Please join me in giving a warm BLI welcome to National Bestselling Author Beth Kery today. Beth is a prolific author having penned numerous novels published by Berkley, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave and now Harlequin. Tomorrow her new story and the first published by Harlequin, called The Hometown Hero Returns, will hit the stands. The Hometown Hero Returns, is I’m excited to say, the first in Beth’s Home to Harbor Town series.

Beth! Welcome to BLI, it’s such a thrill to be able to chat with you today! 🙂

Beth: Thank you, Lea. It’s a pleasure to be at BLI.

Beth can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Beth: I have a background in the behavioral sciences and still work in that field in addition to writing. I’ve been writing for about four years now. I’m an urbanite; I love either the bustle of the city or the peace of the woods, so I guess you could say I’m an extremist. 🙂

Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?

Beth: I set a daily word count and have to meet it, hell or high water. I’m a real mixture of plotter or pantster. I do plan out my plots, but it’s fairly loose, and I do make changes as my characters begin to develop, and seemingly make their own decisions.

What do you think is the difference between a reader and a real Book Lover?

Beth: Oh, a real Book Lover lives and dies for books. They might lose a little sleep while waiting for a favorite author’s book to come out. They can tell you little minute details about their favorite hero, like his favorite restaurant or location of a small scar and how he got it. Readers enjoy books and might have a brief chat with a friend about one. Real book lovers are passionate about books and are known to get in heated debates with other Book Lovers.

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN!

At eighteen, Marianna Itani thought she’d found the man of her dreams in Marc Kavanaugh, the quintessential boy-next-door. That perfect romance flew to pieces when an unspeakable tragedy tore them apart. Yet when Marc appeared in her life fifteen years later, the sparks that flew were as explosive as the day they first met.

Now their reignited passion was changing their lives in more ways than one: Mari was pregnant! She was set on putting the pain of the past behind her—not reopening scars that had never truly healed. And their baby might bring these star-crossed lovers back together—forever!

Excerpt
Review

What can we expect of The Hometown Hero Returns?

Beth: The Hometown Hero Returns is the debut of the Home to Harbor Town series. It’s a family-oriented, intensely emotional star-crossed to happily-ever-after romance. The over-arching theme of this series is how true love has the ability to heal old wounds…to allow people start anew if they have the courage to let it into their hearts. Marc and Mari are the perfect first couple for this series because they were passionately in love before a tragic car crash killed members of both of their families. A leap of faith is required to find love after so much loss. To me, it’s a very poignant story.

I think fans of your work know you for your emotional erotic romances. The Hometown Hero Returns is a Harlequin Special Edition novel, and while emotional and sensual it is a contemporary romance and not sexually explicit. Did you find there was a learning curve Beth when penning this story keeping in mind it was going to hopefully be attractive to your core readers but also would be reaching an entirely new audience?

Beth: I definitely learned a lot. I had already written a couple strictly contemporary, yet sensual books—Gateway to Heaven and Flirting in Traffic—so I had a little experience under my belt. For me, the learning curve was more for writing for the category line. I had a lot of freedom within the structure of Harlequin Special Edition, but there is a ‘way’ to write a Harlequin. That was a challenge, but I learned a lot, and by the second book, things were getting easier.

As far as the difference between erotic and contemporary, I don’t find the difference too difficult. In erotic romance, sex is used as a kind of communication between the characters. It’s a language that should further plot and develop characterization. You use different tools in contemporaries, but it all should eventually equate to good storytelling.

As an aside, I recently had a friend wonder if The Hometown Hero Returns might be appropriate—sexual content-wise—for her mother to read. (Her mother typically reads sweet romance). After reading a sex scene, she lifted an eyebrow and said…um, no, I don’t think so. So, while there are definite differences between this series and erotic romance, there’s a lot of similarity in that vein, as well.

I agree, I found The Hometown Hero Returns to be very sexy. And, I think the sensuality of the novel is emulated even in the Prologue to be honest.

You have the Prologue of Marc and Mari’s story posted on your website and even in the first paragraphs the strength of his desire for her, but also I think his unease about approaching her after so many years leaps from the pages. Can you tell us more about Marc and as part of that would you describe him to be an “Alpha” hero?

