Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today we are welcoming Allie Boniface to the blog! She is the author of Beacon of Love and is here to answer some of our questions and to share some information about her book!
Allie will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR B&N Gift Card AND an e-copy of any title of her backlist (winner’s choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
You know how to increase your chances of winning! Leave a comment to be entered. Just click HERE and find more blogs to leave comments on! I hope you enjoy learning more about Allie and her book, Beacon of Love!
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Barb – How would you describe your book in 20 words or less without using the blurb?
Allie – Haunted lighthouse + spunky travel show host + sexy local cameraman = mystery on the beach and steam between the sheets!
Barb – Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
Allie – I found my dream location last summer on a trip around the Mediterranean: the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, with an ocean and mountain view that would inspire the most writers’-blocked author, it’s remote enough that I could escape from the rat race of my life in America (insert incessant news stories, cell phones, social media, and a full-time teaching job here). If I won the lottery and didn’t have to work for the rest of my life, I’d buy a villa in Ravello or Sorrento tomorrow.
Barb – What’s your current guilty pleasure?
Allie – Chocolate and martinis. Not necessarily together, though that never hurts 😉
Barb – If you wouldn’t be a writer, what you would be?
Allie – I already have the best job in the world, aside from being a writer: I’m a teacher. And while yes, it would be nice to escape to Italy, that’s only because of the loads of paperwork (and testing, with all the new educational changes going on). Working with young people and having an influence in their lives is the most rewarding thing I could imagine doing with my life.
Barb – What were the challenges in bringing this book to life?
Allie – Adding the sub-plot, without a doubt. After I finished the first draft of Beacon of Love, I went back and realized there was something missing, emotion, grittiness, something compelling about the story. I spent a lot of time brainstorming, talking to other writers, and using agent Donald Maass’ advice from Writing the Breakout Novel. After all that, the story of the haunted lighthouse took a backseat to the true haunting in the novel: that of Lucas, the hero, and the rest of the town, who lose 6 teenagers in a tragic plane crash 10 years before the story opens. Gave me a whole lot more messy and powerful emotions to deal with.
Barb – Where do you get your inspiration?
Allie – Everywhere! From news articles and events, from songs on the radio, from things that happen to people I know, from my own dreams. (Speaking of news articles, did anyone see the recent story on the 95-year old woman who admitted to being a “food tester” for Hitler in the 1940s? All I could think was “Now there’s a story to tell!”)
Barb – What is the one book that you think everyone should read?
Allie – The Fault in our Stars by John Green. It’s a Young Adult novel that is brilliantly written, a terrific portrayal of real people (he’s so good at creating characters). It’s the story of 2 teenagers who experience their first true love – while battling cancer. It’s not a cancer story, though, so much as a love story, but it’s real and messy and the teens are smarter and more in tune with their feelings than the adults in the book. Just fabulous.
Barb – Where can your fans find you ?
Allie – I’m most reliably on Facebook, and I update my blog three times a week: Monday Mentionables, Writers’ Wednesday, and Friday Fun Facts. I’m also on Twitter, though I don’t check in there as regularly.
Barb – If you could write outside your genre what would that be?
Allie – I’d love to write a Young Adult novel, and I’m actually working on one right now! I think it’s a terrific genre, so great for creating protagonists who develop in profound and meaningful ways. Plus I teach teenagers, so I see and hear their angst and drama almost every day. Stay tuned! There might be a YA book listed on my “New Releases” page one day!
Barb – Are you working on anything new and if so when can we expect to see it?
Allie – I’m currently revising the sequel to this book, another contemporary romance set in Lindsey Point, called Inferno to Love. That will be Finn the bartender’s story 🙂 By the time I finished Beacon of Love I knew Finn had to get his happy-ever-after as well. So if you enjoy Beacon of Love, look for the sequel sometime next year!
Barb – Is there anything else you’d like to share to your followers and readers?
Allie – Thanks so much for having me here today! Loved all the fun questions!!
Beacon of Love
by Allie Boniface
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BLURB:
Welcome to Lindsey Point, Connecticut: suspicious of outsiders, loyal to tradition, and absolutely devoted to its local legends.
Enter Sophie Smithwaite, feisty travel show host, in town to film an episode about Lindsey Point’s haunted lighthouse. But digging into the story of a tragic murder-suicide and love gone wrong reveals startling connections to Sophie’s own past. When a gorgeous local handyman fills in behind the camera, Sophie’s life gets complicated by more than just her family history.
Part-time paramedic, handyman, seasonal Santa-Lucas Oakes does it all–except get attached. He’s still reeling from the death of his best friend ten years ago and the more recent infidelity of his ex-fiancee. Yet despite Sophie’s big-city nosiness and her insistence on chasing long-dead ghosts, he’s drawn to her.
But mixing with an outsider means questioning people and traditions Lucas has always defended. When a series of attacks seem to be connected to Sophie’s investigation, both Sophie and Lucas must decide if they are willing to risk everything to uncover the town’s secrets…and their own.
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Excerpt:
“Want something to drink? Water?”
Sophie shook her head.
“Not thirsty?”
“Lucas.”
He set the glasses down on the counter. “What?”
“Come over here and kiss me.”
His smile crooked. “Or what?”
She took two steps toward the kitchen, and he took one toward the living room, and they met in the middle. “Or I’m going to go crazy.”
He placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her forehead.
Sophie closed her eyes, waiting for the slow, inevitable slip of his mouth down her neck. To her curve of her collarbone. Maybe lower.
“There you go,” he said. His hands went away.
Her eyes flew open. “That’s it?”
“You said you wanted a kiss.”
Her fists landed on her hips. “Ha ha. Funny guy. So funny, in fact, I think I’m gonna recommend that comedy special you were talking about to Lon. He’s looking for a new show, you know. Maybe you’re the next big thing.”
Lucas swung her off the ground. Her arms went around his neck and her mouth ended up a fraction of an inch below his. “Maybe I am.” He kissed her again, this time not on the forehead. And not sweetly. “What do you think?”
But she couldn’t answer, couldn’t think of anything at all except his tongue teasing hers, her legs wrapping themselves around his waist and holding on like she’d never held onto a man in her life. Fire sizzled up her spine, and the air in the room went hot. Her hands–God, her hands couldn’t get enough of him. They wanted to be everywhere, in his hair and on his face and unbuttoning that damn shirt and taking off her own dress that was so in the way right now.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Allie Boniface is a small-town girl at heart who’s traveled around the world and still finds that the magic and the mystery of small towns make them the best places to fall in love and find adventure. From the New England coast to Rocky Mountain hotels to tiny European bars, she’s found more character and plot inspirations than she could ever count. Currently, she’s lucky enough to live in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley with her own “Hometown Hero,” a guy who can fix, build, drive, and grill anything and is the epitome of the strong and silent type.
When she isn’t writing love stories, Allie is a full-time high school English teacher who gets a kick out of helping her teenagers negotiate the ups and downs of writing along with the ups and downs of life (because, really, she’s still trying to do the same thing!). And while she’ll continue to travel far and wide, Allie knows there’s really nothing like coming back to the place where the people who have known you forever welcome you home with open arms.
ALLIE BONIFACE can be found:
www.allieboniface.blogspot.com
Twitter: AllieBoniface1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages