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.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

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?

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

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!

Top 5 Ways Fact Meets Fiction in The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos + Giveaway (US only)

The Girl They Left Behind
Roxanne Veletzos
from Atria Books // Simon & Schuster

A sweeping family saga and love story that offers a vivid and unique portrayal of life in war-torn 1941 Bucharest and life behind the Iron Curtain during the Soviet Union occupation—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah’s Key.

On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest. With Romania recently allied with the Nazis, the Jewish population is in grave danger, undergoing increasingly violent persecution. The girl is placed in an orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name her Natalia. As she assimilates into her new life, she all but forgets the parents who were forced to leave her behind. They are even further from her mind when Romania falls under Soviet occupation.

Yet, as Natalia comes of age in a bleak and hopeless world, traces of her identity pierce the surface of her everyday life, leading gradually to a discovery that will change her destiny. She has a secret crush on Victor, an intense young man who as an impoverished student befriended her family long ago. Years later, when Natalia is in her early twenties and working at a warehouse packing fruit, she and Victor, now an important official in the Communist regime, cross paths again. This time they are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles swirling around them and Victor’s dark secrets.

When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance to finally live life on her own terms, and to confront the painful enigma of her past.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

Exclusive Interview with Peter Stone, Author of The Perfect Candidate + Giveaway (US only)

I'd like to welcome Peter Stone to the blog today to celebrate the exciting release of his debut novel, The Perfect Candidate from Simon & Schuster!

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

Will you please share a brief introduction with us?

Peter Stone is a lifelong fan of thrillers on the big screen, small screen, and page. He started early, writing a 5th grade book report on John Grisham’s The Firm. But his work as an author was sparked in earnest many years later at his wedding, where a bestselling author guest approached him after hearing his vows and urged “You have a book in you.” (This made Stone think that there were probably some really good drinks being served at the bar.)

That book is Stone’s debut young adult novel, The Perfect Candidate, is published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. The story is inspired by his experience working in Washington, D.C. as a Spanish tutor for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and as an intern for Congressman Gary A. Condit just after he graduated from high school. Having majored in political science, Stone managed a Congressional primary campaign and is a Harry S. Truman Scholar. He is also a high school speech and debate national champion and maintains that speech and debate tournaments are the best thing any teenager could do with their Saturdays.

Stone has worked for ten years as a marketing executive for TV and film and is currently based in Tokyo, Japan, where he lives with his wife and two children. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University (BA, 2004) and Harvard Business School (MBA, 2008). He has lived in California, Utah, Boston, Israel, and El Salvador; and traveled to over sixty countries.

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

From debut author Peter Stone comes a heart-stopping, pulse-pounding political thriller that’s perfect for fans of Ally Carter and House of Cards.

When recent high school graduate Cameron Carter lands an internship with Congressman Billy Beck in Washington, DC, he thinks it is his ticket out of small town captivity. What he lacks in connections and Beltway polish he makes up in smarts, and he soon finds a friend and mentor in fellow staffer Ariel Lancaster.

That is, until she winds up dead.

As rumors and accusations about her death fly around Capitol Hill, Cameron’s low profile makes him the perfect candidate for an FBI investigation that he wants no part of. Before he knows it—and with his family’s future at stake—he discovers DC’s darkest secrets as he races to expose a deadly conspiracy.

If it doesn’t get him killed first.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

As a huge fan of first lines, I’d love to hear the first line of The Perfect Candidate. Could you give us a brief commentary on it?

The first line of The Perfect Candidate finds protagonist Cameron Carter analyzing a summer intern portrait with his Congressman, with whom he’s just worked for the summer:

“You don’t notice it at first.”

