Welcome romance author, Allie Boniface...




Hi Allie! Welcome to my site :)

Thrilled to be your first stop of your ongoing tour for your new release, The Promise of Paradise! I wish you all the best with the tour and of course, those all important sales. Hope you enjoy your time with me. Let's get on with the questions!


1)   When and why did you decide you wanted to be a published author?
I think even as a little girl, I thought it would be neat to be a published author someday. But I really seriously started to pursue it after September 11th. I live about an hour north of NYC, and the days and weeks after the Twin Tower attacks were some of the saddest I've ever experienced. But what I took from that experience was that I didn't want to wait for "someday" to become published, because "someday" isn't guaranteed for any of us. Early in 2002, I started working on my craft, I joined 2 writers' groups, and in 2006 I had my first book accepted for publication by Samhain Publishing.

2)   What is the best and worst thing you have learned from an editor/agent?

The best thing I learned from an editor was that when someone has faith in you and your writing, you can go far. I once had an editor tell me "I'll see you on the New York Times best-selling list someday" and I've never forgotten how wonderful that made me feel. When someone in the publishing industry is behind you 100%, that makes even the low points more bearable.

Which brings me to the worst thing I ever learned: that some people won't like your writing no matter what, and for no clear reason. Unfortunately, the editor mentioned above left my publisher, and I was assigned a new editor – and she and I never saw eye to eye. She didn't care for my work and never contracted it, but could never say why with any specific reason. From her I learned to be strong and move on.

3)   Favourite author/s?

Actually, I have a variety of favorites, from all genres. I'm currently a fan of John Green (YA), who writes the teenage voice and the teenage experience brilliantly; Jodi Picoult, who explores controversial topics and has a beautiful women's fiction voice; Kristan Higgins, who writes laugh-out-loud, 1st person contemporary romance; and Stephen King, who writes a suspenseful page-turner like no other. I both enjoy all these authors and learn from them. I love studying how other authors bring stories and characters to life!

4)   What is your typical day?

Well, I'm a full-time high school English teacher, so my day starts around 5:30 am with the alarm and extra-strength coffee!! I teach from 7:30 to 3:00, hit the gym for a Zumba class or go for a run after school, and then either grade papers or try to write a little at night. Hubby and I might squeeze in a TV show before bed around 10 or 11, and then it's up again the next morning for a repeat! I do most of my novel writing either on the weekends or during the summer.

5)   What surprised you the most when you became published?

Whoo! Definitely the amount of work that's required to promote and market oneself. A publisher will do some of that, but it's really up to the author to create a presence on social media, to arrange book signings, to connect with readers, and to get her book and her name in the public eye. Promotion is never-ending!

6)   Do you have a dedicated writing space? What does it look like?

I don't, though I write on my laptop, which means it goes wherever the mood takes me. In the wintertime, that's most often on the loveseat in my sunroom, next to the cozy stove. In the summer that's usually in the dining room. Our house has glass doors/windows along the whole front side, so I'm blessed with natural light almost all the time.

7)   What’s next for you?

I'm so excited that my next full-length novel, a contemporary romance titled Beacon of Love, releases this May with Lyrical Press! Here's a sneak peek:

            “Wise ass.” Sophie backed into the street before he could grab her. “I’ll see you later!” she called. “I think Lon said something about meeting tomorrow morning and--hey!” She squawked off the last word as Lucas lifted her off the ground and onto his shoulder.
            As if she was a bag of flour.
            Or a damsel in distress.
            Or his damn cavewoman.
            About a hundred thoughts raced through her mind, and it took all she had to keep them from coming out in biting words.
            “Why do you have to be so stubborn?” he asked as he carried her back to his truck, parked in front of the bar. He wasn’t panting, not out of breath in the least, as if she weighed close to nothing. “If anything happened to you, Lon would kill me.”             With one hand he opened the passenger side door. Only then did he lower her to a seat inside the truck. His hands slid down her arms and settled her hips into place.
            Oh yum. All her scathing thoughts of thirty seconds earlier vanished. She shifted on the leather. There was room for him on this side of the cab, she was almost positive. If not, she’d make room. In about two seconds.



The Promise of Paradise
by Allie Boniface

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:

Harvard grad Ashton Kirk is headed for a promising law career when scandal breaks apart her family. To escape, she changes her name and rents an apartment in the small town of Paradise, New Hampshire, where no one knows who she is.

Ash hopes for solitude, but all bets are off when Eddie West, the town’s most eligible bachelor, moves in downstairs. The sexy auto mechanic loves his women and his cars shiny, sleek, and fast, and when he meets his new housemate, he wastes no time getting friendly. But Eddie is nursing his own recent loss, and the last thing he wants to do is let someone new into his life or his heart.

Can two people from different worlds find common ground and a place to fall in love? Or will Ashton’s past and Eddie’s scars keep them apart just as summer heat brings them together? Is it possible to find your soul mate in the place you least expect?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

Near the curb, engine still running and rock music bellowing from the speakers, idled a red pickup truck. White and yellow flames danced along both sides. Bending over the tailgate was a broad, bare, definitely male back. Yow. No wonder Jen looked like she was about to start drooling. Even one floor up, Ash could trace the outline of nearly every muscle in his arms and back. A bright red and yellow king cobra tattoo curled around his left triceps. Wavy brown hair fell across the sides of his face. His jeans, faded in all the right places, sat low on his hips. Ash squinted harder and ran one hand over her hair.
           
Oh God. They still make men who look like that?
           
“Turn around, please,” Jen commanded under her breath. As if he’d heard her, he straightened up, biceps flexing as he hauled two large boxes from the back of the truck and turned up into the sidewalk. Her sidewalk. He looked up, and Ash’s heart dove into her stomach. A neatly trimmed goatee underscored a crooked nose. He flashed a smile and winked.
           
“Hey,” he called up. “You live here?”
           
Jen nodded and jabbed a thumb in Ash’s direction. “She does.”
           
“I’m Eddie West. Movin’ in today.” It was hard to hear him over the noise of the truck’s humming engine and the music. Ash watched his mouth move instead.
           
“Need any help?” Jen asked.
           
Eddie shook his head. “Nah. I’ve just got a couple of boxes to bring in. The rest is coming tomorrow. But thanks.” He continued up the sidewalk.
           
Jen cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled down. “Come up later, if you want.”
           
Ash elbowed her. “What are you doing?”
           
Eddie backpedaled and nodded, grinning wider. As he disappeared from their view, the heavy front door creaked open and, after a few seconds, thudded shut behind him.
           
Jen straightened up. “See? I told you he’d be good-looking.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s beyond good-looking, Ash.” She fell back against the railing, hands to heart in a dramatic pantomime. “He’s perfect.”

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 – ONLINE LINKS



Twitter: AllieBoniface1




Allie will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR B&N Gift Card AND an e-copy of any of the author's backlist (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
 Comments??

7 comments

  1. I think that's a very good point, that 'someday' may not come, so chase your dreams while you can.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  2. Thanks so much for hosting me!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Stephen King too, but I haven't read any of your other favorite authors *shame face* Thanks for the interview and excerpt!

    andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com

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  4. I applaud you for being a high school English teacher. That's such an important job! We need great English teachers to help foster a love of reading (and writing) in today's teens. It's great that you can also find time in there for your own writing.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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  5. Hey Allie! I'm a full time English teacher too and I know what you mean about busy schedules! I try to inspire the pupils and a positive response is always rewarding! It's tough to squeeze the writing in too but it's so worth it! Have a great blog tour! :-)

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  6. Hello there!
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  7. You have a very busy life. It must be difficult to find time to write.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete