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Interview & Giveaway – Kristan Higgins, author of Somebody to Love

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

Today is an exciting day!  We are welcoming Kristan Higgins to the blog!  She is the author of Somebody to Love and is here to giveaway a copy of her book as well as tell us a bit about herself and her book. Although I haven’t read Someone to Love, I have read several other books that Kristan has written and they were all excellent!  I imagine this one will be great as well!  If you are interested in winning a copy of this book, fill out the form below, and Kristan will be dropping by to say hi, so leave any questions you might have in the comments!

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

Kristan – Let’s see…I once told Stephen King to get a life when he mocked my Yankees shirt at Fenway Park during a Boston/New York ball game. That may be the most interesting thing sugarbeat's books romance books romance novel reviews historical contemporary eroticaabout me. Oh, and I can whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies in under six minutes. Land-speed record, I think.

I’m a happily normal person who has a very fun job. I backed into writing when my kids were little (they’re teenagers now). I was a stay-at-home mommy looking for a way to stretch that out, and since my expertise in life seemed to be ironing, imitating bird song and reading romance novels, I figured I’d give romance writing a try. I picked contemporary because I wanted to write love stories about regular folks, you know? People like my friends, siblings, self—not spectacularly gifted or beautiful or wealthy…just regular people who got to have wonderfully romantic love stories.

Barb – Tell us about your latest release, Somebody to Love?

Kristan – Now see, you’ve already caught me in a lie, because when the book starts out, Parker is fabulously wealthy. Well, actually, she’s broke, but she doesn’t know it yet. Though she had a very privileged life growing up, she’s just learned that her daddy has emptied the family coffers, including her trust fund, and she’s got to move and find a job that’ll pay the bills, just like the rest of us. All she has left is a decrepit house on the northern coast of Maine and about six weeks to flip it so that she can have a little starting-over money for her and her son.

James Cahill is the son Parker’s dad never had. He’s Harry’s personal attorney, and he’s nursed a crush on Parker for years. When Harry heads off to prison for insider trading, James figures he owes Parker some help whether she wants it or not. Maybe he can change her mind about him. He’s certainly going to try.

Barb – Do you create an outline before you start writing, or do you let the characters take the story away?

Kristan – A little of both, actually! I do like to have an outline to keep me grounded in the story, because otherwise, I tend to lose my place a bit. But the characters definitely drive the car, as it were. Sometimes I’m surprised at what I learn about them while writing the book; we authors think we know what our people will do, and then bam, they surprise us by veering off the road. It’s always worth it.

Barb –  What is it you love most about writing? What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Kristan – I love coming up with a new idea; I love falling for a character, whether it’s the hero or a secondary character or a kid in the story. I also love the reaction from readers, which has been overwhelming. I still remember my first fan letter (Alana in Montana, I’m talking to you!) and how stunning it was that someone would write to me.

The hardest part for me is the first draft, which I view as necessary drudgery. The outline is fun because the story is completely fluid at that point. Revisions make the manuscript turn into a book. But the first draft is…well, it’s like soil preparation in the garden. The fun part is designing the garden and planting the flowers. The hard part—and the most important—is preparing the soil, fertilizing it, getting rid of the rocks, digging it up. It’s not as glam as the other parts, but without that, your garden won’t grow.

Barb – Do you have a favorite character from your stories or are they like your children and you can’t choose between them?

Kristan – The latter. It really depends on the day. A few favorites are Liam from UNTIL THERE WAS YOU; BeverLee from MY ONE AND ONLY; Angus from TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I love Callie and Malone, Crazy Dave, Danny and Chantal…it’s tough to choose just one. Or even one dozen!

Barb –  What book is currently on your nightstand?

Kristan – I’m reading PARIS IN LOVE by Eloisa James.

Barb –  Where can your fans find you ?

Kristan – www.kristanhiggins.com and www.Facebook.com/KristanHigginsBooks.

Barb –  What project are you working on now?

