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Kimberly Lang – Magnolia Beach

Posted on July 4, 2016July 4, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

This week on the Small town Romance Guest Author series, I’m so happy to be talking to USA Today bestselling author, Kimberly Lang, author of the Magnolia Beach series. Next Monday, I’ll be giving away an eBook copy Kimberly’s Something to Prove, so don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the contest.

How many books are there in the Magnolia Beach series so far Kimberly?

The fictional town of Magnolia Beach is in Alabama, right where Mobile Bay meets the Gulf. In order, there’s Something to Prove, which is the giveaway book. Then comes Everything at Last. More Than Anything, will be out in December. There’s even a fun prequel novella to the series called One Little Thing . Each book stands alone, though, so you don’t have to read them in order.

Let me say right away that I love your covers! I drove through and stopped in that area last summer and absolutely loved it. Reading these books will be like going back on a holiday visit.

What attracted you to the small town romance genre?

Small towns come pre-loaded with all kinds of conflict. Everyone knows everyone already, so dirt and secrets aren’t very well hidden, and the past is never really in the past. These people know your family, too, probably back several generations. So every character interaction, no matter how quick or trivial, has multiple layers, which builds a richer story, and every action ripples through the community, which creates a more immersive experience. It’s fun!

It certainly sounds like fun. How much has your own life influences your writing?

I’m a Southern girl, born and bred, and I tend to wallow in my Southerness whenever possible with great joy and abandonment. The Magnolia Beach books give me the chance to write about all the things I love (and sometimes hate) about the South — the people, the food, the weather, even the stereotypes…. This is my home and these are my people, so it feels true and authentic as I write, which makes it both easier and a real joy. Because these books are emotionally close to home, I think more of my own experiences and feelings end up in the books.

How would you describe your writing process?

A really hot mess, which no one should ever try to replicate if they value their sanity. But I do manage to get books out of it, so I just deal with the hot mess with good humor.

Where do you get your story ideas?

I have no idea. My brain is such a mish-mash of 80’s song lyrics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer quotes, John Donne poetry, old phone numbers, and random trivia that I’m surprised anything ever bubbles to the top. But I usually get a flash of a situation that intrigues me, and I’ll build a book around it. More Than Anything started with the idea of a guy stranded on a boat, unable to operate it, and the heroine rescuing him. I once wrote an entire book just because I thought the line Note to self: never prepay your honeymoon would be a great opener. And you wondered why I consider my process a hot mess…

It sounds like it works for you. What themes does your most recent book explore?

Recently, my books have skewed heavily towards the heroine and her journey. They have pasts and secrets, and they need heroes who not only accept that, but also really like that complexity, which, in turn, allows the heroines to unpack that baggage. Theme-wise, they’re stories of acceptance, letting go, and moving forward without apology for who they once were because it made them who they are now. I like strong heroines.

So do I. Can we expect more books in your current series?

Magnolia Beach seems to have a large population of hot, sexy, single Alpha males, so… yeah.

So tell us, what do you read? Do you read different genres when you’re writing vs not writing?

I actually read a lot of historical romances — especially hot Regency and Scottish ones. Since I don’t write in that genre, it’s total escapism, and that’s the purpose of reading, right? I try not to read contemporary romance while I’m writing, but there’s just so many good books out there, it’s hard.

What makes you laugh?

Puns, animals being derpy, acerbic satire, and my family (because they’re deeply weird)

Do you watch any reality TV?

Only two: So You Think You Can Dance (because I used to dance) and RuPaul’s Drag Race (I so want to learn how to do drag queen makeup). I am proud to say I’ve never seen a single episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and am not entirely sure why I’d want to keep up with them.

I’m with you there. So, coffee or tea?

ALL THE TEA. Please and thank you.

And finally – wine , whisky or beer?

Mostly white wine, but I love a shot of Fireball Whiskey in the evenings.

Remember to enter the contest for Something to Prove by leaving a comment for Kimberly below. That’s all you have to do.

Next week our guest author Sara Daniel, author of the Bad boys of Regret Hollow series. Join us then. It should be fun.

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Celebrating Summer of Fortune Launch with a Long Weekend Sale

Posted on July 1, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

It’s been a whirlwind two weeks, launching the first full length book of the Fortune Bay series, Summer of Fortune, with a party under the grape arbor in my garden last weekend.

Commemorative Gwertztraminer wine made specially for the launch with the Summer of Fortune cover on the label. — Commemorative Gewürztraminer wine made specially for the launch with the *Summer of Fortune* cover on the label.

