Author Interview Series-Checking in with Miranda Oh

Miranda Oh

Marina Raydun: I really enjoyed our interview back in November of 2018. A lot has happened in your life since then, including the release of your latest novel. Congratulations! Does this complete the series or will there be more installments of Hadley’s story?

Miranda Oh: I had a blast with our last interview, glad to be back to share a little about Just Breathe Chin Up Tits Out! This is the final installment of Hadley’s story, but definitely not the finale of Miranda. You will be seeing another trilogy coming soon. 

MR: What compelled you to write book three in this series?

MO: It seems to be in my world all things come in three’s, the good the bad and the in between. It really started with me wanting to right one novel, but I quickly realized it would be way too long to put it properly in one book, two books felt weird to me to make up series, so three books it ended up being.

MR: Was there a scene that was the hardest for you to write?

MO: I hear from some reviews that around 28 pages in the readers were sobbing themselves. It is the moment when our main character, Hadley was encouraged to reassess and reanalyze the toughest moment of her life. Hadley’s partner who is an immigrant, a cancer patient and who suffers from mental illness and addiction, abruptly left unannounced. It was a heart wrenching breathe by breathe few pages that stab at your heart repetitively. It was as tough to write as it is to read. With that said, it sure does set the tone for the remainder of the story, once you assess yourself and analyze your darkest moments, you’re setting yourself up for more success and opportunities.

MR: Did you change anything about your creative process this time around?

MO: I think as I get older, I become more organized and methodological, which turns my book writing into a mapping more at the beginning phases of writing. Each time I come to a new book, I have more of it mapped out, and more organized. 

MR: Do you have an inspiration playlist for Hadley? Would you mind sharing a few of her songs with us?

MO: Oh girl, do I ever! Spotify reads my soul better than I do sometimes! I am preparing for my book launch party, and created a playlist of songs that embodied Hadley or were a source of inspiration, or strength during this time period. I’m so thrilled to share this with you! I have come up with my three fav’s, not in any particular order.  Peachy by Cell 7, It’s a Good Day by Peggy Lee, and Me Too by Meghan Trainor.

MR: Is there a thing you’ve written in one of the first two books that makes you cringe now?

MO: Any errors that were missed by the editors, make me giggle, like how did we miss this? I mean we are ONLY human right! Also, curse words that were used too “willy-nilly”. I’ve learned in time and through experience, that when writing, use curse words only to help create emotional impact and to heighten your readers experience.

MR: Is there a book that people might be surprised to learn you love?

MO: I don’t know if they will be surprised, but my favorite book of all time is The Book of Negroes by award winning Canadian author Lawrence Hill. It is a historical fiction novel with a 500 page count. It was massive and a total page turner, I cried, I laughed and everything else within that story.

MR: What are you currently reading?

MO: Girl, Wash your face by Rachel Hollis.  I picked up this book to ensure all levels of my confidence prior to launching book three were all in line and were in check. Rachel has a wonderful way at being completely relatable to her readers, I strive for that, but through crazy fiction stories.

MR: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

MO: I have connected with a multitude of authors from across North America, too many to name, but I will give you two other authors that always stick out in my mind, mister Jason LaVelle and Chrisie Stratos. Both of these authors have gone above and beyond for me; with advice, knowledge, and love! Simply because of that, these folks will forever be close to my heart.

MR: What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

MO: I dance. I dance like there is no one watching. My eyes are on the road, so I can’t tell if others can see, nor do I care! My car time is my alone time, the 10 minutes in the morning and in the afternoon I get to crank my music, and legit sing (terribly) until all the negative goes away. By the time I get to work, or get home, I have completely reset and am ready to go – in whichever direction I must.

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Breathe-Chin-Tits-Book/dp/1733510389/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=just+breathe+chin+up+tits+out&qid=1582581604&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr

Keep in touch with Miranda here:

Facebook, IG & Twitter: Miranda Oh 

www.mirandaoh.com 

#chinuptitsout 

Author Interview Series-Miranda Oh

Miranda Oh

Miranda Oh is the author of the successful Chick Lit series, Chin Up Tits Out!

