood has-been who, after the death of his wife, feels overwhelmed by the care of his anxious stepson Hudson, massive cliffside estate, and deteriorating career. He hopes Ivy will help take at least one thing off his plate. But the bossy, opinionated Ivy isn’t making things any easier for him. Sparks fly—and not the good kind.
But it’s when Ivy finds the key to Hudson’s heart that Conrad’s own heart begins to melt as well—and then the sparks that fly are the ones that kindle the best kind of love affair . . .
Romance | Saga | Women’s Fiction [Penguin, On Sale: May 21, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780143137924 / eISBN: 9780593512012]
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About Libby Gill
Libby Gill is an author, lecturer, and executive coach and lives in Los Angeles with her two sons. Before founding Libby Gill & Company, she headed communication divisions at Universal Television, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Turner Broadcasting.
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