Welcome contemporary romance author, Susie Warren...


 Hi Susie, welcome to my blog! I am thrilled to be a part of your tour and wish you every success with your latest release, THE CONVENIENT WEDDING. Let's start with my interview questions... (DON'T MISS THE GIVEAWAY AT THE END OF THIS POST, LOVELY VISITORS!)


1.)          What is your favourite thing about yourself?
My favourite thing about myself is my ability to write almost anything. I gravitate to writing fiction but I’m also adept at creating technical documents, marketing materials, reports, speeches, articles and other business correspondence. It’s something I can rely on – my ability to communicate in writing.

2.)          What do you wish you’d known before you started writing?
I began writing a young adult novel in high school but when I went to college at seventeen, I worried that a writing career would be too elusive or risky. I pursued a more established career path - business administration and marketing. It wasn’t until my late thirties that I decided to take a leap of faith and begin seriously pursuing a writing career.

3.)          Share a romantic moment in your life.
I have three teenagers so romantic moments need to planned and carefully cultivated. My husband and I spend most of our spare time going to our children’s sporting events, rehearsals and lessons but occasionally we have a date night or weekend away. During these outings, while it may be extraordinarily hard, we try not to talk about the kids but instead focus on our relationship or ideas or goals. I find these times very romantic because it is really re-discovering another world.

4.)          Is there one subject you’d never write about as an author? What is it?
I don’t think I would ever write about explicit violence or horror. I much prefer happily ever after endings and positive stories.

5.)          Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Writing can be a solitary profession. I’ve noticed that many writers are introverts, myself included.
For someone who wants to become a better writer, I think it is critical to join writing groups and go to conferences. You will find many, many like-minded people who are happy to give advice and talk about writing. Learning about the craft and speaking with other writers will push you forward. Like many other things in life, sometimes you just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep making progress.

6.)          If you could be the original author for any book, what would it be? Why?
Jane Eyre. It’s my absolute favourite novel and I decided at fifteen that I wanted to try and write a novel after reading it. I knew very little about writing at that point and was convinced that I would retell the story without all of the unfairness and sad circumstances surrounding her childhood. As a writer now, I realize the characters need obstacles to overcome and things need to get worse continually for the story to be compelling.

7.)          What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
Daydreaming. I rarely paid attention in school. I wasn’t disruptive but preferred to think my own thoughts. It was an exceptional teacher that could hold my interest for more than a few minutes. It only became an issue when I was called on and had no idea what the discussion was about. Often my parents were presented with the idea that I was a daydreamer and they sympathized with the person making the compliant and would agree with them.

8.)          If I came to your house for dinner what would you prepare for me? Why?
I have a few recipes that I make really well. Typically, I’ll put together a meal consisting of grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes and green beans. I usually serve a chilled white wine with this meal and then offer a mixed berry pie for dessert.



The Convenient Wedding
by Susie Warren

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BLURB:

The Convenient Wedding

A reluctant socialite is pulled into a scandal and must choose between her families’ reputation and her future happiness.

Lucia Montgomery is from an old and powerful political family in Connecticut and desperately wants to shed her reputation as a superficial socialite. Against her family’s wishes, she seeks a position working for a fiercely contested political campaign and the dark horse in the race, Anderson Adams. She is thrown into the middle of a scandal of her own making when she is tricked into going to his hotel room. Anderson persuades her to play along with a pretend engagement then an actual wedding to save her reputation and his campaign. The media falls in love with the charismatic couple and they must figure out how to reconcile their public image with their private life.

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EXCERPT

Even though she had seen many images and video clips of him, Anderson was more impressive in the flesh. His intense presence drew her closer to him, and the rest of the party faded from view. His confidence was not surprising, but his relaxed charm was and it put her at ease.

She nodded. “Lucia Montgomery.”

He met her gaze. “My campaign manager seemed to think you go by Bella.”

Lucia gasped and shook her head. “Bella was a childhood nickname. It’s Lucia these days.”

“Bella suits you.”

“I was hoping I would have an opportunity to speak with you.”

He raised his eyebrows slightly, and she cringed at her forwardness. He didn’t need more adoration. She fiddled with the slim rope belt on her gown and smoothed the fabric down, trying to remember what she wanted to say to him.

His penetrating gaze sent a slow blush over her skin. “Do you have advice for me? It seems everyone in this room has an opinion on how I could win this race.”

Her mind went blank. “I don’t know if winning is possible.”

He looked at her intently. “Would you care to dance?”

Lucia straightened her spine. Why had she said that? Was it because she didn’t want to fall into the category of people wanting something from him? Or had his nearness elicited the truth from her?

