INTERVIEW AND RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY WITH LUBA LESYCHYN …

MY BOOK ADDICTION AND MORE PROUDLY PRESENTS….

LUBA LESYCHYN!

Good morning, Luba and welcome to My Book Addiction and More!

MBA&M: Please give our readers a little insight into Luba Lesychyn?

 

Luba: Luba Lesychyn, pronounced le-si-shin by the way, is undeniably but shamefully a chocolate addict. I have tried everything from acupuncture to hypnotherapy and meditation to rid myself of the addiction, but it’s still with me. Fortunately, I’m not just ‘my addiction’. I am an intense culture hound and travel whenever I am able. I’m also very physically active–I teach yoga and run, take dance classes and martial arts oriented cardio classes and I do the gym rat thing too, i.e. weights and machines. And somewhere amidst all this I write. I’m tired just thinking about it.

MBA&M: What was the inspiration behind “Theft By Chocolate”?

 

Luba: Years ago, a friend gave me a copy of Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic. Being a shopaholic myself, I laughed my way through the book. Then I thought to myself, “I’m probably not the only chocoholic on the planet. Maybe I could spin a funny yarn about all the ridiculous things I’ve done to get my hands on chocolate and, at the same time, share the amazing world in which I had worked for so long, namely a museum. It was a long haul from there including seriously honing my writing skills for many years, but I am so proud of the final product, and I am certain it will make readers laugh.

MBA&M: Give our readers a little background on “Theft By Chocolate”?

 

Luba: As mentioned, I knew I wanted to write about chocolate and museums. But I am also a huge film fan and I have always loved movies about museum heists, particularly movies like Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. Although I enjoy the newer films that are highly focused on foiling space age technology, the basic cat and mouse plot has an enduring attraction for me. So, I was hoping to replicate that kind of feeling in my book, but with a little bit more humor, kind of a screwball heist story.

 

MBA&M: We understand the main characters are always discussed, but today we would like to talk a little about secondary characters. Please name a secondary character from “Theft By Chocolate”and tell our readers about them?

 

Luba: I’m so glad you asked that question because I am in love with my secondary characters. Not “in love” in love. But they can be so much fun to work with because you can often get away with a little more eccentricity in the secondary characters. If I had to choose one to highlight, it would be Aurelia Alberti. Aurelia works in the museum’s IT Department at the Help Desk where she’s supposed to trouble shoot computer problems for the staff. But on the side, she’s a singer for a Death Metal Band and she has a very black heart. She wreaks great havoc on the life of Kalena Boyko, the main character.

 

MBA&M: Is there any interesting facts you found while researching “Theft By Chocolate” you would like to share with our readers?

 

Luba: Besides the fact that chocolate contains four very highly addictive substances (that’s my story and I’m sticking with it), I happened upon some very interesting facts about a heist that had taken place in the museum where I had been working. The theft had taken place before I started working there, but everyone knew about it. But then, by chance, I met someone who had some insider information about the heist that sent me running back to my novel to do a rewrite.

It turned out that the thief had used an ingenious technique that stunned the security industry around the world. The culprit managed to circumvent what was considered state-of-the art technology in its day, a technology that was being used universally, not just in museums and art galleries, but in banks and businesses. International law keepers realized it wouldn’t be long before thieves around the world heard about the daring robbery and how it was executed. Basically, the planet’s riches, both great and small were suddenly at risk.

But the thief was never identified or caught and that made it all the more intriguing to me. I found a way to construct a fictitious plot around some very real facts and ended up with what you read in Theft By Chocolate.

MBA&M: If “Theft By Chocolate” was to become a movie, which actor/actress do you envision you would cast as your character(s)?

 

Luba: I love your questions. I feel like you know me. Because I have been such a huge film fan from about the age of four, when I write, the story plays very much like a movie in my head. As a matter of fact, my first major piece of writing was a screen play. But back to Theft By Chocolate, I had very early in the process cast Gwyneth Paltrow as Kalena and the dapper Hugh Grant as the devilishly irresistible Geoffrey Ogden.

 

MBA&M: What are some of the things that influence you while writing? Such as music, noises, pictures, etc. if any?

 

Luba: Music definitely influences me. It was while listening to a piece of music at the same time that my phone was accidentally knocked off the hook, and making that annoying sound to alert you to that fact, that I came up with the story for my screen play. As far as these types of influences that impacted Theft By Chocolate, it has to be aromas, textures and tastes of various chocolates I have experienced over the years.

MBA&M: Please tell our readers where to find you and where they can find “Theft By Chocolate”?

 

Luba: I can be found at www.chocolativore.com as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest (where visitors can check out a visual storyboard of Theft By Chocolate).  I can be contacted through my “Contact” page at the above web site.

Theft By Chocolate is available at over 100 eRetailers. Readers can go to the following link on my publishers web site (Attica Books) for direct links to various retailers.

http://www.atticabooks.com/attica/?page_id=17&ProductID=A0020

Luba, do you have anything else you would like to say today?

 

Luba: Print copies of the book will be available in July. I will post details on www.chocolativore.com and on my author’s Facebook page when I have the details.

Although chocolate lovers will definitely get a kick out of the book, anyone who might enjoy a sassy museum mystery about a woman of a certain age looking for chocolate, love and an international art thief in all the wrong places will have a fun ride. I’ve been getting some great reviews from both my male and female readers.

It’s been a delight to share a little about myself and my work with you. Thanks!

Thank you for spending a few minutes of your day with us and our readers! It has been a pleasure!

Here are some additional links for Luba Lesychyn:

Site and Blog 

Facebook

Twitter 

Amazon

Attica Books (Publisher)

 ~~~~~~

***GIVEAWAY ALERT***

*Sponsored by the publisher and author*

 I’m so excited that the publisher agreed to a $150 gift certificate to an online chocolate retailer. I wish I could enter! The link for the Rafflecopter giveaway is: http://www.chocolativore.com/blog-tour–giveaway.html

Or, if you prefer to embed the giveaway, here’s the html: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Theft By Chocolate Giveaway at Every Blog Stop

[This questions changes depending on the blog stop:] Please leave a comment below and your email address to be entered to win an ebook copy of Theft By Chocolate, the new release by Luba Lesychyn. In five days, a winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Available in any ebook format. Remember to write your email address in the comments so that you can be contacted if you win!

$150 Gift Certificate Giveaway of Grand Prize on July 31st

Do you love chocolate as much as Kelana, the heroine in Theft By Chocolate? Here’s your chance to indulge in $150 US worth! The Giveaway Grand Prize is a gift certificate to a delectable chocolate online retailer. Winner chooses from one of three sites: http://www.chocosphere.com/, http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/ , or http://www.dlea.com.au/ . To be eligible for the Grand Prize, enter the Rafflecopter below. Remember to sign up for Luba’s email announcements (worth five entries). On occasion she’ll send out exclusive announcements for special events, blog posts, giveaways and free swag! On July 31st, the winner will be chosen at random and notified via email.

~~~~~

Please check back for our “Thoughts” on “Theft By Chocolate” by LUBA LESYCHYN!

~~~~~~

Thank you for spending time with us and our guest today and please spread the word!

~~~~~

HAPPY READING AND ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!