Everything Happens For A Reason – Author Nicole DiCicco Interview

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

Steve’s last name came from my love for General Hospital (GH) as an ode to them. In each of my seven published books, I have an ode to GH and I plan to have on in all my books – fun note: I’ve list these on my website under extras. https://www.nicoledicicco.net/extras

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Everything Happens for a Reason?

Steve is a completely fictious billionaire bachelor architect in New York. He was burned by a serious relationship in college and told himself he would never be hurt again. He was raised to believe his self-worth is based on how success he is in his career.

Natalie is a mix of mostly fiction with a little bit of me tossed in. The me parts are her cat, Peanut (my cat Shea), lives in Brooklyn, loves Broadway, Frick Collection Museum being her favorite, and she loves the Woolworth Building, the Brooklyn Bridge being her favorite New York icon. I do believe anyone who has ever lived in or visited New York has a favorite icon.

Max was born in my mind when I first saw Michele Morrone on my television screen. Max looks like Michele and paints like him but that is where the resemblance ends. The rest of Max is fictitious.

Matteo and Nicoletta: a mix of all the kids that have entered my life through the years.

Rose: I modeled her after my Nan Rose – her rosy cheeks, Italian woman who insisted on cooking rather than eating out – this character was a way of honoring my hero in life – my Nana Rose.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for Everything Happens for a Reason?

This story marinated in my mind every night as I went to sleep. It started in my mind during the 2020 pandemic and the ridiculous lockdowns in my state. To entertain myself, I created Steve, the billionaire architect and I was Natalie. Every night in my mind, I continued the story for ten minutes at a time as I drifted off to sleep. My storytelling to myself was what got me through and then I got bored with continuing the story because Steve and Natalie were happy and now what. I needed conflict and didn’t have any so I let the story go and left it alone.

Fast forward almost two years later in late April 2022, I watched 365 Days on Netflix. I was late to the party watching that movie but my God, when I saw the most perfect male specimen walk onto the screen, Max was born in my head. I wrote Max with Michele Morrone in mind and no one else in the world could ever be or play the part of Max. Thank you Michele for not giving up your dream of acting. I wish you more acting success than you can imagine for yourself. As I developed Max and wrote his chapters, I truly fell in love with Max along with Natalie.

I started writing the first draft in June 2022 and finished in August 2022. I wrote every night as soon as I logged off my work laptop into the late night and every weekend, sometimes all weekend and pulled a few all-nighters. I spent hours and hours researching went to every location in New York and researched Italy online. I scoured the web to pick out clothes for Natalie (check out the gallery of Natalie’s outfits on a separate page on my website). I signed up for many newsletters about living in Italy, bought books and researched online.

Website: https://www.nicoledicicco.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ndicicco1/
X: https://x.com/AuthorNicoleD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authornicoledicicco
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nicole-dicicco
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nicole-DiCicco/author/B0BTB916VV
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25344896.Nicole_DiCicco

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