Interview With Author - Joanne Cini
Name: Joanne Cini
Website: joannecini.com
Contact: joanne@joannecini.com
Questions:
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I was born in Detroit, Michigan of emigrant parents who came here from Malta…most of our family is still there giving great reason to visit the gem of the Mediterranean!
Q: Can you tell us your latest book news?
A: Kingmaker_Be the One Your Company Wants to Keep…On Your Terms is in its second printing from Prentice Hall (Feb 04). Readers are continually discovering the book and finding that the stories and advise are timeless and very helpful. It is a gratifying feeling, to say the least.
Q: How old were you when you first started writing?
A: I was always writing as a child…prose, diary, poetry….I used to call my teen ledger my “crazy book.”
Q: When did you first realize you had the potential to be a writer?
A: I wrote often and always felt like a writer…even in my business career…but to actually have a book published is still amazing to me!
Q: What was your inspiration to write your first novel?
A: While Kingmaker isn’t a novel there are plenty of stories in it. Id like to write a novel one day….many life experiences are daily imagination fodder.
Q: Is there anyone or anything that inspired you to write?
A: It just came from within me. I started reading at around age 4…perhaps it was a love of words…
Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: To be honest, to not settle for less than full out truth, to take bold steps, to be courageous even when you are very afraid!
Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
A: I’m told that my style is very intimate and conversational….Though Kingmaker is classified as a career/businness book it is actually very different from most “business” books. I purposely wrote lessons in Kingmaker that are not confined to the workworld.
Q: What genre are you most comfortable writing?
A: Memoir, nonfiction.
Q: How do you come up with the title(s) for your book(s)?
A: Kingmaker came to me in one of my last days in my television career. Id just been given another new boss and I thought it time to Kingmake myself rather than one more assigned leader!
Q: Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?
A: Yes, that you can manage your career and do very well, by holding on to your values and planning for the rest of your life. Keep eyes open, know yourself, speak your truth and be known for reliability and excellence.
Q: How much of the advise in your book is realistic?
A: Very realistic as it is based on real world experience, real world practice and gives an honest and true look at what managers and business leaders look for. I tried hard to show people that they have a choice in making their work experiences as true to themselves as they know how.
Q: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
A: Yes, very real experiences from 24 years in broadcasting…as a woman, a salesperson on the way to management, a manager, an executive…someone who traversed many highs and a few significant lows, someone who hired and mentored hundreds of people and had extraordinarily entrepreneurial experiences under corporate umbrellas.
Q: What books have most influenced your life?
A: The Scarlet Letter, Little Women, A Widow for One Year, You’re 50, Now What?, Bonfire of theVanitites, Anna Karinina
Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
A: Tom Wolfe
Q: What are you reading now?
A: I am Charlotte Simmons
Q: What new author has grasped your interest?
A: Zadie Smith
Q: Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
A: Know yourself so that your truth can be told.