Friday, August 21, 2009

Author Interview-Contest included!




Hi, and Happy Weekend. Today is Clare Austin day on my blog. I've had the wonderful opportunity to interview Clare. And a contest is included. How awesome is that? After reading our interview, keep reading to find out info on her contest. You could be the lucky winner of a free downloaded copy of her book.

Clare's the Author of Butterfly. Now available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/



Deborah: Hi. Thanks for stopping by to answer a few questions. Can you tell us a little about your latest release?

Clare: My first fiction work was just released by The Wild Rose Press. The title is Butterfly and it is the first story in The Fadό Trilogy. Fadό is an Irish word meaning “once upon a time.” It is a contemporary romance with a mix of humor and pathos. Butterfly takes place in Boston but the main characters are Irish. It is available from the publisher at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ or from Amazon, Borders and B&N websites. I will have it in brick and mortar stores later this month.

Deborah: Sounds interesting. What or who inspired you to write it?

Clare: Music has always been a huge part of my life and that love has been passed down to my children. They are all musicians but only one is a professional. My main character in Butterfly, Flannery Sloane, is very loosely based on my son, for the similarity in their passion for music.

Deborah: How long have you been writing, and did you know at a young age you wanted to be an author?

Clare: I submitted my first manuscript to Doubleday when I was eight. I don’t have it now, nor do I have the rejection letter. But I remember the kind person who told me to keep writing and someday I would be published. I have always loved to tell stories but I never really thought of myself as an author…just a story-teller.
Four years ago I wrote my first novel. Then I worried that I didn’t have another story in me so I wrote three more. Butterfly was my fourth book and my first sale. It all happened very fast. I had some rejection letters, but I think I was lucky because I have not had to wait years to be published.

Deborah: Do you have a special place in your home where you like to write? If so, what does it look like?

Clare: I write on a laptop, in a recliner in my bedroom. I like my feet up. From my chair I can see the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains. I have a desk next to me with a cup of pens, framed copies of my three current book covers, and the silk rose I was given at Colorado Romance Writers when I sold my first manuscript.
My cairn terrier, Maggie often sits on my feet as I write.

Deborah: Our writing places have a few things in common. My dog, Gizmo usually sits at my feet as I'm writing, but instead of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, I see birds feeding in our bird feeder that's hanging off our live oak tree. Okay, it’s time for a list of your favorites.
A. Color: Green
B. Number: Three
C. Food: Fresh fruit…mostly berries…even better dipped in dark chocolate
D. Drink: San Pellegrino fizzy water with a splash of berry juice or lime.
E. Music: If I’m playing it…Irish traditional fiddle or classical violin. I love Italian rock music.
F. Author: For romance, I still love the early Kathleen Woodiwiss books. I do read all the time and much of it is outside the genre in which I write, so there are many favorites.
G. Actor/Actress: This is really hard. I like Tom Hanks, especially his early comedies.
H. Movie: Do I only get to pick one? I watched Seabiscuit last night and I love it. Romance?...The Princess Bride.

Deborah: If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have only one person there with you, who would it be, and why?

Clare: My husband, because he is the love of my life and my best friend.

Deborah: What advice would you give someone just starting out in this business?

Clare: Write your heart and then be realistic about the business of publishing. Get involved in an organization like a local RWA group. Participate in a critique group that has at least one published author as a member. I believe in the advice Hemingway gave… “Write as well as you can and finish what you start.”

Deborah: And last but not least, is there anything else you would like to tell your readers? Perhaps something that no one would guess about you?

Clare: I’ve trained horses and competed in Three Day Eventing. It was a fun, challenging and an incredible adrenalin rush. One of my upcoming releases, Hot Flash, has this equestrian sport as a backdrop.

Deborah: Sounds exciting. Again, thank you for stopping by. It has been a pleasure talking with you. Take care.

Clare: Thanks for having me here today. Please go to my website http://www.clareaustin.com/ for more details about my books.

Clare



Contest:
Clare will be giving away a free download of her book each week of her tour to a lucky commenter, randomly drawn from the comments during that week. At the end of the tour, one commenter will win an autographed copy of the novel.




Butterfly is the story of Flannery Sloan, the youngest of the Sloan siblings who were born and raised in Ireland and resettled in Boston. They have a band called Fadó, which is an Irish word meaning "once upon a time." The stories take place in and out of an historic pub in Boston.
BLURB: Flannery Sloane is a free spirit, her soul blessed by Irish musical tradition. She doesn’t care where she’s going or how she’ll get there. Joy and passion are her only map. And, though she’s not interested in falling in love, she wouldn’t mind a little fun with a fine-looking man. Hunter Kincade could fill that bill and have a bit of change left over.
Hunter thrives on punctuality. He is in the music business with his focus on the bottom line. The pretty fiddle player with the bright green eyes would make his next production worth the price of a CD. But Flannery never wears a watch. She’s late for everything but the downbeat of a fiddle tune.
Their only common ground is the belief that falling in love is a danger to health and sanity. They’re all wrong for each other...and they are so right.









Long and Short Reviews calls this novel "enchanting reading" saying, "The musical imagery in Butterfly makes the story sing with magic that encompasses the senses of the reader. It reveals sadness, joy, hope, and deep, hidden needs—physical, spiritual, and emotional."






