Julia’s Child by Sarah Pinneo
Julia Bailey is a true mompreneur, a wife and mother of two boys who is desperately trying to get her business off the ground. After…
Interview with Kathleen Long
Why did you want to write Chasing Rainbows?
Hi, Samantha! Thanks for letting me visit with you all at CLP today. Chasing Rainbows is truly the book of my heart. I never fully understood that phrase until I sat down to write this story. Much of Chasing Rainbows is based in truth, so the writing journey was emotional and personal for me.
At the time I wrote the book, I’d been writing romantic comedy and romantic suspense, but longed to write a bigger, deeper book. My father had died suddenly, and I found myself writing a story that mirrored much of my emotional journey. In Chasing Rainbows, Bernie’s father dies in exactly the same way my father died. Her grief makes her realize she hasn’t fully dealt with the grief of losing her daughter, much like my own life. Although the emotions are based on my own, the characters and their individual stories are pure fiction, offering what I hope is an entertaining mix of quirky characters and poignant moments.
With Chasing Rainbows, I wanted to write about one woman’s journey out of the fog of grief back to a life full of possibilities.
What is the hardest part about writing for you?
For me, the hardest part of writing is starting the story. While I don’t plot out every single detail of a book, I need to know where each character is headed and why. If I’m not fully immersed in the characters and their motivations, I find it difficult to write quickly, and I love to write quickly. Writing fast is the process that works best for me. Once I have the foundation of the story ready to go, I’m set. It’s that initial brain work that takes the most time, and considering I spend much of my time negotiating deals with a stubborn six-year-old, quality brain time is a precious commodity in my world.
What is the most rewarding part of being published?
The most rewarding part of being published is two-fold for me—the personal and the professional. Personally, being published is the achievement of a life-long dream. I’m proud that I set a goal and worked hard to succeed. I studied my craft, studied the markets, entered contests and attended conferences. I did my homework. My greatest joy is in knowing I’ve set an example for our daughter, letting her know that dreams can be achieved if you’re willing to work for them. Professionally, the most rewarding part of being published is the contact with readers. I love receiving reader mail and hearing one of my stories struck a chord with someone. There are over one million copies of my books in distribution worldwide. That’s a humbling number. I’m very fortunate to do what I do.
Are you currently working on another novel?
Yes! I’m currently working on the first book in what will be a romantic thriller trilogy centered on The Body Hunters, a group of private citizens who use their skills and capabilities to pursue the victims and criminals society has forgotten. The first book, Vanished, will be released in April. Vanished is the story of Grace Arthur, whose young daughter disappears in exactly the same manner in which her sister vanished years earlier. When the police declare her daughter’s disappearance a case of parental abduction, Grace joins forces with The Body Hunters to bring her daughter home.
Do you have a writing routine you try to stick to?
Before my daughter was born, my time was my own. I primarily wrote in the early morning, but if I was in the thick of a story, I had the freedom to write for fourteen hours straight. I no longer have that flexibility, so I’ve had to relearn my process. For a while, I tried to write late at night. That didn’t work out very well. Now, I’m back to morning writing, working on my portable keyboard as soon as I return from walking my daughter to school. My rule is a minimum of 1000 words when I first sit down. Anything after that is gravy. When the book is flowing, the word count piles up, but even on those tough writing days, I make sure the first 1000 words happen before I shift gears to anything else on my to-do list.
How important do you think blogs and/or social media are to authors?
I believe blogs and social media are very important, but that’s just my opinion. They don’t work for every author. I think an author’s approach to social media depends on their personality. For me, blogging and social media provide a means to build relationships, and I think book marketing—like any other sort of marketing—is about relationship building. That being said, I am not the most active blogger or social media whiz in the world. Far from it! I do what works for me, and I’m happy for the friendships and contacts I’ve made.
I used to maintain my own blog and tried to post something every day. Then I realized writing my blogging was cutting into my creative writing. I phased out the blog. I miss that communication with readers, and think about going back to it someday, but a daily blog isn’t what I need most at this stage in my career. Right now I need daily page production on the next project…and the next…and the next.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
My advice for aspiring writers is always the same. Learn your craft. Study the markets. Educate yourself. Network. Read. Write. Most importantly, never quit!
Thanks for hosting me today, Samantha!
