THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER, and her next book, THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK, by author, KELLY HARMS

The Bright Side of Going Dark, out in May 2020 ~
(Make sure to preorder this book!)

From the bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler comes a fresh, funny, and thoughtful story about going off the grid in order to truly live.

As one of the most popular influencers on social media, Mia Bell has lived her life online for years. With her celebrity dog and gorgeous fiancé, she is planning the ultimate virtual wedding—expensive, elaborate, and entirely paid for by sponsors. But off-camera, her world is far from picture-perfect. After being jilted by her fiancé and faking her nuptials to please her sponsors, Mia finally has had enough. She heaves her phone off a cliff, ready to live—and maybe find love—offline for a change.

Mia’s sudden absence doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by techie loner Paige Miller, who hacks Mia’s account and begins impersonating the internet celebrity. Paige has her reasons. Her half-sister, Jessica, idolizes Mia and desperately needs something to believe in. If taking over Mia’s online persona is Paige’s only means of connecting to her sister, so be it.

Creating a like-worthy life is more fun than Paige expected. But when she grows too bold and is caught in the act, a fiasco ensues that could forever change Mia, Paige, and the people who love them. Because somewhere amid the chaos is an invaluable lesson—one that only real life can teach.

“Even casual users know how absurd and unrealistic social media can be—yet keep logging on day after day. Kelly Harms takes this dichotomy to new heights in a clever and unputdownable story of two women whose so-called online lives collide IRL. I laughed, I cried, I came away from the experience with a newfound appreciation for life—which is to say THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK is everything I’d hope for in a Kelly Harms novel, and more. I loved every page.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of I’m Fine and Neither Are You 

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, published in May 2019 ~

An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller, and a Goodreads Choice Award finalist.

Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.

Usually grounded and mild-mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates. When one man, in particular, makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life or return to the life she left behind.

But before she can choose, a crisis forces the two worlds together, and Amy must stare down a future where she could lose both sides of herself, and every dream she’s ever nurtured, in the beat of a heart.

“A laugh-out-loud funny, pitch-perfect novel that will have readers rooting for this unlikely, relatable, and totally lovable heroine, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is the ultimate escape—and will leave moms everywhere questioning whether it isn’t time for a #momspringa of their own.” —New York Journal of Books

“Librarians and book lovers will fall for Amy and Harms (The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane) writes a great light read full of tears, laughter, and charming, relatable characters.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“In the easygoing, character-driven style of Liane Moriarty and Barbara Davis, this story of an underappreciated single mom with more freedom than she's entirely comfortable with mixes the self-assured highs with the guiltiest lows of modern motherhood. Harms’s warm and witty novel will tickle fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.” —Booklist

Some Q & A with Kelly ~ 

What are you working on now?

My publisher and I have been working at turbo speed getting a new release to readers within a year of Amy Byler—that way no one has to wait too long between books. It’s called THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK—and the cover is so new this basically serves as my reveal today! I LOVE this book. I love every book, but this one is so quirky and I really, really love the characters—even though at first I wanted to shake them into submission! 

Paige, a reclusive brainiac who just can’t seem to get with the whole program, came to me fully formed, refusing to say her lines or do as I told her. Then I found out why Paige was the way she was:  to be the perfect foil to Mia, the young woman who’s entire life comes out of doing and saying exactly what she’s supposed to, and for an audience, at that. She’s a social “influencer,” and her phone is running her life. (Can anyone here relate?) Paige, a programmer extraordinaire, is running Mia’s phone. 

It’s a messy web that will result in utter chaos for both of them, but for the reader, I can promise at least a few laughs and that ah-ha feeling of what it would look like to get a bit of space from the digital madness and Gram-worthy pressures we feel in this modern life.

Is anything in your work based on real-life experiences?

All of it is, and none of it at the same time. I had a friend complain “I thought this would finally be the book you put me into!” but unfortunately for that friend, I think all my characters are bouncing around up there in my noggin already, just waiting to be cast in a story. They’re all aspects of me, amplified, explored, and exposed. Like Amy Byler, I’m a single mom. Like Nean from THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS OF SHIPWRECK LANE, I often leap before I look. Like Lily from THE MATCHMAKERS OF MINNOW BAY, I wish every friend I’d ever made could live next door to me forever, and like Mia Bell from my upcoming release, I secretly suspect that yoga is the secret answer to every question. (And if not yoga, then try cookies.)