Beth: Marc has a very forceful character. His friends and family always knew that he got what he wanted whenever he set his mind to it. Despite the financial obstacles and stress that came after the tragic car crash that affected to so many people, he got his law degree and rose up the ranks to become Cook County’s States Attorney. After his father’s death, he became the patriarch of the family, essentially. The thing that I love about Marc is that once he makes up his mind to not let the past interfere with Mari and him being together, he goes forward full steam. He carries a lot of survivor guilt, but he doesn’t let that get in the way of pursuing the woman of his dreams. He’s charming, determined, and head over heels in love with Mari.

Given all that, yes, I’d definitely describe Marc as an alpha male.

Marianna is a very special human being, I felt she personified the old Proverb “beauty is not only skin deep”, meaning she really is beautiful inside and out. Mari does have significant concerns, and rightly so, regarding getting involved with Marc again. Can you share a little more with readers about Mari’s character?

Beth: Mari experienced loss very acutely at a young age—the death of her parents and the subsequent separation from the young man she loved—Marc Kavanaugh. She dealt with her trauma and hurt by throwing herself into her career as a symphony cellist. Her former boyfriends consider her to be beautiful, but cool and unattainable. When she meets up with Marc after so many years of separation, she’s shocked to realize how easily he evokes old feelings, making her feel passionate and alive. Mari always considered herself to be hesitant and uncertain compared to the effortlessly brave and talented Kavanaugh children, with whom she was friends. Marc always prodded her, though…dared her to find her courage. Of course Mari has a core of steel, but it’s Marc’s love for her that helps her to find it in herself.

The setting for this story is “Harbor Town”, a beautiful little lakeside vacation town. What inspired the setting for what will be your “Home To Harbor Town” series of romance novels Beth?

Beth: The lakeside communities in Michigan, like Saugatuck and Douglas were inspirations. People from Chicago often vacation there with their children during the summer. They are known for their high sand dunes and pristine beaches as well as the picturesque, small-town, Americana-type communities. I was driving to a book signing in the Detroit area a couple years ago, and fell for the charm of these towns. Marc’s and Mari’s fathers were both businessmen, and I liked the idea of them buying summer vacation homes for their families, and the kids experiencing these glorious, golden summers in Harbor Town.

What story can readers look forward to next in this series? What is next on your schedule?

Beth: I have an erotic romance anthology coming out from Berkley (under the pen name Bethany Kane) May, 2011, called Three to Tango (with Emma Holly, Lauren Dane and Megan Hart). In June, 2011, I have the first in a series from Berkley, One Night of Passion, called Addicted to You, (also by Bethany Kane).

In August 2011, the second in the Home to Harbor Town books comes out, Liam’s Perfect Woman. I also just recently learned that there will be at least two more books in the Home to Harbor Town series, telling Colleen and Deidre Kavanaugh’s stories. Very excited by this news!

Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Beth: Well, I think I write human emotion well. A reader of my books really feels it, versus just reading the words. I also think I do characterization well. I’ve had people tell me my characters seem to leap off the page. And lastly, romance. Whether it’s an erotic or a contemporary, like The Hometown Hero Returns, romance is always my driving force. I adore a good romance, and I hope I deliver them to readers.

Beth, congratulations on your new publication and thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with me today, as always it’s been a real pleasure!

Thank you so much, Lea. I always like your interviews.

Where to find Beth:

Website
Twitter
Facebook

~*~*Giveaway*~*~

Beth has generously offered two copies of The Hometown Hero Returns to two lucky commenters!

All you have to do is leave a meaningful comment about the interview.
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please leave us a way to contact you.
(Email in blogger profile or twitter name – no way to contact you – no entry).

This giveaway is open worldwide!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, April 2, 2011; and we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

About Lea

Lea is an animal loving, tree hugging vegetarian who lives in Toronto, Canada with her family, which includes three dogs. She is a prolific reader and has been blogging and reviewing since 2008. Lea is a contributor at the USA Today HEA Blog and an active member at Goodreads.

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