Allie will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR B&N Gift Card AND an e-copy of any of the author's backlist (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
The Promise of Paradise
by Allie Boniface
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.
What or who inspired you to start writing?
I've always loved
to read, and loved to play around with language and stories, but I started
writing seriously with the goal of publication after the attacks on the Twin
Towers on September 11, 2001. I live about an hour north of NYC; many people
who live in my community work in the city and didn't come home that day. After
that, I realized I couldn't wait for "someday" to fulfill my dream of
becoming a published author, because someday is never guaranteed. Perhaps a
rather dark reason for jump-starting my writing, but it worked, and I've never
looked back.
2.
What elements are necessary components for this genre?
The most crucial,
of course, is a happy ending! Readers love romance because it promises that
love and happiness will prevail, even through all the conflicts and
misunderstandings (and those are also components for this genre!). What else
does the romance genre require? Two people who are drawn to each other, scenes
of growing attraction (heat level depends on the sub-genre), and a Black Moment
where you'll think all is lost. Incidentally, this book is a re-release of an
earlier edition titled Lost in Paradise
– but this one has some additional (steamy) scenes and an Epilogue that wraps
up what happens after Ash and Eddie's Black Moment, because so many of my
initial readers asked for one.
This novel is
probably one that's closest to drawing upon my own experiences, not because I
experienced a family scandal or ran away and changed my name the way Ash did,
but because the character of Eddie is based on a dear friend of mine and
because the setting of a small New England town is so similar to where I've
spent much of my life. Even if it's subconsciously, we do write what we know.
At the point when I conceived this book, I was thinking a lot about how
friendships develop and what turns them into more intimate relationships. I
always knew Ash and Eddie would be friends – and in this case, housemates –
that turned into lovers.
4.
What expertise did you bring to your writing?
I read a lot, and
I teach writing as a high school English and Education teacher. I think one of
my writing strengths is description (that's what my readers tell me, anyway!)
and lyrical language. Plus I can name and explain all the rules for using
commas ;)
5.
As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
Well, my next
contemporary romance releases in May, called Beacon of Love (minor character Lucas gets a story all of his own
in that one). I'm also in the process of finishing up the sequel to that,
called Inferno of Love. In addition,
I'm interested in, and actively working on, branching out into the Young Adult
genre. There are some great YA authors out there to read (John Green and Sarah
Dessen among them), plus I work with teenagers all day, every day. They are
fascinating and have wonderful stories to tell. I also hear their voices in my
head all the time!
6.
Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or
hinder your writing?
I used to actively
belong to two critique groups, one online and one in person (a small group of
local RWA writers who got together each Tuesday night). Benefits: getting
feedback and inspiration from others. Drawbacks: occasional conflict of
personalities and, more often for me, people joining the groups who were at an
earlier point in the publishing journey than I was. Today I have a couple of
trusted fellow writers that I send my work to for feedback. My advice is to
decide what you're looking for from a critique group, and don't be afraid to
leave a group and move on if you're not getting what's best for your writing career.
7.
What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding
writing or publishing)
Best: develop a thick skin (some people/ editors/ agents/ readers/
reviewers) won't like your work, and they'll be vocal about it. Limit the
number of reviews you read about yourself or your books, especially if you're
sensitive and take things like that personally. Another best: promotion and
marketing will take oodles of time, once you publish. It will be up to you to
brand and market yourself, so balance your time accordingly and remember that
the best marketing is ALWAYS writing your next book!
8.
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I'm definitely a
plotter, which means I need an outline. I've experimented with many outline styles
over the years, but last year I went to a Michael Hague conference where he
talked about his "Story Mastery" approach to writing. He has a
background in screenwriting, and he used movies to illustrate the plot elements
every successful story has and when they should occur in your story. Brilliant
advice, and now I always outline my stories according to his breakdown of what
should happen at each stage. Very, very helpful!
9.
How do you maintain your creativity?
Let's see, when I
need to give my creativity a boost, I:
~Read books by other authors
~Go for a run/to the gym/dance/take a Zumba
class
~Take a break! Sometimes getting distance
from a story is the best way to see it with fresh eyes when I come back to it.
10. Who is your
favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?
