*A chat with the author - DelSheree Gladden*

Hello everyone. A slightly different blog post for you all today. If you check out my previous blog post here you will be able to read my thoughts on the book Date Shark by DelSheree Gladden. Today I will be sharing a few Q&A responses with the author herself! I hope you enjoy!

1. Hi DelSheree. Firstly thank you for the wonderful opportunity to read Date Shark. Could you please give my readers a brief summary of who you are and why you became a writer?

Thank you for reading and for having me on you blog! I am married and mom of two adventurous kids. Family, sports, church, and exploring the nearby mountains keeps us pretty busy most days. I also work as a dental hygienist. I started writing when I was a teen as a way to express myself. I was pretty quiet, and writing allowed me to share what I was thinking about, even if nobody ever read it. 

2. Could you give a brief summary about the novel Date Shark?

Date Shark focuses around Eli, a man tormented by his past, and Leila, a woman who feels like she is in over her head in pretty much every area of her life. It's her dismal dating experiences that bring Leila to Eli. She hopes his coaching will help her ditch her label as the "go to girl" when a guy needs a last minute date, but she doesn't know what to do when she starts falling for him. Eli, on the other hand, has everything planned out. He's convinced sticking to his plan is the only way to make sure he ends up with Leila, but the possibility of it backfiring is all too likely. 

3. What was your inspiration behind the novel Date Shark?

I was actually looking for help on a query letter for a completely different book quite a few years ago and ended up submitting it to The Query Shark. She helped me whip the query into shape, and that book was eventually published, but the experienced gave me an idea. What if there was a shark out their for woman who needed a dating overhaul? 

4. I noticed throughout the novel, but in particular at the beginning, you were very good at pointing out common flaws we all have whilst dating. Was this from experience or did you gather ideas from other people?

I've always been a people watcher. Product of being so shy, I suppose. I always listened when one my friends needed to cry or rant over a guy. Everyone, me included, have blind spots about themselves, and sometimes they can really impact a relationship. There were bits a pieces accumulated over the years that helped build this story, but in book two I actually asked for bad date stories from friends and got some great ones to base new Date Shark experiences off of! 

5. I loved the use of changing POV throughout the novel. Why did you decide to implement this in the novel?

When I finished the first chapter with Leila, all I could picture next was Eli walking away shaking his head at himself. There was too much going on in both of their heads to tell it from only one point of view. 

6. Leila is involved in the fashion industry. Is fashion something that interests you?

I love fashion! I was actually accepted into the fashion design program at CSU, but I couldn't work the classes into my schedule and ended up switching my major at the last minute. I love to sew, though, and designing clothes has been a hobby of mine since my days of cutting up scraps to make Barbie clothes. 

7. There are reference to a lot of films in Date Shark: Elf, Psycho, Ratatouille, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Holiday Inn to name but a few. What is your favourite film?

It's so hard to choose. I really love quirky indie films like "Safety Not Guaranteed," but I adore classics like "Charade," too. If I have to pick a favorite, I'd have to go with "Another Earth." It's one that really stuck with me for a while. 

8. Luke or Eli - who would you choose?

Another tough choice! I love to try new things, which is why I have a bazillion hobbies I don't have time for, but I love a romantic, too. I think I'd have to go with Eli, because I think you can really see how much he adores Leila, and every girl wants to feel like they are the center of their guy's thoughts. 

I would personally like to thank DelSheree for the wonderful opportunity to both read her book and interview her! You can find Delsheree here on twitter! You can also check out her website here.

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*NOTE: The book Date Shark was scent to me to review however all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.*