Cameron is referring to a number of unnerving details in the image, which only become visible after some inspection. But the sentiment applies to his whole experience in Washington, D.C. Newcomers to the nation’s capital are rightfully awed by the power, the politician sightings, and the majesty of the monuments. What they don’t immediately see the are the hidden abuses; the corruption veiled by soundbites and smiles; and the dirt and grime coating the white stone of the notable memorials in the city. Throughout the story, Cameron will encounter all of these and worse—usually when he (and the reader) least expect it. (Bonus: the intern photo is the inspiration for the killer cover artwork!)

Tell us about your road to publication, such as how you first queried, unexpected challenges, and things you picked up along the way.

My road to publication started at my wedding reception. One of the guests (friends of my in-laws) approached me after hearing the wedding vows I’d spoken. Apparently impressed with my speech, she asked me if I was a writer. I told her that I wrote emails at my job. She then urged me to write a book. I attributed her generous assessment to her probably having had a couple drinks from the bar. When I later learned that this wedding guest was bestselling author Margaret Stohl, I took the advice a little more seriously and began to write The Perfect Candidate.

As always seems to be the case, finding the right agent was a combination of work and luck. One of the first agents I spoke with was actually more excited about a separate idea, and urged me to write that different story—so I actually wrote an entirely new book, which that agent eventually passed on (this was not fun news to receive!). I later met the team who would represent me (Richard Abate and Rachel Kim at 3 Arts), who agreed that my second manuscript book had some limitations. That’s when I pulled out The Perfect Candidate from my proverbial back pocket. They soon sparked to it, citing a surge of political curiosity and engagement among young adults living in America today. They are awesome creative partners and helped me revise the manuscript so that it was the best version to share with publishers. The wait to hear back from potential editors was just a few weeks, but it felt excruciating—and soon I was on the phone with David Gale who welcomed me into the fold at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. I just got chills writing that sentence—it was surreal and terribly exciting.

Things I picked up:

1. At the end of the day, the publishing market will decide what works. Getting a book picked up by a publisher is about creative value, but also very much about commercial viability. I thought my second manuscript was going to be my debut, but the market decided otherwise. 
2. There are no guarantees (just because agent #1 suggested that I explore a different idea doesn’t mean they would represent it). And try not to take agent rejections personally, because it probably means another agent is more of a fit (which was the case when my actual agents saw promise in The Perfect Candidate). 
3. Invite Margaret Stohl to your wedding.

Are the characters from your book based off anyone you know in real life? How much else of your actual life gets written into your fiction?  

Most of the places and people in The Perfect Candidate are based on my real experiences, though there aren’t any 1:1 inspirations for the characters in the book. I was an intern for two notable government leaders (Congressman Gary Condit and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich), and my interactions with them factor heavily into the characterization of the elected officials in the book. But the descriptions of politicians in the story were also influenced by speeches and TV interviews I’ve seen. Other characters are kind of like “smoothies” of the colorful people in my life—I took elements from each (phrases, fashion, attitude, preferences) and mixed them together to create the various players in the story. My own experience as an intern is probably the strongest influence for Cameron’s character (in addition to restocking the supply closet like Cameron does, I was once had to don an apron and scoop ice cream for a whole office as part of a summer internship!).

Out of all the fantastic books out there, what makes The Perfect Candidate stand out from the rest?

The Perfect Candidate is like House of Cards or Scandal, except from the point of view of the youngest staffers on the political scene. I’ve joked that you could call it “Apartment of Cards.” I’ve seen and read so many exciting stories about Washington from the point of view of adult power brokers and senior leaders—but I’d never read a Capitol Hill thriller from the perspective of someone I could truly relate to. This is Washington, D.C., from the front lines and the lowest ranks—because sometimes the people with the smallest titles end up having the most power.

Give aspiring writers a piece of advice you wish you had known before getting published.

