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Start with an active interest wrestling; add in a journalistic mind; pour in a little fiction, and, of course, a splash of scripted showmanship, and you have L. Anne Carrington and her novel Cruiserweight. Read on to learn how an enuthisiast's sporting interest turned into a viral read.
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PDB: Congratulations L. Anne for being the top viewed profile on the PDB in October.
LAC: Thank you very much. There are many talented authors on this site, so it is an honor to be featured among them.
PDB: Tell us a little about yourself.
 LAC: I’m the youngest of six children, the daughter of a Navy veteran who served in World War II. I’ve been a resident of Southwestern Pennsylvania my entire life. I have many interests, including reading, theater, music, art, and health topics. Presently, I am a writer whose previous work has covered topics from fiction to news stories, human interest features, and entertainment reviews. I wrote The Wrestling Babe weekly internet column since 2003 (which now runs bi-weekly due to concentration on other projects), am a former music reviewer for Indie Music Stop, and penned several other works which appeared in both print and Web media.
PDB: You have a lot of varied interests, but what is the one thing about yourself that would surprise readers about you.
LAC: I’m actually a very quiet person until someone gets to know me.
PDB: Let's talk wrestling. It seems apparent you have an interest in the sport, if only for its entertainment value. Why wrestling when in Pittsburgh, where sports abound including Penguins' hockey, Pirates baseball, and Steelers football (not to mention the college sports and other varied enthusiast activities), you could choose from so many others?
LAC: Even though I have interests in both hockey and football and support both the Penguins and Steelers (I’ve been a Steeler fan since I was eight years old), there is something about wrestling that fascinated me from the time my former sister-in-law took me to a live show at Mellon Arena when I was eighteen. She was a friend of a local promoter as well as an old friend of Ivan Putski’s, so we got in free. Men and women in wrestling are on the road at least 300 days a year—with no “off season” other sports have—and contrary to popular belief, with so few days off, their risks of serious injuries and even death are much higher than other sports. I have great respect for people in the business because they put so much of themselves out there each night to entertain the fans, predetermined outcomes or not.
PDB: What's your first or most favorite wresting memory or moment?
LAC: One of the best matches in my book had to be WWF Championship match between Yokozuna and Bret Hart at WrestleMania X. Burt Reynolds was the guest announcer and Roddy Piper was the special referee. It was an outstanding match, and though it appeared as if Yokozuna was going to pull it off, Hart was able to get the win when Yokozuna lost his footing and fell after attempting a Banzai drop.
PDB: What is the most surprising thing you learned about wrestling while doing research for your novel?
LAC: There really wasn’t anything surprising. I’ve followed it for years and had mostly thorough knowledge about the sport. What wasn’t clear to me I would discuss with a few independent wrestlers who filled me in on some additional details or offered suggestions on the book.
 PDB: So tell us a little about The Cruiserweight.
LAC: For starters, it’s my first novel. The Cruiserweight combines wrestling with romance. Brett Kerrigan and Karen Montgomery aren’t the average novel main characters. There is “wrestler” Brett that the public sees, but readers will get a look at the human side of him. Cocky and arrogant in the ring, away from the spotlight, Brett is a kind-hearted man with anxiety problems which are only calmed by marijuana use. He’s frustrated with his status in a major wrestling company until he’s released from his talent contract. He’s uneasy around women except for those who are his friends or the occasional one-night stand. Karen is a plus sized woman seventeen years older than Brett, and a sports journalist whose focus is on wrestling. She’s been a fan of his for years and even wrote a feature on Brett, which earned her an award. They meet a year after Karen’s feature is printed, become fast friends, and their relationship emerges from there. In between, readers learn of the ups and downs in each of Brett’s and Karen’s respective careers and personal lives.
PDB: What's the status of The Cruiserweight as a paperback?
LAC: Right now it’s in the final editing stages and will be available as a paperback in the near future. I briefly considered a hard cover version, but find that paperback is a more popular form. In addition to the e-book and Kindle concepts, I’m also looking into Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble Nook availabilities.
PDB: You are certainly active on the web ensuring that you are "out there." Which sites do you find most effective and what tips would you offer others on using blogs, forums, and other outlets to make themselves known?
LAC: I have my website, which is updated regularly, along with my MySpace and Twitter accounts. One of my favorite sites is Authonomy, where The Cruiserweight first started getting noticed. It’s also a good site to get feedback on improving one’s work. Other good network sites I’ve found are LinkedIn and Facebook.
PDB: How much time do you spend on the web promoting yourself on a weekly basis?
LAC: Maybe twice, if that. I also have a blog, The Book Shelf, where I highlight one Authonomy book a day so other new authors can get their work noticed. The Book Shelf also features news on publishing and other books on the market in addition to occasional updates on The Cruiserweight.
PDB: What's next for you as a writer?
LAC: I’m already thinking of a new book project, but it very likely won’t be started until sometime in 2010. In the meantime, I’m continuing my bi-weekly column, and of course future promotion of The Cruiserweight.
PDB: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
LAC: Any and all are welcome to visit me at the following sites:
Official site:
www.lannecarrington.com
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/lannecarrington
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/lacarrington1
The Book Shelf Blog:
http://newandgoodreading.blogspot.com
Official Facebook Group for The Cruiserweight:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106648073882
I am also at Authonomy on a daily basis networking with other writers as well as visit Polka Dot Banner. It was a good experience doing this interview today. Thank you once again for the opportunity!
View L. Anne's Profile by clicking here.
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