Q&A With Chantel Guertin 

My latest Q&A is with bestselling author Chantel Guertin. Some of Chantel’s many works are Stuck In Downward Dog, Instamom, and Gigi, Listening (aka Two for the Road in Canada). Previously, Chantel worked as a beauty expert on Canada’s #1 daytime talk show, the Marilyn Denis Show. 

Q: Would you like to tell the readers of the blog a little bit about your latest release—Gigi, Listening and how you came up with the idea for the book?

A: I wanted to explore the idea of the heroine finding connection through sound—hearing someone’s voice and that setting her on a journey of discovery.  For Gigi, she’s searching to find the guy who narrates her favorite audiobook in the hopes that he’s the one, but what she really ends up doing is finding herself. 

Q: Would you say that being a brand ambassador and beauty expert, served as some inspiration for your books? I know many authors write what they know and that’s the advice some of them told me they give others. 

A: In my debut novel, Stuck in Downward Dog, I drew upon my experience in the cosmetic enhancement industry to inform my heroine, Mara. I worked as the editor/publisher of a cosmetic enhancement magazine, and she works at a cosmetic surgery clinic.

Q: Where is your favorite spot or spots where you sit down and plot, write, and edit your work? 

A: I have a cute home office, but I also love to write in bed. Meg Cabot once wrote that she thought lying down helped the blood flow to her brain and cause her to be more creative. Plus, it’s just so cozy. But when I’m on a deadline I write anywhere—even in the car waiting to pick up one of my kids from a sports practice. That’s found quiet time!

Q: Who were your biggest supporters of your writing goal and talent among your family and friends? 

A: My dad was and is a huge supporter. And really, all of my friends have been too—coming to all my book launches and always buying my books. And my husband reads and edits all of my books, and supports me in other ways like picking up the slack of parenting, home life and our other business when I’m busy writing. 

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights or interests in your work? The entertainment industry needs new material again. 

A: I agree! There’s lots of talk but nothing yet set that I can share. 

Q: If you’re writing a new book now, can you reveal any details or is it too early? 

A: My next book is called IT HAPPENED ONE CHRISTMAS and it’s a super swoony holiday romance about a Hollywood holiday movie director who gets stuck in rural Quebec in an ice storm, trying to convince the small-town mayor/tree-farm owner to grant her the permit she needs to film the movie in the town. It’s available everywhere October 31, 2023!