I was selling and signing paperback books at cost at the party for all of my friends, and would like to pass on the savings to everyone this weekend with an online eBook sale.

From July 1-4, for Canada day and the Fourth of July weekend, I’m offering the ebook of Summer of Fortune for $1.99 on Kindle and kobo. (Read more about the book here.)

DSCN2474 copy — Judy reading the Solstice party scene from Summer of Fortune.

The party was really to celebrate the launch of the whole series. I had been working on it for eight years, and it was wonderful to have so many friends and family were there who had been so supportive for so many years.

I know, so many “so’s”, but so true!

I come from a tradition of painters, and in that world, they do a bunch of paintings then have a show. You might sell some you might not, but either way, it’s a great excuse for a party! That’s really what this was.

It was a beautiful day, the food was wonderful, the weather cooperated and the sun shone, and old friends and new, painters, writers,musicians and readers all came together to celebrate. Thank you all for all your support.

So if you read eBooks, go to Kindle or kobo and get your copy. (You can download a free app to your tablet or phone.) Then curl up in your favourite chair outdoors and enjoy the long summer weekend.

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Stacey Joy Netzel – Love where you least expect it.

Posted on June 27, 2016June 28, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

I want to welcome Stacey Joy Netzel to the Guest Author blog this week.

Thanks so much for inviting me Judy! I love small town romance and am excited to share my little part of the genre with all of you.

Tell us about your latest Book.

It is Spring Serendipity, book 8 of the Romancing Wisconsin Series

Sometimes love happens when you least expect it…
Lora Howell is stunned to find out her husband cheated on her before his death, but drinking too much and picking up a one night stand to get back at him might not have been the smartest thing to do. Facing the stupidity of her actions, the thirty-two year old mother of two recognizes the emptiness in her heart can’t be filled by sex—especially not with the town playboy whose reputation for loving-and-leaving is legendary.
Charismatic SWAT Officer Shane Parker was perfectly happy with his carefree bachelor ways until that one night with the beautiful widow. Now he can’t get the woman out of his head, and the more time he spends with Lora and her young boys, the higher the risk to his heart. Convincing her he’s ready to settle down becomes the most important negotiation of his life—until one last unexpected bombshell threatens everything.

Available at all retailers listed here: http://staceyjoynetzel.com/books/spring-serendipity/

Where is your series set?
Romancing Wisconsin is set in northeast Wisconsin, in the real town of Pulaski—well known around WI for its lively Polka Days Festival every year. I live about 8 miles out of town, and while I’ve kept the name, flavor, and a few businesses true to life, I’ve also taken liberties to create some fictional parts of the town and surrounding area, as well as fictional events.

The series is broken up into ‘seasons.’ The first 3 books revolve around Christmas (though Book 1 is a Christmas in July story), the next 3 are set in Autumn, and I’m currently working on the Spring set. Each season has 3 books and one short bonus story. When I get to Summer next year, you can be sure some of the characters will be going to Polka Days.

What sets your series apart?
In each book of the series there is a matchmaker named Santa Butch who has a hand in getting the hero and heroine together. Sometimes it’s very subtle, and leaves the reader guessing, “Was that Butch?”, and sometimes it’s very obvious he had a hand in the match. Even the townspeople are starting to catch on to him.

Butch holds a special place in my heart because he’s loosely based off my dad, who played Santa for families around the lake while we were growing up.

Very cool to use your dad. What attracted you to the small-town romance genre?
I grew up in a small town of just under 1000 people, about an hour north of Pulaski. And even then, that’s mostly where I went to school. We lived 14 miles out of town on a lake, and my parents didn’t drive us many places, so that lake, and out of town vacationers were what kept us active (swimming/ice skating). As a kid, I wasn’t so sure I liked being so far away from everything, but once I left home and ended up in bigger cities, I longed to go back to country living. I like setting my characters there because I can write them from the standpoint of where they can’t wait to get out of the boondocks, and others are relieved to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Do you have a new book coming up?
I’m currently writing book 9 in the Romancing WI series, Spring Dreams, and then I’ll also have the short bonus story Spring Spark (9.5) that goes out FREE to all my newsletter subscribers. (make sure to sign up at www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com)

What a great idea! What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
Reading, watching TV, gardening/canning. Though the older I get, the less my back can handle being out in the garden for too long. This year, I’ll be supporting the local organic farm a few miles away by ordering my canning veggies from them.

