Interview & Giveaway with Lauren Clark, author of Dancing Naked in Dixie

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are welcoming Lauren Clark to the blog!  She is the author of Dancing Naked in Dixie.  She’s touring around the blogs to promote her books with GoddessFish Promotions.  She’s also offering a lovely bookish giveaway for this tour.  She will be giving away a $25.00 Amazon GC to a random commenter from this tour.  So….you know what to do….leave a comment on this post and click HERE to find other blogs to comment on and increase your chances of winning!

Lauren is going to answer some questions about herself and her books and then share the blurb and an excerpt.  If this book sounds like something that you would be interested in reading, please pick up a copy using the buy links at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

 

Barb – Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.

 

Lauren – I am just a regular girl who grew up in a very small town with two younger brothers and a close-knit family. My parents were both working professionals (economist and nurse). My mother and father placed a lot of emphasis on education and reading. They turned off the TV all summer, each summer, and encouraged play time outside and using our imagination. As a result, I grew up dreaming about becoming “Princess Tiger Lily” while my brothers played cops and robbers with the neighbor kids.

 

I’m a voracious reader and have thankfully passed that down to both my children. We love the library, bookstores, and can easily spend an afternoon making up stories or pretending to be superheroes. Personally, I love a story–in any genre– that features a strong, yet flawed, heroine who relies on her own intelligence and intuition to solve problems and overcome obstacles. She’s happy to have her “Prince Charming” waiting in the wings … but doesn’t need him to make her life complete.

 

Barb – What is your favorite part of writing?

 

Lauren – I’d have to say that I love dreaming up the ideas. I’ll hear a snippet of a story, or a phrase, and it will trigger something in my brain. If the idea stays with me, I’ll add it to my “file.”

 

The plot for Stay Tuned, my first novel, came about after hearing a story about two anchors (romantically involved) who exchanged blows in a TV station parking lot. The idea for Dixie resulted from moving from New York to Alabama and visiting the Eufaula Pilgrimage. My next novel, The Pie Lab, is about a funky, eclectic restaurant that I stumbled across in Greensboro, Alabama.

 

Barb – What part of writing do you find the most challenging?

 

Lauren – Oh, that would be endings. Hands down. Endings are scary, monstrous things that make me want to hold my breath and close my eyes. I adore a perfect ending, one that makes me sigh, laugh out loud, or cry.

 

Endings are so important and they are very, very hard to make perfect!! I’m getting better, but wish that I had a “Wonderful Ending Fairy” to wave her wand and put lovely sentences on my pages.

 

Barb –  Tell us a bit about your new book – Dancing Naked in Dixie.

 

Lauren – It’s really about a girl who finds happiness in the most unexpected of places. Here’s the summary:

 

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired.

 

With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she’s offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.

 

Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia’s story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

 

Barb –  What challenges did you face bringing this book to market, if any.

 

Lauren – The only challenge was the potential for misconceptions about the title. I played with changing up the wording, but nothing had the “zing” of Dancing Naked in Dixie. I finally ran it by a dear friend’s book club group … and all of the women lit up and got excited when I told them the title. I knew then that I HAD to keep it.

 

Barb –  Do you have a favorite character in Dancing Naked in Dixie?

 

Lauren – I love and relate so much to Julia. I am a total klutz and trip over my own feet. I try to do what I think is right, but half the time, end up mucking things up. With the best of intentions, I get into a hurry, or forget the time, or make a mistake … luckily my good friends and family realize this and accept me anyway.

 

I also adore Roger. Originally, he had a very small role, but during the revisions, his part grew and grew. I think he was a lovely complement to Julia–an unlikely ally and confidante–a person that she grew to trust and rely on.

 

Barb – When you write, do you start with an outline, or do you let the characters take the story away?!

 

Lauren – I’ve tried to fly by the seat of my pants, but the story races away from me faster than I can catch it. I have to be very organized, and at the very least, have a rough idea of what might happen in each chapter. This doesn’t mean that the characters won’t sometimes surprise me, because they often do!

 

Barb –  What is your favorite all time book – or is there more than one?

