The Next Big Thing - Blog Hop!

Over the past weeks many authors have been participating in a blog hop to help get the word out about our new upcoming books. Today it is my turn. Below are answers to questions about the "next big thing," which for me is the coming release on April 1, 2013, of Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to write about my hometown. 

What is the title of your book?

Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Where did the idea come from for the book?  

My publisher, Summerside Press, was looking for stories set in resorts and I was raised in Lake Geneva--a perfect fit I would say!

What genre does your book fall under?  

Historical Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  

When I first developed my characters I decided that my heroine, Meg Alden, looked like an actress from the 30s whom I think is Gloria Stewart, but I can’t find the source now. 

In my mind's eye, Jack Wallace, the hero, bore a resemblance to Jack Kennedy during his college days. 

As I wrote the story, I realized more and more that I was picturing Meg and Jack more as how my parents looked at that age, which isn’t too far from the original “famous people” models I used. 

Here’s a shot of my parents when they were young and in love.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  

Will she give her heart to the man who stole her job?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I am represented by Terry Burns at Hartline Literary, and the book is published by Summerside Press, due to release April 1, 2013. You can preorder it on line right now at Amazon.com and other online bookstores.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Counting the three months of research, about nine months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  

Any books in the “Love Finds You” line or historical romances set in small towns during the 30s and 40s.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?  

I’ve always dreamed of wanting to write a story set in my beautiful hometown and when my editor encouraged me to come up with a proposal, I decided on focusing on the Riviera Building which was built in 1933. The “Riv” has become an icon of Lake Geneva and is historically protected. The second floor ballroom hosted many big bands during that era and it has proven itself to be a worthy “co-star” in my story. 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Today Lake Geneva is still a beautiful  town, but it is vastly different than the town of the 30s or even the 50s and 60s. My story gives a glimpse of the town as it was when Main Street was lined with retail establishments that included at least two drugstores, a bakery, two hardware stores, a meat market, and many other businesses. People went to town to shop and socialize. Nowadays people do their regular shopping at the edge of town where Walmart and Target are located. I took great care through my research to include actual stores and restaurants that were there during 1933 depict the small town life that existed back then. It’s a nostalgic look at Americana during the Great Depression that carried forward for several decades. 

But, one thing hasn’t changed since a very-long-ago glacier first carved out Geneva Lake—the lake itself. It’s still spring-fed,  crystal-clear,  beautiful body of water there for all to enjoy.

My book is already listed on Amazon and other on-line bookseller sites. If you click on my book cover, you will be taken to Amazon to pre-order, but feel free to purchase at other sites if you wish!

Blogger's Note: Late yesterday I learned that the sequel to my debut novel Thyme for Love,  will be released in about three weeks! This blog was already written for today. Be sure to look for Love Will Find a Way, a contemporary mystery romance that concludes Marc and April's journey to love with a few mysterious twists and turns along the way!

Next week two of my author friends will be posting about their new books at their blogs. Be sure to hop on over there and check them out.

Ada Brownell:  http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com/

Lynda Schab: http://www.on-the-write-track.blogspot.com/

Love Finds You in Lake Geneva Wisconsin - The Cover!

I have been beside myself in waiting to be able to show the world the beautiful cover Summerside Press has designed for my April 2013 release. And the day has finally arrived!

This story is set in my hometown, and it is a huge blessing from God that I have been granted the opportunity to show the world through this story the beauty of the small Wisconsin town where I grew up.

So without further ado here is my new cover!

Featuring Author S. Dionne Moore and Her New Release!

Today it is my pleasure to feature my good friend Sandra Moore who writes under the name S. Dionne Moore. Sandra is also one of my critique partners, and I can attest to her ability to spin a good story.  

Her latest release, Promise Brides, is a compilation of three novels, and is published by Barbour Publishing.

Anyone who has written historical fiction knows the countless hours of research that is required for any story. Sandra is going to discuss some of the things she learned as she researched for her novels.

***

One of the most interesting elements of my research for Promise of Time, one of three historical romances in newly released Promise Brides, was discovering that Abraham Lincoln was not the featured speaker at the Gettysburg National Cemetery dedication ceremony. Edward Everett was so honored, and he was scheduled to speak before the president on that cloudy day in November of 1863. Everett was a man noted for quality speeches and deliveries, his reputation for excellence in speech-making already established, as well as his tendency toward being long-winded. President Lincoln must have known this, for he planned his speech to be short, coming in at about two minutes compared to Everett’s two hours!

Even with two hours of talk time, Abraham Lincoln’s speech became the most well-remembered of the two, probably in great part because of its brevity.

The only known photo of Lincoln at Gettsyburg, the president is shown in the circle. His bodyguard is on his right. 

