Books à la Mode | a book, beauty, and fashion blog: Little Bird

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Monday, November 5, 2018

Interview with JoAnn Ross, Author of Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane + Giveaway (cont. US only)

Today I'd like to welcome JoAnn Ross to the blog to celebrate the exciting release of Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane, the latest installment in the Honeymoon Harbor series from HQN Books, a Harlequin imprint!

Welcome to Books à la Mode, JoAnn! Let's get this interview started.

Will you please share a brief introduction with us?

When New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross was seven-years-old, she had no doubt whatsoever that she’d grow up to play center field for the New York Yankees. Writing would be her backup occupation, something she planned to do after retiring from baseball. Those were, in her mind, her only options. While waiting for the Yankees management to call, she wrote her first novella—a tragic romance about two star-crossed mallard ducks—for a second grade writing assignment.

The paper earned a gold star. And JoAnn kept writing.

She’s now written over one hundred novels and has been published in twenty-six countries. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs. A member of the Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she’s won several awards, including RT Reviews’ Career Achievement Awards in both category romance and contemporary single title. In addition, she received RWA’s national service award and was named RWA Pro-Mentor of the Year.

Although the Yankees have yet to call her to New York to platoon center field, JoAnn figures making one out of two life goals isn’t bad.

Currently writing her Honeymoon Harbor series (set on Washington State’s Olympic peninsula) for HQN, JoAnn lives with her high school sweetheart, whom she married twice, in her beloved Pacific Northwest.

It's amazing to get to feature you today! Readers, here's a bit about the book, which just hit shelves last week:

Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, Jolene Wells is forever indebted to the mother who encouraged her to fly—all the way to sunny LA and a world away from Honeymoon Harbor.

Although Jolene vowed never to look back, returning home isn’t even a question when her mom faces a cancer scare. Which means running into Aiden Mannion all over town, the first boy she ever loved—and lost—and whom she can barely look in the eye.

Aiden’s black-sheep reputation may have diminished when he joined the marines, but everything he’s endured since has left him haunted. Back in Honeymoon Harbor to heal, he’s talked into the interim role of police chief, and the irony isn’t lost on the locals, least of all Aiden. But seeing Jolene after all these years is the unexpected breath of fresh air he’s been missing. He’s never forgotten her through all his tours, but he’s not sure anymore that he’s the man she deserves.

Despite the secret they left between them all those years ago, snow is starting to fall on their picturesque little town, making anything seem possible... maybe even a second chance at first love.

The hero of this novel is Aiden Mannion, an LAPD officer who’s returned to his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor, Washington, after losing his partner in the line of duty. Can you tell us a bit about Aiden and where the inspiration for his character came from?

Redemption stories are one of my favorite themes, and I enjoy the dichotomy of a bad boy character who’d landed in trouble when he was younger, ending up on the other side of the badge. Aiden was always a good guy at heart, and it’s possible that if he’d been born first of the brothers, he might have been the Boy Scout overachiever. But since Quinn had already claimed that role, Aiden chose to be the exact opposite. For all his youthful digressions, he’s a caretaker, a fixer of the broken: animals, people, kids in jeopardy, which made his transition from the military to law enforcement a natural choice. So, since Honeymoon Harbor needed a police chief, he was the perfect guy for the job.

When Aiden returns to Honeymoon Harbor, he soon crosses paths with his old flame, Jolene Wells, who has had a successful career as a Hollywood makeup artist in the years since they both went their separate ways. Jolene is such a wonderful female character with such an interesting backstory—how did you go about writing and shaping her character?

I once spent a week on a jury. The defendant was a career thief. He didn’t seem to be a very bad guy, but for some reason, he’d chosen burglary as his day job. As it turned out, he wasn’t very smart or good at it, because the last day of the trial, the prosecutor showed a slide revealing years of arrests for petty crimes. Never any against people. Then a police officer testified how, when the defendant had been captured after a car chase through three counties, he’d explained that he’d only had to steal that car because he’d hurt his leg running from the initial cops who were after him, and couldn’t keep running with a twisted knee while carrying a TV. He’s stayed with me for years, and when I knew Jolene would be a subject of bullying, I needed to give her a less-than-model family. And there he was again.

I also grew up in a small Pacific Northwest town not much larger than Honeymoon Harbor and know firsthand that there aren’t any secrets. Once my high school boyfriend, now husband, was driving from my house to his, which took about twenty minutes. By the time he got home, three people had called his mom to tell her he’d been speeding. High school can be a gauntlet for many people, so I could imagine how difficult it would have been for Jolene, with all the gossip about her family, and having to wear clothing the mean girls couldn’t resist pointing out had been theirs, donated by their mothers to the thrift shop. Which is how she’d come to take on her vintage style that serendipitously started her on a road to Hollywood success.

I knew she’d have to be a very strong person. I also wanted her to have a close, almost sisterly relationship with her mother who’d gotten pregnant in her teens. I’ll willingly admit that Gloria and Jolene’s relationship is a great deal like Lorelai and Rory’s from Gilmore Girls, which has always been one of my comfort TV shows to watch. And re-watch. Part of Jolene’s strength comes watching Gloria overcoming so many obstacles and managing to support their small family during some very hard times. When it came time for Jolene to support Gloria, she was right there, as her mom had always been for her. Both women managed to overcome hardships and create successful lives on their own terms, making it a joy to write their scenes together.

I have to ask, what’s next for you? Are you working on more Honeymoon Harbor novels? If so, can you give us some hints about what readers can look forward to next?

Yes! Thank you for asking! I’m writing Summer on Mirror Lake, which will be out next summer. This is Aiden Mannion and Chelsea Prescott’s story. Aiden has been working on Wall Street, making millions, when an sudden life event sends him back home to Honeymoon Harbor, where, despite his efforts to hide out as a hermit on Mirror Lake outside town before returning to Manhattan at summer’s end, Chelsea, the town’s unrelentingly optimistic, enthusiastic librarian, keeps dragging him into community projects. These two opposites are great fun together.

There’s also a very special secondary character that I’ve been wanting to write for years, and this book finally proved to be a perfect fit for Jim Olson. And yes, that’s what he named himself. ☺

How exciting! Where can you be found on the web?

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you better today, JoAnn! Thank you again for dropping by, and best of luck with future endeavors!

Giveaway!

Books à la Mode is giving away one print copy of Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane—woohoo! To enter, all you have to do is tell me:

Have you ever been close with anyone who has or had cancer?

Please make your comment MEANINGFUL. Comments solely consisting of stock responses or irrelevant fluff like "Thanks for the giveaway!" will not be considered for entry. JoAnn and I really want to hear your thoughts! :)

Both my great-grandmothers on my mom's side passed away from cancer. I only knew one of them well.

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the tour publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks over at Little Bird Publicity!
Giveaway ends November 19th at 11.59 PM (your time).

Open to continental US residents only—sorry, everyone else! Please check my sidebar for a list of currently running giveaways that are open worldwide. There are plenty to choose from!
Void where prohibited.

Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize once they are chosen, or else their winnings will be forfeited.
Although I do randomly select winners, I am in no way responsible for prizes, nor for shipping and handling.
As a reminder, you do not have to follow my blog to enter, though it is always very much appreciated ❤

Good luck!

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Interview with RaeAnne Thayne, Author of Season of Wonder + Giveaway (cont. US only)

Today I'd like to welcome RaeAnne Thayne back to the blog to celebrate the exciting release of Season of Wonder, the latest installment in the Haven Point series from HQN Books, a Harlequin imprint!

Welcome to Books à la Mode, RaeAnne! Let's get this interview started.

Will you please share a brief introduction with us?

I’m not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer.

Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged.

After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist.

Through it all—through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor—I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love.

I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try—their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 40 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s-it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing.

I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains.

Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.

It's amazing to get to feature you today! Readers, here's a bit about the book, which will hits shelves today:

He’s giving her children a season of wonder...

Dani Capelli seized a chance to start over in a small town with her daughters. Now, facing her first Christmas in Haven Point, she wonders if leaving New York was a mistake. Dani loves working alongside veterinarian Dr. Morales, but her two children aren’t adjusting to small-town life. And then there’s Dr. Morales’s son, Ruben—Dani’s next-door neighbor. Gorgeous, muscled and dependable, the deputy sheriff is everything she secretly craves and can’t bear to risk loving... and losing.

Ruben never pictured himself falling for a big-city woman like Dani. But beneath her prickly facade, she’s caring and softhearted and she needs all the love and protection he can give. When Dani’s teenage daughter starts acting out, Ruben draws on family traditions to show the girls just how magical a Haven Point Christmas can be. But can he convince Dani that she’s found a home for the holidays—and forever—in his arms?

Readers will be thrilled to see that you are back with another Haven Point novel—and just in time for the holiday season! Can you tell us a little about this book and what readers can expect from it?

Season of Wonder is about taking risks and finding the courage to embrace new possibilities. When a veterinarian and single mom from Queens moves her two daughters to Haven Point, the unique family struggles to find a place in the small Idaho town. The book features a feisty heroine, a hero I adored writing, an angsty teenager and her adorable sister. There’s no better place to spend the holidays than Haven Point!

The heroine of this novel is Daniela Capelli, a newcomer to Haven Point and a single mother with a dark past. Can you tell us a bit about Dani and where the inspiration for her character came from?

I have so much admiration for people who have made poor choices in the past, sometimes because of circumstances thrust upon them, but still have the spark inside them to want something different for themselves and for their children. Dani came from a tough childhood, orphaned at a young age and thrust into foster care. As a hurt, angry, lost teenager, she did things she later regretted. Through hard work and grit—and the help of others along the way—she managed to reach her personal dreams and become a veterinarian. She wants to raise her daughters in a place where the whole family can finally put down roots and feel part of something.

Ruben Morales is the hero of Season of Wonder, and in addition to being a charming Haven Point sheriff’s deputy, he is also the son of Dani’s boss—and her next-door neighbor! Can you tell us a little more about Ruben and what makes him a good fit for Dani?

I fell in love with Ruben when I introduced him in a previous book, Snowfall on Haven Point. He had a very minor role in that one but I knew the moment he stepped onto the page that one day I would write his book. Ruben is a decent, dedicated law enforcement officer who cares about his family, his friends and the people he serves. When Dani’s oldest daughter Silver gets into trouble, Ruben is the first one who has her back and tries to help her learn from her mistakes. Because of her own past mistakes, Dani is drawn to that core of decency in Ruben and the compassion he shows to those around him. From the moment Dani arrives in Haven Point, Ruben is smitten with her, but it takes her a little longer to trust her heart.

Much of the tension in this novel centers around Dani’s troubled past and secrets she is trying to keep buried. What would you like readers to take away from this novel in terms of dealing with past demons and coming to terms with the past?

Dani carries a big burden, one she is afraid will ruin any chance she and her daughters have at finding a place in Haven Point. She carries a great deal of pain and guilt from choices that weren’t her own. At one point, after she finally finds the courage to tell Ruben the truth, he tells her that some people will definitely judge her for the mistakes made by someone she once loved. Those who do aren’t people she needs in her life. I think that is a powerful reminder not to waste this precious time we have here on this earth trying to impress people we don’t need in our lives anyway.

Another major theme in this novel is starting over—which is often harder than it looks! What made you want to write a story about a single mother who is looking for a fresh start for her and her daughters, and what did you learn about “turning over a new leaf” while writing this book?

I don’t know if I learned this lesson but it was a reminder to me that everyone is fighting a hard battle. We don’t always know the difficulties people have overcome or the challenges they still face, so my essential message is to be kind always. Sometimes a smile or a freely offered hand of friendship can make all the difference to someone trying to re-invent and re-imagine him—or herself.

A lovely and fitting title indeed! Where can you be found on the web?

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you better today, RaeAnne! Thank you again for dropping by, and best of luck with future endeavors!

Giveaway!

Books à la Mode is giving away one print copy of Season of Wonder—woohoo! To enter, all you have to do is tell me:

What is a law you wish you could change?

Please make your comment MEANINGFUL. Comments solely consisting of stock responses or irrelevant fluff like "Thanks for the giveaway!" will not be considered for entry. RaeAnne and I really want to hear your thoughts! :)

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the tour publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks over at Little Bird Publicity!
Giveaway ends October 9th at 11.59 PM (your time).

Good luck!

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

The Hawkweed Legacy by Irena Brignull Giveaway (continental US only)

The Hawkweed Legacy (The Hawkweed Prophecy #2)
Irena Brignull
from Hachette // HBG

From screenwriter Irena Brignull, the stunning sequel to her critically acclaimed YA debut, The Hawkweed Prophecy about a young witch forced to choose between love and magic.

Poppy is discovering a purpose for her powers in Africa, but she is haunted by a vision of her own death. Taken in by a boy and his great-grandmother, a healer, they vow to keep her safe-even if that ultimately means holding her captive. But Poppy never stops longing for Leo and, when she feels his magic begin to spark, she will do anything to be reunited with him.

Desperate to regain Poppy’s trust and bring her home, Charlock embarks on a plan to reunite Leo with his mother. What Charlock doesn’t foresee are the string of consequences that she sets into motion that leave Ember all alone and prey to manipulation, the clan open to attack from other witches, Sorrel vulnerable to Raven’s ghost, Betony determined to protect her son from his father’s fate, and which leave both Leo and Poppy in terrible danger.

Giveaway!

Books à la Mode is giving away one print copy of The Hawkweed Legacy—yay!!

To enter, all you have to do is tell me, just for fun:

What is your astrological sign? Do you fit its description?

I am a Leo-Virgo cusp. Most charts categorize me as a Leo but I've never fully identified with being "king of the jungle." In fact, most of the time I prefer not to be in the spotlight. When I learned that my birthday is on the cusp between the Leo/Virgo cutoff, it made so much more sense to me!

Please make your comment MEANINGFUL. Comments solely consisting of stock responses or irrelevant fluff like "Thanks for the giveaway!" will not be considered for entry. Irena and I really want to hear from you guys! :)

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks at Little Bird Publicity!

Giveaway ends September 12th at 11.59 PM (your time).

Open to continental US readers only. Sorry, everyone else! Please check my sidebar for a list of currently running giveaways that are open internationally. There are plenty to choose from!

Void where prohibited.

As a reminder, you do not have to follow my blog to enter, though it is always very much appreciated ❤

Good luck!

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Interview with Meg Waite Clayton, Author of Beautiful Exiles + Giveaway (cont. US only)

Today I'd like to welcome Meg Waite Clayton to the blog to celebrate the exciting release of Beautiful Exiles from Lake Union, an Amazon imprint!