Is it coffee or tea for you?
Tea. Unfortunately, I have to limit myself to a cup or two a day because I only like it with sugar and honey.

Wine , whisky or beer?
None. I like raspberry vodka slush (a recipe I came up with by modifying a brandy slush recipe), or some Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) over ice. And even then only occasionally, because again, lots of sugar, and I’ve never been much of a drinker.

Hazelnut liqueur sounds fantastic. What’s on your desk?
Besides the usual pens, books, notebooks…Puffs Plus with lotion, tea mug or water glass, a little stuffed K-9 dog from when I attended the Writer’s Police Academy, Himalayan salt lamp, a match-box sized Delorian from my son because we love all the Back to the Future movies, a smooth rock with the word ‘inspire’ from my daughter, a ‘Joy’ knickknack from a good friend, and occasionally peanut butter M&M’s, marshmallows, and fresh flowers.

If money was no object, where would your next vacation be?
Alaska. Cruise, train tour, hiking…all over the course of a month or two so I’m not rushed and stressed. That’s a version of Heaven to me.

Thanks again, Judy! It was great visiting!  I’d love if you all visited Pulaski in the Romancing Wisconsin Series and let me know how you like it. In addition to giving away an ebook copy of Spring Serendipity, Book 1 in the series, Mistletoe Mischief, is perma-free on all retailers. Go to http://staceyjoynetzel.com/books/mistletoe-mischief/

You can find all of my books at my website, and you can also sign up for my newsletter for FREE reads, new release information, and exclusive sneak peeks, and cover reveals.

Okay. Thanks for doing this today Stacey. To qualify for the draw next Monday to win an eCopy of Spring Serendipity, send Stacey a comment below. Come back next Monday to see who the winner is, when I’ll be talking to Kimberley Lang.

Thanks for stopping by.

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Corrissa James – Back to the Heartland

Posted on June 20, 2016June 20, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

Award-winning author Corrissa James, my guest author this week, was not always a country girl. In fact, she fought it all her life, traveling the world to live in far-flung cities like St. Petersburg, Russia, Caracas, Venezuela, Varanasi, India, and Guadalajara, Mexico. She didn’t realize she was meant to live in the country until she returned to her roots in Nebraska, where she discovered the beauty of the fields around her (even if she was allergic to them) and the intensity of Mother Nature, who sure packs a wallop!

Corrissa’s contemporary western romance novels offer afternoon reads focused on strong women and the men they choose. But it’s never without some struggles along the way.

This week we’ll be giving away a kindle version of her Great Plains Romance Series novel, So Wills the Heart. (Check the sidebar for the winner of last week’s draw.)

Hi Corrissa. Good to have you with us. I drove across the US last summer and passed through Nebraska. Beautiful country! Where is your series set?

The Great Plains Romance series is set in a group of fictional towns in northeast Nebraska. I grew up in the area (and spent my entire youth trying to escape it!), but never really understood how exciting small towns could be until I returned later in life. Everyone knows everyone else (and their family business!) or is related to everyone in some way, and people are quick to offer their two cents on any situation.

There are exhaustive lists of shared memories, but everybody remembers things differently, and the details can be argued about for hours (ahem, years?). Every person in a small town has secrets, but usually the “secrets” aren’t really secrets at all. Some people are desperate to escape the small towns while others refuse to leave.

All in all, the setting offers a great opportunity for all sorts of drama—and people in small towns are experts at creating their own drama, whether at a family event, a street dance, or even over coffee at the local gas station. Oh sure, people in small towns may look like they are leading a laid-back life, but scratch the surface just a little and an exciting spectacle is sure to ensue. That’s one of the characteristics that made me want to write small-town romances.

That’s a great explanation of the appeal of small town romance. Where do you get your story ideas?

Almost all of my ideas start with a single moment and I build the characters and stories around that. For example, So Wills the Heart was inspired by a discussion about swimming in ponds and how you always have to be careful because you never know what you might find, especially in the smaller ponds (our talk focused on snapping turtles from that point forward). I liked the idea of having a startling, unexpected encounter in this very out-of-the-way place and used that to create a pond scene for So Wills the Heart. Ultimately that same idea—being surprised by what you find in new places—permeates throughout the story.

Evie, the heroine, heads to rural Nebraska to clean out the house of a deceased relative whom she’s never even heard of. Although she initially agrees to the project as a way to run away from some of her own skeletons (which she has a habit of doing), she quickly becomes bored with the endless parade of glass figures on the shelves, so she heads out to explore the countryside.

