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Interview: Author Susan Mallery + Giveaways
Filed in Giveaways , Interview , Susan Mallery , The HEA Lover Posted on August 4, 2011 @ 6:00 am
30 comments
We are so happy and honored to welcome New Times bestselling author Susan Mallery here at Book Lovers Inc today. She writes funny and sweet contemporary romance novels which will steal your heart as soon as you start reading. Her newest novel, Only Mine
was released this week and today she tells us about her books and the wonderful town they are set in. Come and join us in Fool’s Gold. Be sure to stay till the end- we have 2 giveaways waiting for you.
was released this week and today she tells us about her books and the wonderful town they are set in. Come and join us in Fool’s Gold. Be sure to stay till the end- we have 2 giveaways waiting for you. BLI: Susan can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Susan: I’d love to! I’ve written more romances than I can easily count, and I’ve recently begun to foray into non-romance women’s fiction, as well. I’m known for my characters. I write women who are multi-faceted, strong, interesting, vulnerable, funny, warm-hearted… women I would like to have as friends. I’m fascinated by how people think and feel. Booklist has described my writing as both “funny” and “bittersweet,” and I’m very proud of both those descriptions. The humor rises naturally from the characters’ reactions to the problems they face.
On a personal note, I’m married to a great guy. We live in Seattle with our tiny but intrepid toy poodle, a real dog’s dog who is mortified when I dress her in costumes and post the pictures on my website. But hey, that’s the way I roll.
BLI: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?
Susan: I’m definitely a plotter. When I sit down to write, I need to know where the story is going. My plot serves as a roadmap, though sometimes the characters do take the story off course a bit.
My typical day is a lot like the typical day of any working woman. I write four books a year – three romances plus one non-romance women’s fiction novel – and usually have at least one other small project going. In addition to this, I have to spend a lot of time on the business aspect of the business, which means that I need to be very disciplined in order to get everything done. I try very hard to meet my deadlines because I know there are a lot of people who depend on me to get my stories in on time. Editorial, marketing, the art department… none of them can do their job on the book until I have done mine.
First thing in the morning, I usually check in with Facebook and Twitter because I can’t resist, but then I get offline and get to work. I know what scenes I need to finish that day, and I write until my pages are done. On a good day, I could be done as early as noon. On days that I struggle, I work overtime.
BLI: What do you think is the difference between a reader and a real Book Lover?
Susan: A reader is someone who carries two books with her when she travels so she won’t run out of reading material mid-flight. A Book Lover has three or four books in her carry-on but still can’t resist shopping at the airport bookstore.
BLI: Your books can be described as romantic comedy. Why do you like your romances witty and funny? Do the funny moments come easily to you?
Susan: I think men and women falling in love with each other is inherently hysterical. Who came up with that bright idea?! Men do everything they can to avoid emotion, and yet they’re irresistibly drawn to women, who overflow with emotion. When I get teary-eyed over a commercial, my husband looks at me like I’m completely nuts. There’s this constant push-pull between men and women that never really goes away, and it will always be funny to me.
Yes, funny moments come naturally to me as I write (and in life). In fact, most of my storylines are not funny in and of themselves. My characters deal with some very serious issues in their lives, but their ability to find the humor says a lot about their resilience.
BLI: Once again you set your story in Fool’s Gold, a small town in California. What is the appeal of writing about a small community? Is this your dream town? (I’ll have to admit I’d love to live there)
Susan: I love the strong sense of community I can create when writing about a small town. Fool’s Gold is a special place where the people are truly invested in each other’s lives. (That can be both good and undeniably annoying.) Mayor Marsha knows every citizen and makes a point of visiting each baby born at the local hospital. The feuding hairstylist sisters have forced the townsfolk to alternate salons to keep the peace. When anyone in town needs a little extra love, the Casserole Brigade shows up at their door. People take care of each other in Fool’s Gold.
I’m a city girl at heart, so while I’d love to vacation in Fool’s Gold, I’m not sure I’d want to live there. I’d miss Nordstrom’s. That said, Jo’s Bar is my dream hangout. At Jo’s, they don’t show sports on the big-screen TVs – they show HGTV, Lifetime, the Style Network. Fool’s Gold has a man shortage, so Jo created a bar that would appeal to the women in town.
BLI: Why do you think men don’t seem to stay in Fool’s Gold? Why is there such a men shortage in this town?