 

Lauren – I have to say that “My Sister’s Keeper” is my all time favorite. I love the complexity and the changing POVs. It’s emotional, dark, and deep, all about the destruction of a family due to an illness no one could have predicted. The mother decided to have a second daughter to provide a much needed lifeline and bone marrow match for the first child. What results is chilling, heart-stopping, and nothing short of brilliant ending. I’m rarely surprised by the ending of a novel. This one caught me totally off-guard and I love that.

 

That said, I love to read suspense/thriller fiction, but MUST mix it up with my light-hearted and fun Chick Lit to keep everything in balance!

 

Barb –  Where can your fans keep in touch with you?

 

Lauren – I’d love an email at laurenclarkbooks@gmail.com. I answer every message! You can also find me on my website, Facebook, and Twitter. (links below)

 Website   *   Goodreads   *   Twitter   *   Facebook

 

Barb –  What project do you have in the works?

 

Lauren – I am researching for my next novel, The Pie Lab, which is a real restaurant in Greensboro, Alabama. This story will follow a girl who’s gone off to a big city (like Atlanta or New York) and vows NEVER to come home. She’s forced to return to Greensboro, though, when her romantic relationship falls apart. Since she’s burned a lot of bridges, it will be interesting to see how she makes amends.  The Pie Lab, as a business, is a great concept, as it offers on-the-job training and the owners are very active in the community. Added bonus…the pies are delicious! The Pie Lab has been featured in Southern Living and The New York Times.

 

Barb –  Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

 

Lauren – Authors really appreciate reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, & BN.com. It’s such a great way for everyone to express their opinions about the books they read!

 

I love connecting on Facebook and Twitter and really listen to what readers have to say about Stay Tuned or Dixie. I’ve made so many lovely friends and have been amazed at the kindness and support my novels have received. Thank you. I am truly blessed.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired.

 

With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she’s offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.

 

Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia’s story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

 

The Best Butts in Alabama, the huge billboard above my head brags. A robust pink pig, dressed in blue overalls and a cowboy hat, winks down at me. Next to the hog’s turned up nose, royal blue letters read ‘Phil’s Bar-B-Q.’

 

Phil certainly knows how to make a first impression. As does Mother Nature.

 

The sunshine beats down on my shoulder through the window. Is it always this muggy in December? I swipe at my forehead with the back of my hand and do quick surveillance.

 

Where is the historic, elegant city I was promised in the letter? There is a normal-looking church across the street, a run-of-the-mill real estate business to my right, and a tiny hole-in-the-wall place called The Donut King, which seems to be doing ten times more business than the Winn-Dixie grocery store I just passed.

 

So far, all I see of Eufaula, Alabama is more in-your-face commercial than traveler chic. Of course, I’m not in the best frame of mind to become one with my surroundings.

 

After a lousy Thursday morning of sulking and a rushed packing job, I sent an RSVP with regrets for the fundraiser, gave away my tickets to the Met, left a voice mail for Andrew, and changed my ticket to an earlier departure.

 

Hours later, after fighting through JFK security, surviving the cramped flight to Atlanta, I spent the night in Buckhead, Georgia, picked up my enormous rented SUV this morning (it was either that or a red minivan), and began driving the three-and-a-half hours to reach my pinhole-on-a-map destination.

 

All to save my job.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Lauren Clark writes contemporary novels set in the Deep South; stories sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets.

 

A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

 

 

Her book is available at Amazon

 

 

Related articles

• Goddess Fish Promotion Book Review: Dancing Naked In Dixi(achickwhoreads.blogspot.com)

  ---

• Review – Dancing Naked in Dixie(coffeeaddictedwriter.com)

  ---

• Book Review: Dancing Naked in Dixie(ermiliablog.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Author Guest Post (Bewitching Book Tours) – Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark(booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com)

  ---

• DANCING NAKED IN DIXIE by LAUREN CLARK(blackhippiechick.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Guest Post with Lauren Clark + Giveaway(bookinitreviews.com)

  ---

• Lauren Clark Has Done It Again With Dancing Naked In Dixie!(kcareyinfante.com)

  ---