Oh my gosh, it's
Eddie. Has to be Eddie. All my
readers tell me the same thing :) Why? He's the hero we all want in our lives:
he's strong and tough, works on cars, isn't afraid to stand up to bullies,
drives a pick-up and a Harley (not at the same time LOL), is kind to small,
helpless animals, and he knows how to hold a woman when he dances with her and
how to please her in bed. Sigh. Beyond that, though, Eddie is wounded. He's
suffered tremendous loss in his life and is uncertain how to deal with it or
who to trust. So he's this wonderful combination of strong and sensitive, and
for the woman who can capture his heart, he'll make the most amazing partner.
Double sigh.
Thank you so much
for having me here today! I love talking reading, writing, and yummy alpha male
heroes!!
Harvard grad Ashton Kirk is headed for a
promising law career when scandal breaks apart her family. To escape, she
changes her name and rents an apartment in the small town of Paradise, New
Hampshire, where no one knows who she is.
Ash
hopes for solitude, but all bets are off when Eddie West, the town’s most
eligible bachelor, moves in downstairs. The sexy auto mechanic loves his women
and his cars shiny, sleek, and fast, and when he meets his new housemate, he
wastes no time getting friendly. But Eddie is nursing his own recent loss, and
the last thing he wants to do is let someone new into his life or his heart.
Can
two people from different worlds find common ground and a place to fall in
love? Or will Ashton’s past and Eddie’s scars keep them apart just as summer
heat brings them together? Is it possible to find your soul mate in the place
you least expect?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Near
the curb, engine still running and rock music bellowing from the speakers,
idled a red pickup truck. White and yellow flames danced along both sides.
Bending over the tailgate was a broad, bare, definitely male back. Yow. No
wonder Jen looked like she was about to start drooling. Even one floor up, Ash
could trace the outline of nearly every muscle in his arms and back. A bright
red and yellow king cobra tattoo curled around his left triceps. Wavy brown
hair fell across the sides of his face. His jeans, faded in all the right
places, sat low on his hips. Ash squinted harder and ran one hand over her
hair.
Oh
God. They still make men who look like that?
“Turn
around, please,” Jen commanded under her breath. As if he’d heard her, he
straightened up, biceps flexing as he hauled two large boxes from the back of
the truck and turned up into the sidewalk. Her sidewalk. He looked up, and
Ash’s heart dove into her stomach. A neatly trimmed goatee underscored a
crooked nose. He flashed a smile and winked.
“Hey,”
he called up. “You live here?”
Jen
nodded and jabbed a thumb in Ash’s direction. “She does.”
“I’m
Eddie West. Movin’ in today.” It was hard to hear him over the noise of the
truck’s humming engine and the music. Ash watched his mouth move instead.
“Need
any help?” Jen asked.
Eddie
shook his head. “Nah. I’ve just got a couple of boxes to bring in. The rest is
coming tomorrow. But thanks.” He continued up the sidewalk.
Jen
cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled down. “Come up later, if you
want.”
Ash
elbowed her. “What are you doing?”
Eddie
backpedaled and nodded, grinning wider. As he disappeared from their view, the
heavy front door creaked open and, after a few seconds, thudded shut behind
him.
Jen
straightened up. “See? I told you he’d be good-looking.” She rolled her eyes.
“He’s beyond good-looking, Ash.” She fell back against the railing, hands to
heart in a dramatic pantomime. “He’s perfect.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Allie Boniface is a
small-town girl at heart who's traveled around the world and still finds that
the magic and the mystery of small towns make them the best places to fall in
love and find adventure. From the New England coast to Rocky Mountain hotels to
tiny European bars, she's found more character and plot inspirations than she
could ever count. Currently, she's lucky enough to live in New York's beautiful
Hudson Valley with her own "Hometown Hero," a guy who can fix, build,
drive, and grill anything and is the epitome of the strong and silent type.
When she isn't writing love
stories, Allie is a full-time high school English teacher who gets a kick out
of helping her teenagers negotiate the ups and downs of writing along with the
ups and downs of life (because, really, she's still trying to do the same
thing!). And while she'll continue to travel far and wide, Allie knows there's
really nothing like coming back to the place where the people who have known
you forever welcome you home with open arms.
ALLIE BONIFACE – ONLINE
LINKS
www.allieboniface.com
www.allieboniface.blogspot.com
Twitter: AllieBoniface1
Facebook:
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