Photo: Cathryn Farley Photography

I am honored to have New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author, Denise Grover Swank, with us today on her tour for her latest Rose Gardner Mystery release, Thirty and a Half Excuses. Denise is hosting a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $50 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice), so hop on over and check it out after you read what she had to tell us about travel, writing, and of course, Rose Gardner, the heroine of the series. Now, let’s get to know Denise a little bit better.

LKG-G: You traveled to some great locations this summer. What was your favorite destination and why?

DGS: It’s been a busy summer for me! I’ve traveled for both work and fun to New York City: Paris; London; the Outer Banks, North Carolina; and Seattle, Washington. I love all of those places (except for London, surprisingly) but my favorite was Paris. I’d always heard how rude the Parisians were, but I can honestly say we never encountered anyone who was rude to us. (Although we did encounter a pick-pocket, which by definition would be rude.) The architecture is gorgeous. The weather in June was wonderful. I fell in love with Paris and can’t wait to go back.

LKG-G: Writers find inspiration for their work everywhere. Did anything in your travels catch you by surprise and spark new ideas? Can you share?

DGS: My trip to the Outer Banks was for research for my soon to be release urban fantasy series, The Curse Keepers. It’s set on Roanoke Island. Manteo is a small town so I wanted to go back and get the local flavor for the town. I LOVE the Outer Banks and came up with so many ideas for the series.

But I also came up with a YA contemporary romance idea from my trip to Paris. Maybe I should go back for more research.

LKG-G: Do you see your main character, Rose, traveling beyond the confines of Henryetta any time in the future?

DGS: Rose has always wanted to go to Italy. I’d really like for her to go there. But first, I think she needs to learn to venture off somewhere closer. I’ve talked end game with this series with my critique partner. Trisha sees Rose moving away from Henryetta. We’ll see. I’ll let Rose tell me what she wants to do when the time comes.

LKG-G: What has been your most defining moment as an author?

DGS: When I hit the New York Times bestseller list. I didn’t realize how much it meant to me until I made it.

LKG-G: For some authors, music is a very important part of the writing process. What are the MUST haves on your Rose Gardner Mystery series playlist and why?

DGS: I listen to a LOT of Paramore when I write Rose. And also Coldplay, but mostly Paramore. Their song Never Let This Go really fits Thirty and a Half Excuses.

LKG-G: During the first book in the Rose Gardner Mystery series, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes¸Rose has an epiphany and decides she is done being afraid of what people will say, and vows to not let fear hold her back any longer — she will do what she wants to do. How are you like Rose in this regard? Can you define a moment when you came to the same type of determination?

DGS: Wow. Good question. When my husband died seven years ago, I realized I’d spent a good part of my life letting fear hold me back from trying new things. I decided I didn’t want to have regrets when I left this world. So now I look at an opportunity or a decision and ask which choice will present the greatest regret? Scary things are good for us. They help us grow. So if I’m presented with a challenge, and it’s fear that holds me back, I push myself to do it anyway.

LKG-G: Congratulations on your recent Amazon success with Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons. On Twitter you announced you were so glad it was Rose. Tell us about the soft spot you have for Rose Gardner.

DGS: Thank you! First, I think there’s a lot of me in Rose. I think she’s the most relatable character I write and I would love to be friends with someone like her. (Wait. If there’s a lot of me in her, and I want to be her friend, does that make me a narcissist? LOL)

But second, Rose—Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes—is the first book I self-published. I took a huge risk with her because a lot of people still frowned on self-publishing.

And third, I think there’s an audience out there that hasn’t met her yet.

LKG-G: The publishing industry is changing swiftly from what it once was. Doors have opened for authors that even five years ago would have been tightly shut. You are an iconic example of the new breed of author. Tell us a little bit about the new publishing environment and your views on the future.

