Blog Archives
At Home With… Annie Seaton [Plus Giveaway!]
To celebrate the January 1st release of THE JANUARY WISH, the first book in my small coastal town series set in Tarrin’s Bay; The Town of New Beginnings, I’ve started a new interview segment called ‘At Home With…’
Today, we’re paying a visit to bestselling author from Entangled Publishing, Annie Seaton!
1. Hi Annie where are you from and how long have you lived there?
I live in a small town on the mid north coast of New South Wales and have lived here for over twenty years.
2. What do you love about the place you call home?
Family around me makes it home. As well as that, the proximity to the ocean is very special to me. The water inspires my writing.
3. Do you have a favourite local cafe, restaurant, bar, club, business, or store? Give them a plug here!
LOL… the coffee machine in my kitchen. I have been so busy with deadlines, I lead a fairly cloistered life….I even grocery shop online!
4. Do you have any pets? If so, what are their names? (Feel free to share a photo)
I think most readers are familiar with Bob Dog and Boy Cat and Girl Cat… but here is a photo too!
5. What is your favourite room in the house and why?
The living room where my writing chair overlooks the ocean and my garden
6. If you had to evacuate your house, what three items (apart from people and pets!) would you take?
Laptop, iPad and my gold jewellery (All my important documents and photos are stored electronically!)
7. If you had a magic wand, what’s one thing you would change about your home or your town?
I would beautify the public areas that the local council cannot afford to look after.
8. It’s movie night at your place, the popcorn’s out, and everyone’s nabbed their favourite couch corner or armchair… what movie/s will we watch?
Love Actually or Billy Elliott.
9. Imagine you have the luxury of a chef for a night and you’ve invited people over for a dinner party, what would you have the chef cook?
Creme Brulee! Forget the main course.. . straight to the dessert for me.
[Juliet ~ why not? ;)]
10. Name three books on your To Be Read bookshelf or e-reader:
~ Books 3-10 in the Sullivans series by Bella Andre (Can we count that as one?)
~ Jackie Underdown-Beautiful Illusion
~ M J Stedman –Light Between Oceans
[Juliet ~ I have a couple of those on my list too]
11. Name something unique or uncommon that you have in your pantry or fridge:
Home made pickles… I think that is a rarity these days!
12. If you could live anywhere for one year, where would you go?
New Zealand… I love it and would love to spend a year exploring the country.
13. You’ve just received a phone call from a friend or relative, and they’ll be arriving in five minutes for a visit. What do you do?
a) Relax on the couch until they arrive.
b) Put the kettle on; place some (probably homemade) snacks onto a tray; set the table; put flowers into a vase; and light a candle (and maybe even make some place cards with your super calligraphy skills).
c) Put the kettle on; tip out a few cookies onto a plate; check your reflection in the mirror, and wait.
d) Freak out; shove excess household clutter under beds, in cupboards, drawers, and the garage; trip over something in the process; hold an ice pack to your bruised forehead while swearing profusely; check the mirror to see if you’re still in pyjamas; frantically change into suitable clothing whilst simultaneously holding ice pack to your head; fall over again; alternate ice pack between head and location of new injury; then shove ice pack under bed and greet visitors with the fakest smile of pure calm you can muster.
None of the above. Chill the wine!
[Juliet ~ it’s all about priorities, right? ;)]
Thanks Annie!
Even though Annie would probably love you to pay a visit, why not visit her online right now?
Website: http://annieseatonromance.com
Blog: http://annieseaton.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieSeatonAuthor
Twitter: @annieseaton26
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5779458.Annie_Seaton
And help her pay for that in-house chef by buying a copy of her book, Outback Affair, here:
OUTBACK AFFAIR:
Jessica Trent wants to be a full-time writer for Cuisine magazine, but in order to land the gig she has to snare a one-on-one with the reclusive Alessandro Ricardo, a man hell-bent on staying out of the limelight. The last thing she expects as she heads to Crocodile Springs resort in northern Australia is to end up traveling across the Outback with a rugged and far too sexy barramundi fisherman.
Ex-lawyer Alex Richards protects his privacy and his heart in equal measure. So when a Yankee bombshell in need of a ride turns up and threatens both, he decides to teach her a lesson. As they make their way through the wild country together, the attraction between them ignites. Alex must choose between his heart or letting go of his past … and will Jessica understand why he lied once she finds out who he really is?
