ABOUT THE BOOK
After the shocking death of her sister, Lily's life is shattered as she returns to her family's small hometown of Dacre, Georgia, to raise her socially awkward nephew Finn. But then a television show comes to town. When the lead actor Dutch Sturgess takes an interest in Finn's acting ability, then Lily herself, many around town are not happy. Especially Eli Bradley. Things quickly turn sour when the paparazzi uncover the secret Lily buried with her sister becomes front page news and unknowingly exposes the painfully abusive childhood Dutch tried to leave behind. The only comfort they have is with each other, but their bond will be tested when Eli and his brothers decide to make trouble for them. Lily and Dutch will take on a centuries-old moonshining feud with the Bradley boys, unsure if the town–and their love–can survive.
Book Details:
Title: The Mess We’re In
Author: Carolyn Lawrence
Genre: Romance
Series: The Dacre Anthology
Publisher: Carrick Press (August 14, 2018)
Print length: 258 pages
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH CAROLYN LAWRENCE
A few of your favorite things: I have a strong passion for ancestry and history, which runs rampant in my books. There is something romantic about digging into the dirt of the past and seeing what you find. I also enjoy sewing and cosplay. I just like creating. It doesn’t really matter what it is, as along as I am creating something.
Things you need to throw out: Those clothes I’m probably never going to fit into anymore, which are sadly out of date.
Things you need in order to write: Music. I really don’t like writing without some music on. And a cold root beer.
Things that hamper your writing: My cats. I love them, but they really don’t like sharing the attention.
Things you love about writing: The creation of a whole other world. You have the ability to design something, create something from scratch and play the ultimate chess game with the characters as you develop the story. There’s something rewarding about being able to do so. Also, I like the unknowing of it. While we might have control of the creation, the action seems to come from characters and we very rarely know exactly what is going on. It’s an adventure for the writer as much as it is for the characters.
Things you hate about writing: Sitting. I need a new chair. I really don’t hate anything but the sitting.
Easiest thing about being a writer: The writing. And the editing. I love editing.
Hardest thing about being a writer: Being taking seriously, I suppose. Everyone thinks it’s just so easy to write; you just sit down and do it. But to write well takes skill and mastery which no one really seems to want to acknowledge and that is discouraging because you end up with statements like “I’d write a book if I had the time” hurled at you. We don’t have the time either, but we make it. That’s why we’re writers.
Things you love about where you live: It’s the South and I do love my South.
Things that make you want to move: Pollen. I’m allergic to everything that blooms here. And the traffic.
Things you never want to run out of: Toilet paper. Is that too obvious? Sorry I’m practical.
Things you wish you’d never bought: I really can’t think of anything? Probably yet another 6 pack of root beer. I really need to stop.
Words that describe you: Practical, intellectual, sarcastic, know-it-all, moody, introverted, funny, creative, observant.
Words that describe you but you wish they didn’t: Know-it-all, moody, distant, snobby,
Favorite song: "Heart and Soul" by T’Pau.
Music that make your ears bleed: Probably anything pop today.
Favorite smell: Jasmine and lemon (though not together) .
Something that makes you hold your nose: Vanilla, pumpkin spice things, the obvious pungent though natural smells which come with daily life.
Something you’re really good at: I’m odd in that I’m good at a lot of things. If I put my mind to it, I can master just about anything. So can anyone else. You just must be willing to try.
Something you’re really bad at: I cannot, for the life of me, dribble a basketball.
Something you wish you could do: I wish I could speak Gaelic.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Honestly, nothing. I love learning and everything I learn has a practical value in life.
People you consider as heroes: Gwendolyn Brooks is probably my biggest hero, because I had the privilege of meeting her in high school, and she was very encouraging of my writing.
People with a big L on their foreheads: I dislike people who don’t understand boundaries.
Favorite places you’ve been: Jackson, Wyoming and Moffat, Scotland.
Places you never want to go to again: Meridian, Mississippi, but there’s a story there.
Favorite books: Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, Huckleberry Finn, anything by Flannery O’Conner and Edgar Allan Poe.
Books you would ban: Most books have an audience, and I wouldn’t want to take that away from them, but if it is poorly executed then I would ban it, like Stephanie Meyer or E.L. James (which is my opinion, they are), but again, there are people who like them, so I would never say ban them, because I would rather see people reading. I just won’t read them.
People you’d like to invite to dinner: Stephen King, JK Rowling, Guillermo del Torro Evangeline Lily and Lou Diamond Phillips. They are all very inspirational to me.
People you’d cancel dinner on: Probably everyone, because I’m an introvert and if it consists of putting pants on, I’m usually a no.
Proudest moment: Publishing my book and handing it to the people who helped give me the courage to publish it. Pure joy for me.
Most embarrassing moment: I do embarrassing things all the time. There’s no particular moment which is more embarrassing, but then again, I don’t really get embarrass by what I do. My friends on the other hand . . .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carolyn Lawrence is a writer and an instructor in Georgia. She holds a BS in Communications, a Masters in Humanities and a Doctorate in Education. She teaches Humanities, American Literature, Perspectives in Humanities and Film Studies.
Connect with Carolyn:
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