Welcome to Books à la Mode, Meg! Let's get this interview started.

Will you please share a brief introduction with us?

I’ve written for the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Runner’s World and public radio, often on the subject of the particular challenges women face.

I was born in Washington D.C., and have since lived in Kansas City, the Chicago area (norther suburbs), Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Nashville, Baltimore, Nashville, and Palo Alto. I love to travel, so my books tend to be set in places I find fascinating: France (The Race for Paris), the English Lakes (The Wednesday Daughters), Ann Arbor and the Chesapeake (The Four Ms. Bradwells), Silicon Valley (The Wednesday Sisters), and the horse country of Maryland (The Language of Light).

It's amazing to get to feature you today! Readers, here's a bit about the book, which will hits shelves today:

From New York Times bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton comes a riveting novel based on one of the most volatile and intoxicating real-life love affairs of the twentieth century.

Key West, 1936. Headstrong, accomplished journalist Martha Gellhorn is confident with words but less so with men when she meets disheveled literary titan Ernest Hemingway in a dive bar. Their friendship—forged over writing, talk, and family dinners—flourishes into something undeniable in Madrid while they’re covering the Spanish Civil War.

Martha reveres him. The very married Hemingway is taken with Martha—her beauty, her ambition, and her fearless spirit. And as Hemingway tells her, the most powerful love stories are always set against the fury of war. The risks are so much greater. They’re made for each other.

With their romance unfolding as they travel the globe, Martha establishes herself as one of the world’s foremost war correspondents, and Hemingway begins the novel that will win him the Nobel Prize for Literature. Beautiful Exiles is a stirring story of lovers and rivals, of the breathless attraction to power and fame, and of one woman—ahead of her time—claiming her own identity from the wreckage of love.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million

While this novel is a work of fiction, you wrote about one of the household names in world literature, Ernest Hemingway, and narrated through the eyes of his third wife Martha Gellhorn, a lifelong journalist, war correspondent, and author. What was your motivation and inspiration for writing about Martha, and what do you want readers to take away from her story?

Like every other poor high school English student in this country, I slogged through The Old Man and the Sea long before I’d ever heard of The Trouble I’ve Seen or A Stricken Field. But I came to this story through Martha Gellhorn: I read about how she became one of the only journalists to go ashore in the early moments of the Normandy invasion, and I was hooked.

The Reader’s Digest condensed version of that story would go something like this: Denied an official opportunity to go across with the D-Day landing ships because she was female, Marty hid in the loo of the first hospital ship to cross the channel and went ashore with a stretcher crew to cover the landing in a brilliant article for Collier’s. As reward for her bravery, she was taken into custody, stripped of her press credential, and confined to a nurses’ training camp. But Marty, being Marty, hopped the fence and hitched a ride on a plane headed to Italy, where she continued do some of the best reporting to come out of the war even without her credential or any official support. Really, how can you not want to know more about how Marty became Marty?

So began an obsession for me. When I heard Caroline Moorehead’s Martha Gellhorn: A Life, was to be published in October of 2003, I dug around to find a prepublication copy, which has long been underlined and dog-eared and loved to bits. I read her books, her articles, her letters. I visited places she’d been and tried to imagine being her, tried to learn everything I could. I discovered, among other things, that that first version of the D-Day story was a bit of an exaggeration: she didn’t hop that fence—she rolled under it. I also discovered that she had been the lead correspondent for Collier’s until a man snagged the position from her—and that man was her husband, Ernest Hemingway.

For me, a novel is a long part of my life, all-consuming often for years. I can’t write a book “to order,” and don’t want to. As Marty writes in an August 1940 letter to Charles Scribner, in explanation for why she is turning down a contract to write a book for Scribner’s, “I could not do a book (a book, Charlie, think of the high pile of bare white paper that you have in front of you before there is even the beginning of a book), unless I believed awfully hard in it. Unless I wanted to do it so much that I could sweat through the dissatisfaction and weariness and failure and all the rest you have to sweat through.”

I’ve been mopping the sweat from this one for a long time. My hope for what began as one of those high piles of white paper is that it will introduce others to the truly extraordinary Martha Gellhorn.

Gellhorn came into her professional own during a time when women journalists weren’t given the support or respect they deserved. That great story about her literally skirting a fence to get out of the nurses’ compound where military officials had her staying since she was a female, not male, war reporter. How did Gellhorn’s early work, her grit and determination, impact the future of journalism and reporting for women in the field?

Marty was not the first woman to cover war; as early as 1848, Margaret Fuller was covering an uprising in Italy for the New York Tribune, and when Martha set off for France in 1930, determined to become a foreign correspondent, Sigrid Schultz was in her fifth year as the Chicago Tribune’s bureau chief in Berlin, where Dorothy Thompson would interview Hitler the following year.

