Interview With Author Marisa Mangani
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former award-winning chef who, wisely, got out of the kitchen when that life was consuming me, and have landed successfully in my role as commercial current kitchen designer and writer. I cooked in my home of Hawaii and cooking allowed me to travel and work in Portland, New Orleans, Vancouver, Brisbane, and finally Florida. I have written 1 book, and many essays about food and life.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Mise en Place: Memoir of a Girl Chef. My inspiration was my writing of many essays about food, life and struggling as a shy girl in the kitchen, finally finding my way into success and then out of it, in order to start again in another male-dominated career.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
May be not unusual, but I throw everything in my head and heart onto the paper, and then I sort it out to make sense of it.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anthony Bourdain (RIP)
May Karr
Augusten Bourroughs
John D MacDonald
Ernest Hemingway
(I know, an odd mix)
What are you working on now?
Book marketing! And the odd essay here and there.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I am finding some success at Amazon Ads. I love to learn and it gives me something to bury my brain into. I know, I should be writing though.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep on doing it never stop until you find your voice and never stop. (Until it comes time to market, of course)
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Write every day.”
“Write for yourself”-Anthony Bourdain told me this in the quick seconds I got to talk to him at a book signing in Chicago.
What are you reading now?
Print book: The Yellow House by Sarah Broom
Audio Book: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to retire home to Hawaii in a few years. At that time, I’d like to start a writing group and focus on Hawaii stories. Hawaii is where I started as a shy young observer of life and I’d like to explore that some more.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Cherry by Mary Karr
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
Born to Run
I’d also grab an old paperback or two by Carl Hiaasen to keep my humor flowing, just in case things get scarey
Author Websites and Profiles
Marisa Mangani’s Social Media Links