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

The letters that Amy Byler’s teenaged daughter Cori wrote are by far my favorite part of THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER—because I had fun writing them and because they do such hugely important work within the story development. I love Cori—she was my best buddy when writing this book. I hereby vow to give Cori her own book someday. The trouble with Cori getting a sequel right now is that she’s just too healthy and high-functioning for me to have real fun with on a larger scale. But give me time, and I’ll see if I can’t undo that! 

For THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK, I had to go deep, deep into my heart to write a scene that brought me to my knees. It came out in one big rush of words, and I had to honor that and try to keep my brain out of it. Later, my editor shared how it had affected her, and as she spoke about it, I honestly couldn’t figure out how I’d gotten through it successfully. A drop of magic, perhaps. I hope it touches my readers as much, and finds someone in a dark moment and lights her way, if only just by knowing they aren’t alone.

What are the biggest downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

If you ask around, you’ll hear that lots of writers find the publishing industry itself to be a maze of confusion and frustration. Sometimes I do too, even after 20 years (!) in the business in one form or another. There are aspects of the work of publishing—touring, interviews (Hi!), social media—that are diametric opposites to the work of writing, making it hard to be both writer and businesswoman at the same time. 

And yet… wouldn’t it be boring if all I did was write in solitude and comfort similar to how men created some of the great works of the past? With a wife, a nanny, a salon, a benefactor? Maybe it would be great! But that’s not how this works for me. I have to leave my writing cave to have something to write about. I have to live in real life to speak to real readers. And though juggling can be exhausting, I’m not quite ready to give up any of the joys of parenting, partnering, or publicity in service of the words. So perhaps the very things that make it tricky are the same things that make it my dream career. All I know is that I'm sure having fun.

To connect with Kelly:

@kelly.harms on Instagram

facebook.com/authorkellyharms

www.kellyharms.com

RESCUE ROAD, by author Gayle Irwin

Freelance writer Rhiann Kelly shelved romance for years. Her dream of starting an animal sanctuary takes deep roots after finding the perfect location in southwestern Montana and purchasing the property for back taxes. Emergency medical technician Levi Butler knows his elderly friend left the ranch to him in his will. Levi anxiously awaits the probate to be complete so he can plan his retirement and begin his dream of raising and selling horses. 

When Rhiann and Levi find each other at the ranch simultaneously, sparks fly - and not the romantic kind. Yet their mutual attraction deepens, especially after Levi finds Rhiann injured in an accident. Meantime, land developer Dallas Patterson sets his sights on charming Rhiann to obtain the land. 

Can Rhiann and Levi work together to detour Patterson and find a solution in which neither needs to give up their dream or will the fence line of their hearts – and the property - separate them forever? Can their broken paths weave their hearts together as they travel the rescue road?

Some Q & A with Gayle ~

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing.

I’ve lived in the Rocky Mountain region for more than 40 years. I majored in journalism my first two years of college and in communications my final years, receiving a bachelor of science degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations from the University of Idaho. My dream was to work as a public information officer for a federal natural resource agency, such as the National Park Service or National Forest Service. That never happened. Instead, I became a journalist, working for small community newspapers in Montana and Wyoming. The closest I came to that dream was serving as editor and reporter for the West Yellowstone News in West Yellowstone, Montana, where I covered national park, national forest, and community projects and issues. 

I was one of a handful of small-town reporters to cover the controversial wolf release in Yellowstone National Park during the mid-1990s as well as a visit to the Park by then-President Bill Clinton. Since those days, I continue to freelance write for magazines and newspapers and even had my own pet column in a few of those publications. Nature and pet rescue are the types of stories I enjoy writing as well as sharing human feature stories.

I started writing my first book in 2003, after a springer spaniel my husband and I adopted two years previously became blind due to a genetic disease. Her story, “Sage’s Big Adventure: Living with Blindness” was published in 2007. The first time I shared the book was at the West Yellowstone, Montana library to a group of children and their families. The story encourages children to be courageous and persevering, no matter what challenges come their way as well as to treat others who are “different” with kindness and respect.