But there is a bit of a pivot in the progress of women journalists that really comes in the days between D- Day in June of 1944 and the liberation of Paris later that summer. Before the liberation of Paris, women journalists were officially forbidden to cover the front. But starting with that moment Martha stows away in that hospital ship to cross the channel, women journalists begin to see that to cover the front they are going to have to go AWOL from support positions to get to the actual war, climb fences meant to contain them, and risk their lives. Despite being confronted with red tape and derision, denied accommodations provided to their male colleagues at press camps, pursued by military police, and even arrested and stripped of credentials, women like Martha—and others including Lee Carson, Helen Kirkpatrick, Iris Carpenter, Ruth Cowan, and Lee Miller—proved that women could report the war, and do a damned good job of it. They did such a good job that, beginning that fall, the powers that be began to accredit women journalists to the front—opening up the future for generations of women journalists.

On your website, you say: “If I had to pick a single word to describe what makes me a writer, it would be discipline.” You portray Hemingway to have a similar sense of discipline, as he sits down for hours or even days at a time to get his ideas punched into his typewriter. Gellhorn, on the other hand, seems less regimented, writing much more freely in the thick of war-torn Spain or France than she does at home in Cuba. How do you think their approaches to writing speaks to differences in their character? Do you feel you identify with one of them more than the other, based on the method in which you write?

There is a very funny passage in a February 24, 1940 letter from Ernest to his publisher, Charles Scribner, in which Hemingway explains to Charlie—who, having gotten wind of the fact that Hemingway counts his words every day, worries his best writer is going batty. Ernest writes, “Don’t worry about the words. I’ve been doing that since 1921. I always count them when I knock off and am drinking the first whiskey and soda. Guess I got in the habit writing dispatches.” And in another, a September 3, 1930 letter to his editor, Max Perkins, he writes, “I have to stick to one thing when I’m writing a book and keep that in my head and nothing else.”

I completely identify with him on this, although perhaps with a little less whiskey in the mix. Writing- habit-wise, I’m far more Hemingwayesque, right down to the word counting. When I am writing first draft, my rule is 2,000 words or 2:00. If I’ve written 2,000 words by 9 a.m., I can turn on the tellie and pull out the bon-bons. But actually, if I have 2,000 words by 9 a.m., Mac has to come haul me out of my chair for dinner, because that is a great writing day.

It did make me feel a little saner to read that Hemingway counted words, and weighed himself each morning, as I also do, although I would never display my weight on a wall. But hmmm… Perhaps it should leave me more worried about my sanity?

The novel’s title, Beautiful Exiles, can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. What sentiment were you hoping to capture in this title?

I have to say choosing a title for a book, at least for me, is more feel than logic, so take what follows here with that in mind. The working title for this book was Mookie & Bug—two of the nicknames Marty and Ernest called each other—but my agent felt that title suggested a young adult novel, which this is decidedly not. But retitling a finished manuscript is a bit like renaming a fully-grown child just as she is submitting her college applications. I love the new title, but one part of me will always think of this novel as Mookie & Bug.

Trying to parse it logically, I suppose Marty was a bit of an exile on her own, exiled by the expectations that came with being from a prominent St. Louis family, and by her complicated relationship with her father. But the word also felt right because Marty and Ernest together are essentially exiled by his fame. When they are first falling in love, he is already famous enough that in the U.S. they would be hounded by photographers. How can you possibly sort out a relationship in that glare? They go to Cuba for the privacy it affords them to sort out whether they even really want a relationship.

The thing about Ernest and Marty’s exile is that in many ways, for many years, it worked for them. They did have the privacy to sort out how they felt about each other outside the glare of the press, for the most part. And the place they created together—the Finca Vigía—is really beautiful. And then they were a beautiful couple, and beautiful writers. In the end and despite everything, I don’t think either of them ever loved anyone more. Their relationship was stormy, but I think their best work—for both of them—came out of their years together. So “beautiful”—I liked the double meaning: they are beautiful exiles, and their exile together allowed them to write beautifully, the kind of writing that they both wanted more than anything else.

A lovely and fitting title indeed! Where can you be found on the web?

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you better today, Meg! Thank you again for dropping by, and best of luck with future endeavors!

Giveaway!

Books à la Mode is giving away one print copy of Beautiful Exiles—woohoo! To enter, all you have to do is tell me:

Do you travel a lot? How has travel affected your life?

Please make your comment MEANINGFUL. Comments solely consisting of stock responses or irrelevant fluff like "Thanks for the giveaway!" will not be considered for entry. Meg and I really want to hear your thoughts! :)

I only really travel for leisure, and I wish I had time to do more of it. I envy those who get to travel for business, although I'm sure it does get exhausting! Traveling has definitely made me a cooler person, giving me exposure to new cultures and perspectives, as well as having entertaining stories to tell.

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the tour publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks over at Little Bird Publicity!
Giveaway ends August 15th at 11.59 PM (your time).

Good luck!