Author Miranda Oh, a girl of Metis tradition and descent is your typical girl: She loves the sunset, loves long walks on the beach, world travels, and when not playing the corporate part she can be found sipping wine and spending all her hard-earned money on nice shoes. Among her friends and family, Miranda Oh is known to be the storyteller of the group, always recapping crazy life stories and situations. Her personal experiences, emotions and fantasies are the inspiration for most of her books, so there is a little bit of her in every story.

Marina Raydun: I love the title of your series. Very gutsy! How did that come about?

Miranda Oh: Thank-you, I also love the title! It’s my life motto! My mom used to tell me versions of Chin Up Tits Out while growing up, when I needed a boost of confidence. Shoulders back, chin up, chest out, head up is meant as a power pose, to look confident, therefore feel confident.

MR: Hadley is a very raw, real character. What do you owe real life people upon whom you base your characters?

MO: Real life is what made my characters who they are. Life experience, and reality is sometimes is stranger than actual fiction. So I try and mix the best of both worlds.  

MR: Which book in the series was more difficult to write—book one or two?

MO: Book two was a lot more difficult to write than book one. It is because reliving everything that transpired in my personal life to prepare to write book 2 was like opening up Pandora’s box in the back of my mind. It let out a lot of really heavy, deep, intense topics that came out in the book.  Then in true Chin Up Tits Out fashion, I had to find a way to spin everything positive with a little twist of sarcastic humor. It was a challenge, and wine was a huge lifesaver during the creation of book 2.

Miranda Oh

MR: What’s the most difficult part about writing characters of opposite sex?

MO: As women, we understand and can appreciate (we should always appreciate) our minds, and how many millions of things can cross it in a split second. When writing from a male perspective, it is hard to shut off the female; million mile a minute brain, and just slow things down, and make them less complicated.

MR: How do you select names for your characters?

MO: I am legit the WORST at picking out names for my books. When I create a character that represents someone in my life, if their actual name starts with a ‘S’, for simplicity sake, I will turn their characters name into something that also starts with an ‘S’ – I know, it is the least creative thing about my writing. But I got to do what works for me, and that is what works for me. 

MR: If you could cast your characters in a Hollywood adaption of your book, who would play them?

MO: Hadley would for sure be Jennifer Lawrence, or Emma Stone. Both of those actresses are extremely talented, unique, and unapologetically themselves, and that is Hadley through in through.

MR: What literary character is most like you?

MO: Well since I wrote a little bit about my life, I would say Hadley, the main character is a lot like me, although more refined, and more tailored. I am not that graceful, or seemingly put together in reality.

MR: Who is your literary crush?

MO: Which women doesn’t have a crush on the typical Fabio looking character on the front of romance novels? I always gawk at them when I pass through a book store. As to a specific crush, I do not have one…that I know of yet.

MR: Is there an illicit book you had to sneak growing up?

MO:  I had a good laugh reading this question, the answer is not really. I didn’t have to sneak it per say. I was however snooping for whatever I was snooping for as a kid, and found my parents stash of illicit books. Once they realized I found them, they mysteriously found a new hiding place.

MR: What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview?

MO: Why did I share my story?

The answer to that, is because I want to connect us as humans, and by connecting, we share stories. When we share stories, we share feelings, and when someone can resonate with a feeling, no matter the circumstances, we can connect on a deeper level. I am a firm believer in the idea of “together we are better”. The only way I felt I could be better, was to share my story, and it lead me to selling copies of my novels around the world. I am really happy and really proud of that accomplishment, the more people who read it, the more we all become connected, and that is my overall goal.

 To learn more about Miranda, please visit: www.mirandaoh.com

To stay in touch with Miranda, please visit:

@ohmirandaoh – Twitter

@ohmirandaoh – IG

Miranda Oh – Chin Up Tits Out – Facebook

For your copy of Chin Up Tits Out, please visit: www.amazon.com/author/ohmirandaoh