Susan: There are rumors about an ancient Mayan curse. No kidding – on the Fool’s Gold website (www.FoolsGoldCA.com), you’ll find a history of the town going all the way back to circa 1300, when a matriarchal tribe of Mayan Indians got sick of the virgin sacrifices and broke away from the men who were trying to rule their world. They made their way to the shores of a beautiful lake in what is now known as California, and they settled there to live peacefully. They accepted the temporary company of men but wouldn’t allow them to stay.
BLI: What can we expect of Only Mine?
Susan: The 2010 census revealed that there’s a man shortage in Fool’s Gold, and the national media has been having a heyday making jokes about this small California town. The women in town are seriously unamused about being portrayed as desperate. With ONLY MINE, I asked myself how I could make things even worse for the characters… and so a TV dating show has come to town. Local psychologist Dakota Hendrix has been asked by the mayor to make sure that the women of Fool’s Gold don’t come off looking like man-hungry sexpots.
Between that and hiding a deeply emotional secret, Dakota has plenty on her plate. The last thing she needs is a handsome, determined Alaskan pilot telling her how to do her job. Finn Andersson wants her to reject his younger twin brothers from the show so he can get them back into college.
You can read a free excerpt at www.foolsgoldca.com. You’ll find lots of freebies and fun bonus content there, too!
BLI: In this book we see the not so glamorous behind-the-cameras aspect of a TV dating show. Not all the candidates want the same thing. Can we expect them to find what they are looking for with this show?
Susan: When I watch a show like this, I always wonder about people’s motivations for appearing on the show. ONLY MINE isn’t about the TV show itself – it’s about the people. Neither Dakota nor Finn are contestants on the show, but you will get to know some of the contestants who are dating. They are supposedly looking for true love – but are they really? Or are they hoping for something else? I can’t tell you whether they find what they’re looking for without giving away surprises, but I will tell you that I think the ending will satisfy you, the reader, whether or not it satisfies the contestants.
BLI: Dakota is a triplet. That’s really rare and it’s often said that the triplets have a special connection to each other. What is Dakota like and how do her sisters form her as a person?
Susan: Despite being a triplet and truly loving her sisters, Dakota is a very private woman. In FINDING PERFECT, which came out last year, readers learned that Dakota is carrying around a heavy secret. She hasn’t even told her sisters or her mom what’s bothering her. She’s the kind of person who wants to take the time to think things through on her own first. She weighs all her options, comes up with a plan of action… and then her mom and her sisters are the first people she tells.
Susan: I was an only child. Through my writing, I live out my fantasy of growing up with lots of kids. Dakota is one of six kids – she has three older brothers, in addition to her triplet sisters. The triplets definitely helped form each other as people. They’re individuals, but they always got along (for the most part). They not only grew up in the same household, but they were the same age as each other, meaning that they have a lifetime of shared experiences seen from nearly the same perspective. They always know that, no matter what, they’re not alone. Their support system is unflagging.
BLI: Dakota suffers from a condition that makes it nearly impossible for her to get pregnant. She’s devastated by this news because she always planned on becoming a mother. This is a really hard topic and even more so on an emotional level. Why did you put that burden on her?
Susan:
This is a story element that I want readers to learn while reading the book. (See above.)
BLI: Finn isn’t so keen on having kids, while Dakota always wanted a family. He is very responsible man, raising his twin brothers for the last 8 years. He’s trying his best to keep them in line but they rebel and leave college to be on the Reality show being filmed in Fool’s Gold. He’s trying his best to convince them to go back to college. He knows how straining kids can be at times. What does this independent loving man see in Dakota? What’s behind the attraction?
Susan: Finn thinks he doesn’t want kids. When his parents died, he was a carefree bachelor suddenly thrown into instant fatherhood of his young brothers, twins. He told himself that if he could just get his brothers through college, he will have fulfilled his duty to his parents. Then he can be free, he can reclaim the carefree days he lost. What he doesn’t realize as the story starts is that he has changed, and what he longed for when he was 22 years old would no longer suit him now, ten years later.
So, despite what he thinks he wants, he is drawn to Dakota because she is very nurturing and very connected to her family and to her community. Plus, her long blond hair and deep brown eyes make him want to get naked with her.
BLI: Which 4 characteristics should a perfect hero have and does Finn fit that bill?
Susan: A perfect hero must have a sense of honor, a sense of humor, a protective instinct, and loads of sex appeal… and yes, Finn most definitely fits that bill.
BLI: Tell us about the free online magazine Fool’s Gold Summer Kisses? What is it about?
Susan: For years, I’ve heard from readers who ask me for more books in different series that I have written. But those series have been based on families, so when I run out of siblings, that’s pretty much it. The Fool’s Gold series is different – because the series is about a town, not a specific family, it will continue as long as readers love it and as long as I find inspiration there.
As a gift to my readers, I have created bonus content to enrich the experience of reading the Fool’s Gold books. At www.foolsgoldca.com, you’ll find pictures of the characters, a map of the town, fun between-the-books updates on what the characters are doing, and more. The Fool’s Gold Summer Kisses magazineis the third online “glossy” magazine I’ve created for Fool’s Gold. There are in-depth stories in there about what’s happening in and around the Land of Happy Endings that I promise will make you laugh out loud. You can see the magazine below:
BLI: What can you tell us about the next 2 books in the series?
Susan: ONLY YOURS – September
ONLY YOURS is a beauty & the beast story, with Dr. Simon Bradley playing both roles. He is the most physically stunning man that Montana Hendrix has ever met… on one side of his face. The other side of his face is scarred. But the scars run deeper than that. It will take the love of a happy woman and a tiny dog to teach the good doctor to open his heart.
ONLY HIS – October
Oh wow, what can I say about ONLY HIS? Every time I think of this story, two words come to mind… but I can’t tell you what those two words are without revealing a big secret. I will tell you that the two words made my editor extremely nervous at the synopsis stage. When she finished reading the book, she called me, laughing so hard she was crying, and said I had pulled it off.
BLI: Do you plan more books in Fool’s Gold after the Hendrix triplet books?Susan: Yes, I’m working on next year’s books now. Three cowboy brothers who grew up as the poorest kids in town will return as successful multi-millionaires.
BLI: Can you summarize Only Mine for us twitterstyle (140 characters or less)?
Susan:
ONLY MINE by @SusanMallery- Triplet Dakota Hendrix discovers true love is never as easy as it looks on TV. www.foolsgoldca.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaways*~*
1. Book Lovers Inc Only Giveaway
Now you have a chance to get your hands on your own copy of Only Mine.
All you have to do is leave a question/comment for Susan.
(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, 13 August 2011 and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
2. ONLY MINE…All Mine ContestThis contest will be open to all Members of Susan’s website who sign-up for a chance to win.
It will begin August 1st and will end September 1st, 2011. Once the contest has ended they will randomly draw one lucky winner. The one lucky winner will receive a signed “exclusive first look” at Susan’s new Fool’s Gold Christmas e-novella (so fresh it doesn’t even have a title yet) and a man shortage t-shirt.
For you to sign up for the “ONLY MINE…All Mine” contest you must visit the contest page inside the Member Only lounge.
If you aren’t already a member, you can become one by entering an email address and zip code at that site.
Good luck!
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Thank you so much for this interview! I know it's a hard question but if you were allowed to keep only ONE of all the books you've written which would it be and why?
sk_86(at)gmx(dot)de
Sasse (_yay_)
Good morning! Thank you so much for hosting me here today. I appreciate you helping to spread the word about Fool's Gold. I got some great news yesterday – ONLY MINE has landed at #10 on the New York Times mass market paperback bestsellers list and at #24 on the USA TODAY list, which tracks all books (fiction and nonfiction, hardcover and paperback). I'm still flying high this morning!!!
Just stopping by and I must say I really enjoyed this interview. It was wonderful hearing about the next two upcoming books.
Susan's Membership Lounge is fun so I encourage you to join.
Only Mine is a fantastic book. I've already purchased copies to give as gifts.
patoct@yahoo.com
I love your books Susan and thank you for the opportunity to win one of your latest. I was happy to see this series continue and was so happy to see the redemption in the last one. You are the queen of redemption (Gloria).
Thanks for sharing the excerpts.
Thanks for the interview its great! Susan do you feel more pressure when writing a series,as the readers already know the characters from the previous books and really want a great story for them? I personally love when authors do a series as you get a glimpse of the characters after their story is done.
Opps forgot to leave my email address for the contest.
its: BookcaseTanya@gmail.com
_yay_
That question isn't just hard, it's nearly impossible. 😉 The answer probably changes all the time. Right now, it's ONLY HIS, Nevada Hendrix's story. I love all three Hendrix triplets, but I have a special place in my heart for Nevada. Imagine being a triplet, and your sisters have met the loves of their lives. They're planning a double wedding, and you don't even have a DATE.
Marilyn, Thanks for the thumbs-up on the Members Only lounge. I try very hard to provide my members with a lot of fun, free bonus content… not to mention CONTESTS! There are some short stories in there that aren't available anywhere else, plus radio interviews and free extended excerpts of my books.
Pat, glad to have you here!
Tanya,
I wouldn't say I feel more pressure to write great stories with a series… I always try to write great stories that readers will love. But I do feel pressure to get the details right with a series. It's an interesting challenge with Fool's Gold. My assistant has created a massive character bible to ensure that I don't suddenly change a character's hair color or that kind of thing. Believe me, readers notice when I make a mistake! I try very, very hard to get those details right so that I don't pull the reader out of the story.
Thanks so much for the review, Susan. I just enjoy your books so much. Would love to win this offering.
What author is an autobuy for you?
gmapeony at yahoo dot com
Helen L.
Can't get enough of hearing about FG. Thank you for another fantastic interview, Ms. Susan! Loved my copy of Only Mine as not only was it autographed, the story has me falling in love again with all your books! I enjoy learning new things in each of your interviews…look forward to many more. Congrats to you on your success! Go Fool's Gold!
Thanks for visiting, Susan. I'm really enjoying the Fools Gold series and look forward to reading about each of the triplets.
I love the Fools Gold series and am so happy it is going to continue!
kissinoak at frontier dot com
This was a great interview! You have to love Susan Mallery…her books are just so relatable and make you want to sigh.
I love the covers for your books Susan, they portray the sweet, contemporary romance look and feel perfectly. I also agree with you and find it funny how women tend to be more in touch with their emotions while men try to avoid it. Yet, it's both fun and romantic to see a couple fall in love. Even better for me when they fall in love in small town.
Your covers are so distinctive. Do you have a lot of say in the final look? I love your muted color choices and simple pictures.
jepebATverizonDOTnet
I've read a lot of series but I don't remember any that had triplets in them. It sounds like a unique idea.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
Thanks for the giveaway. I can't wait to read this book. Have you wrote any other generes? Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
Hi Susan,
Thanks for a great interview. Love the details & background for Fools Gold, CA as well as the books. They sound terrific. I've heard of you before but I've never read your work. I'm thinking I'm missing out on something good here! Thanks for the giveaway.
kareninnc at gmail dot com
thanks for the giveaway and for opening it to worldwide entries!:)
I love the Fools Gold series and am looking forward to reading Only Mine:)
GFC-Janhvi Jagtap
justjanhvi at gmail dot com
These books look like so much fun, and I love a connected series!
sallans d at yahoo dot com
OK! So, we have 'ONLY MINE', 'ONLY YOURS, 'ONLY HIS'! So when's ONLY HERS coming out? It's only fair!!!! LOL :>)
mickey3214 at aol dot com
lovesthemets at yahoo dot com
Where do you get your ideas from for a series?
I love your books and hope you keep on writing them.
Natalie's Mama
Greetings from Italy, Susan! You are very well know in Italy & have a lot of fans & readers who wait with great anticipation your new releases. Keep up the good work!
natalija (dot) shkomare (at) gmail (dot) com
What a great interview! I love this new series and can't wait for Montana's book!
Thank you so much for the interview! Can't wait to read Only Mine!
claudigc at msn dot com
Good one Helen, Yes Let's Have Only Hers. It would only extend the series and I do love series books. And Susan is amongst the best.
Susan, do your family members read your books?
lrmegtom@gmail.com
Great interview! I really loved the question about the difference between a reader and a book lover and thought Susan's answer was great (funny and true).
What a great interview! No matter how many I read, I seem to learn something new about Susan Mallery and her thoughts regarding "how" she writes and what drives her thought process as she develops each book. This was very informative. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the next installment in the famed Fool's Gold Series.
Wow! I love the whole idea of Only Mine and it is definitely a book I look forward to reading.
I really like your definition of a Book Lover because I can honestly say that I'm just like that. My parents have to drag me away from or usher me past a book sale table while trying, unsuccessfully, to block it from view.
I'm curious about your writing habits? Since you sometimes fifnish your work by noon, I assume that you're an early bird. But I'd like to know what items are necessary for you to wit down and write? Do you need coffee, chocolate, music, etc.?
Thanks for the giveaway:)
Sarah
sarah.setar@gmail.com