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Interview with Robert Dugoni, Author of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell + Giveaway (US only)

I'd like to welcome Robert Dugoni to the blog today to celebrate the exciting release of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell from Lake Union, an Amazon imprint!

Welcome to Books à la Mode, Robert! Let's get this interview started.

Will you please share a brief introduction with us?

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and #1 Kindle bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series, which has sold millions of copies worldwide. Dugoni is also the author of the bestselling David Sloane series as well as the stand-alone novels The 7th Canon (a 2017 finalist for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for best novel), The Cyanide Canary (a Washington Post Best Book of the Year), and several short stories. He is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction, and the Friends of Mystery, Spotted Owl Award for the best novel in the Pacific Northwest. He is a two time finalist for the International Thriller Writers award and the Mystery Writers of America Award for best novel.

His books are sold worldwide in more than 25 countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages including French, German, Italian and Spanish.

It's amazing to get to feature you today! Readers, here's a bit about the book, which will hits shelves today:

From #1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends.

Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.

Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.

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At its core, Sam Hill’s story is about how to deal with life’s many challenges. For Sam, this takes many forms: cashing in on his “prayer bank,” hiding his condition behind brown contact lenses, and eventually standing up to a bully, to name a few. What do you want your readers to take away from this novel about overcoming struggles and handling adversity?

Mainly, that we all have struggles, that we all face adversity, but that none of us is alone, and there will always be another day if we choose to find it. Too often, I think, we feel alone and we let our problems overwhelm us. We’re embarrassed to share them. We think it will reflect poorly on us as a whole, that people will shun us and treat us as different. Struggles and adversity are two things that bond us as human beings because they are universal. What we all need to accept is there are problems we can work to solve, and there are problems that our out of our control, like my brother being born with Down Syndrome. Those problems that are out of our control we have to accept and trust that they exist for a reason, whether we can see that reason or not.

You chose to tackle a difficult subject—religion—and paint it in many different lights. Madeline is the devout Catholic who looks to the Blessed Mother for intervention. Sister Beatrice should be the model Catholic but is wrestling her own demons. Mickey and Ernie reject, or at least ignore, their Catholic upbringing. And Sam falls somewhere in between: he questions his belief frequently, but always remembers his mother’s words that everything is “God’s will.” Is there any underlying message about faith you wanted to convey through your characters?

Religion is complicated. Organized religion is something that is perpetuated by men and women and those men and women are fallible. Faith is not religion. Religion is tangible, with its sacraments and its rituals and its masses. Faith is intangible. You can’t touch it. You can’t prove there is or is not a God. You just have to believe or not believe.

During the writing of the novel I was searching for that one thread that would pull a reader through the story to the very end, and I found that thread as I drove my family to church. What does Sam Hill want more than anything else in the world? He wants what we all want. He wants to believe. He wants to believe there is a God, and that all his trials and tribulations have a purpose. He wants to believe that his life is pre-destined, that he will lead the extraordinary life his mother so steadfastly believes in. We all want that to some extent. Faith is also a gift. Some of us receive it from parents or spouses, some from friends, and some directly from God. Some never receive that gift, but live extraordinary lives just the same. I’ve always said that if I had to choose between faith and religion, I’d choose faith.

One of the most common topics in the media lately has been race relations in America, and much of that coverage hearkens back to the Civil Right Movement of the 1960s, the same time period in which the first half of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is set. You of course address this at various points in the book, as Sam’s friendship with Ernie unfolds due to him being the only African American student in school. And yet, this is not a story solely or primarily concerned with race. Did you think about the race relation issue when you were writing about Ernie and his friendship with Sam?

I did. What I wanted to show was that Ernie was not black to Sam. Ernie was just Ernie, a kid who wanted to be Sam’s friend. Sam looked past the color of Ernie’s skin and Ernie looked past the color of Sam’s eyes to see the beautiful person within. That is what made them so close, because there were no pretenses or pre-conceived notions of the other. They were just two little boys looking for someone to be their friend and they found each other.

At the same time, race cannot be ignored, just as the color of Sam’s eyes cannot be ignored. It is prevalent throughout the United States, and especially back then. So I wanted to create scenes to let the reader know and understand the very real struggles Ernie faced on a daily basis, despite the willingness of some to accept him because of his athletic ability, and later because of his business acumen. I’ve had African American roommates and friends who told me that racism does not disappear simply because a person is a good athlete or a good student. Others are just more adept at hiding it to get what they want out of that person.

This novel falls into an entirely separate genre from your Tracy Crosswhite and David Sloane books, which are all thrillers. What did you most enjoy about writing in a different style of fiction? Did you have any particular challenges in writing this novel that you haven’t faced in your others?