DGS: I think more and more authors will ditch traditional publishing for self-publishing. Any author who is relatively successful will only consider a traditional deal to get in print. But print’s not what it used to be. Barnes & Noble and is stocking fewer books, if it even survives another few years. Which means a print deal will stop being the pot at the end of the rainbow.

LKG-G: Writers no longer have the luxury of simply writing their novel and sending it off for someone else to do the rest. You are a prolific author, who works in a wide variety of genres. What is a typical day like for Denise Grover Swank?

DGS: I get up and take my kids to school. Then I come home and work on the business part—emails, etc. After lunch at my desk, I try to write or edit, depending on what part of the process I’m at in the manuscript. I pick my kids up from school and we hang out until after dinner. Then when they go to bed, I write or edit for several hours.

LKG-G: What projects are in the works now that you can share?

DGS: I’ve turned in the first draft of the second Curse Keeper and I’m waiting to for my notes to start revision/edit. While I wait, I’ve started writing the third book in the Off the Subject series.

About Thirty and a Half Excuses:

Life in Henryetta, Arkansas is turned upside down with the arrival of a televangelist, but it’s the death of a little old lady on Rose’s street that catches her attention. The Henryetta police deem her death natural causes, but Rose suspects foul play and so does an unlikely supporter–-the president of the Busy Body Club, her eighty-two year old neighbor Mildred.

But Rose is in the middle of opening her nursery with her sister Violet, who’s separated from her husband Mike, as well as stalling her boyfriend Joe’s family, rich socialites who are determined to meet her. Along with her multiple encounters with Fenton County’s new assistant DA, Mason Deveraux III, it’s just another day in the life of Rose Gardner–-chaos.

About Denise Grover Swank:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

Thanks for stopping by Denise. And if anyone would like to catch up with Denise and keep track of all that she has going on, please check out the below:

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The post An Interview with Denise Grover Swank appeared first on Be the Cat.

LK: First off I’d like to thank Rose Gardner for stopping by today to talk with me. How are you today, Rose?

Rose: I’m doing well, LK, I’m trying to get used to all this attention Denise has put me in. I’m not used to having so many people interested in my life. For the most part, people don’t want to have much to do with me.

LK: Just a bit of trivia, and this just hit me when I said your name…one of the names my parents considered for me was Rose, and I’d have been Rose Gardner, too.

Rose: Really? That’s so awesome! My father loved his flower gardens, so I suspect my sister Violet and I got our names from that, but Momma always brushed off the question. So we never knew for sure.

LK: I understand. Anyway, today I’d like to talk about bullying and how it feels to be on the receiving end.

Rose: Bullying? I think you’ve misunderstood what happened to me. People in my town of Henryetta, Arkansas find me an oddity, not that I blame ’em. I have visions and what I see just blurts right out of my mouth. To be fair, people just don’t know how to handle me knowin’ their personal business, you know? My momma used to tell them I was demon possessed. Most people didn’t believe that and just thought I was a snoop, which explained how I knew where to find someone’s library book or that Mr. Tucker was having an affair with his secretary. So most adults avoided me and their kids followed suit. Most just snubbed me at school or made snide comments, but I was never tormented. Not too much.

LK: Most people don’t know that they are being bullied. Bullying tends to be a string of small incidents over a long period of time, and while each incident might be considered trivial, over time it builds up. This might be a hard question, but have you ever been belittled or demeaned either at home or work? Can you tell us about it?

Rose: Oh, dear. I’d never looked at it that way. Um, one of the women I work with, Suzanne, makes lots mean comments, but honestly I just try to ignore her. But my momma… my momma was a difficult woman. Momma just didn’t know what to do with me and though it doesn’t make what she did right, I can sort of understand it. Mostly she used to just call me names although she had a special punishment when she found out I’d been having visions of other people’s business. I’d rather not talk about that one.

LK: That’s okay, hon. It sounds like the memory is still too painful. You don’t have to talk about it. Humiliation is often an effective tool for a bully. I know this may be difficult, but will you share a situation in which you felt humiliated?