In my past blogs for my books, I’ve talked at great lengths about the historical facts used to make stories come to life. But what about my characters? Who are they and how do I develop them? Evolve might be a better word. My characters generally develop traits based on what will be happening in the plot and what hurdles they will have to jump in order to reach a satisfying ending.

In Promise Brides, specifically for Promise of Time, the idea of two people falling in love across the lines that divided our nation in 1863 fascinated me. Ellie is a Northerner, Theo a Southerner, but Theo is first and foremost a man. A young man thrust into the atrocities of war because of the things he saw his family and friends suffer at the hands of the Yankees. He had watched the North wreak havoc on everything in the South and he wanted to fight to protect what was left.

From this I delved deeper into who I wanted this man to be. How did the realities of war affect him? Theo would, like many, be unprepared for the stark realization that it had become his job to shoot at a men just like himself, but labeled his “enemy”.
But what if he months of war, of death and destruction became too much and he couldn’t take it anymore? What if, on the eve of watching yet another friend die, he also saw a man who was his “enemy,” but also a relative, murdered. . . ?

You can see the mire of questions I used to develop Theo into the character he became for Promise of Time. I wanted Ellie to be understanding of his mental anguish, thus she had experience working with the wounded in the aftermath at Gettysburg. But in spite of her compassion, wouldn’t the idea of falling for a Rebel be repugnant to her. . .or could she see what others could not. That Theo was a man first, then a soldier.

Promise of Time is available now on line at Christianbook.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble as well as at your favorite retailer.

Sandra Moore writes as S. Dionne Moore, and was named Favorite New Author in the 2011 18th Annual Heartsong Awards. A compilation of three historical romances released in November 2011, titled, Promise Brides. Stories include:  Promise of Tomorrow, a 2011 Carol Award Finalist, is set in Johnstown, PA, Promise of Yesterday, is set in Mercersburg/Greencastle, PA, and Promise of Time, in Gettysburg, PA.

Winter of 2012 watch for A Shepherd's Song, the first in her Wyoming Historical Romance series, followed by The Cattle Baron's Daughter (summer 2012) and Valley of the Heart (winter 2012).

Sandra resides in the rolling hills of Cumberland Valley, PA--a transplanted city girl and glad of it! She enjoys ferreting out little-known historical details and crafting a story around them. To learn more about Sandra and her work, visit her athttp://www.sdionnemoore.com/.

Looking for a Fun Read? Look No Further than Kathleen Y'Barbo's Latest Book.

I've known Kathleen Y'Barbo for a long time, but have never read one of her books before. After hearing rave reviews for her historical romances over the years, I knew I had to read one for myself. I wasn't disappointed.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck is the first of what I'm sure will be many pleasant moments reading Kathleen's work. Don't you just love that title? A title like that raises my curiosity. Why was the marriage inconvenient and who is Charlotte Beck?

The story opens in England during the late 1800s when a coming-of-age American young lady by the name of Charlotte Beck turns London society on its ear. It seems there is nothing Miss Beck is afraid to do and whatever she does, it seems to put her in the midst of trouble, even when she isn't looking for it.

Enter her nemisis, astronomer Alex Humbly, and her troubles only seem to mount. The only answer is to return home to Colorado and convince her father that she indeed is ready for college. Little does she realize that Alex also has his sights on Colorado as a way to save his family from financial ruin.

Her father provides a solution. One that neither Charlotte or Alex saw coming. If they marry, her father will save Alex's family from financial devastation, and Charlotte will be free to attend college. Being married to the man she despises more than anything is not Charlotte's idea of a good time, and Alex feels exactly the same about her. Or does he?

Y'Barbo has skillfully taken a plot that involves serious issues and crafted a story that is entertaining and fun to read. In fact, I could easily see this translated to a romantic comedy for the silver screen. I highly recommend the book for a long summer afternoon's reading, but it can be enjoyed anytime and anywhere.

This may have been my first Kathleen Y'Barbo read, but I can say for sure it won't be my last. You can get your own copy at your favorite book store, either on line or on a street in your neighborhood. Don't miss it!

Kathleen Y'Barbo is a best-selling author of more than thirty books. In all, over 950,000 copies of her books are currently in print in the US and abroad.

She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Words for the Journey Christian Writers, and is also a paralegal specializing in criminal and family law. A native Texan with a BA from Texas A&M's Mays Business School, Kathleen and her hero husband have a blended family that stretches across two states and two foreign countries. Read more about Kathleen at www.kathleenybarbo.com.

Note: I was provided with a free copy of the book for review purposes by Waterbrook Publishers, but was not asked in any way to write a favorable review. The opinion expressed here is strictly my own.