SMALL TOWN NIRVANA

I bought a set of these, aren't they darling?

My guest today is the amazing Beth Ciotta. I say amazing because Beth has accomplished much in her life—for a quirky daydreamer. She pursued a career in the arts, first as a professional singer, then as a variety performer, character actress, and dancer. Finally, she remembered her early love of writing and started writing contemporary romance and has been published since 2002. 

I have yet to read a story from Beth that I haven't loved. She's a gifted storyteller and I'm sure her background has helped in crafting such entertaining stories. 

Her latest sinful release, is A FOOL FOR LOVE, from the Cupcake Lovers club series. It's set in a charming little town called, Sugar Creek, Vermont. Oh, I had lots of fun with this story and I'm looking forward to THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE (with two characters I loved in book one). 

I asked Beth what drew her to a small town setting for story.  

Nirvana is one of my new favorite words. A place or state of oblivion.  Bliss. Heaven. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place or state of bliss?  Of course, like everything in life “nirvana” is subjective. My idea of heaven is the small fictional town of Sugar Creek, Vermont. The small community featured in my new series: The Cupcake Lovers.

 

Chocolate Porter Coffee cupcakes
recipe by Raspberryeggplant RECIPE

At its conception, I knew the Cupcake Lovers series would take place in a small town. But where? My first thought was Indiana. I grew up in a small town in Indiana. I know the area. The folk. The rhythm. It wouldn’t take much research to create an authentic community.  But then my husband reminded me that I’d already set a few of my books in the Hoosier State. True, true. Time to go somewhere new.

First choice: Vermont.

I’ve never been to Vermont, but I’ve always had the urge to go. I’m entranced by the scenery. The stunning mountains. The lush valleys. The vibrant foliage of the autumn season. I thought about the Sugar Maple trees. Maple syrup. Vermont maple syrup.  I had this vivid image of a small boy pouring syrup into an ice cold creek to make the water sweet for his girlfriend.

Sugar Creek.

In that moment I knew my town would bear the same name as the creek, which would forever spur the distinction between locals—“The creek, not the town.” Or… “The town, not the creek.” I envisioned a Mayberry-like setting comprised of buildings that stood no more than three-stories high. Some of the building were converted, brightly painted barns.  Every business was independently owned. Lots of local artisans, antique stores, a family operated department store, and an old-fashioned General Store where everyone shopped for groceries and gossiped about the latest going-ons. Sugar Creek exploded in my mind, as did the people who populated the quaint tourist town year round.

  

Chloe Madison, the heroine in the launch book FOOL FOR LOVE, moves to Sugar Creek to start a new life. I got to learn my way about town right alongside her. Together we delighted at the camaraderie and creativity of the Cupcake Lovers club. We marveled at the complex and tightly-knitted relationships between friends and family, the secrets and rivalries, and the budding and failing romances. A community that celebrated the best of times and pulled together in the worst.

Like Chloe, I felt as if I’d found a new home. Imagine my glee knowing I wouldn’t be leaving Sugar Creek any time soon. There are at least three more books in the Cupcake Lovers series. Next up: The Trouble with Love, coming out March 26, 2013. And, as my amended cliché goes, the plot (and the cupcake batter) thickens.  Nirvana! 

• Do you like cupcakes? Beth has a collection of cupcake recipes on her blog and she shares in her book.

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BUY: AMAZON, B&N, B-A-M

FOOL FOR LOVE

Beth Ciotta

Call her a fool, but chef-in-training Chloe Madison wants to have her cake and eat it too. So when her boyfriend dumps her for some French tart, she decides to start over from scratch—with a new life and job in Sugar Creek, Vermont. What could be sweeter than cooking for an eccentric lady who’s crazy for desserts? What could be more tempting than joining a club called the Cupcake Lovers? Just one thing: local business-hunk Devlin Monroe…

Although he’s the grandson of Chloe’s fun-loving boss, Devlin Monroe is all work and no play. Micro-managing the family business, he doesn’t have time to indulge in life’s sweetest pleasures—until he meets Chloe. How can he resist such a vibrant, beautiful woman who brings so much passion to the table? But when old grudges and secrets threaten to destroy the Cupcake Lovers, Devlin must decide if his feelings for Chloe are a recipe for disaster—or a sinfully delicious ever after… Excerpt

You can read my review of A Fool For Love here. 

Storytelling comes naturally to award-winning author Beth Ciotta. Dubbed "fun and sexy" by Publisher's Weekly, Beth specializes in writing Romantic Comedy with a Twist of Suspense and is published in contemporary, historical, steampunk, and paranormal romantic fiction. "I can't think of anything more fulfilling than writing stories where everyone (except the villain, of course) gets a happy ending!"

Beth lives in NJ with her husband, two zany dogs, and a crazy cat. A retired professional performer, Beth now pours her artistic passion into her writing. To learn more about her colorful life, visit her website. You can also find her on her blog, Facebook, Twitter

A CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE

Joanne Kennedy is my guest and she's brought her Hooligans, a bit of small town Americana, and some fun conversations. Oh, let's not forget the tall dark cowboy!


Actually, like the song says, he's not that easy to forget...*contented sigh.

I love hearing from readers. But recently, I received an e-mail that gave me a stab of remorse.

“Your books make me want to move to a small town,” it said. “One where I can find a cowboy who will really love me and my three kids.”

I write about ranch life and small towns, celebrating old-fashioned values like community and caring. But was I raising readers’ expectations too high? There aren’t many storybook places in the real world—are there?

I’ve been living in the city for too long. It was time for a road trip—one that would confirm that the world I was writing about really existed. Loading my husband and the Hooligans into my trusty Subaru, I headed for the closest cluster of small towns.

The first town was proof that reality doesn’t always match the wishful world of fiction. It was November, so the bright sky of summer had changed to solid, wintry gray. The wind was cold and biting. A string of battered buildings huddled together in a crooked row beside a street pockmarked with holes and patched asphalt. There were no sounds except wind rattling dry sagebrush, and the harsh, lonely cry of a crow.

And I was encouraging people to believe this was some kind of romantic paradise.

Worse yet, I was hungry, and the only place to eat in the next town was the Longhorn Grocery and Cafe. You can usually judge a small-town eatery by the number of trucks parked outside—and there wasn’t a single one.

But it was early in the day. When noon struck, the place filled up quickly. And as the townspeople filed in, my world—the world of my novels—bloomed right before my eyes.

“Oh, you brought the boys!” the cook crowed as a middle-aged lady walked in. I turned, expecting to see a couple of kids, but instead two fragile elderly gentlemen stumped in, canes tapping. The crowd grew, and sure enough, everybody knew everybody else. Gossip and greetings filled the air. It was just like one of my books—except the dialogue was even better. Here’s a sample:

Lady #1: “What happened to you?”

Lady with Arm in Sling: “I fell downstairs. But at least I didn’t run over myself like Bob did.”

 Run over yourself? I thought. How do you do that?

 Gentleman #1: “He never learns. He left that pickup running while he went in the post office the other day. Says he puts it in park now, though.”

Gentleman #2: “That’s not as bad as Ed Simmons. He got hit by the school bus. Didn’t hurt him much, but he yelled at the driver. He said, ‘What’d ya hit me for? You know I turn here every day!’” 

By the time I finished my cheeseburger, my conscience was cleared along with my plate. These towns might look bleak from the street, but once you took the time to step inside, they’re full of life and love.

And I realized that it’s the bleakness, the hardship, and the challenge of living in this part of the world that brings these people together. Community is created by common interests and shared enemies like the weather and the wind.

So when you’re driving through small-town America, keep in mind that even in a place that looks hopeless on the outside, there’s life and love and family behind the lighted windows—just like in a romance novel.

Tall, Dark and Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy—In Stores November 2011
 
She’s looking for an old friend…

 In the wake of a nasty divorce, Lacey Bradford heads for Wyoming where she’s sure her old friend will take her in. But her high school pal Chase Caldwell is no longer the gangly boy who would follow her anywhere. For one thing, he’s now incredibly buff and handsome, but that’s not all that’s changed… 

What she finds is one hot cowboy…

 Chase has been through tough times and is less than thrilled to see the girl who once broke his heart. But try as he might to resist her, while Lacey’s putting her life back together, he’s finding new ways to be part of it. Excerpt

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Joanne Kennedy is the author of three previous contemporary Western romances for Sourcebooks. She brings a wide variety of experience, ranging from chicken farming to horse training, to her sexy, spicy cowboy stories. She is a 2011 finalist in the prestigious Romance Writers of American RITA© Awards, for One Fine Cowboy. Joanne lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she is working on her next book, Cowboy Crazy (June 2012). 

For more information, please visit http://joannekennedybooks.com/.