Rose: The most humiliating experience was with my momma, I just can’t talk about that one. I don’t even talk to Violet about it. We shut it off and left it in the past, but sometimes I have trouble being in tight, enclosed spaces. I did tell Joe, but it just slipped out without my meaning it to. But next to that experience, my momma used to separate my older sister, Violet, and me. Or she’d punish me and then punish Violet for trying to come to my defense. Violet could have very easily turned her back on me, but she never did. Ever. She’s my hero.

LK: It’s so nice to have a sister to look up to. Who would you consider the number one bully in your life and why?

Rose: I suppose if you’re going by your definition of a bully, my momma was the biggest one. But she’s dead now so I only have to deal with her ghost. Not her real ghost mind you, I don’t believe in those. More like sometimes out of no where, I’ll hear her voice in the back of my head tellin’ me how stupid or lazy or insolent I am. Even though I’m changing, sometimes I’m still that little girl who tried so hard to please her momma.

LK: {{{{Hugs}}}} Sometimes it’s not easy to break away from old patterns. I understand you stood up for yourself against your mother, shortly prior to her murder, which led to you being under suspicion for her murder. And that your stand was over pie. What caused pie to be the thing that caused you to snap?

Rose: I’d just seen a vision of my murder. You have to understand, I’m nobody. I go to work. I go to church. I occasionally go to my sister’s house and I go home, so even though the people of Henryetta find me annoying, no one really have no reason to murder me. But seeing myself dead on a Momma’s sofa shook me up. And I started thinkin’ about how I hadn’t even lived any of my life yet. Just wasted twenty-four years under Momma’s rules. And I suppose I had a whole bunch of anger stored up and once I let myself at it, it just spewed right out. So when Momma told me I had to make her two apple pies for the Memorial Day picnic at the Henryetta Southern Baptist Church and I couldn’t leave until I made ’em. Well, it was like one order too many. And I just lost it. I told Momma she could get her own d**** pies out of the oven and I left. And the entire neighborhood heard me. I admit, it looked pretty suspicious. The first time I ever told my momma off, in public no less, Momma winds up murdered.

LK: How did you feel when you took your stand?

Rose: I was so proud of myself! But I felt kind of bad, not because I did it but because I didn’t feel contrite, only smug pride, which as Momma would be quick to point out, is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

LK: Well, I think you’re somebody pretty special, and sometimes a little pride can be a good thing. Do you think standing up against a bully allowed you to change your life?

Rose: Oh yes, for one thing, if I hadn’t left the house and delayed coming home so long, I would have been murdered. And I wouldn’t have been a suspect for her murder. But I also wouldn’t have created my wish list, the twenty-eight things I wanted to do before I died or got arrested. And I would have been held back by my fear and been too scared to do the things I wrote down. With every number I checked off, I got more and more confident until, by the end, I hardly recognized myself anymore.

LK: What changes have you experienced since?

Rose: The old Rose was too scared to talk to people, so I make myself do it now. I’m better at it, but old habits are hard to unlearn. I’m less self-conscious of how I look and I care more about my hair and my clothes. And I’m happier. I have a boyfriend now, my wonderful next door neighbor Joe. But I’m most happy that Joe didn’t have anything to do with my changing. I changed me and took him along for the ride.

LK: Joe sounds like a wonderful guy. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us, Rose. Is there anything else you want to share?

Rose: When we’re kids, we’re raised to believe that our parents are always right. And while nobody’s perfect, parents usually are. But sometimes when they say mean, hurtful and degrading things they aren’t. And sometimes they have underlying reasons for behaving the way they do. It doesn’t make it right, but it help to know it’s not really you they’re striking out at.

Thanks to Rose for stopping by and to Denise for arranging this interview. Make sure you stop by Denise’s blog to learn more about Rose and Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes

The post Interview with Rose Gardner appeared first on Be the Cat.