GIVEAWAY: Favorable Conditions by Kathleen Kole
Pat Keegan thought, once her child rearing years were done, she would be throwing her arms around her husband and together they would be making…
Idol Hands by Cynthia Hill
Well. Huh. Okay then. I’d like to point out that it’s usually a good thing when I start off my reviews in a bit of a baffled state. This one is going to be hard to write given I try to stay away from spoilers. But I will say before I begin that I would recommend this book. In fact, I’m going to add it to my Favorites List! It had me literally squealing and slapping my head at the end. Idol Hands by Cynthia Hill is a story written in diary format by MC Tara. We meet her and can quickly see that she is in an unhappy marriage to a jerk of a guy. While watching TV one night, Tara sees a former boyfriend, Aidan, giving an interview. Aidan and Tara dated while she was in high school, and he was on his way to becoming a pop star in a boy band. Due to increasing fame, their relationship had to stay under wraps. Aidan says in the interview that he is still in love with an old girlfriend, and Tara believes he means her. She sets out on a journey to find him again – one that takes her from Canada to Philadelphia, then hitchhiking her way across the US to get to California. Her journey is harrowing, frustrating, and at times dangerous. But what will Tara discover when she finally makes it to Aidan? Is her that he still loves?
Without giving away the ending, I will say there is an incredible twist that I never saw coming! I was eating up the last chapters, frantically scanning the pages and trying to figure out what really happened. Idol Hands is definitely not a typical story, and I think I would use the word psychological when describing this twist in events. I do wish that maybe a little more was revealed, but I think Hill wrote the ending so readers can interpret it the way they would like. The writing was great, the diary format flowed along, and I would definitely recommend this book. Just be ready to talk about it – a lot – once you’re finished!
[Rating: 4.5]
Interview with Sue Watson
Q: Why is writing a passion for you?
That’s a really good question and I have a theory on this. I always wanted to be an actress and as a teenager spent a great deal of time involved in drama groups and studied English and Drama for my university degree. However, for some reason I gravitated towards the writing side of drama and ended up working in TV writing scripts and developing programme ideas. When I left my career to write I suddenly felt alive again and escaping into each character’s life was just like acting. There’s a great deal of me in Stella the heroine in Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes, so it was easy to get inside her head, but I believe my drama training also enabled me to get inside the other characters too. I like to think as a result of this the dialogue and actions are real and the people in my books are fully developed and believable.
Q: What gave you the idea for Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes? And how did you come up with the hilarious title?
The idea had been in my head for years. A friend once told me she felt she was wasting her life and would love to leave the corporate world she worked in to stay at home to look after her kids and bake fairy cakes all day. She never did make her escape …life got in the way as it usually does… but she planted the seed for Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes. I was working long hours away from home and I completely related to my friend’s desire to chase her dreams before it was too late. For me the idea of being in a warm vanilla scented house waiting for another batch of cakes to come from the oven filled me with calm. It made me realise that there must be more to life than struggling on a daily basis to give an impossible 100% to everyone and everything. This made me think about the possibility of a different life – so when I left the frantic world of television I realised my dream to write. At the same time, I’m just like Stella in the book and I find deep comfort in the bottom of the mixing bowl and I always write at the kitchen table so I can be near the oven!
The title Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes came to me one day while I was having lunch with two friends. We were talking about cake and weight and it just amused me that three curvy ladies were worrying about how fat they were while obsessing about which cakes to choose for dessert!
Q: Are you currently working on another novel?
Yes, I have almost finished The Terrible Truth About Tanya Travis – my second novel, which is about a daytime talk show host with a dark secret. It’s written in the same style and is funny like Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes – it’s also set in the crazy world of television but it deals with slightly darker themes and is partly set in the hauntingly beautiful Nepal…. where a woman’s secret can stay hidden for many years.
Q: Do you have a certain writing schedule you try to stick to?
I do have a writing schedule – but I rarely stick to it! I have terrible self-discipline and ideally I should sit at my desk and write from 9 in the morning until 5 in the evening, but I don’t. I find all kinds of excuses to leave my desk – I bake, clean the cooker, call friends, blog, Tweet, text, FB – in fact I do any kind of writing other than the novel! It’s mad because once I sit down to write I can’t stop, I completely love it and immerse myself in the places and people I write about. It’s just the initial sitting down to start the process that I find hard. I am discovering a lot about myself through writing – and one of those things is that I am a deadline junkie. If my publisher gives me a date they need the book finished, I’ll do it – but will probably work 24/7 through several nights to get it done.