This was the novel I always wanted to write, a story of the heart. I didn’t try to change anything I’ve learned that is crucial to the success of all novels. Readers want to read about great characters doing extraordinary things. Sometimes those novels are thrillers, mysteries, Westerns, or romances. I read, and I enjoy all kinds of books if those books allow me to become a part of the story, to step into the shoes of the character and feel what that character is feeling. I loved being able to write Sam in first person, and I loved finding out how everyone else revolved around him and his life. The challenge for me was not to overwrite the book in narrative, to show and not tell, so that the reader could completely immerse him or herself in the story.

What’s next for you?

The sixth book in the Tracy Crosswhite series is coming in June 2018. A Steep Price is also a very personal story for Tracy and the detectives that are a part of the Violent Crimes Section’s A-Team. It touches on difficult issues of arranged marriages, breast cancer, and seeking justice for those innocent victims of crime.

I’m also working on a novel loosely based upon two true stories. Charles Jenkins, the ex-CIA agent from the David Sloane series finds himself drawn back into the agency and sent to Russia to hunt down an elusive spy responsible for the deaths of several double agents. Instead he finds himself running for his life and desperately trying to escape—only to return to the United States and be put on trial for treason. It’s one of those books in which the reader can never be certain about anything.

Very exciting! Where can you be found on the web?

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you better today, Robert! Thank you again for dropping by, and best of luck with future endeavors!

Giveaway!

Books à la Mode is giving away one print copy of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell—woohoo! To enter, all you have to do is tell me:

What is extraordinary or unique about your life?

Please make your comment MEANINGFUL. Comments solely consisting of stock responses or irrelevant fluff like "Thanks for the giveaway!" will not be considered for entry. Robert and I really want to hear your thoughts! :)

What's extraordinary about my life is how I was born into and raised in two separate cultures, and that has shaped my ability to be open-minded and conscientious as an adult.

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the tour publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks over at Little Bird Publicity!
Giveaway ends May 8th at 11.59 PM (your time).

Good luck!

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Interview with Robyn Carr, Author of The Family Gathering + Giveaway (US only)

I'd like to welcome Robyn Carr to the blog today to celebrate the exciting release of the 3rd installment of the Sullivan's Crossing series, The Family Gathering from MIRA, a Harlequin imprint!

Welcome to Books à la Mode, Robyn! Let's get this interview started.

Will you please share a brief introduction with us?

Robyn Carr was a young mother of two in the mid-1970s when she started writing fiction, an Air Force wife, educated as a nurse, whose husband’s frequent assignment changes made it difficult for her to work in her profession. Little did the aspiring novelist know then, as she wrote with babies on her lap, that she would become one of the world’s most popular authors of romance and women’s fiction, that 11 of her novels would earn the #1 berth on the New York Times bestselling books list.

Robyn and her now-retired husband enjoy traveling, often taking research trips together. Their children are grown—her son is an Army surgeon; her daughter, a police detective/hostage negotiator. Robyn says that, in addition to reading her novels and making snide remarks about how she’s used family scenarios to her advantage, they have made her a happy grandmother.

It's amazing to get to feature you today! Readers, here's a bit about the book, which just hit shelves yesterday:

An exceptional storyteller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr beautifully captures the emotionally charged, complex dynamics that come with being part of any family. Readers will laugh and shed a few tears as they discover what it means to be loved, supported and accepted by the people who mean the most.

Having left the military, Dakota Jones is at a crossroads in his life. With his elder brother and youngest sister happily settled in Sullivan’s Crossing, he shows up hoping to clear his head before moving on to his next adventure. But, like every visitor to the Crossing, he’s immediately drawn to the down-to-earth people and the seemingly simple way of life.

Dakota is unprepared for how quickly things get complicated. As a newcomer, he is on everyone’s radar—especially the single women in town. While he enjoys the attention at first, he’s really only attracted to the one woman who isn’t interested. And spending quality time with his siblings is eye-opening. As he gets to know them, he also gets to know himself and what he truly wants.

When all the Jones siblings gather for a family wedding, the four adults are drawn together for the first time in a way they never were as children. As they struggle to accept each other, warts and all, the true nature and strength of their bond is tested. But all of them come to realize that your family are the people who see you for who you really are and love you anyway. And for Dakota, that truth allows him to find the home and family he’s always wanted.

When the book opens, Dakota has been keeping his distance from his family for a number of years, both because he’s been serving in the military and also because of his wandering, lone wolf nature. What is it that ultimately makes him want to reconnect with his siblings and settle down a bit?

He hasn’t had a lot of time for visiting, obviously, and he didn’t rely on his family, though he cared about his siblings and stayed in touch, but once he got out of the Army he decided to visit his brother and sister since they were both in the same Colorado town. He could immediately see they had built stable, functional lives for themselves, a long way from the way they all grew up. They had formed solid relationships. The people they associated with her also stable and functional. It seemed like a good idea to stay a few months to see if he could find stability and happiness of his own so he gets a job. No sooner does the idea form than he meets Sidney Shandon, a bartender in her brother’s pub, and he is immediately taken with her. Besides being pretty, he recognizes her intelligence, humor and independent nature. She is adamant that she won’t date which might even add to the intrigue.