I’ve written and published several other children’s books since then and each one weaves important life lessons into the story, concepts such as trust, friendship, and appreciation of nature.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I like to travel, especially to America’s national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. I possess a great love for the outdoors and enjoy visiting beautiful places. I also enjoy nature photography and spending time at my mountain cabin or visiting my friends’ ranch.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

Yes, I work part-time for a non-profit.

Where do you get your ideas?

My pets, especially my dogs, have been my primary inspiration since I began authoring books. I have two children’s book manuscripts started that I haven’t yet completed which I hope to do soon. The idea for my upcoming novel came from a writing course I took on writing fiction from the local college. Many of the women in the class were writing romance, or at least having romance as part of the narrative, and since I’d never written a romance book, I challenged myself to do so. Now, six years later (not as easy as I’d originally thought!) and many rabbit trails and revisions later, the story is ready for publication, to be released November 8, 2019.

Rescue Road developed from the many dog transports I’ve done for various rescue organizations and my passion for pet adoption. The story is a clean, contemporary romance with rescue woven into the story. Pages at the back of the book provide resources for people who may wish to adopt a dog or cat in the future.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or the decision to write?

When I was a pre-teen, I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books as well as the numerous animal books published at the time. I visited Laura’s home site in Mansfield, Missouri as a young girl and just this past year, I took a trip to Walnut Grove, Minnesota and DeSmet, South Dakota (yes, the woman still inspires me!).

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

I would build in more time for edits and marketing. I realize how important a plan is and although I started with one, I didn’t follow it very well. All things take time, including writing, editing, and marketing, and the older I get, the faster time goes. Between working a day job, freelance writing, working on the novel, being a wife, pet-parent, daughter, friend, etc. etc., time just ZOOMS!

How do you market your work?

I use a variety of outlets for marketing. Those include guest blogging, social media (I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter – still learning Instagram), attending events such as book signings, craft shows, and rescue group/humane society functions, and speaking at women’s groups, among other ways.

What are you working on now?

Book 2 in my Pet Rescue Romance series; a character that’s introduced in the first book, Rescue Road, is my female protagonist in Book 2, tentatively titled Discovering Love at Compassion Ranch.

Is anything in your book based on real-life experiences?

Yes. I lived in southwestern Montana, which is the setting for the book; I worked in West Yellowstone which is referenced in the book; and I’ve served as a rescue dog transporter, which is one thing my primary female character does.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

Two actually. 1. A romantic scene between my two primary characters, Rhiann and Levi. He sets up a romantic evening picnic by the river where the two first met, complete with an Italian dinner and candles. They are exploring their attraction for one another, so the scene is critical for these two who kissed dating goodbye many years before. 

2. Toward the end of the book, when they share another romantic scene, waltzing at a fundraising event, I created a lighthearted exchange: Levi tells Rhiann he placed an adoption application for two dogs she helped rescue and she banters with him by saying, “I’m going to have to do a home check and verify your references; remember, I don’t play favorites when it comes to dog adoption.” Readers will find banter like this woven into the story. Romance should not only be giddy and exciting, but also fun, I think, and with two independent characters like Levi and Rhiann, who haven’t dated for several  years, injecting humor here and there seemed suitable during the writing process.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Keep plugging! A person must have perseverance and must be able to be flexible and willing to learn and implement, not just the craft of writing, but the business of writing.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

I wish I could write fulltime. I love telling stories, therefore, I plan to continue writing and publishing books and freelance writing for magazines, and I hope to expand into more markets for my freelance career. The best parts about writing are twofold: sharing stories to encourage, inspire, and entertain, and working from home where I can be with my delightful pets and wonderful husband.

Place you’d like to travel?

Ireland. My husband and I have Irish ancestry (he more so) and I’ve known people who visited the country and have such wonderful things to say about their experience. I’ve never been overseas, and that is the one country I’d like to visit.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

I hope you enjoy Rescue Road and the other two books I plan for the series, and if your children, grandchildren, students, or other youngsters in your life like to read animal stories, I hope you’ll check out my children’s books!