Q: Who are some authors that you would love to work with?
I would find it difficult to actually collaborate with another author as for me writing really is a solitary pastime. But there are authors I would love to have around while I’m writing. If I could share a desk with anyone it would be Jen Lancaster, whose book Such a Pretty Fat is one of the bravest, funniest books I’ve ever read. I think her ‘don’t give a damn’ humour, obsession with trashy reality shows and love/hate relationship with fabulous food must make us writing ‘twins!’ Yes, Jen is welcome to join me with her laptop at my kitchen table where we could share jokes and doughnuts while we write (though the commute between Chicago and Worcestershire in the UK might be a bit much and I think she’d miss her doggies!)
Q: Did you use any critique partners or beta readers during your writing process?
I was very lucky and have a lovely editor, Jo Doyle, who guided me through the whole re-editing process and I learned so much from her. Jo selfishly went off to have a rather gorgeous baby girl to match her delicious little boy, but I think she’s realised her priorities and will be back by my side shortly to turn Tanya Travis into a work of art!
I asked a very good and honest friend to critique my book in the final stages, and my best friend helped with the ending over a few glasses of red. For the next book I have asked a couple of friends if they’d be kind enough to get involved in the early stages (ie read the first draft) for me and I am delighted to say they’ve agreed. I think early input from honest friends/readers will be really useful as they will bring a fresh perspective to the writing and perhaps come up with solutions for any knotty plot problems.
Q: What is your favorite desert- be specific!
Now that’s a tricky one because I have a short list of about 700! I adore Chocolate fudge cake, Raspberry Pavlova and homemade strawberry shortcake – but my favorite is a really chocolatey mousse with a consistency so thick it sticks to the roof of your mouth and fills your heart with melted chocolate. AND it’s a pre-requisite that all the above have to be steeped in heavy cream.
Q: Can you share any of your favorite recipes with us?
I have lots of favorite recipes, but the one I love the most is my white chocolate and cranberry Christmas Fairies which are in the book. Stella creates the most amazing cakes and tarts from Chocolate Chilli Cha Cha Fairies to Inebriated Christmas Tarts and when you’ve finished the novel, you’ll find all the recipes at the back. The recipes are my own original ‘designs’ and have been triple tested to be utterly fabulous!
Q: Where would be your dream vacation?
My family and I LOVE the US. We have holidayed in Florida several times (my husband is now a big Rays fan) and in April this year we visited New York which was amazing – especially the bakeries … and the cupcake possibilities were endless. However, we’re hoping to go on our dream destination next Summer and visit California – I’m dying to see LA and San Francisco. I may even set the sequel to Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes somewhere around Hollywood – I think Stella, Al and Lizzie would just LOVE a little bit of film star fairy cake action.
Q: What is your advice for aspiring writers?
Never give up.
I have written about my own rocky road to publishing on the Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes Blog and I have been very honest. Writing a book isn’t easy, it can be fun and wonderful, but it’s not easy, but the hardest part is sending it to publishing houses and agents and receiving the inevitable rejections…. then starting all over again. It’s important to fight the natural instinct to give up because it’s so hard to keep believing in yourself when it seems that nobody else does. Around the time the millionth rejection comes in your friends (and even family) will probably start to question what you’re doing and why you are doing it. This makes you question yourself. Go through this process and don’t blame anyone for giving up on you, it’s human nature… just never, ever give up on yourself. I never gave up because deep down I believed I had something special and I just needed to convince everyone else and in order to do that I HAD to keep sending my book out and live with the hurt of more rejections.
Several years down the line with a three book deal the secret is – I never gave up, and that really is the key. To hold that book in my hand and be asked to do lovely interviews like this one is worth all the effort and the doubts and the pain – honestly.
Ask questions about your work, show everyone, anyone. Attend writing classes, edit and re-edit your work – even start again – but if this is really what you want then just stay focused and keep those three little words in your head. DON’T GIVE UP.
Visit Susan’s Website!
Find Susan on Facebook!
