Please welcome Susie Warren author of The Convenient Wedding
Susie will be awarding $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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The Convenient Wedding
by Susie Warren
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INTERVIEW:
- What or who inspired you
to start writing?
I absolutely love to read. At some
point (when I was a kid), I thought - I can write something. As I grew up, I realized there is a
tremendous amount to learn about the craft of writing. But that didn’t
discourage me. I remember thinking if this is what other writers have to go
through, I can do it. I enjoy immersing myself in another world and having the
freedom to decide how the story will unfold.
- What elements are
necessary components for this genre?
Beyond having a happily ever after
ending, I think the most important element is the emotional journey of the
characters. Readers want to experience
and relate to different emotions. I read something that helped me recently with
this. It’s the concept that emotions can be thought of as energy moving
throughout the story. Understanding the movement has helped me to keep the
threads of the story connected.
- How did you come up with
your idea for your novel?
Often my story ideas begin with a
visual image. It could be while traveling and looking at a different landscape
or seeing an interesting photograph of a city. After considering who would live
and work in that landscape, I think about the characters and the possible
challenges they could face. With The Convenient Wedding, I purchased a coffee
table book with images of loft style apartments in New York and Connecticut. I
thought about who would be drawn to living in a loft apartment. I imagined an architect would convert an old
warehouse into loft apartments and when he wanted a new challenge then he would
get into a last minute election for Congress. The challenge was coming up with
the woman that would inspire him to let down his defenses and begin to trust.
- What expertise did you
bring to your writing?
I’ve worked for years in a small
independent school as the financial person. It’s quite a challenge keeping the
school on a solid financial footing. I handle all of the business tasks but at
heart I’m a writer. In terms of my day job, I write reports, emails,
promotional pieces but I’m not sure the skills I bring to my day job translate
into writing fiction. I do attend writing conferences, am part of a critique
group and read books on the craft of writing.
- What would you want your
readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
I grew up in large Irish family
with five dynamic brothers. So in many ways, men are not a mystery to me. When
I had my children, I worried that I would have only boys but I ended up with
two daughters and one son. I always tell my girls that they are extraordinarily
lucky to have each other and my son always pipes in with, “You were lucky. I
want five brothers.” I realize now, I was lucky!
- As far as your writing
goes, what are your future plans?
I’m finishing up a series this
summer and plan to launch a completely new idea for a series in the fall. I
haven’t let myself work on the outline yet as I need to finish my sixth book
(the 3rd novel in The Bolles Dynasty).
- If you could be one of the
characters from this book, who would it be and why?
I’m not sure that I would want to
be. As a writer, I throw huge issues and problems at my characters. They have
so much to learn and ragged edges that need growth.
- Can you give us a sneak
peek into this book?
I enjoyed writing The Convenient
Wedding. The basic premise explores how the characters achieve their goals
while being throw into a marriage of convenience. Being stuck together in the
political spotlight requires them to begin to rely on each other. Here is a
short excerpt:
Later that evening, they left the hotel
by limousine. Climbing out of the car, Anderson held her upper arm firmly and
said in a low voice, “Just follow my lead tonight. Remember we are very much in
love. And I adore you.”
Lucia turned and looked into his eyes,
“I’m not sure that we are doing the right thing. This could backfire on us.”
She became conscious of people watching them. They were dressed in formal
attire and standing close to one another on the sidewalk, bystanders were
slowing down and looking at them.
“You look beautiful, bella.” he murmured. “And I worship the
ground that you walk on.” He put his hand behind her head and claimed her mouth
in a show of passion. Anger flashed through her body and she bit down on his
lower lip. He let go of her and stepped back. She could see a flash of
indignation in his sharp gaze.
“I’m not your puppet. And I’ll not be
ordered around.” Lucia contradicted him.
She could see a few reporters hanging
around the entrance to the hotel, less than fifty feet from them.
Anderson planted his feet wide and
stood before her. “I didn’t suggest you were. But we are in this together and
you have reasons of your own not to allow our association to dissolve into
tabloid fodder. Don’t push me too far or I’ll walk away without a backward
glance.”
Her eyes clashed with his until he
broke the standoff and escorted her into the hotel.
- Do you belong to a
critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?