He led her to the dance floor and she could feel his hand resting lightly on her lower back. The band was playing a love song and she realized she hadn’t even attempted her pitch for Isabel. She didn’t want to date Anderson Adams. She wanted to spark his curiosity in creating a documentary and tactfully mention her cousin. She had also wanted to appease her grandfather by being seen speaking with the candidate. But she had no intention of seeking a position in his campaign.

He gathered her into his embrace and she could feel her body respond to him. The evening was not going according to plan. She could barely string two words together and now she was dancing with him.

Her body stiffened and he said, “Relax. We can talk about the campaign later.”

She looked up into his eyes. “How did you know I wanted to talk about the campaign?”

He drew her slightly closer as they continued to dance. “There are very few secrets in politics. My campaign manager informed me that your grandfather mentioned that you are seeking a public relations position.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not interested in working on your campaign, but I have an interesting idea for you.”

“Do you?” His face showed no expression.

She decided to go ahead and pitch her idea. “My cousin is an enormously talented filmmaker and I wondered if you had given any thought to recording your run for congress? Images of you campaigning could be used as a powerful marketing tool if done well.”

He smiled at her. “I agree. Maybe we could get together and discuss it further?”

Lucia nodded and allowed herself to let down her guard slightly and enjoy the dance. Anderson was agile and impressed her with his ability to dance. She stopped worrying about the intimacy of their embrace and let him lead her through a series of intricate moves.

After a second dance and then a third, she was slightly breathless and laughing at her inability to keep up with him. When the song ended, he said to her, “Let’s get a drink.”

She followed him to the bar and he ordered two glasses of Perrier with lime. Lucia cautioned herself not to be too taken with him. He was an expert at luring people in and impressing them. It didn’t hurt that he was a marvelous dancer.

He lifted his glass to her and said, “May that be the first of many dances.”


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Susie Warren writes contemporary romance. Besides being an avid reader, she spends much of her free time crafting intense and complex stories about falling in love. When she is not writing, Susie works as an administrator in a small, independent school while caring for three teenagers and keeping tabs on her inventor husband. With the launching of her first book, The Forgotten Heiress, she has slowly begun to navigate the social media realm.
Susie loves to hear from readers and responds to each email and Facebook post. Please reach out to her via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Susie-Warren/647556668647832 or Twitter @susiecwarren

For more information on her upcoming releases, new excerpts and other related postings, or to sign up for free promotions, please visit www.susiewarren.com

The Rosa Legacy Series

The first novel in The Rosa Legacy series, Ruthless Perfection, started with the idea of a traditional Italian mother who wanted her only daughter happily married. The mother, Carla Rosa Neri, along with her two sisters, Francesca and Marie, had emigrated from Italy as young girls and each went off to create a dynamic and successful family.
Each of the sisters had an only daughter and they made sure the girls spent time together. They attended the same boarding school in the northeast and visited each other’s homes in the summer.

Ruthless Perfection

Carla Rosa married into the Neri family with a long history in the Carrara marble industry. Her daughter, Isabel Neri, being a filmmaker and wanting to honor her grandfather’s legacy, approaches a reclusive billionaire, Marc Santoro, to ask permission to produce a documentary about the life of a quarry worker. Ruthless Perfection is the story of how they fall in love.

The Exiled Jeweler

Francesca Rosa married into the Berceto family with a long history in the jewelry making business. The Second novel in The Rosa Legacy series, The Exiled Jeweler, is about her daughter, Emelia, who went into seclusion after a scandal tore the family apart. Emelia is a talented jewelry designer who lived a sheltered life and was drawn into a passionate encounter with her family’s rival, Alexander Armati at a gala. Outside in the garden, photographs were taken on them and sold to the tabloid press. Her family was shocked and embarrassed and sent Emelia off to Florida. Four years later, she returns when her grandfather has a heart attack and her parents are deciding to sell the family business.

The Convenient Wedding

Marie Rosa married into the prominent Montgomery family, with a successful background in politics. Her only daughter, Lucia, is fascinated by politics and becomes a campaign aide. The opportunity to work on a senate campaign in Connecticut draws her into the middle of a scandal. Anderson Adams is a dark horse in the senate race yet convinces Lucia to play along with a strategy to save his campaign. The third novel in The Rosa Legacy series, The Convenient Wedding, is the story about how they reconcile their public image with their private life.


GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Susie will be awarding $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.



Comments?? Questions??

5 comments

  1. Great interview! Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading the post :)

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  2. It's a great premise!

    --Trix

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  3. Enjoyed the interview and the excerpt, sounds like a great book, thanks for sharing

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  4. Great interview and excerpt! This sounds like an amazing book! Thank you for sharing!

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  5. I enjoyed the interview and the excerpt! Thank you for the post and the giveaway!

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