In My Mailbox: Week of February 19
In My Mailbox: Week of February 19
Title: The Devil Has Dimples
Author: Pepper Phillips
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Adopted!
In the Deep South, one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new in a small town is, “Who’s your daddy?” The answer defines you as a person. Not knowing is disheartening.
Sara McLaughlin never knew she was adopted and is stunned to realize that if she wants to find out the questions burning in her brain as to the ‘why’ she was given up at birth, and who her father might be, she has to live in her birth mother’s apartment for the next six weeks.
Grant St. Romain, attorney, is supposed to be helping, but the hunky dimpled devil is making her mind think of other things.
Can she find the truth? Or will she break her heart trying to find out the answers in Boggy Bayou, where many secrets are hidden?
Title: Momnesia
Author: Lori Verni-Fogarsio
Received: From Lori Verni-Fogarsio
Synopsis: She’s smart, pretty, and runs her own business. So then why does she feel so dead inside? Between work, two kids, and a husband who finds her about as exciting as furniture shopping, this is the story of a (formerly-exciting but now way-too-typical) suburban mom who diagnoses herself with Momnesia and sets about finessing a new version of her old vivaciousness:
Momnesia (mahm-nee-zhuh) -noun-
Loss of the memory of who you used to be. Caused by pregnancy, play dates, and trying to keep the house cleaner than the Joneses.
She finds some adventure pursing her own interests, and does make some new friends (including the battery operated variety), but still feels like nothing more than a caretaker.
In between dealing with her husband’s manic-depresssive behavior, drama with her friends, and some naughty Internet escapades, she ponders, Is it that I haven’t been myself? Or is it that I am being myself, but just different than I used to be?
It isn’t until she tosses the Invisible Rule Book altogether, that she discovers life–and love–have more to offer than she ever imagined!
With custom-painted cover art that perfectly epitomizes the struggle of finding balance between “momminess” and “sexiness,” Momnesia is a must read for anyone who has ever been a mother, had a mother, wanted to be a mother, judged a mother, or even just wondered about mothers. A great gift book, too!
Title: I’ve Got Your Number
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Received: From TransWorld Publishers
Synopsis: I’ve lost it. 🙁 The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day! Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive 🙂 !!
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!
Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.
What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.
In Sara’s Mailbox:
Title: The Way
Author: Kristen Wolfe
Received: From Leyane @ FSB Associates
Synopsis: Anna is a fiery tomboy living in ancient Palestine whose androgynous appearance provokes ridicule from the people around her and doubt within her own heart. When tragedy strikes her family, and Anna’s father—disguising her as a boy—sells her to a band of shepherds, she is captured by a mystical and secret society of women hiding in the desert. At first Anna is tempted to escape, but she soon finds that the sisterhood’s teachings and healing abilities, wrapped in an ancient philosophy they call “The Way,” have unleashed an unexpected power within her.
When danger befalls the caves in which the sisters have made their home, Anna embarks on a hazardous mission to preserve the wisdom of her mentors by proclaiming it among ordinary people. Her daring quest and newfound destiny reveal, at last, the full truth of her identity—a shocking revelation that will spark as much controversy as it does celebration.
Anna’s story is one of transformation, betrayal, love, loss, deception, and above all, redemption. Readers will cheer for this unforgettable protagonist—and for debut novelist Kristen Wolf, whose beautifully written book both provokes and inspires. A compelling mix of history, myth, and fantasy, The Way is a fascinating exploration of the foundations and possibilities of human spirituality.
Title: The Underside of Joy
Author: Sere Prince Halverson
Received: From Amy @ KMSPR
Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of Redwood forests and shimmering vineyards, Seré Prince Halverson’s compelling debut tells the story of two women, bound by an unspeakable loss, who each claims to be the mother of the same two children.
To Ella Beene, happiness means living in the northern California river town of Elbow with her husband, Joe, and his two young children. Yet one summer day Joe breaks his own rule-never turn your back on the ocean-and a sleeper wave strikes him down, drowning not only the man but his many secrets.
For three years, Ella has been the only mother the kids have known and has believed that their biological mother, Paige, abandoned them. But when Paige shows up at the funeral, intent on reclaiming the children, Ella soon realizes there may be more to Paige and Joe’s story. “Ella’s the best thing that’s happened to this family,” say her close-knit Italian-American in-laws, for generations the proprietors of a local market. But their devotion quickly falters when the custody fight between mother and stepmother urgently and powerfully collides with Ella’s quest for truth.