Kristan – I’m currently working on the first book in a series set around a family-run vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Readers can expect gorgeous scenery, a dopey and wonderful Golden Retriever, and a hero to swoon over. Well. At least I’ve been swooning over him. It’s a little embarrassing, how much I love this guy.

Barb –  Anything else you’d like to add?

Kristan – Thank you so much for having me today! It’s a pleasure.

sugarbeat's books romance books romance novel reviews historical contemporary eroticaSOMEBODY TO LOVE is a timely story about a rich girl who discovers that a little hard work may be just the thing she needs. After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns – a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled, even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around the toolbox.

Having to fend for herself financially for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t he only thing that needs a little TLC… In addition to the great chemistry between Parker and James, SOMEBODY TO LOVE is sure to make readers fall in love all over again with Gideon’s Cove (the charming town from Kristan’s bestseller Catch Of The Day).

I’d like to thank Kristen for dropping by and sharing!  If this sounds like a book you are interested in winning, fill out the form below!

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The Lady Most Likely by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James & Connie Brockway

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

sugarbeat's books romance novels romance book reviewsWelcome also to Series Sunday!

As you all know, my favorite books exist in series.  In honor of Julia Quinn’s release slated for the end of May, I’m going to post all the books that I’ve read and reviewed so far.  Today we are going to start with a book that is written by three friends – Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway.  Unlike a true anthology, this book moves from one story into the next.  It wasn’t until I was listening to the three ladies talk at a book signing back in January that they pointed out that you can tell what each wrote by looking at the top of the page to see the author’s name.  Guess I was paying attention to that when I read the book as I couldn’t tell who wrote which part!  This is one of the books that I will be giving away at the end of this stretch of reviews – around about the beginning of June!  For now, enjoy!

The Lady Most Likely… by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway
ISBN: 978-0-06-124782-8
Publisher: Avon Historical Romance
Release: 2011
Source: I won this book in a giveaway

Sugarbeat's books romance books romance novel reviews historical contemporary erotica author interviews promotionsThree of the brightest stars of historical romance invite you to a party at the country home of the Honorable Marquess of Finchley

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife, so his sister hands him a list of delectable damsels and promises to invite them – and a few other gentlemen – to her country house for what is sure to be the event of the season.

Hugh will have time to woo whichever lady he most desires…Unless someone else snatches her first.

The invitation list includes:
The horse-mad but irresistibly handsome Earl of Briarly
The always outspoken Miss Katherine Peyton
The dashing war hero Captain Neill Oakes
The impossibly beautiful (and painfully shy) Miss Gwendolyn Passmore
The terribly eligible new Earl of Charters
The widowed Lady Georgina Sorrell (who has no plans to marry, ever)

And your hostess, Lady Carolyn Finchley, an irrepressible matchmaker who plans to find the lady most likely…..to capture her brother’s untamed heart.

The Lady Most Likely is a book that I won in a giveaway some time ago. It’s been tempting me from the shelf and I was happy to be able to spend a few hours enjoying the lively writing of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway.

It seems that the somewhat dense Earl of Briarly announced to his sister and her best friend that he has decided that he needs a wife. Could they make him a list, please and he’ll got to Almack’s that night and pick one out. Gotta love a practical man! Once Carolyn (the sister) and Georgina (the friend) pick themselves off the floor and stop laughing, they realize that something serious must have happened to make Hugh make such an abrupt about face. Under duress, Hugh admits to a coma after being thrown from his horse. He’s determined to marry and produce and heir before another fall is permanent. Not the best thing to say to his sister, but it does spur her into motion! Next thing he knows, a house party is arranged with a selection of young women for him and a selection of young men for Georgina to choose from. She may say that she doesn’t want to marry again, but Carolyn is her best friend, and is determined that she finds wedded happiness!

