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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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??
Great interview! Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading the post :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a great premise!
ReplyDelete--Trix
Enjoyed the interview and the excerpt, sounds like a great book, thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteGreat interview and excerpt! This sounds like an amazing book! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interview and the excerpt! Thank you for the post and the giveaway!
ReplyDelete