The Underside of Joy is not a fairy-tale version of stepmotherhood pitting good Ella against evil Paige, but an exploration of the complex relationship of two mothers. Their conflict uncovers a map of scars-both physical and emotional-to the families’ deeply buried tragedies, including Italian internment camps during World War II and postpartum psychosis.
Weaving a rich fictional tapestry abundantly alive with the glorious natural beauty of the novel’s setting, Halverson is a captivating guide through the flora and fauna of human emotion-grief and anger, shame and forgiveness, happiness and its shadow complement . . . the underside of joy.
Mad About the Boy by Suzan Battah
Suzan Battah is on tour with CLP Blog Tours. Mad About the Boy follows Julia Mendoza, a workaholic widow in her late twenties, who spends all her time building up her business instead of having fun. A panicky moment in the grocery store with an ex-friend causes her to ask the stranger next to her to be her boyfriend. Julia doesn’t realize the stranger is Christophe Augustine – the Christophe Augustine who is set to take over his father’s super-luxe chain of hotels. Christophe is immediately taken by Julia, but she isn’t so sure. Losing her husband Carlos at such a young age has closed off a part of Julia’s heart. Can Christophe find a way to let Julia love again, and will these soul mates be able to get through the struggles to find true happiness?
I enjoyed reading Mad About the Boy, but at times I also struggled. It’s a super cute romance idea, and I thought it was very intriguing that Julia is such a young widow. Christophe is a fine gentleman, who made me swoon throughout the book. I struggled when the plot started to go a bit all over the place. Julia is in a terribly car accident, Christophe is trying to adopt his little brother, Julia’s ex-mother-in law likes Julia then seems to not like her so much…a lot happens and it was a little difficult to keep up with. But I did like that this didn’t seem like a typical romance book. The characters were deep and had many layers, and overall, I read recommend this book to chick lit and romance fans!
[Rating: 3.5]
Waitlisted by Laurel Gans
Laurel Gans is on tour with CLP Blog Tours. I was really curious to read Waitlisted, because the main character is a college student. I was a college student not too many years ago, and my MC in the book I published is the same age, so I thought it would be fun to see her mindset. Kacey Barlow has her well-planned life turned upside down when her college tells her they booted her from the grad school roster. Kacey thought her slot was already confirmed, but with too many students, UI was forced to make some cuts, and Kacey is on that receiving end. Not wanting to disappoint her parents or be embarrassed in front of her friends, Kacey decides she will just have to get into grad school on her own. Problem – she has trouble concentrating on the work she needs to do. Problem – the test she has to take is really hard. And problem – TV shows just keep getting in the way of her studying! Will Kacey be able to make into grad school, or will she be the disappointment of her family?
I was a little on the fence about the book. I enjoyed all the dental talk and could understand Kacey was worried about letting down her family. Gans has a fun and fast way of writing that kept me pulled into the story, even when I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character. That I think speaks highly of the author. My problem with Kacey was that she seemed very lazy and sometimes I wondered if she was compulsive liar. I actually identified with her roommate, Natalie, much more. But even though I didn’t always see eye to eye with Kacey, I wanted to read her story. I wanted her to get into grad school. I was rooting for her – seriously. And I have to say that all rests with the author. I really salute Gans and Waitlisted, and will happily read more of her books. I hope one comes out about Natalie – I really loved her character and would love to read more about her!
[Rating: 3.5]
One Pink Line by Dina Silver
Dina Silver is on tour with CLP Blog Tours. Her debut novel One Pink Line, is a must-read. I absolutely adored this book, and will be adding it to my Favorites List. Readers follow the lives of Sydney and Grace – Sydney a college senior who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant, and Grace, a young girl who finds out her family isn’t what she always thought it was. I really don’t want to give too much away with my review, because there is a little twist about halfway through the story that made me go from liking this book to loving it. Silver writes with a lot of heart, and I could easily connect with both Sydney and Grace. I would give this book a five star review, but there was a handful of editing mistakes that I caught – including “waived” instead of “waved” but overall this is a great book. I highly recommend!
[Rating: 4.5]