>>WIN! Annie’s giving away a copy of the first book in her affair series, Holiday Affair. Comment below to enter (bonus entry if you tell us where you would like to go for your ideal holiday!). Open worldwide and winner will be drawn on 15th Nov and notified by email.
Good luck!
Ten Awkward Questions with Jenna Rutland
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Please welcome the author of JUST FOR THE SUMMER, Jenna Rutland!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
Well, since I’ve only had one release so far, I’ve got to say, Just For the Summer!
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
Graceful – NOT! I’d have to go with Cheerful
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Absolutely complete klutz. My son likes to say, “If you just sit and watch Mom long enough, she’s gonna do something klutzy.”
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
No, I haven’t yet. Hmmm, something to think about.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
Only if nobody is home.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
All the time!
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Oh, geez, a young Lucille Ball. (Sorry you young kids probably don’t know who she is.)
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich’s books. Why? To have to smoking hot guys both in love with you? Need I say more?
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
It’s a tossup between the alcohol and the gorgeous man. Since I can only choose one, I’d have to go with the guy.
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Without trying to sound like a Miss America runner up, I’d go with the “Learn to love and live in peace.”
Thanks for taking part, Jenna, you have been awarded Ultra Brave Author Status on the Braveometer!
>>You can visit Jenna at her website, facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.
Past, Present, & Future with Coleen Kwan…
In celebration of the upcoming release of my debut novel, Fast Forward (see announcement here), I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome… Coleen Kwan!
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid I was always daydreaming but I never really thought about what I wanted to be. At one stage I thought having a book store would be cool because I could spend all day reading!
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
I worked for many years in information technology. I designed computer systems for mortgages, superannuation, and stock broking. It paid the bills, was well-paid, and it was challenging but not as creatively satisfying as writing.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
When I was very young, maybe only three, my father built his own campervan from bits and bobs. Then we — dad, mum, and three children — set out for a long cross country trip. I don’t recall how many weeks we spent on the road, but I remember having lots of fun with my family. Looking back now, I marvel at my parents’ gung ho attitude. The campervan was unreliable, the distances were long, and my siblings and I were very young at the time. But I’m very glad I have that memory.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?
My new release is Real Men Don’t Break Hearts, published by Entangled Publishing. It’s a sweet, small town romance between Nate, a reformed bad boy, and Ally, a good girl wanting to reinvent herself. Six years ago Ally was jilted at the altar, and she always blamed Nate, her ex’s cousin. Now Nate is back in town and he’s her new landlord. To make things worse, she finds herself reluctantly attracted to him. Cue lots of tension and conflict.
I’m currently working on the next book of the Real Men series. This story deals with Tyler, Ally’s best friend. Nate and Ally put in an appearance in this book, and it’s fun to see them deal with the next stage of their relationship.
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
I wake my two teenagers up (sometimes that involves a lot of yelling) and somehow manage to get them out the door in time for school (usually). Then my partner and I do our morning walk for about 40-50 mins. I try to write from about 10 until 2, with a break for lunch. If the story is flowing or I haven’t reached my daily word count, then I work some more. By 3 or 4 my creative juices have usually dried up, so I find that’s a good time to do email or research or just browsing on the internet.
I rarely write at night. I’m not a night person and my brain just isn’t creative when the sun goes down.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
Spending time with my parents, my family. Having the opportunity to concentrate on my writing without worrying about full-time work. Working with great editors and meeting other writers and sharing the ups and downs of the writing life.
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
I’d like to fast forward to 22 Dec 2012 just to check that the end of the world hasn’t happened!
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
I would love a robot to cook fresh, healthy, yummy dinners for me and clean up afterwards. I’m a reluctant cook at the best of times, so an invention like that would really make my life easier and more fun.
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
I hope I and my family stay healthy. I hope my daughter has chosen the right subjects for Year 11. I hope I keep on writing and being published.
Thanks for being on the blog today, Coleen!
Check out Coleen’s book, REAL MEN DON’T BREAK HEARTS.
You can also visit Coleen at her website/blog, facebook, and twitter.
JULIET MADISON 