BooksChatter: ℚ♫ The Lightening Round

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Bruce Stuart to talk about The Lightening Round (6 October 2015, SerialTeller, 246 pages), a humorous Contemporary Romance.

In The Lightening Round, Hannah More, a sassy single mom with weight issues, reluctantly enters Ultimate Level, a San Francisco gym which groups its members based on their weight and fitness levels. Much to her shock, Hannah actually finds that this crazy "fitness experience" works well for her. That is, until she falls for another gym member who is on a different level.

Ultimate Level's rigidly enforced policies only allow its members to communicate with members on different levels in person for 15 minutes every two weeks both inside and outside of the gym.
Hannah will have to come up with some rather ingenious and comic schemes in order to land the romance of her dreams.
Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | About the Author | Tour Stops

Hello Bruce, and a very big welcome to BooksChatter!

We love music, so Bruce Stuart has shared with us his music playlist for The Lightening Round - enjoy!

"I think that it’s AWESOME that you include a music playlist with the books you are discussing on your site!"

Thank you! :-) I really enjoyed your playlist!

What was the inspiration for The Lightening Round?

"In two words: Weight loss. Who amongst us hasn’t struggled to put on a pair of jeans that are just a size too tight? My life has been marked with several different periods of gaining and losing weight. I actually had a life changing experience some years back as a relatively overweight man when my then dentist temporarily (for about a year) destroyed my sense of taste. I ended up losing a large amount of weight in a relatively short time period which showed me how others reacted to me at different weights. That coupled with my gym which grouped classes based on athletic abilities and the current wearables craze proved fertile ground for the birth of THE LIGHTENING ROUND."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"I think writers have to draw upon their personal experiences in order to infuse a novel with some sense of realism. I am looking through each of my characters eyes, but I would say that their reactions and interactions with other characters is based on their individual personalities —not necessarily mine."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for The Lightening Round - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I couldn’t agree more! This novel went through several cover iterations. The cover which Damonza created really clicked based on its streamlined concept of a woman debating whether to step on her scale, put on a pair sneakers to workout, or just say “F—- it!” and go for that cupcake right in front of her scale."

Why should we read The Lightening Round and what sets it apart from the rest?

"Because you’ll have a really fun, enjoyable, and easy read! You will lose yourself inside the crazy antics which happen at Ultimate Level."

I must admit that, as I was preparing the feature for The Lightening Round, it did sound like a lot of fun... and have therefore just signed up to review it... no matter how long my TBR pile, I have to read it! (n.b. as I am currently so behind on reading and reviews I have actually set aside a whole three weeks around Christmas to just read! Nothing else!)

Can you tell us something quirky about The Lightening Round, its story and characters?

"The character Lingua Remoulade was originally conceived as a bit player. The idea of a more mature woman who may or may not have once been a major Hollywood actress now trapped inside a workout world like Ultimate Level was appealing. After several readers’ comments, the character’s role was expanded."

"Lingua Remoulade" - being Italian, that has to be the best character's name ever!

Who would you recommend The Lightening Round to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this novel to anyone who has ever fallen for someone who they thought was “not on their level” or just out of reach. THE LIGHTENING ROUND also resonates with any reader who has ever experienced weight loss challenges."

If you could / wished to turn The Lightening Round into a movie, who would be your dream team?

Director: Steven Spielberg

Hannah More: Amy Schumer

Phineas Alto: Zac Efron (Obviously wearing a bit of padding)

Levreece Monroe: Tituss Burgess (from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)

Brendan Daniels: Chris Hemsworth

Luke Havitt: Bradley Cooper

Missy Byers: Zoe Saldana

Abigail Adams (A- Cubed): Kirsten Dunst

Dante O’Neil: Hugh Jackman

Lingua Remoulade: Meryl Streep

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I enjoy writing stories draw readers in by being entertaining and provocative with memorable and quirky characters. I love reading and writing romantic fiction. "

What is your writing process?

"THE LIGHTENING ROUND was originally written as a serial on SerialTeller.com. This process allowed me the opportunity to not only outline and conceptualize the book, but also to gauge what was working and what was not working based on reader feedback."

What is in store next?

"I am hopeful that I will be continuing with another part of THE LIGHTENING ROUND. The novel which I am currently writing is a thriller."

I look forward to that!

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have included a photo of my hypo-allergenic newspaper pooch Wordsworth. We are careful to keep him away from open flames!"

I like him! You really need to expand the image to its full size to appreciate its detail. I am not sure it would survive very long in our house with eight cats...

Again many thanks for joining us today, Bruce!