But wait!!! I can’t have deflated balloons for a winner announcement! *puffs and puffs and puffs* And now the contest winners – we have balloons again!!! If you recall, my giveaways are one signed copy of Misfit McCabe and one signed copy of Nowhere Feels Like Home and a stellar book bag. And now for the winners!

***drum roll please***

The winners are:

Jewelz
Alicia
PamelaJo

Thunderous applause

Thanks to everyone who participated and helped celebrate the happy day of Carolina’s agent representation. And just think what kind of party we’ll have when she hits the best seller lists.

The post And the Party’s Over appeared first on Be the Cat.

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Happy Agent Representation – Carolina Valdez Miller

Being a writer can be a tough proposition, because along every step of the way you face rejection in multiple forms and most likely multiple times. So, most writers I know love any reason to celebrate, and I’m NO exception. So, because my friend fellow Bling-Babe, Carolina Valdez Miller announced her agent representation today with the fabulous Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst and Associates Literary Management, join us for the rest of the month in the:

Agent Celebration Mega Giveaway

YOU get to be the winner because Carol is such a sweetheart, her first thought for a celebration was to get a bunch of people involved to give away swag!! How can you beat that? So from today through midnight April 1st (Eastern Time), you have a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes below. The contest winners will be posted on April 4th.

How do you enter? Easy, check out the list of prizes below, click the links (the names) to the site and enter by either filling out a form or posting a comment on the Agent Celebration Mega Giveaway post. And NOW on to the prizes!!

From LK Griffie (Me)

To enter, comment below. Please also click one of the Like buttons in the sidebar

• Winner 1: A signed copy of Misfit McCabe (or ebook) Preview available in the sidebar
• Winner 2: A signed copy of Nowhere Feels Like Home (or ebook) Preview available in the sidebar
• Winner 3: A canvas book bag

Click the picture to view larger version

From Carolina Valdez Miller

• Winner 1: A 1st page critique from agent Vickie Motter!
• Winner 2: A Kindle Wireless Reading Device
• In order to win this one, you will need to follow all the blogs in the giveaway to qualify. **Note** Since this blog does not have the follow buttons, either Like one of the two Facebook pages in the sidebar (or both if you want) or follow @lkgg on Twitter. Please also put a comment on this post so your follow/entry for the Kindle can be confirmed.
• Winner 3: Signed copy of Escaping into the Open: the Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg
• Winner 4: Signed Hardback of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
• Winner 5: Signed Hardback of Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

From Heather’s Odyssey

• Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters

OR

• The Fire In Fiction by Donald Maass

From Critique Sisters Corner

• 2011 Guide To Literary Agents

OR

• Writing The Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

From J. Koyanagi

(You will need to subscribe or follow her RSS feed)
One winner will win:

• WRITING DOWN THE BONES, by Natalie Goldberg

OR

• HOW NOT TO WRITE A NOVEL, by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

OR

• GIVE ‘EM WHAT THEY WANT: THE RIGHT WAY TO PITCH YOUR NOVEL TO EDITORS AND AGENTS, by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook

From Simon Larter

One winner will win all three:

• Stephen King’s ON WRITING
• Ray Bradbury’s ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING
• Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD

From Sara McClung

One winner will win all three:

• A signed copy of THE DARK DIVINE
• A signed copy of RAISED BY WOLVES
• WRITE GREAT FICTION: PLOT AND STRUCTURE

From Lola Sharp

• A $25 Amazon gift card

From Elizabeth Davis

• A $25 Amazon gift card

From Tracey Neithercott

• A Hardcover of Across the Universe

From Kristen Yard

• A Signed copy of PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers

From Christine Fonseca

(You will need to subscribe to her blog):

• 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids: The Ultimate Guide

OR

• A partial Critique

From Jonathon Arntson

• A $15 Barnes and Noble gift card

From Eisley Jacobs

• DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth
• HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins
• THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET by Pseudonymous Bosch

From Denise Grover Swank

• ANGELFIRE by Courtney Allison Moulton
• ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins
• HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins
• DEMONGLASS by Rachel Hawkins

The post Blog Party Celebration appeared first on Be the Cat.