I belong to a critique group for
women fiction writers. The challenge is that it is not focused on romance
writing but it is very helpful in terms of critiquing other elements of
storytelling. The downside is that it is an investment of time but the upside
is that I’ve gained enormous insight into my writing. For example, I often show
and tell (instead of show not tell) and the group finally got me to the place
of understanding that I should trust the reader and not feel like I have to
‘tell’ everything.
- When did you first decide
to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take
this big step?
I had sent off a manuscript to a
publisher and waited for months, only to receive a rejection.
I met another writer ten years ago
at a writing conference, Christina Tetreault, and she encouraged and supported
me in making the leap of faith to self-publish. At this point, she had figured
out the process on her own and was quite successful. I would have continued
sending it out and waiting. The process of self-publishing has been many things
– scary, exhilarating, overwhelming, positive and affirming. I’m very grateful
to her for knowing when to encourage and when to offer support.
- What is the best and worst
advice you ever received? (Regarding writing or publishing)
I haven’t received bad advice that
I’m aware of anyway. In general, romance writers are savvy, encouraging and
rather friendly. I’ve been to many
conferences and workshops where advice is shared openly. The best advice I‘ve
received is to keep writing and putting out the best book possible and not to
worry about small setbacks or criticisms along the way. I plan on having a very
long writing career and understand that it is about each book and each reader.
- Do you outline your books
or just start writing?
I outline and sketch out the plot
before sitting down to write. When I just wrote, I didn’t finish novels. I
would always have a new idea and would make huge changes to the storyline and
then it would necessitate more changes.
The cycle was endless.
- How do you maintain your
creativity?
I’m not sure. I always have new
story ideas and not quite enough time to write them. While working on a
project, I’ll put new ideas in a file until I finish the novel I’m working on.
I also think going to conferences to listen to new ideas is helpful. Writers
need to keep growing and challenging themselves.
- Who is your favorite
character in the book? Can you tell us why?
My favorite character is the
heroine, Lucia Montgomery. She has to
struggle to figure out how to survive a political marriage as she becomes
emotionally involved with the hero. During the novel, she is challenged to
remain loyal to Anderson while having to deal with the daily realities of the
campaign. In the end, she has to decide if her commitment to Anderson is worth
risking her heart and soul or if she should walk away once the election is
over.
- Are your plotting bunnies
angels or demons?
I like plotting so I’ll say
angels.
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:
Lucia Montgomery knew
failure was a likely outcome of the evening’s celebration. Looking around at
the glittering social elite clamoring for her grandfather’s attention, she
wanted to make her escape. But instead she held her ground. Taking a sip of
chilled champagne, she waited for the evening to unfold. She smiled openly at
anyone who approached her and exchanged pleasantries waiting for her moment.
Anderson Adams was scheduled
to appear this evening and she was waiting to make a pitch to the recently
nominated candidate. Tonight was all about getting the party elite behind the
last minute candidate, he was largely seen as the underdog in the race. She was
hoping her public relations experience and skills would grant her access to
this campaign. Her grandfather had mentioned that he would use his influence in
the party to insist on an interview but she wanted to make her own way. The
fact that her grandfather was the past governor of the state was enough
pressure without him calling in favors.
Her grandfather’s mansion
was showcased beautifully this evening; the unseasonably warm late April
evening in Hartford allowed the numerous sets of doors to be left open to the
landscaped back yard. Candles and lanterns illuminated the gardens and allowed
for an easy flow of guests from inside the formally decorated spaces to the
vast terraces and lawns.
Lucia watched her aunt dance
with an older gentleman and took another sip of champagne. She would need to
limit herself to the one glass of the chilled indulgence. It was critical that
she had her wits about her when she approached the recently chosen candidate
for the U.S. House of Representatives. He held the key to her launching a
public relations firm on the east coast. If she could convince him to hire her
then his tightly contested election bid would catapult her ahead of countless
firms and talented individuals. She needed to escape her life in California and
all the recent humiliation surrounding her broken engagement. A job with
Anderson Adams would allow her to land on her feet and not have to explain her
complete professional and personal melt down.
She walked out into the
garden and reminded herself not to think about past mistakes. It would destroy
her confidence and prevent her from positively pitching her ideas to Anderson
Adams. Her family was well-connected politically and she had the poise and
skills to run an effective public relations campaign. She knew how to make
things happen and control the communication in such a way that she could help a
candidate get elected. The challenge of helping with a campaign for the House
of Representatives filled her with enthusiasm and direction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
Please use this rafflecopter code on your
post:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f933/