Excerpt #1

He lost sight of the fiddler in the mobs of tourists enjoying the April sunshine.
No sooner had he decided to give up on his quest than he heard hands clapping in rhythm with the beat of the now familiar Irish drum.
Then he saw her.
She lifted her instrument and, with the surety of a bird’s wing slipping through the air, bow was laid to strings and life was breathed into melody.
He moved to the edge of the gathering where he could have an unobstructed view of the musicians. She looked up, and he thought she recognized him for an instant. Then her eyes turned and followed another. She smiled and nodded.
Cade had never thought of himself as the jealous type, but he did feel cheated out of that smile.
As soon as the last vibration of strings quieted, a man Cade recognized from O’Fallon’s came up behind the fiddler and, with disturbing familiarity, spoke in her ear. She responded with a hug and an adoring look in her eyes.
Cade had been raised to be competitive, in sports as well as in business, and the appearance of a rival on the field made him want to draw blood. He wanted the fiddler in his studio, and if she ended up in his bed, that might be as nice.
He stood and listened until the sun set and the air held a chill that thinned the throng. The musicians were packing it in.
He hadn’t realized he was staring, until she walked up to him and stood so
close he could smell the scent of her warm skin in the cool evening air. Her approach to introduction took Cade completely by surprise.
“Are you lookin’ at me or waitin’ for a bus?” she said, one hand on her hip and a sassy smile on her lips.

Excerpt #2
Flannery swung through the door into the dining room with a flourish but nearly tripped over a bar stool when she saw the now familiar profile, broad shoulders, and curly dark hair of the man who had come to see her sister.

“Sufferin’ ducks, and if it isn’t himself come to brighten the day at O’Fallon’s.” Cade was as
compelling as she remembered. Today he was dressed in jeans, a black knit shirt, leather bomber
jacket, and a slow smile that would stop a saint in her tracks.

“What can I get you?” She thought a couple of shots of good Irish whiskey would sort him out.

“I’d try the fish an’ chips if you would join me?”

She gave him one of her best smiles, turned toward the kitchen, and yelled, “Hey, Jamie, I’m
taking my break. Give us a one an’ one, a serving of the bangers and mushy peas, a couple o’ Harps, and an Inishowen, would you there?”

“Anything for the love of my life,” Jamie called from behind the door.

“Stow it, Jamie Mac!” Flannery shot back, then turned to Cade. “He’s always good fer craic, our
Jamie.”

“Craic? Inishowen? One and one? Would you like to translate?”

“Whatta ya mean ‘translate’? You speak English don’tcha?” she teased. “Okay...I’m just giving you a time. ‘Craic’ is fun, ‘Inishowen’ is a whiskey from County Donegal, and a ‘one and one’ is what we, the feckin’ Irish, call fish ‘n chips.”

Flannery’s pulse quickened at the way his dark eyes, shaded by long lashes, swept lazily over her, undressing her, right here in a public place. Yes, as her girlfriends back home liked to say, “He was a ride.”




Flannery Sloane is a free spirited bohemian with a soul blessed by Irish musical tradition. She doesn’t give a care for where she’s going or how she’ll get there. Joy and passion are her only map. And, though she’s not interested in falling in love, she wouldn’t mind a little fun with a fine looking man. Hunter Kincade looks like he could fill that bill and have a bit of change left over.
Flannery never wears a watch. She’s late for everything but the downbeat of a fiddle tune. She’s happy serving pints in the pub and playing for tips and smiles. Hunter thrives on punctuality. He is in the music business with his focus on the bottom line. The pretty fiddle player with the bright green eyes would make his next production worth the price of a CD.
Their only common ground is the belief that falling in love is a danger to health and sanity.
Will it take more than Irish magic to pull a man like Hunter into the spell of a woman like Flannery? They are all wrong for each other...and they are so right.

11 comments:

Cate Masters said...

Hello again Clare! I love that you began submitting when you were eight. Wonderful excerpt, and Butterfly sounds like a great read. Best of luck with it!

Debra St. John said...

Hi Deborah and Clare! I already have my copy of "Butterfly", but wanted to pop in and say hello!

Clare, your writing spot sounds devine, and I couldn't agree more about who I'd take to a desert island...for me it would be my fabulous hubby, no doubt about it!

joviangeldeb said...

Thanks, ya'll for stopping by. It's such a lovely day. take care,
Deb

Jennifer Ross said...

How wonderful to live in a musical family! Story sounds great.

Mary Ricksen said...

So what are mushy peas? Sounds awful.

I am so looking forward to reading this book!

joviangeldeb said...

Jennifer and Mary, thanks for checking in. :)
Deb

Judy said...

Great excerpt. The book sounds like a very good read. Good luck with it.

Clare Austin said...

Ah...mushy peas! Just like it sounds. Very soft peas, mashed. Not my favorite Irish cuisine but all the rage in the land of saints and scholars. Apart from that, the Irish are great cooks.
Clare

Patricia K said...

wow to be that young and already
writing.It is on my to get book at Borders

Clare Austin said...

Hi Pat,
Butterfly is not yet at Borders or in their online catalog. I am not sure why but my publisher tells me they simply take longer to update. I am in touch with Sue Grimshaw, the romance buyer for Borders stores, who is trying to get it into all her stores. It is on amazon and also from www.thewildrosepress.com print catalog.
Clare

Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer said...

Hey Clare and Deborah!

Great blog post! Butterfly sounds like a fab read.

Wendi