1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is a slow burn sports romance about a personal assistant who has gotten fed up working for her boss, a professional football player.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Because I’m from Texas, I’m partial to writing about places in the state that I’m familiar with, and Dallas has a very loyal fanbase when it comes to football, so it just made sense.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Caring, resilient and loyal.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned a lot about plant-based lifestyles and how many athletes follow it.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I wait to edit until I’m done, and then usually have to go back and rewrite and rework sections at least two more times.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I’m simple, I’m a sucker for a great ribeye.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
I have a nice office that I love. It has a white midcentury modern desk, an ergonomic desk chair, and two purple chairs, but honestly, I do 99.999 percent of my writing on the couch with the television on.
10–Who is an author you admire?
There are so many of them, but the first one that came to mind right now is Ruby Dixon. It’s so impressive how she manages to write such a wide variety of characters with authentically different personalities.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
Twilight changed my life for sure. I had taken a break from writing fanfiction for a few years before it came out, but as soon as it did, the book inspired me to start writing again. If it wasn’t for the following I developed from the Twilight fandom, I probably wouldn’t have pursued writing.
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.
I don’t remember it, to be honest. I’m pretty sure I was in disbelief and stayed in that state up until after I signed my contract, haha.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
Excluding romance, which is my absolute favorite, I love reading true crime books.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Black Panther
15–What is your favorite season?
I love fall! The cooler weather, the colors, it’s my favorite for sure.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I’m happy keeping it easy and just going out for dinner and eating some cake.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Ted Lasso is my favorite TV show, it’s so funny and charming, and I love the friendships portrayed in the show.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I could eat Vietnamese food every day for the rest of my life.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
I read and watch Kdramas.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
I’m hoping to release a contemporary romance as soon as I can figure it out, haha.
THE WALL OF WINNIPEG AND ME by Mariana Zapata
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mariana Zapata’s most beloved book, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me—now with new exclusive content!
Vanessa Mazur refuses to feel bad for quitting—she knows she’s doing the right thing. The thankless job of personal assistant to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans for her life, and none of them include washing extra-large underwear one more day for a man who could never find it in him to tell her good morning, congratulate her on a job well done, or wish her a happy birthday—even when she was spending it working for him.
The legendary “Wall of Winnipeg” may be adored by thousands, but after two years Van has had enough.
But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door begging her to come back, she’s beyond shocked. Mr. Walled-Off Emotions is actually letting his guard down for once. And she’s even more dumbstruck when he explains that her job description is about to become even more outrageous: something that takes the “personal” in personal assistant to a whole new level.
What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?
Women’s Fiction Family Life [Avon, On Sale: July 4, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063325852 / eISBN: 9780063325869]
Buy THE WALL OF WINNIPEG AND ME: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Love’s Sweet Arrow | Walmart.com | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Mariana Zapata
Mariana Zapata began writing love stories soon after she learned how to spell. She probably shouldn’t admit that she started sneaking romance novels from her aunt’s bookshelves way before she was old enough to even understand what it meant when a man flipped up a woman’s skirt… don’t tell her mom. Luckily, she stuck to stories about princesses and princes for a while. In her teens, she wrote boy band fanfiction (there’s still a website up somewhere on the internet with those masterpieces), and in her early twenties, she picked it back up again with Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. Eventually, her significant other finally told her to do what she wanted to do and she began working on her original work. Her novels tend to include potty humor, bodily functions, and bad words. Mariana lives in a small town called Pagosa Springs, Colorado with her husband/best friend, Chris Letchford, and their two well-beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Dane children, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not pretending to write, she’s reading sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk or historical romance novels. You can usually find her harassing her dogs, being a hermit at home or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.
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