A Book Addict's Bookshelves (Old): Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway

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Taken with You by Shannon Stacey
(Kowalski Family #8)
Published by: Carina Press
Publication date: March 25th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Hailey Genest has seen most of her friends marry and have babies, and she’s happy for them, but it was a lot easier before she hit forty. She’s spent her entire life in Whitford, Maine, and if she hasn’t found her Prince Charming by now, she has to accept she’s probably not going to. When a new friend suggests they go on an adventure and embrace being single, Hailey agrees.

Surviving in the woods is game warden Matt Barnett’s idea of a relaxing vacation. But when he meets two women in need of help, he leads them back to safety – a task that proves more fun than expected, thanks to a certain hot blonde. He can’t resist pushing her buttons, even though she’s made it clear that the rugged, outdoorsy type just isn’t for her.

Hailey is glad to see the back of her tempting-tour-guide-slash-pain-in-the-ass. When he shows up in her life again, she’s determined to avoid him, no matter how good he looks in his uniform. But that’s easier said than done in Whitford, especially when he’s renting the house right next door…

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AUTHOR BIO

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and riding her four-wheeler. From May to November, the Stacey family spends their weekends on their ATVs, making loads of muddy laundry to keep Shannon busy when she’s not at her computer. She prefers writing to laundry, however, and considers herself lucky she got to be an author when she grew up.

Author links:

When did you start writing?

I’ve written for as long as I can remember. I know it was the Little House on the Prairie series and Laura Ingalls Wilder who first made me aware of people as authors and I wanted to do that. I think I was thirteen or fourteen when I wrote my first romance. (It was bad. Really bad.)

What makes you want to write?

I get very cranky and then a bit depressed if I have a prolonged period where I don’t write, as when I had my first child and nothing but rejection letters, so I almost quit. The stories play in my head until I write them down, so I’m so very grateful it’s now my job.

Do you ever get writer's block and what do you do to get over it?

I’m very susceptible to distraction and outside life influences, but I rarely have true writer’s block. I’ve learned by now that when I do, I’ve gone wrong somewhere. Often I’m simply in the wrong character’s POV, but sometimes I’ve gone down the wrong story path. I have to go back to a point where the writing process was smooth and take a second look at everything.

Do you have a special way of going about writing?

Just many hours of me and my laptop. I love writing by hand, with pen and paper, but it’s not fast enough anymore and I’ve been battling some tendonitis in my wrist. But for highly emotional or love scenes, I’ll still curl up with my notebook and a pen and write them out by hand. There’s some more intimate about it that bypasses my internal editor.

What are your hobbies?

My favorite hobby is four-wheeling, even though it leads to a lot of dirty laundry. I’ve had to cut back on knitting a bit because of my wrist, but I love knitting socks and mittens. And there’s reading, of course.

How did you choose the character names for Taken with You?

The names of heroes and heroines tend to pop into my head, but Hailey Genest started as a secondary character in the Kowalski series, so I probably looked at a list of popular girls’ names to find hers. Matt Barnett was Matt to me from the beginning, but the last name took some time. I often Google “New England surnames” and look through results until something jumps out, since my books are set in New Hampshire and Maine.

Do you have any works in progress?

I’m currently working on my holiday novella for Carina Press, Her Holiday Man, which I’m hoping to finish while it’s still cold and snowy.

Who is your favorite character in Taken with You?

I honestly loved Matt and Hailey equally, even though I’m usually biased more toward the heroes. Matt’s an outdoorsy guy and we’d have a lot of hobbies in common, but Hailey’s passion for her library and her unwillingness to take crap from Matt really endeared her to me.

Where did you get the idea for Taken with You?

Hailey started as a secondary character, the friend of several heroines in the series, but I really fell for her. And so did readers, who started requesting that she get a happily ever after, too.

What was your favourite part of writing Taken with You?

I loved writing the sexy, fun banter between Matt and Hailey. I think my enjoyment of the characters made the words flow. And there’s a scene later in the book that was really emotional to write, to the point I was in tears. While I went through a few tissues, it’s very gratifying when a scene gets to me like that.

What are you currently reading?

Because I was reading for work and contest judging, I’ve accumulated a huge digital TBR pile and, right now, I’m catching up on Jaci Burton’s Play by Play series.

What is your favorite book?

Needful Things by Stephen King

Who is your favorite author?

That’s probably a tie between Stephen King and Nora Roberts.

What is your favourite film?

Armageddon! Or Miracle. Another tie. (I’m probably cheating.)

What is your favourite TV show?

Oh, there are so many. But right this minute, I’d say The Walking Dead.