Authors Interviewing Characters: Amanda Elliot

February 21, 2023 | By Women Writers Women Books | Reply More

Amanda Elliot Interviews Julie Zimmerman from BEST SERVED HOT

About BEST SERVED HOT

Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate.

By day, Julie Zimmerman works as an executive assistant. After hours, she’s @JulieZeeEatsNYC, a social media restaurant reviewer with over fifty thousand followers. As much as she loves her self-employed side gig, what Julie really wants is to be a critic at a major newspaper, like the New York Scroll. The only thing worse than the Scroll’s rejection of her application is the fact that smarmy, social-media-averse society boy Bennett Richard Macalester Wright snagged her dream job.

While at the Central Park Food Festival, Julie confronts the annoyingly handsome Bennett about his outdated opinions on social media and posts the resulting video footage. Julie’s follower count soars—and so does the Scroll’s. Julie and Bennett grudgingly agree to partner up for a few reviews to further their buzz. Online buzz, obviously.

Over tapas, burgers, and more, Julie and Bennett connect over their shared love of food. But when the competitive fire between them turns extra spicy, they’ll have to decide how much heat their relationship can take.

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Author: Hey, Julie! Why don’t you start by telling me a little bit about yourself?

Julie: My name is Julie Zimmermann. By day I’m an executive assistant for a retired CEO, and by night I review New York City restaurants as @JulieZeeEatsNYC. The combination of these two careers is extremely rewarding and has helped me with time management, meeting quick and unpredictable deadlines, and responding to difficult people.

A: Now try telling me a little bit about yourself like you’re NOT at a job interview.

J: Okay, so I’m slowly losing my mind trying to juggle my boss and my side gig. If my reviewing only made me actual money and not the occasional sponsorship fee, I’d quit my day job in a second. (No more filing invoices for private plane flights that cost more than I make in six months and pretending my boss’s spoiled daughter’s pet yoga business is going to take off any day now? Yes please.) It would be amazing if I could only get hired by one of the papers or blogs that have vibrant, paid food review pages.

A: Like the one that just opened up at The New York Scroll?

J: Ugh, yes, exactly. I applied for that one the second I saw it. Cross your fingers for me.

A: So, with your two jobs, it sounds like you don’t have a lot of time for romance.

J: Nope.

A: Got it. If you did have time to date, what would your ideal partner be like?

J: Hmm, I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it much. Definitely not a WASPy snob—I deal with enough of them at work, thank you very much. Maybe dark hair, I like a guy with dark hair. Warm and open, I guess? And my mom would be happy if he was Jewish.

A: So you’re saying your ideal partner is basically the opposite of Bennett Richard Macalester Wright.

J: Who?

A: I hear he applied for the New York Scroll food critic position too.

J: What?!

A: So maybe you have more in common than you think.

J: I already hate him.

A: Hopefully you don’t have a chance run-in at a food festival that turns into the two of you yelling at each other, which in turn becomes a viral video that forces the two of you to review restaurants together to grow both your numbers.

J: That sounds like it would be terrible.

A: Sure. Terrible… Well, good luck with that.

BUY BEST SERVED HOT HERE

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Amanda Elliot is the author of several young adult and middle grade books as Amanda Panitch. She lives in New York City, where she owns way too many cookbooks for her tiny kitchen. Learn more online at www.AmandaPanitch.com.