If you want to write a book, you have to write a book. It sounds silly, but it’s true. You have to write when you are inspired (which is as awesome as it is rare). But more importantly: You have to write when you are tired; when you’d really rather binge a Netflix show all night; when it feels so good to say you’ll write tomorrow instead (it always feels good to say you’ll write tomorrow instead); when a gorgeous Saturday beckons from the outside; when some other mindless project seems more appealing; when you’re feeling an itch in your throat and you’re tempted to postpone because maybe you’re getting sick and you should sleep instead, but deep down you know it’s an excuse; and on and on forever. There will always be something else to do. But you need to nuke those excuses and open a Word file and get. the. words. on. the. page. Final note: prepare for the negative voices in your head to have a full-on protest march in your brain. But that’s when you need to start your own march, because the first person who needs to believe you can write is you.

Now give us your best personal advice—something you wish you had known when you were younger and would offer to your own kids.

The more activities you expose yourself to, the sooner you’ll discover the magical intersection of 1) what you love and 2) what you’re kinda good at. When I was a kid, trying new things sometimes freaked me out. Maybe it was a fear of failure. Maybe it was because the video game Mega Man was more fun. But I resisted the unknown, which probably delayed the own discovery of my own skills and abilities. So: jump in and test the waters. If you hate something, move on. But the thing you’ll love could look just as scary as the thing you’ll hate—you just won’t know it until you give it a try. That thing that freaked you out just might become a lifelong passion or even a career.

Also: wear sunscreen.

Where can you be found on the web?

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you better today, Peter! 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 Perfect Candidate—woohoo! To enter, all you have to do is tell me in the comments below:

If you could intern at the White House during any time period in American history, which year or presidency would you choose?

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. Peter and I really want to hear your thoughts! :)

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the publicist—a huge thank you to the lovely folks over at Megan Beatie Communications!
Giveaway ends October 17th at 11.59 PM (your time).

Open to US residents only. Sorry, everyone else! Please check my sidebar on the right 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!

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?

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

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).

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!

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).

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!

Interview with Beth Harbison, Author of Every Time You Go Away + Giveaway (US only)

I'd like to welcome Beth Harbison to the blog today to celebrate the exciting release of Every Time You Go Away from St. Martin's Press, a MacMillan imprint!

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

Will you please share a brief introduction with us?

Beth Harbison was born in the shadow of Washington, DC and grew up in the suburbs of that city. She began writing in 4th grade at St. Bartholomew's school, where she re-wrote the ending of Black Beauty, bringing all of the horses back to live in 64 handwritten pages. At that time it should have occurred to someone that she should be writing fiction or soap operas, but instead her first job was at Roy Rogers. 

After failing out of seventh grade, she was sent to a school for rotten kids in Potomac, Maryland, where she met some of her best friends and had experiences she has drawn on again and again in her work.

 Her publishing career began with cookbooks, then moved to Silhouette romance novels, before Jennifer Enderlin, of St. Martin's Press, plucked her out of obscurity and tapped her to write Shoe Addicts Anonymous, which put her on the New York Times bestseller list for the first time and has been optioned by Galgos Entertainment as a feature film starring Halle Berry. 

Today, Beth writes from her home in the DC suburbs, where she lives with her son, and her daughter, YA author Paige Harbison. 

She is still firmly against dead horses.

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

In New York Times bestselling author Beth Harbison's most emotional novel ever, a fractured family must come together at a beach house haunted by the past.

Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief.

Now, years after Ben’s death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It’s time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market.

When Willa arrives, the house is in worse shape than she could have imagined, and the memories of her time with Ben are overwhelming. They met at this house and she sees him around every corner. Literally. Ben’s ghost keeps reappearing, trying to start conversations with Willa. And she can’t help talking back.

To protect her sanity, Willa enlists Jamie, her best friend Kristin, and Kristin’s daughter Kelsey to join her for one last summer at the beach. As they explore their old haunts, buried feelings come to the surface, Jamie and Kelsey rekindle their childhood friendship, and Willa searches for the chance to finally say goodbye to her husband and to reconnect with her son.

Every Time You Go Away is a heartfelt, emotional story about healing a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family.

