After several failed relationships, Long Island native Kim Interdonato found herself in a similar position when the man she was dating dumped her. Once again, she was back to doubting life and love.
But this time around, she decided to make something inspirational out of her situation. That’s when her comical first book, “Shoes Are Like Men” (published by MindStir Media), came to life.
“I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took myself to a really nice restaurant and started to write the book,” the Patchogue resident said. “[A]s I was writing it, I was laughing and laughing thinking of all these bad experiences and I turned them into really funny ones.”
Each chapter compares a relationship she’s had to different shoe styles bringing some comic relief to what was once a difficult situation. The “therapeutic process” also sparked a realization: “I was just picking the wrong shoe, that’s all I was doing; I was picking the wrong person.” She hopes other women will come to that same conclusion after flipping through the 42-page book and have faith in finding the right guy no matter what age.
The first-time author spoke to Pulse before her first ever book signing at Stella Trattoria & Bar on Jan. 25 at 7pm.
“Shoes Are Like Men” cover art
This book sounds really relatable to women of all ages.
If you’ve ever dated in your lifetime, you’re going to be able to relate to it because there’s a guy who can fit into any category in your life…Everybody that I talk to tells me it’s relatable, even guys who have read it [tell me the same thing].
How did you think about correlating men with shoes?
I’m like a big shoe fanatic. Every time I get depressed, I go shoe shopping; every time I’m happy, I go shoe shopping. So [my girlfriend] was like, “Why don’t you just think of dating like trying on shoes?” When it doesn’t fit, what you do? You don’t buy the shoe—there you go! It was my girlfriend that gave me the idea and I just ran with it.
Is any chapter your favorite?
Yes! The shoe that does not accessorize [with your outfit]. I love this chapter; the guy I was very, very much in love with was an inspiration for this chapter…It’s about a guy that I dated and we got along wonderfully, it was all the other stuff that got in the way, like kids and he was much older than I was. Our lives just didn’t mesh outside of the relationship, but the relationship was wonderful.
author Kim Interdonato
It sounds like timing was off.
Absolutely, that’s a perfect way to say it… And in the end of the chapter, I just put those shoes on the shelf—and hopefully the shoe will come back in style.
Has he or any other man that you’ve written about reached out to you knowing that it might be them?
[Laughs] Just about every one of my ex-boyfriends that I’m still in contact with have contacted me and kept asking me what chapter they are…And I tell them all the same thing, “I’m never going to tell you who you are, just read the book!”
And what do you hope other women can take away from this book?
The best thing I hope women can take away from this, is to feel good about themselves. Don’t settle for a shoe that’s not going to fit your feet and be positive about your dating because when you’re negative about your dating, you’re only going to attract negativity. If you’re positive about it, you’re going to attract the right person for you.