Can you tell us a little about the title of the book? What does it mean for Dakota, and what can readers expect from this particular family gathering?

The Jones siblings are members of a fractured family, having gone their separate ways and built their individual lives as best they can, going off in different directions. Now, with Dakota’s arrival, three of the four of them live in the same town and they begin to get to know each other for the first time in years. They’re very different from the kids who grew up in a converted school bus on their grandmother’s farm. Twenty years later they’ve all changed and they’ve each had to make peace with their childhood traumas. And in getting to know each other as adults, they begin to accept and respect each other, warts and all. Dakota had never counted on his family, they had never counted on him, but all that is about to change.

Sullivan’s Crossing is such a special setting for this series—what’s your favorite part of writing about this town, and do you discover new things about it with each new book?

Colorado really has it all—quaint small towns like Timberlake, the fictional town nearest Sullivan’s Crossing, big cities like Denver and Colorado Springs, chi-chi expensive skiing towns, lots of cattle land and the majestic Rockies. I’ve been building the town since the first book and new people and businesses keep popping up, new stories and characters to explore. In The Family Gathering we meet the amazing Sidney Shandon and her brother who owns the pub where she tends bar. The wildlife is amazing – elk everywhere, sometimes crowding the streets! It’s a wonderful place for outdoorsy types to hike and camp—the beauty of the mountains holds dangers, giving the place that edge of excitement. I can’t wait to see who I meet next. Would you have expected a stalker in Timberlake or Sullivan’s Crossing? Anything can happen!

One of our favorite new characters in this book is Sidney, the wildly intelligent Sullivan’s Crossing bartender who catches Dakota’s eye. What can you tell readers about her character?

Ah, Sid. She’s a PhD in quantum physics, but she doesn’t share that with the good folks of Timberlake. After a crushing divorce, she needs time to be Just Sid, someone who can have ordinary friends, do a regular job, get strong again. So, she has been living with her brother Rob, the single father of two teenage boys. He owns the pub where she tends bar, where most of the patrons know each other, where all the first responders like to stop for dinner. She has taken a break from the UCLA computer lab to massage her personality and form friendships; she has, as a bartender, developed a wicked quick wit. And she doesn’t have any interest in dating. Another relationship or, God Forbid, marriage is just too risky. The way her 7 year marriage ended just about killed her. And she’s very happy living with her nephews, working with her brother. Of course this refusal to date makes her all that much more desirable to Dakota. Did I mention Dakota is hot? Getting a date has never been a problem... till Sid.

By the way, Sid has these stunning though secret credentials and Dakota’s job? He’s driving a garbage truck for the county. They are both, in their private ways, so defiant. I love that.

You’ve penned over 40 novels—many of them debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list!—throughout your impressive career. Where do you get your ideas, and what helps to keep you feeling inspired after all these years?

If you’re focused and always thinking about the story, ideas miraculously come. At least once in every book I think I’ve finally tapped out, that I have no ideas left. Two hours or two days later, I know what to do. I think working everyday generates that. I demand a lot of myself, I work hard, but my writing is my companion—I’d be so lost without it. It’s my best friend and confidant, it’s more than a job or pastime. It’s where I live out my dreams and fears and hopes for the world. I have a chance to create the kind of world I’d like to live in, where people are good to each other and angry and evil people are rejected.

I am inspired because I want to be inspirational. And I learned a long time ago to never underestimate the power of gratitude. When I find myself becoming cynical or ungrateful I write about people who, no matter how stiff and difficult the obstacles, forge ahead. I get to create characters who deserve happiness. Their journey is never easy but so worth the battle. Can you think of a better job? I can’t.

What’s next for you?

I’m at work on the 4th Sullivan’s Crossing novel right now and let me tell you, there are some lovely surprises in store for my readers. There is so much love being negotiated that it seems as if Cupid shot an arrow right into Sullivan’s Crossing. The central characters are two that were just introduced in The Family Gathering but all your favorite characters—California, Maggie, Sierra, Connie, and Sully of course—will be back, all up in each other’s business as ever. We don’t have a title yet but it will be released in January 2019. Then in the spring of 2019 another stand alone women’s fiction, also untitled.

Very exciting! Where can you be found on the web?

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you better today, Robyn! Thank you again for dropping by, and best of luck with future endeavors!

Giveaway!

Books à la Mode is giving away one print copy of The Family Gathering—woohoo! To enter, all you have to do is tell me:

When is the last time you had a large family gathering? How did it go?

Please make your comment MEANINGFUL. Comments solely consisting of stock responses or irrelevant fluff like "Thanks for the giveaway!" will not be considered for entry. Robyn and I really want to hear your thoughts! :)

Over the winter, I went on a trip to Vietnam with my entire mom's side of the family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins). It was extremely fun!

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the tour publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks over at Little Bird Publicity!
Giveaway ends May 2nd at 11.59 PM (your time).