Buy the book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Publisher

As a huge fan of first lines, I’d love to hear the first line of Every Time You Go Away. Could you give us a brief commentary on it?

The first line is: “I can tell you exactly when I lost my will to live.”

Now that I think about it, that is a theme I really like to explore: not depression, per se, but the determination and path out of it. And so in this book, Willa lost her faith in ‘life being fair’ and her hope of ever finding happiness again when her husband died unexpectedly at 36. The book is about her finally coming to terms with that—with some help from the man himself—and moving forward before she has given up too much... too much time, too much life force, too many years.

Tell us about your road to publication, such as how you first queried, unexpected challenges, and things you picked up along the way.

It’s been a really long time now, but I began trying to write in earnest when Silhouette came out with a line called Silhouette Shadows. The PR for it cited many of the old gothic romances I had read and loved growing up; the very books that made me first think about becoming a writer. I wrote a ghost story called The House on Church Street. My opening won a Harlequin “Voices of Tomorrow... Today” contest, which was quite encouraging. Alas, that book did not get published but an editor liked my voice enough to encourage me to keep submitting, so I found myself trying to write a traditional series romance. For me, that was a challenge as I did not read them and thought I wasn’t interested in them. They turned out to be quite fun to write, though—they were like Hallmark romances, very fanciful and comforting.

Probably the most important thing I picked up along the way was to listen to editorial feedback, do what is suggested and RE-SUBMIT (assuming they’re open to it). It can be disheartening, but, as my sister said to me, “You haven’t failed unless you quit."

Are the characters from your book based off anyone you know in real life? If not/And, how much else of your actual life gets written into your fiction?  

Well, my husband did pass away unexpectedly, although at that point we had been separated for 10 months, but when I wrote about Willa’s memories of time and memories shared with her husband, and the horrible inability to ever truly reconcile things once someone has died, it was certainly based on feelings I’ve had myself. I guess I do that a lot in my books: any time a strong feeling is needed, I need to either be able to retrieve it or relate to it enough to really dive in and “feel” it when I’m writing.

I'm so sorry for your loss. The magic of writing is that you can continue your story through your fictional experiences on paper! Out of all the fantastic books out there, what makes Every Time You Go Away stand out from the rest?

Hopefully most books stand out from the rest, at least in some way. I’m not sure I’m objective enough to give much of an answer except for the bare facts: it’s about a literal ghost and how he helps his wife to move on.

Give aspiring writers a piece of advice you wish you had known before getting published.

It can be a long road with a lot of soul-crushing rejection along the way. I mean a LOT. I’d say to listen to editorial feedback, do your best to hear it and either follow instruction or - if you don’t like the suggestions—find a workaround. Try, try again. And don’t just give up and settle for a sub-par vanity publisher; work with a publisher who believes in you and supports your work.

Now give us your best personal advice—something you wish you had known when you were younger and would offer to your own kids.

Don’t stay in ANY relationship that makes you feel more bad than good. The most obvious example would be a romantic relationship but it doesn’t stop there: if you have a friend who cuts you down, whatever their personal motivations, avoid them. If you’re on Facebook or Twitter or whatever and someone on your list is constantly posting things that make you uncomfortable or argumentative, mute them. Life is too short to feel the constant strife and conflict that seems, more and more, to define modern life. Our bodies and minds can’t take it—we weren’t built to handle negativity on such a grand scale as life affords us today. Relax!

Where can you be found on the web?

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you better today, Beth! 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 Every Time You Go Away—woohoo! To enter, all you have to do is tell me in the comments below:

If you could change one thing about your appearance, what would it be?

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. Beth and I really want to hear your thoughts! :)

Don't forget the entry eligibility terms and conditions!

Sponsored wholly by the publisher—a huge thank you to the lovely folks over at St. Martin's Press!
Giveaway ends August 13th at 11.59 PM (your time).

Open to US residents only. Sorry, everyone else! Please check my sidebar on the right 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!