To connect with Gayle:

In addition to my website (www.gaylemirwin.com), people can find me on my author page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GayleMIrwin/, follow me on Twitter at wyoauthor1, or on Pinterest at Waggin’ Tales.

HOLLY BANKS FULL OF ANGST, by Julie Valerie

Make sure to add this book to your Goodreads TBR list, and it's available to preorder!

***This book, which debuts on December 1st, is an Amazon First Reads title in November! The e-book is free for Prime members, non-prime members can read the e-book for only $1.99. (www.amazon.com/firstreads) 

***There is a 100 e-book giveaway on Goodreads right now through the end of the month!

Holly Banks could not have made a worse first impression on the seemingly perfect moms in her new affluent community, the Village of Primm. Turns out wearing pink piggy pajama bottoms while dropping off her kindergartener late to the first day of school wasn’t her best look.

Not to mention Holly’s worried her husband may be having an affair, she can’t get her daughter to stop sucking her thumb, her hard-won film degree is collecting dust, and to top it all off, the power-hungry PTA president clearly has it in for her…

To make matters even worse, Holly’s natural eye for drama lands her smack-dab in the middle of a neighborhood mystery—right as her own crazy mother shows up in Primm “to help.” Through it all, Holly begins to realize her neighbors may be just as flawed as—and even wackier than—she is, leaving her to wonder: Is there such a thing as a perfect mom?

Reviews ~ 

“There are many novels about women struggling to fit into upper-class communities, but debut author Valerie manages to create a story that feels fresh, with sparkling dialogue…A unique and over-the-top look at modern motherhood, full of funny and cringeworthy moments.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Valerie’s witty, rollicking novel is an ode to modern motherhood…A charmingly cautionary tale of the pursuit for domestic perfection.” —Booklist

“Julie Valerie does a great job relaying the anxiety that comes with starting your daughter in kindergarten in a new school and a new town. And she does it with the perfect mix of humor and humility.” —Laurie Gelman, author of Class Mom and You’ve Been Volunteered

“Seemingly perfect lives are usually anything but, as the eponymous protagonist of Holly Banks Full of Angst quickly learns. A sharp, witty, and altogether unexpected story about how striving can lead you straight to the end of your rope, Julie Valerie’s debut is not to be missed.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of I’m Fine and Neither Are You

Some Q & A with Julie ~ 

1. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

The most difficult and time-consuming challenge of getting my first book published was the writing and rewriting the of book three separate times, one rewrite from every point of view (first person, second person, and third), as well as rewrites in both past and present tense.

Here's a list of each draft, noting which verb tense and which point of view was employed and why:

First draft: present tense, second-person POV (written this way to capture the "voice" and motivations of an antagonist who was challenging to write but essential to master as she's a vehicle for satire in the novel)

Second draft: present tense, first-person POV (written this way to lay down elements of humor and as a vehicle for understanding the wants, needs, and motivations of the main character)

Third draft: past tense, third-person POV (written this way to broaden the market of readers after the second draft version failed to capture the attention of an agent)

2. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

Though I wish it had gone faster, I wouldn't change a thing, as my journey toward publication was unique and necessary for me.

3. What are you working on now?

I am fast at work on Book Two in the Village of Primm series, due to my publisher a week before Book One pubs, and slated for release in 2020. It's undoubtedly a busy time, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

4. What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

As a busy mother of four, when I'm not "mom-ing" or writing, I enjoy reading, traveling, the study of wine, and section-hiking the Appalachian Trail with my best friend.

To connect with Julie ~

Everything you need is on her website.

She also has a newsletter, too. (The best way to stay in touch.)

Follow her Amazon Author Page. Pre-order Holly Banks Full of Angst, Book One in the Village of Primm series, 

releasing December 1, 2019, with Lake Union Publishing

THE HOUSE BY THE CYPRESS TREES by author ELENA MIKALSEN

In The House by the Cypress Trees, Julia Ramos, in Italy to find her birth mother, rescues a dog, is nearly run over by a handsome Brit, and gets evicted from her rental apartment. Not a perfect trip.

Daniel Stafford wants to visit his family in Tuscany—after his girlfriend dumps him for their Italian driver, he botches a work presentation in Rome, and an assertive American falls in front of his car.