There are so many words I could use to describe Eisley Jacobs (@EisleyJacobs) it’s not funny. It’s not a question of just where to start, but how to trim down. I could start with good-hearted, but that doesn’t come close. She is sweet, funny, devout, dedicated, enthusiastic, talented, wise, warm, caring… do you see what I mean? The list could go on and on. It’s even hard to say which of those characteristics (and by no means is that a complete list) I can say I cherish most about her. I was drawn to Eisley online for her optimism and enthusiasm. Always there with support for anyone who is struggling. Unafraid to question, and once an idea hits, she’s off like a rocket to fulfill her dreams. Eisley is currently in Ethiopia helping World Vision help the people of Ethiopia. She went to a church meeting one night, came back and announced she was going, raised the funds, and has been increasing in excitement ever since. I know she is blessing the life of everyone she comes in contact with, and I’m excited to hear her stories upon her return. Eisley sponsors a child in Ethiopia as well, but unfortunately she was unable to meet her this trip. Eisley shows this same enthusiasm for her writing projects, and has three fiction projects in various stages at the moment, one proposal for a non-fiction venture which is still waiting on a response, and the one which makes me smile probably the most; she will shortly launch her middle grade novel, Dragons Forever. Her love of this project has been evident all along the way and I have enjoyed hearing about reader feedback and how it has warmed her heart. I met Eisley at the now legendary RMFW conference, and if possible Eisley is even MORE in person than she is online. A true force of nature and I love and respect this woman more than I can say.

I first met Betty Viola Blue (@bettyviolablue) through the #wipfire hashtag. I have to say I was intrigued by her writing prowess, and that she wrote about demons in heaven and angels in hell helped to pique my interest. As good as she was when I first ran across her writing, Betty’s writing has improved and I have enjoyed watching her evolve as a writer. And I can’t think of too many people I’d rather have looking over my posted lines – her eye is keen, and her advice is always on the mark. I was a little confused at first when Jane Kindred (@JaneKindred) popped up periodically and made a statement I expected from Betty. It turns out Jane is Betty’s alter-ego and writing name, and I think Betty gets a little confused from time to time on which account she’s using. Now I just laugh when that happens. For the remainder of this post, I’ll refer to Jane as Betty because that is how I know her best, and since I met Betty/Jane at the same time in person, it will be easier. Online Betty can be a little quiet, popping in to make a comment, or (what’s even more fun) rant at life, and then will disappear to make the most fabulous baked goods known to man kind. She has half the Twitter population drooling with her descriptions. I first met Betty when I took a much needed, rambling vacation this past summer. Since I would be passing by San Francisco in my rambles, I thought it would be a shame not to meet Betty as I passed through. I am so glad I did. We met at a tea house, which had recently removed a car from its front window, and had a wonderful conversation about writing, editing, chasing the dream, and in general life’s obstacles. Betty is an absolute DOLL!!! When I made the decision to go the the RMFW conference, Betty was one of the first people I thought about cajoling into attending, so I could see her again and spend more time with her. One of my favorite memories from the conference was watching/listening to Betty speak Russian – it still makes me smile. During the conference Betty kept trying to find out whether her dream agent, Sara Megibow, was in attendance. Unfortunately she was not. But it turned out not to matter, because after the conference Betty resubmitted her work to Sara and is now repped by her dream agent. I couldn’t be happier for her. Betty has been working toward this dream relentlessly, and she has the talent that deserves to be recognized. And I for one feel my life is enriched by knowing her and can’t imagine being a writer without her in my life.

The post The People of 2010 – Part VII appeared first on Be the Cat.