Interview with Anastasia Alexander, Author of Catching Mr. Perfect

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Catching Mr. Perfect?

Sometimes, real life hands you the perfect meet-cute. Mine involved a mini-golf course, a crooked parking job, and a man who laughed before he even said hello. When I first met my husband, I pulled into a mini-golf parking lot, checked the address twice, and still managed to overshoot the space. By the time I backed up and parked—crooked, of course—he was already laughing at me.

He told me he was a nitro engine mechanic, which meant absolutely nothing to me. The next day, he invited me to “come fire up.” I had no clue what that meant until I was standing beside a roaring dragster, surrounded by men grinning like kids at Christmas. That day, one accomplished man after another came up to me singing his praises—how brilliant, kind, and one of the best in the racing world. Wherever we went, aspiring mechanics and drivers would light up and hang on his every word. He shrugged it off or didn’t notice.

My husband is Mr. Perfect—for me, at least. Writing this story let me mix my quirks with his quiet fame and poke a little fun at what happens when a woman falls for a man everyone else already admires—but she’s the only one who really sees him.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Catching Mr. Perfect, what would they be?

“Brighter Than the Sun” by Colbie Caillat.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

That’s not an easy question to answer, since I read widely, but lately I’ve really enjoyed women’s fiction and suspense novels.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The Place of Wonder by Barbara O’Neal, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, and Hello Stranger by Katherine Center.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

It’s a toss-up between two moments. The first is the meet-cute—when Denver gets so starstruck meeting his hero that he spills his screws everywhere, and Opal ends up running over one of them in her car, getting a flat tire. It still makes me laugh every time I picture it. The second is when the two of them find themselves under the love potion. Their connection felt so tender and life-affirming that I didn’t want to stop writing. It reminded me why I love stories where love heals us in unexpected ways and the beauty of being completely accepted, flaws and all.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Does running to my La-Z-Boy so I can drink my green tea count? I have a rule: no green tea until I’m writing. It’s how I motivate myself to get into the chair.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Go for your dream—NOW.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I hope they remember something that made them laugh or smile. And I hope they remember it’s okay to love—even when it’s messy, and it wasn’t with who or how they planned. Love, with the right person, can be worth all the pain that comes with being with another human.

Anastasia Alexander is the author of the new book Catching Mr. Perfect

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