When their two disastrous lives collide, they end up sleeping on the side of the road. Falling in love with Italy—and each other—is the least of their concerns.

From the Author ~ 

ALL THE ROYALTIES FROM THE SALES OF THE BOOK WILL BE DONATED TO ~ NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTERS ~ IN SAN ANTONIO AND TEXAS.

Some Q & A with Elena ~ 

Tell us a little about yourself and your writing.

My novels are all about love. WRAPPED IN THE STARS is about love that lasts forever. Two lovers, Mark and Rebecca, got separated in the early 20^th century, but their love remained behind, it didn’t die. Part of their love stayed in the ring that Mark gave to Rebecca. So, when this ring is found years later, another couple picks up the energy from Mark and Rebecca’s love and fall in love.

In THE HOUSE BY THE CYPRESS TREES, I explore romantic love. That wild feeling of new love when you first fall for someone and you want to spend every moment with them and you will do anything for them.

In ALL THE SILENT VOICES, I explore the depth of love between a husband and wife and what challenges a good marriage can withstand. How far will a wife go for her husband and how far will a husband go for his wife?

Finally, in the novel I am working on right now, CITY OF GLASS, the focus is on sibling love. A sister sacrifices everything to save her brother.

Where do you get your ideas?

From travel, stories in the news, and my imagination

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

There have been multiple: Diana Gabaldon, Susanna Kearsley, Sara Gruen are some of the top ones.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

Yes, I am a full-time pediatric psychologist.

Is anything in your book based on real-life experiences?

My family’s trip to Italy was a huge inspiration for The House by the Cypress Trees. The episode in the first chapter, where Julia rescues a dog was inspired by the real-life experience we had in Rome. We didn’t rescue the dog, but wished we did. Many experiences Julia has in Italy really happened to us on our vacation.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

In The House by the Cypress Trees, my favorite chapter and the one I think is the most romantic is when Julia is standing on the balcony and Daniel quotes Shakespeare to her as he approaches. I fell in love with my own fictional character as I wrote that. Also, I love the chapter when they are sleeping in the car on the side of the road and play a get-to-know you game.

Places you’d like to travel?

I’m dying to go to New Zealand.

Favorite band of music.

Coldplay. I listen to it all the time.

Favorite book or movie?

My most favorite book is One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. 

Elena Mikalsen is a women’s fiction author who is somewhat obsessive about travel and telling stories about love and amazing travel locations. When she is at home, in San Antonio, she can be found browsing through bookstores or antique shops with her family.

She is hopelessly devoted to her two rescue dogs, Cookie and Vanilla, who was present by her feet during the entire process of the writing of this novel. When not writing stories, she is a Pediatric Psychologist helping children with chronic medical illnesses. She blogs on issues of mental health for teens and adults. 

Her debut novel, Wrapped in the Stars, won the 1^st place Chatelaine award for the best Historical Romantic Fiction of 2018. 

Please explore Elena Mikalsen’s other novels, Wrapped in the Stars (2018), available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other online retailers, and an upcoming All the Silent Voices (2020). 

To connect with Elena ~ 

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17629655.Elena_Mikalsen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElenaMikalsenAuthor/

Website: www.elenamikalsen.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WF_writerEM

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writer.mikalsen/

THIS IS HOME, by author LISA DUFFY

From the author of book club favorite The Salt House comes a deeply affecting novel about a teenage girl finding her voice and the military wife who moves in downstairs, united in their search for the true meaning of home.

Sixteen-year-old Libby Winters lives in Paradise, a seaside town north of Boston that rarely lives up to its name. After the death of her mother, she lives with her father, Bent, in the middle apartment of their triple-decker home—Bent’s two sisters, Lucy and Desiree, live on the top floor. A former soldier turned policeman, Bent often works nights, leaving Libby under her aunts’ care. Shuffling back and forth between apartments—and the wildly different natures of her family—has Libby wishing for nothing more than a home of her very own.

Quinn Ellis is at a crossroads. When her husband John, who has served two tours in Iraq, goes missing back at home, suffering from PTSD he refuses to address, Quinn finds herself living in the first-floor apartment of the Winters house. Bent had served as her husband’s former platoon leader, a man John refers to as his brother, and despite Bent’s efforts to make her feel welcome, Quinn has yet to unpack a single box.

