All of Me
Starlight Hill, #1
Heatherly Bell
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Heatherly Bell Books
Date of Publication: November 4, 2014
Number of pages: 140
Cover Artist: The Killion Group
Excerpt:What would you do for a second chance with your first love?
Welcome to wine country and the small town of Starlight Hill, California, where the wine flows freely and so does the gossip.
The town has never quite forgiven Ivey Lancaster for leaving their favorite son, Dr. Jeff Garner, when she met a man on an online dating site. But while the people of the township took sides, the truth of her absence is something Ivey doesn’t want anyone to know.
When a sudden change of plans forces Ivey to work with her hunky ex, she must keep it professional or risk her heart all over again.
Jeff sensed an opening and he proceeded to drive the proverbial Mac truck through it. “The best thing you and I can do is show everyone in town that we’re getting along. That we’re friends again.”
“Yeah. We better get the word out.”
He nodded. “Having dinner with me might help too.”
She whipped her head around so fast he worried about whiplash for a minute. “You and me? Not for real. That can’t happen. We’re not going there again.”
“Going where?” Yep, he was going to do this. Watch her walk right into his trap.
“Making love. Getting back together. Do I have spell it out for you?”
“Wow,” he said. “I’m flattered. But I was talking about dinner. You and your one-track mind.”
Suddenly, absolute quiet from the passenger seat. But as his luck would have it, not for long. “I caught you staring at my boobs. Don’t try to lie to me now.”
“I’m a man, Ivey, and right now you’re a wet-t-shirt-contest dream.”
“Don’t you dare stare at my boobs!”
He grinned. “Try and stop me.”
#
She turned to him, the light in her eyes that made him a goner. “We? Does that mean I’ve convinced you, Dr. Garner?”
He couldn’t help but grin. “Congratulations. I think we should make our recommendation that the board hire a staff of midwives and let them decide.”
She stared out the window. “I don’t know.”
Interview:
Today, we welcome Heatherly Bell to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give a big Geeky welcome!
Thanks for having me here today.
Let's start with some writer specific questions before moving into the fun stuff. That way everyone can really get to know the person behind the writer. We will finish things off with a round of Think Fast. Ready for the interrogation to begin?
Writing Specific
Is your writing style more plotter or pantser?Definitely more of a pantser, although I do start with a basic overarching conflict. Then I’ll work on the three act structure and brainstorm those turning points (which may or may not change). I do not make extensive character trait sheets. Inevitably the story changes as I write and get to know the characters. Then I go back and make the changes in revisions.
When is your favorite time/place to write?
I don’t have a favorite time as I write whenever I have a few extra minutes. But my favorite place is the coffee shop. I’ll take my Alpha Smart (no Internet) and sit for several hours sipping iced chai tea and writing. Good times.
What one thing do you wish someone had told you before you started writing?
I wish someone had told me that writing a book would involve so much more than writing a book! It involves the dreaded “synopsis” (a dirty word in my house), the query letter, 100 word tag line, coming up with catchy, pithy blurbs and generally marketing your tail off. And I thought I was just going to write a book!
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
If I’m in the thick of a book and I’m not writing, I’m often thinking about writing. Also, I can often be found reading or watching movies, throwing in a load of the never-ending laundry, and generally being employed as a servant in my own home.
How did you choose the genres you write in?
I’ve read a lot of books over the years but found that when I read a book in any other genre I became focused on the romance element. Whenever there is a tough and brittle man who becomes tender at the sight of one particular woman that kicks me in the gut. I believe in the soul mate/true love connection.
Fun Stuff
What was the last movie/concert/show that you saw?We saw Interstellar. I don’t think I’m smart enough for that movie.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
Fat and sugar would metabolize into my body not as calories but as telepathic powers. Therefore, I would have to eat a lot of fat and sugar, which would have no effect on my weight or my heart. I would use this power to find estranged couples and bring them back together by revealing what the other one is thinking:
“He loves you, but he’s afraid to tell you!”
Come to think of it, this is not so much a superpower as a fantasy. I would love to be able to say that eating large amounts of sugar and fat is a good thing for me, and would also help other people. It’s a stretch, I know it…
What is your biggest pet peeve?
That has got to be when one of my children will leave a pile of dirty laundry on the floor just two inches away from the laundry room.
What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
You would find way too many plastic containers with leftovers which are now molding. Not too many science experiments, but some which are well on their way.
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
She Died Laughing
Think Fast
Elvis or Sinatra? ElvisMountains or Sea? Sea
Meat or Veggies? Meat
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Cake or Pie? Cake
Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?
Do not go Christmas shopping on December 24th! Sorry, that’s all I have.
Giveaway:
Heatherly will be awarding a $25 Starbucks gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Author Bio:
When early onset stage fright dashed dreams of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame status, Heatherly Bell tackled her first book in 2010, and now the people and voices that occupy her head refuse to leave.
She no longer sings unless you count randomly bursting into song to annoy her children (and the dogs).
Heatherly lives in northern California with her family, including two beagles, one who can say ‘hello’ and the other who can feel a pea through several pillows.
To connect with the author online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
Alpha Smart—what a great name for a cafe! Then again, that's probably the werewolf half of my brain talking. I would have thought that writing a synopsis would be easy, but I guess summed up your baby in so few words is anything but. Thanks for supporting my coffee addiction with this giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCarmel @ Rabid Reads
Thanks for having me here today and for all the questions. You nearly stumped me, but the answer is Elvis! Isn't it always?
ReplyDeleteI likes the interview
ReplyDeleteI liked the interview
ReplyDeleteI liked the interview best and then the excerpt. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read. I will totally have to add this book to my "to-read" list.
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