Interview with Rita Oberlies

Title: Second Chances
Author: Rita Oberlies
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Buy Here: Amazon|Barnes & Noble

Will the past keep them apart…

High-powered attorney Luke Braden knows that perfection only comes once in a lifetime, and for him it came and went in the form of his college girlfriend, Brenna Morgan. Circumstances beyond his control separated them before, but now that she’s back in Boston, Luke won’t let her slip away again.

…or give them a second chance at love?

For Brenna Morgan, returning home is the very last thing she wants, especially when it means facing the man who once became her salvation—and then dumped her at the first sign of trouble. But Luke is determined to make up for his past mistakes, and Brenna finds herself weakening against him. A decade of deceit lies between them, and he’ll have to fight if he wants to keep his second chance at love.

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Kayla: Hello Rita! Thanks so much for coming out to chat with us here at Reading on the Wild Side. We are very pleased to have you.  So to start off, could you tell us a little about yourself and your new release “Second Chances”?

Rita: Thanks for inviting me here today, Kayla.  Right after my boys were born I decided to take a few years off from my work as a Learning Development Manager.  During some down time I sat at the computer one afternoon and started writing a romance novel. At that point it was really a self-imposed challenge. Could I take what I learned as a reader and apply that to writing a novel? It wasn’t the easiest process but I reached the end, cleaned it up, and sent it out to a few publishers. Eventually it received a contract offer.

Four years later I’m completely addicted to writing fiction.  Second Chances is my third published book and I’m really excited that it’s allowed me to work with Entangled Publishing. This story is about a young couple that establishes a relationship in college that eventually falters because of underlying trust and maturity issues. Six years later circumstances bring them back to the same city where they quickly discover that their attraction to each other hasn’t diminished. Unfortunately before they can have a lasting relationship one of them must reveal a potentially damaging secret.

Kayla: How has the release of “Second Chances” gone?

Rita: This is my third published novel but my first time working with Entangled. It’s been an incredible experience. Normally after I hit the send button on a submission I start hyperventilating. The team at Entangled – from the founder to the editor to the publicist – take such a welcoming approach that it’s difficult to get lost in the process. 

Of course, I had a huge squee moment when an author I’ve loved for over a decade gave me a cover quote for Second Chances.  Lori Wilde is not only an amazing writer but also one of the sweetest individuals in the industry.

Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that foreign rights to Second Chances were just sold to Greece. Woot!!!

Kayla: Do you believe in Second Chances and has there ever been a time where you were given a Second chance?

Rita: I really do believe in Second Chances. I actually married the man I met during my senior year of college, so there wasn’t a second chance situation in our relationship.  However I have a close member of my family who dated a woman when he was just out of school and everyone thought they’d get married. It didn’t work out. She moved to another state for a job and didn’t return to our hometown until years later. Guess what? They started dating again two years ago. I’m trying to keep my nose out of his business because I desperately want him to finally put a ring on her finger.

Kayla: What is your favorite genre to write in?

Rita: I think my voice is best suited to writing contemporary romance.  It’s the genre I read the most and the one I’m most comfortable exploring. If I did branch out, I think it would probably be YA.  I have a few ideas that I’ve been playing around with that I’d like to try.

Kayla: What goals do you wish to accomplish as an Author this year?

Rita: My first goal is to finish reworking my next manuscript, The Only Exception. I altered a significant secondary character not realizing how much of an impact it would have on the overall story.  Now I’m overhauling almost every chapter. When that’s completed I have a sports themed story outlined in my head that I’d like to complete before the end of the year.

Kayla:  What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?

Rita: That is such a hard question because I don’t want to share anything that was funny in an embarrassing way. 

Years ago I was visiting my best friend in California and she decided we’d go shopping down by the water in San Francisco. Anyway, we wound up in an elevator with Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Gifford, who happened to be shooting an episode of their show on the roof of a downtown-parking garage. My friend had no idea who they were which became apparent when an assistant with the show offered us complimentary passes.  It was the most awkward two minutes of my life, and only got worse when I started laughing so hard that I almost wet my pants. Kathy Lee sort of chuckled at the whole thing but Regis was clearly not amused.

Rita Oberlies grew up in the Boston area, the youngest in a family of six children.  At an early age she developed an addiction to books, baseball and the beaches of Cape Cod.
After graduating from Villanova University with a degree in English, Rita spent almost a decade pursuing a professional career in Employee Development.  With the arrival of two children, Rita began writing stories during those brief periods of time when her young sons were sleeping.
Today Rita resides in Western New York with her husband, their young boys, and a pair of adopted shelter dogs. Despite her best efforts, she remains addicted to books, baseball and the beaches of Cape Cod. Her novel, Second Chances, is her third published book.