For Libby, the new tenant downstairs is an unwelcome guest, another body filling up her already crowded house. But soon enough, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, when Libby and Quinn stretch and redefine their definition of family and home.

With gorgeous prose and a cast of characters that feel wholly real and lovably flawed, This Is Home is a nuanced and moving novel of finding where we belong.

"Authentic characters resonate throughout this engrossing novel. . . . Intensely real and deeply emotional, Duffy’s rich novel is worth savoring from the very first page."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review“A beautifully drawn portrait of a motherless girl and a rudderless woman both trying to find their place in the world— but who find each other instead. Lisa Duffy nails the complexities of modern relationships, and proves that she’s a storyteller that’s here to stay.”
—Colleen Oakley, author of Close Enough to Touch and Before I Go“Duffy's latest is a novel of family, friendship, and the meaning of home… Also touching on such topics as post-traumatic stress disorder, military service, and addiction, This Is Home makes a great addition to any family life or women's fiction collection.”
—Booklist

Some Q & A with Lisa Duffy ~ 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing.

I started writing as a young girl—poetry, journaling, and an attempt at a novel when I was nineteen and sequestered in the house with chickenpox. It was a terrible novel, and then life rambled on: college, a job in the software industry, marriage, and three kids. When my youngest went to preschool, I went back to school for writing, hoping to give it a real shot. I still had some credits to finish on a degree in Women’s Studies. Once I had that, I was accepted into an MFA program in creative writing. My debut novel, The Salt House, came to fruition in those writing classes. After I graduated, I worked on it exclusively and found an agent. We sold it to Touchstone/S&S not long after. That’s the short synopsis of a long journey on my path to publication.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

We live on a tidal river with our boat on the dock in our backyard, so we do a lot of boating in the summer. I love to cook. My husband does, as well. We have six kids in our blended family, ranging from 16 to 36. Never a lack of mouths or people willing to sit at our table and talk over a glass of wine. I tend to be a homebody, and this is my favorite time of year. Still warm enough to enjoy the outside, but cool in the evenings. I love to get a fire going in our woodstove, cook something delicious with Chopped on TV in the background, and good company at the table. Nothing better than that.

Where do you get your ideas?

I always begin with voice. An opening sentence that won’t leave me alone. When I have a cast of characters, I take my time getting to know them. Some of it through writing, but a lot of imagining takes place away from my desk. Thinking about the characters or story when I’m driving or in the shower or going to sleep.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

Little Women is the first book I read as a young girl that introduced me to an entirely different world. I think I fell in love with reading at an early age because of that book. And my love of reading led to my desire to write. To see if I could somehow create a world simply from my imagination and express it through words.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on my third novel, My Kind of People, releasing from Atria next summer, about class, identity, and betrayal colliding when a young girl is orphaned in a close-knit island community off the coast of New England.

Is anything in your book based on real-life experiences?

I took some liberty with Libby and stole some of my own childhood for her character. I grew up in the middle apartment of a triple-decker in a suburb outside of Boston. My father was a policeman in my hometown. We had family members living on the first floor for various stretches of my childhood. It was noisy and crowded, and I didn’t always love it. Of course, it took growing up and moving away to see how much of it made me who I am today. We sold the house years and years ago, and sometimes I’ll drive by it when I’m in town, and there’s a tug inside. Still a part of me that feels as though I’m home.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

Scenes with Rooster Cogburn were interesting to write. And fun too. We’ve always had labs as pets, and Rooster just appeared on the page as this big, gentle dog. I enjoyed spending time with him on the page.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Surround yourself with people who support your passion. It’s a lonely endeavor, less so when you don’t feel alone in it.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

It can be all-consuming. Sometimes if you’re on a roll with a book, it can be hard to set aside the work. The best part is the writing itself. Getting to play with words all day.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you. For reading and sharing your love for these characters. I’m forever grateful.

To connect with Lisa:

lisaduffywriter.com

@lisaduffyauthor

Twitter ~ @lisaduffywriter

The Salt House

This is Home 

My Kind of People (coming 2020)      

          

                 

GOOD MAN, DALTON, by author, Karen McQuestion

A chance encounter leads to an unpredictable Manhattan romance in an irresistible and heartwarming novel from the author of Hello Love.

