Author Interview—Match Made in Manhattan by Amanda Stauffer

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Published: January 23, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Source: E-ARC

Rating:

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Blurb:

After two intense, dead-end relationships, serial monogamist Alison finds herself confused, lonely, and drastically out of touch with the world of modern dating. Refusing to wallow, she signs up for a popular dating app and resolves to remain open-minded and optimistic as she explores the New York City singles' scene. With the click of a button, her adventures begin: On one date, she's dumped before the first kiss; on another, she dons full HAZMAT gear; she meets a tattooed folk singer turned investment banker, an undercover agent who tracks illegal exotic animals, and dozens of other colorful, captivating personalities.

Giving them each her signature "pants speech"--her pants aren't coming off unless she has a real connection with someone--she desperately wants to push past the awkward small-talk phase to find true love, but finding "the one" is starting to feel impossible. That is, until she meets Luke, who is sophisticated, funny, and not to mention, hot. Alison finds herself falling for Luke harder than any guy she's dated and finally letting her walls down, but will he stick around or move on to his next match?

Match Made in Manhattan is a fast-paced, contemporary story about the struggles of dating in the digital age. Replete with online profiles, witty dialogue, and a super-supportive group of female friends, this all-too-real and relatable debut novel will have readers laughing, crying, and rooting for Alison all the way to the end. 

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Author Bio:

Amanda Stauffer is a graduate of Yale and Columbia Universities who works as an architectural conservator, restoring historic landmarks across the country. When she grew frustrated with New York City’s dating scene, Amanda headed to match.com. Her experiences provided her with a lifetime of warm and fuzzy memories, a few friends, and an abundance of material for a book or a career in comedy.

Amanda is a fan of Italian neorealist cinema, mojitos, and—well, you can just read her protagonist’s Match profile on page 20 of this book, because Alison lifted heavily from Amanda’s own profile. An erstwhile expat who has lived in Bangalore, Sicily, and Paris, Amanda currently lives in Manhattan, where she is busy writing her second book.

1. Thank you so much for agreeing to be on the blog today! Please tell us where you came up with the idea for “Match Made in Manhattan”. 

Thank you for having me! So Match Made in Manhattan’s “origin story” is that it began as a list of men’s names scrawled on the back of a cocktail napkin. I was at drinks with friends, relating the details of my latest Match.com dates. I’d been dumped before the first kiss, donned full HAZMAT gear on a third date, and swapped far-fetched (but true) work stories with a federal agent And somehow I’d wound up with a dating history that—mapped out on that fateful napkin—formed a quirky yet gripping romantic narrative. 

2. Have you been through similar experiences such as your main character, Alison?

Alison’s experiences are indeed inspired by my own. Re: that aforementioned cocktail napkin, all three of those things (and much, much more) now happen to Alison in the book. While I think of myself as a creative person, I tend to write what I know. That said, as a work of fiction, in order to protect people’s privacy all the male suitors have been fictionalized and/or combined into “composite” characters. However, unlike the men, Alison’s funny, generous, and wonderfully supportive friends bear uncanny resemblances to their nonfictional counterparts.

3. What is your favorite book?

Song of Solomon. When I first discovered Toni Morrison, I limited myself to one novel a year so that I could savor her works and always have more to look forward to. Then one day in my early twenties, it occurred to me that we never know what life holds, and I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. The notion that there would be Toni Morrison passages and chapters I never got to read felt chilling, so I went ahead and read literally everything she’d ever published – every novel, every essay, every commencement speech – all in that year. It’s tough to pick a favorite among her novels, but I’ll stand by my choice.

4. Who are your inspirations for Alison and Luke?

Alison is more or less me, so once you read the book, there will be very little about me that surprises you. An unfortunate ramification of this is that when people ask me about Alison’s character, her decisions, her job—I often find myself inadvertently (and embarrassingly) flipping between the first and third person. I need to work on this.

I wouldn’t say there’s a single man who directly inspired Younger Luke, but I think we’ve all met or dated that one person who makes us feel both exhilarated and uncomfortable at the same time—like we’re out of our league in some way, for some reason. In my writing and in general, I’m enchanted by the notion that different people can draw out different sides of us, and also that two people sitting on opposite sides of the table can experience the same conversation or date totally differently. To my mind, Younger Luke is the embodiment of these ideas. . . .

5. What characteristics do you look for in a significant other?

Alison’s Match profile is *basically* my own. So as her profile states on p. 16, 

I am looking for someone who is intellectually curious, has a big heart,

and can make me laugh. Bonus points if you won’t protest when I try

to drag you to screenings of Italian neorealist cinema or to the barbecue

festival in Madison Square Park, even though I fully acknowledge

that it is overcrowded and far too touristy (but still, so fun!).

6. Favorite movie?

La Vita è Bella or L’Avventura – like Alison, I have a real soft spot for Italian cinema, both Neorealist and contemporary ;)

7. What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Oh goodness, this could be a book in and of itself. I guess: Start building a platform now. It will make selling your novel a million times easier (note: I still haven’t done this. But if I could go back and do it all over again, I bet I’d be a much more successful author).

Also, don’t be afraid to ask others for guidance. I can be kind of shy, and asking for favors stresses me out to no end, but the publishing world is mighty opaque, and I honestly don’t know how I could have gotten here without the support of numerous authors & bookish types—none of whom I knew prior to this experience, but all of whom were exceedingly generous. This book would probably still be a file stuck on my hard drive were it not for the hour-long phone calls with veteran authors who shed light on the query process, contract details, PR/marketing strategies that worked (or didn’t work) for them, and countless other confusing elements. 

The path from word file to book can certainly be arduous, but the author community does everything it can to support one another along the way. *That* part of this process has defied all expectation and been a consistent and thorough delight. Also, any aspiring authors out there should feel free to contact me for advice as I attempt to pay it forward for the rest of eternity.

8. And last, what makes your novel different from the rest?

That’s a great question. The lion’s share of dating-centric novels focus on a single relationship or love triangle, often equating “success” with receipt of a diamond ring. What I wanted to communicate in my book was that myriad first dates that go nowhere with random men don’t have to be terrible. They can be fun! When you focus on the process, not the results, dating can be super instructive, interesting, and invigorating. Rather than dwell on the frustrations that can come out of trying to find your “Match” or “person”, I wrote a book underscoring the diversity and colorfulness of the men that populate New York City, and all that they can teach you if you’re open to achieving a different kind of success.