Enter Jonathan, the youngest of four close-knit brothers running a cattle operation. I won’t give away all the details, but suffice it to say that their initial meeting takes place in a pond and it is electric! Ultimately, Jonathan opens Evie’s eyes to the beauty of the area, and she starts making all sorts of discoveries about herself and what she wants out of life.

But of course we all know that in small towns, drama is always part of the package, which creates a difficult decision for Evie: Stand up to the challenges or fall back on her tried-and-true reaction of running away and starting over.

Sounds like a great premise. Do you have a new book coming up?

I am fleshing out a new series related to rural vineyards (which has been a great excuse to visit all the wineries in the area!). Some of the stories incorporate the vineyard in the heart of the conflict, others use events that take place at the wineries, but they’re all still very much small-town romances. I’ve committed to having two new books available for a readers’ event in early November, so I guess I’d better get cracking!

The research sounds brutal! Looking forward to seeing them next fall.

Now here’s an excerpt from So Wills the Heart:

Evie sat down on one of the stools and waited. She checked her phone. No messages. No data service either. She could pull up a map using one of her apps, but the GPS service couldn’t track her location. The Internet wouldn’t load.

“Great. Stuck in a bar, but I don’t know where.”

“It’s the Porterhouse.”

She swung around on the stool to see Jonathan Clark standing just inside the doorway.

He smiled. “Can’t get enough of me, huh?”

“Oh, you can help me! Where am I?”

“Porterhouse Bar.”

“No, I mean what city.”

He frowned, then cocked his head. “Excuse me?”

She slid off the stool, laughing at his expression as she moved to show him the map on her phone. “I’m visiting the area and went out exploring today, kinda got lost. This is where I need to be.” She held up the phone, but he ignored it.

“Visiting, huh? I guessed as much.” He pushed past her to walk behind the bar, where he filled a red plastic cup with ice and water from a soda dispenser. He drank the entire cup without pausing, never taking his eyes off her. He refilled the empty cup and handed it to her. He leaned both elbows on the counter, then looked up at her as she drank. When his eyes dropped to her neck, she nearly choked on the water. He looked back up at her and smiled.

“You sure you’re just visiting? Couldn’t you at least pretend to be thinking of staying?”

She shrugged and set the plastic cup down on the bar. “I could see myself living out here, with all the open skies.” She caught her breath. What made her say that? She hadn’t even considered leaving Denver to live here, but when she looked at Jonathan, who was watching her closely, she smiled. Yes, she could see herself enjoying more afternoon swims with him

Catch up with Corrissa at her website, www.CorrissaJames.com, on facebook, or twitter.

If you want to read more of Corrissa James, visit her Amazon Author page, or comment below to enter this week’s giveaway of So Wills the Heart.

Then, see you next week when New York Times bestselling author Stacey Joy Netzel will be my guest, and I’ll announce this week’s winner.

Thanks for dropping by.

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Summer of Fortune Launch Day – A quiet celebration.

Posted on June 17, 2016June 19, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

Yes, today’s the day, and that’s me, celebrating the launch of my first novel with a nice glass of Malbec while fireworks go off all around the town.

Although the novella prequel Lake of Dreams came out last month and I’ve been giving it away right, left and centre to introduce the series to readers, this book, Summer of Fortune, is special.

It’s the book I started writing eight years ago, foot up in the recliner following a foot operation, with a new laptop on my knee, thinking I’d just take this opportunity to start the story I’d had in my head for years. Little did I know it would morph into a series of four books and counting because, yes, I’m publishing all four books this year! Pass the wine!

Here is the premise for the series:

In each book, someone moves into the cabin on the lake, needing time and space to work through their problems. Whether they are fully aware of them or not.

In Summer of Fortune, single mother and art photographer Maddie Tedesco moves into the cabin for the summer to work on the black and white dark room photographs for her first solo show at a professional gallery in Seattle. Her teenage daughter has gone to live with her father for the summer and for the first time in years Maddie has time to think about her own future. And her past. The daughter of a severely alcoholic mother, Maddie still carries a lot of childhood baggage. But strongly independent, she has always kept her life on track by keeping to herself and strictly sticking to her plans.

But that’s not so easy to do in a town like Fortune Bay, where she’s swept into a life she never thought could be hers.

To read the first chapter, click here.

Summer of Fortune is available in paperback from Amazon, and in eBook form from the following online retailers: Amazon, Kobo, the iTunes store and Barnes and Noble.

Thanks for dropping by. More wine?