Greta Hansen has arrived in Manhattan to intern with the Vanderhaven Corporation, a company owned by distant and very wealthy relatives. But she soon realizes she’s actually been hired to keep watch on their capricious daughter, social media celebrity Cece. No last name required. Why bother? The entire Twitterverse already watches every fabulous move she makes. Including an unfortunate shoplifting mishap when Cece decides to go off script. It’s then that a handsome—and homeless—stranger comes to the rescue.

Dalton Bishop has a secret. A man of privilege, he’s been living on the streets as a social experiment. Now, in gracious payback for his chivalry, Cece invites him to an elegant fund-raiser called the Forgotten Man Ball. It’s Greta he’s taken with, however—and to Greta’s surprise, she’s taken right back. But Dalton has one more secret up his tattered sleeve. For right now, though, he’s just happy embracing the woman of his dreams. It’s only the beginning of a romantic and revealing adventure that will take them to a place where money, class, and fame matter far less than true love.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOKS OF KAREN McQUESTION

"I was riveted to the page and on occasion brought to tears. A book you don't want to miss." -- Barbara Taylor Sissel, bestselling author of Faultlines and The Truth We Bury on Half a Heart

"Karen McQuestion just keeps getting better! Hello Love is an enchanting, impossible-to-put-down novel about big hearts and second chances." --Claire Cook, USA Today bestselling author of Must Love Dogs

"An emotional and engaging novel about family..." Delia Ephron on A Scattered Life

McQuestion writes with a sharp eye and a sure voice, and as a reader, I was willing to go wherever she wanted to take me. After I finished the book, I thought about how I might describe it to a friend, and I settled on...:"You should read this. It's good."--Carolyn Parkhurst on A Scattered Life

"The plot is fast paced and easy to dive into, making this a quick and exciting read." --School Library Journal on From a Distant Star

Some Q & A with Karen ~ 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing. I caught the writing bug in third grade when my teacher gave the class an assignment to write a short story. Mine was good enough to be read aloud to the class and to my surprise everyone seemed to like it. At the time I was a shy, awkward kid with no discernable talents so this was a big moment for me. After that, I wanted to be an author.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing? Reading, traveling, visiting with family and friends, walking, and trying to keep up with new technology.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well? I’m happy to be able to say that I can make a living writing fiction, something I never imagined I’d be able to do.

Where do you get your ideas? I don’t have a definitive answer for this. Oftentimes it’s a combination of things—a personal experience, something I read, an overheard conversation—little seeds that combine to make a story or at least the jumping-off point of a story.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published? I wrote novels for ten years and even after I got an agent, publishers took a pass. I have a box in my basement filled with rejection letters. It was discouraging but I just kept going with the hope that the next manuscript would be the one that would get me in the door.

In 2009 I read that Amazon was allowing self-published authors to upload their work to Kindle. Expecting nothing, I put six books up on the digital platform and was stunned and delighted when my books began to sell (and even more thrilled when they got great reviews). In a short time, my sales got the attention of the media and I was featured in articles in the Wall Street Journal and Entertainment Weekly and became the subject of a segment on Good Morning America. Now my books are published by  Lake Union Publishing. They are available in paperback, audio, and Kindle and have been translated into Polish, Czech, Turkish, German, Spanish, and Korean. It’s been a wild, wonderful ride.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change? Not a thing. The struggle made the success all the more sweet.

  

What are you working on now? A book called The Moonlight Child. I don’t want to say any more than that because I don’t want to jinx it.

Is anything in your book based on real-life experiences? Not intentionally! I’m sure some things sneak in though.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Write the book you’d like to read and never give up.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? Too much sitting.

The best parts? Everything else.

  

Place you’d like to travel? Iceland.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans? I say this constantly, but it bears repeating: thank you, thank you, thank you! Because of you, I get to do what I love for a living. I never take that for granted.

To connect with Karen ~ 

Website:  www.karenmcquestion.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KarenMcQuestion

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/karenquest/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmcquestion/

My Book Tribe on Facebook (a reader group in which I am a founding member):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyBookTribe/