Today I welcome the Small Town, Large Hearts tour with three great authors. Small town living is a whole different environment but a fun place to set a story. Grace Burrowes, Samantha Chase, Andrea Laurence share some special moments in the life of their characters.
- What can you tell us about the small town setting of your new romance?
Samantha Chase (author of RETURN
TO YOU): The south shore of Long Island had always been my
heroine Selena’s home. Born and raised minutes from the beach, she always
dreamed that it would be where she’d find love, raise a family and live happily
ever after. The small coastal town really hadn’t been part of James
Montgomery’s plan for his own life, after meeting Selena, it’s suddenly a very
appealing part of his future.
Grace Burrowes (author of KISS ME
HELLO): Damson Valley lies in rural Maryland, about an hour
away from both Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The Appalachian Mountains give
the town a protected, bucolic feel, despite the proximity of big city lights.
My hero attorney MacKenzie Knightley loved growing up with his brothers on a
farm right outside Damson Valley, and was all too happy to go into practice
with both James and Trent. The Knightley farm is now owned by foster mom
Sidonie Lindstrom, who has moved away from Baltimore to give her foster son a
better start in life. Sid has no patience for small town life, though before
too long, the scenery does catch her interest…
Andrea Laurence (author of FEEDING
THE FIRE): If you’re willing to turn your car off the highway
and venture from the beaten path, you might be lucky enough to run across a
town like Rosewood, Alabama. Steeped in southern charm and the traditional
values of God, Family and Football (although not always in that order),
Rosewood is like a time capsule preserving everything modern cities have lost.
Here, you’ll find homemade pies, perfectly brewed sweet tea, and beauty parlors
filled with lively gossip. It’s the kind of town where everybody knows
everybody – and everybody knows your business whether you like it or not!
Thanks for stopping by. Sit a spell and tell us what you know. - What is the most romantic spot in your small town?
Samantha Chase: There are many beaches on the south shore but not all of them are
public. Back when they first dated, James and Selena would go to one of the
private beaches that was located close to her house. They chose it because
there were never really any crowds and they could go and spend the day without
an audience and feel as if they had the world to themselves.
- Shopping in a small town can be limited. What’s the best gift your hero gave your heroine that he picked up locally?
Andrea: Rosewood has a couple great little boutiques on the square.
Dressin’ Up has the latest fashions for ladies and the antique shop is a good
spot to find those one-of-a-kind pieces. Flowers from Petal Pushers are always
a good choice, too. True to Grant, however, he chose his gift for Pepper at the
hardware store. He bought her a ‘bouquet’ of tools and essentials for every
homeowner, including a screwdriver, level, measuring tape, caulk, plastic
sheeting, an extension cord and well… vodka!
- What is the heroine’s favorite memory of the town?
Grace: Sid is a city gal, recently arrived to the Maryland countryside,
and at first she misses everything about Baltimore—the hum and bustle, exotic
cuisine, the Inner Harbor, the endless things to see and do. As she sees that
Damson Valley is a good place for her foster son, she appreciates the natural
beauty. She becomes especially fond of the peepers, tiny tree frogs that sing
on chilly spring evenings to attract a mate. Her first kiss with Mac happens to
the serenade of the peepers, and every time she hears them, she smiles.
Do you enjoy reading stories set in small town? What's cool about your small town?
You can win a copy of one of these book here.
About the books:
 |
| AMAZON |
He loves her, she loves him not...?
In the third novel of The Sweetest Kisses series, single mom Sidonie
Lindstrom has her hands full with a troubled foster son, an abrupt
adjustment to country living, and an unforeseen lack of funds. When her
taciturn neighbor, MacKenzie Knightley, repeatedly offers practical
help, Sid reminds herself she's not interested in the neighbor-despite
his kindness, pragmatism and quiet charm. MacKenzie sees the
vulnerability beneath her pride, and he's determined to change her
mind...
New York
Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes' bestsellers include The
Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and
Lady Eve's Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best
Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady
Sophie's Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011
from RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight was a Library
Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW
Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise,
including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist.
Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance
with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural
Maryland.
 |
| AMAZON |
He can't stop thinking about their future...
James
Montgomery has achieved everything he'd hoped for in life...except
marrying the girl of his dreams. After a terrible accident, Selena
Ainsley left ten years ago. She took his heart with her and she's never
coming back. But it's becoming harder and harder for him to forget their
precious time together, and James can't help but wonder what he would
do if they could ever meet again.
New York
Times and USA
Today Bestseller Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's
Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to
publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation
to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age
students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to
follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as
well.
When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary
romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and
spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North
Carolina.
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| PRE-ORDER |
Pepper has no interest in Grant Chamberlain…until she accidentally wins
him at a school auction and finds the mega-hot firefighter impossible to
ignore. Find out what happens next in the second playful and sexy ebook
romance in the Rosewood series!
Living in the small town of Rosewood, Alabama, hairdresser Pepper Anthony has one rule—never date a Chamberlain. She’s always said, “the only thing worse than being ignored by a Chamberlain is being dumped by one.” But Grant Chamberlain, town fireman, isn’t used to rejection, and Pepper has consistently turned him down since high school. She isn’t intimidated by his family; she’s one of the few who refuses to take their crap.
When Grant volunteers at the charity bachelor auction, to his surprise, Pepper buys him. She hadn’t meant to, but Adelia Chamberlain dropped a cold drink in her lap, sending her leaping into the air at precisely the wrong moment. Suddenly she had a massive bill to the town and Grant at her disposal. Since the money has to come from her “restore the house” fund, she decides to use Grant for manual labor instead of romantic dinners. Grant is happy to help, sweaty and shirtless, because one way or another, he’s going to get Pepper to admit she’s attracted to him. All it takes is a small spark, and soon they’ll be fanning the flames.
Living in the small town of Rosewood, Alabama, hairdresser Pepper Anthony has one rule—never date a Chamberlain. She’s always said, “the only thing worse than being ignored by a Chamberlain is being dumped by one.” But Grant Chamberlain, town fireman, isn’t used to rejection, and Pepper has consistently turned him down since high school. She isn’t intimidated by his family; she’s one of the few who refuses to take their crap.
When Grant volunteers at the charity bachelor auction, to his surprise, Pepper buys him. She hadn’t meant to, but Adelia Chamberlain dropped a cold drink in her lap, sending her leaping into the air at precisely the wrong moment. Suddenly she had a massive bill to the town and Grant at her disposal. Since the money has to come from her “restore the house” fund, she decides to use Grant for manual labor instead of romantic dinners. Grant is happy to help, sweaty and shirtless, because one way or another, he’s going to get Pepper to admit she’s attracted to him. All it takes is a small spark, and soon they’ll be fanning the flames.
Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she
learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print
and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and
dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted
into the Deep South, she's working on her own "happily ever after"
with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky
that sheds like nobody's business.