This is a fun book to read! It is funny, it is heart-warming, and it rocks along at a good pace. It involves a whole host of characters as you can tell from the blurb. The house party is held by Carolyn and her husband, Lord and Lady Finchley. Carolyn’s husband, Piers is a amiable fellow, determined to keep his wife happy. To do so, he seems to be content helping her with her matchmaking activities. She tries to set up Hugh with the unbelievably beautiful, yet painfully shy Miss Gwendolyn Passmore. She’s more suited to Alec, the Earl of Charters. She then tries to set him up with Miss Katherine Peyton until he gets slugged by the war hero Captain Neill Oakes for being too forward with Katherine (who Neill has known and loved since childhood). There goes another prospect. Not knowing where to turn, he suddenly sees Georgina in a new light. Seeing her not as a his sister’s friend, but as a beautiful woman.

Often I find reading a book like this, with so many characters, difficult. I have trouble keeping all the characters straight. I didn’t have that difficulty with this book. The writing is clear and the various relationships are distinct and easy to keep straight! I highly recommend this book as a fun, light regency romp of a romance!

Amazon Purchase Link for The Lady Most Likely…: A Novel in Three Parts

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An Affair to Remember – An Afternoon of Romance

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

So…..on Sunday January 8th I and my niece headed off for a drive to an event I found out about on Facebook:

An Affair to Remember – An Afternoon of Romance

Please join us for an exclusive romance tea, hosted by Avon Books and University Book Store in Bellevue, Washington! An intimate tea and conversation with bestselling romance authors, Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, Christina Dodd, Lisa Kleypas and Connie Brockway.

What could be better than the opportunity to listen to some of my favorite author talk about their books and maybe get a signed book to two…..

We had a few problems finding the bookstore mostly because I typed the address incorrectly into Google Maps 🙁  I was so happy to arrive and find that although we were a few minutes late, some of the authors hadn’t arrived yet!

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Not to worry, we settled in to relax and listen;  happy to be in a non-moving seat 🙂  A few minutes later, the rest of the group arrived with stories of all the places they had been during the process of trying to find the University Bookstore.  I’ll tell you, they got way more lost than we did!  Not only that, they saw alot of more interesting places in the process of finding the bookstore – we should have been following them 🙂

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The next hour or so passed quickly, with each of the authors talking about their latest books and answering questions from the audience members.  Although I’ve read books from all of the authors, I’ve probably read more books by Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James and Julia Quinn.  I found it delightful to be reminded of some of the older books by all the authors as they talked about their favorite hero and heroines.  My niece that came with me has not read a book by any of these authors.  She is *gasp* a sci-fi fan and was chuckling at me as I was smiling and nodding to the various answers from the authors.  I’ll have you know, however, she took home a romance by Julia Quinn…..we might have a convert 🙂

Once the Q&A was done, we could get some books signed by the authors!

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The line-up was long but the time passed quickly as everyone in line was discussing their favorite authors and their favorite books – a great way to pass time!  I decided to get a copy of Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn, Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James and A True Love Wedding Dress by Catherine Anderson, Connie Brockway and Casey Claybourne.  I got them all signed and am planning on giving them away!!

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As you can see, in addition to the books, I got some swag 🙂 In the bottom left of this picture you can see I got a promo piece with the artwork of Julia Quinn’s next book.  Here’s a closeup of the cover.

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Everyone who reads this blog on a regular basis knows that I LOVE the Bridgerton series!  Just Like Heaven is sort of an extension of the Bridgerton series and so is this book.

Isn’t this cover beautiful?? 

But May 29th??? 

Really??? 

We have to wait that long??

How am I ever going to fill my time?

Right…..there’s that TBR pile that my husband claims is so large it needs it’s own room!  Oh well, I guess time will pass, but in the meantime, look forward to a review of the books that make up the Bridgerton Series in the weeks before this release!

This post can’t be finished without a mention of Eloisa James.  I’ve read alot of her books, but I’ve never heard her speak to an audience before.  She’s funny, she’s engaging, and I love how her writing challenges my brain!  I look forward to sharing my thoughts about Kiss at Midnight with you.  ( I loved it!)

Until then, happy reading and stay warm 🙂