FEATURED AUTHOR: SUSAN McBRIDE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Debutante dropout Andrea Kendricks is beyond done with big hair, big gowns, and big egos—so being dragged to a high-society Texas wedding by her socialite mama, Cissy, gives her a bad case of déjà vu. As does running into her old prep-school bully, Olivia La Belle, the wedding planner, who's graduated to berating people for a living on her reality TV show. But for all the times Andy wished her dead, nobody deserves Olivia's fate: lying in a pool of blood, a cake knife in her throat—but did the angry baker do it?

Millicent Draper, the grandmotherly owner of Millie's Cakes, swears she's innocent, and Andy believes her. Unfortunately, the cops don't. Though Andy's fiancé, lawyer Brian Malone, is handling Millie's case, she's determined to spring Millie herself. But where to start? "La Belle from Hell" had enemies galore. Good thing Andy has a BFF who's a reporter — and a blue-blood mother who likes to pull strings.

INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN McBRIDE

Susan, what’s your favorite thing about the writing process?
Being able to escape whatever’s going on in real life — my personal life or the crazy stuff in the newspaper headlines — and spending time with the characters in my stories. There’s so much in reality that I can’t control, but I can control what happens to the people in my books. That’s kind of reassuring, especially since I’m raising a little girl and the world is such a scary place. At least in my writing I can be sure the bad guy gets caught and there’s at least a semblance of a happy ending.

How long is your to-be-read list?
Endless! I have bookshelves filled with titles I’m dying to read. Unfortunately, since I had Emily three years ago, I only manage to read a handful of books a year as opposed to 2-3 a week. I’m sure that’ll change as she grows up and I get more time to myself (waaa!  I’m going to be the sobbing mom in the parking lot when I drop her off at kindergarten in two years!).

Yep. Been there, done that! How long have you been a writer?
For as long as I can remember. I was a voracious reader as a kid, and I started writing stories as soon as I could hold a pencil. My mom has a collection of my tales from grade school, and I have three books I wrote in the fifth grade, one of which is a mystery called The Secret of the Forbidden Temple. It’s pretty much a Nancy Drew rip-off and probably why the protag of my Debutante Dropout Mysteries, Andy Kendricks, has a fascination with Nancy Drew! In between transferring colleges when I was 19, I wrote my first adult-length manuscript: an historical romance called The Thorn of the Rose. It was never published, but I did submit to various New York houses and got some encouraging feedback. But it took a decade after I graduated from college before my first novel came out. That was in 1999, and I’ve been writing steadily ever since. So I’m glad I didn’t give up!

If you could only watch one TV station for a year, what would it be?
HGTV. I am so addicted to home renovation shows and House Hunters. In my imaginary life, I’m an interior designer. I think that would be so much fun!

How often do you Tweet?
Never. I’m probably the only author alive who isn’t on Twitter, and I don’t regret it for a minute.

How do you feel about Facebook?
Mostly, I love it. I am so wrapped up with my daughter and my deadlines that I don’t have as much time as I’d like to catch up with friends. If it weren’t for Facebook, I’d be totally in the dark. Plus, it’s so fun to interact with folks you don’t get to see everyday (heck, or ever). When I’ve had a bad day or have parenting questions or want to divulge good news, it’s wonderful to have a place where I can share. Facebook is the water cooler for those of us who work at home.

True! That's a perfect description. What five things would you never want to live without?
That’s easy: my daughter, my husband, my mom, my cats, and trees.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Both. I was shy as a kid but had to learn to overcome it once my dad had moved us for, oh, the fifth time. I still have that shy kid inside me, but I’ve become much more of an extrovert through the years. I don’t think I could have done as much public speaking about my books and my breast cancer experience if I were still a complete introvert.

Do you spend more on clothes or food?
Food, by far, and I’m amazed how often I have to go grocery shopping just to feed a family of three.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write? 
It’s a tie between Little Black Dress and In the Pink: How I Met the Perfect (Younger) Guy, Survived Breast Cancer, and Found True Happiness After 40. In Little Black Dress, I tell the tale of two sisters and a magical black dress that gives them a glimpse of their future when they don it. That one struck a lot of chords in me, as my sister and I are as different as the sisters in the book, Evie and Anna. The frustration Evie feels for Anna is so much what I’ve experienced with my sister that it felt more fact than fiction. And the things that Evie goes through in the story, like her miscarriage, actually happened to me as I was writing. People talk about writing “the book of your heart,” and I’ve always thought, “Hey, every book is a book of my heart.” But Little Black Dress truly was.

In the Pink is a short memoir of the last decade of my life: meeting my husband at 41, being diagnosed with breast cancer at 42, the miscarriage at 46, and finding I was pregnant with Emily at 47. My editor at HarperCollins asked me to write the book for their Impulse line during my pregnancy. The hormones probably had something to do with how emotional I was during that process, but also having to relive some of the biggest highs and lows of my life really hit home. So, of course, I laughed, I cried, and somehow I managed to finish just before I went into labor.

I'll be that's an amazing story. Have you ever been to a fortune teller? What did she tell you?
Yes, and I still need to call Julia and arrange for her to do my annual birthday tarot card reading, so thanks for reminding me! The first time I had my cards read was in October of 2005. I was told I’d meet a man and be in a committed relationship by February. Ha ha, I thought, as I wasn’t even dating anyone worth spit. But I met Ed in November, and we were inseparable by February. The cards have been wrong, too. I was told at a reading on September 27, 2011, that I would never have children (and I recall the date exactly because it was at an event for Little Black Dress!). I found out I was pregnant three weeks later, and it was such a good, healthy pregnancy. So I do love the fun of having my fortune told, but I realize in the back of my head that it’s not set in stone. Anything is possible.

What are you working on now?
The fourth River Road Mystery for HarperCollins called Come Helen High Water. It’s due March 1 and will be out next June. So I’d better get cracking!

Lightning Round:
Cake or frosting? Frosting (preferably chocolate!)
Laptop or desktop? Desktop (because I’m Old School)
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Bill Murray
Emailing or texting? Emailing (because I’m wordy)
Indoors or outdoors? Outdoors (unless it’s 100 degrees in the shade)
Sweet tea or unsweetened tea? Unsweetened.
Plane, train, or automobile? Train (we watch a lot of Thomas & Friends!)

About the Author:

Susan McBride is the USA Today bestselling author of Blue Blood and the Debutante Dropout Mysteries, which have garnered a Lefty Award, two Anthony Award nominations, and an RT Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Amateur Sleuth. Susan also writes the bestselling River Road Mysteries for HarperCollins, featuring senior sleuth Helen Evans. She is currently at work on Come Helen High Water to be published by HarperCollins in June of 2016.

Connect with Susan:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  

Featured Author: Susan Allison-Dean

Susan Allison-Dean is on tour with CLP Blog Tours, and she's here today to talk about her contemporary women's novel, I Know You're There. Keep reading for an excerpt of the book and a rafflecopter giveaway for a $35 Amazon gift card.

About the book:

Jill Bradley is a twenty-four-year-old nurse whose life is going great; she has established herself in her new career and she’s looking forward to getting engaged to her high school sweetheart. But faced with a watershed moment, she has to deal with simultaneous family tragedy, injury, and betrayal, and feels it’s way too much to cope with. In a moment of despair, Jill books a trip to a Caribbean island in an effort to escape. While she finds respite and romance, her problems have also packed their own suitcase.

Helen Bradley, Jill’s mother dedicated her entire life to her family like many mothers in the 1970’s and 80’s. Despite her best efforts, however, she hasn’t always been able to be the type of mother she wished she could be. She has a secret she was hoping would just go away, but it won’t. If she doesn’t share it with Jill it might bring her daughter more harm.

I Know You’re There is a mother-daughter journey, celebrating the highs and delving into the lows of family life. Can the power of love heal all things?

Interview with Susan Allison-Dean

Susan, how did you create the plot for this book?

From personal experience as a nurse and observation of nurses, I felt a need to share an example of the life experience of a nurse. I wanted to write a book that would hopefully represent the level of dedication nurses exhibit even when their personal lives are in turmoil. I wanted to balance this with the message that as strong as nurses are, they are human too.

Nurses were my target market for this novel. However, since there is such a strong mother-daughter story in it, many non-nurse women of all ages have given me very positive feedback. This has been a very welcome surprise.

Is your book based on real events?

The book is fiction, but there are some real events included.  For example, some of the marine mammal encounters and the ship rescue scene really happened to me while visiting the Caribbean.
What song would you pick to go with your book?
In the book, the protagonist, Jill wakes up hearing repeatedly the chorus to a song she has never heard.  That is how the title came to be, ‘I Know You’re There’.  I would love to see the rest of the song developed and made into its own song for the book.

How do you get to know your characters?

This has been a very exciting phenomenon as a new novelist. I find that my characters reveal themselves and their plights best when I am outside, alone in nature, either walking or gardening. Sometimes in the middle of the night, if I awaken and can’t fall asleep, my imagination will further develop them.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?

I am currently reading, The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I bought the hardcover, because the book itself is a work of art.

I don’t claim to be an expert on writing, but there are some writing techniques (or mistakes) that stand out to me when I read (e.g. when an author switches POV mid-scene). What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?

I get frustrated when writers inject a big vocabulary word into their story that doesn’t have enough substance built around the word so the reader can infer what it means. It feels like I am stubbing my toe, when I am flowing with the story and then, ugg, what does that word mean? Perhaps one of the best things about the invention of e-readers is that they help define words quickly.


Do you have a routine for writing?  Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

Yes, I walk the dog in the morning and return to a place of solitude in my home and write as long as the story wants to flow. This is usually most of the morning. I have a really hard time writing fiction in the afternoon or evening. I write 5 to 6 days a week, I generally always take Sundays off.
 
You’re leaving your country for a year. What’s the last meal (or food) you would want to have before leaving?

Homemade stuffed organic roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, yumm, although, that may soon be changing. I am weaning myself over to becoming a vegetarian. I love animals and there are a growing number of health concerns with our meat these days.

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?

The Armonk library in the town I grew up in. It has a room on the end that houses all the magazines and has two-winged backed chairs positioned by a sunny window. It’s the perfect place to sit and peruse for ideas and entertainment in the afternoon.

You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?

Head for the beach if at all possible.

Why did you decide to self-publish?

I was originally planning on going the traditional publishing route. I even submitted one query to an agent and got a letter of interest back in just one week, which I am told is rare. At that same time, the self-publishing options were growing exponentially.  In the end, I chose to go it on my own for a few reasons.

1. I had a timetable in mind and I didn’t want to delay it another year, two or more if the agent ultimately decided she wanted to represent the book.

2. I have experience in running a business. I was just as excited about the process of publishing and marketing my book as I was about writing it.

3. I needed validation from readers that I didn’t personally know that what I was writing was something others would want to read. Writing is a big time commitment, especially a book. I didn’t want to be like one of those poor American Idol contestants who think they can sing just because the people who love them say they’re good.

Are you happy with your decision to self-publish?

I am happy with my decision to self-publish. It has enabled me to understand in depth the different facets of the publishing business. Like any business, now I know which parts I want to delegate out because either I am not the best person to do that particular task or I don’t enjoy doing it.

Going forward, I have to say, I would be interested in entertaining a traditional or hybrid publishing option. I know now what parts of publishing are worth sharing the fruits of my labor for.

What steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?

I wrote a blog called "Is it really ‘self’ publishing?" In that blog, I basically talk about how this, in my opinion, is generally a misnomer. It would take a really talented person to write, edit, create a cover, and format his or her own book. I imagine there are some that can, but I certainly am not one of them. There are new tools coming on the market as we speak, however, that may make these steps easier.

I outsourced the graphics to Debra from Tugboat Design. She was amazingly patient and creative. She did my cover, formatting, and web art. My writing coach and editor, Alice Osborn was essential to my success as a writer.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"In the end only kindness matters" from the song "Hands" by Jewel. 
I try very hard to remind myself of that.

What’s your favorite candy bar? And don’t tell me you don’t have one!

Are Rolos considered a candy bar? I love the blend of chocolate and caramel! 

What’s your favorite line from a book?

“How can you prepare to have a life without someone whom you have always had in yours?”

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

Me, Before You by JoJo Moyes. Miss Moyes states in the beginning of the book that she considers it a love story. I would say it’s more a story about the power of choice.  Bravely written.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed. This struck me as a women’s version of Bill Bryson’s, A Walk in the Woods. Wild was not funny like Bryson’s book, but thought provoking and inspiring.

I haven’t read this last one, but I just heard Sue Monk-Kidd speak at a book signing last night. Her new book, The Invention of Wings, is going to the top of my read pile! I love her work.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Anything outdoors--walk, explore, go to the beach. I love to travel, especially to places that haven’t yet manipulated the natural habitat.

What are you working on now?

At present, I am working on a sequel to I Know You’re There. It should be available later this year.

Excerpt from I Know You're There

Chapter 1

Helen
OCTOBER 22, 1995

I woke up screaming, “It’s my fault! Jill, it’s my fault!”

Startled, I sat up and got my bearings. The top half of my white flannel nightgown was drenched in warm sweat that was now starting to cool. The alarm clock glared 12:20 am.
Thank God, I told myself. My daughter, Jill, a nurse at our local hospital had told me she was working a day shift, so she would be home in bed now. In my nightmare, Jill was in a room with two patients who both died at the same time. Frantic, she was screaming at them, “No, no, you can’t die!! No, you have to wake up! They will blame me, they will say it is all my fault!”

Guilt eroded my stomach. Somehow I would need to tell my baby the truth.

About the author:


Sue Allison-Dean is a nurse who retired from traditional practice in 1999, after working 13 years as a Wound, Ostomy, Continence Clinical Nurse Specialist. She found a second career in gardening after working in a garden center and completing an organic gardening internship at Highgrove Garden in England. She now co-owns Naturescapes with her landscape designer husband, Robert. She has authored several clinical and horticulture articles and was a contributing author to the bestselling book, Touched By A Nurse. She is passionate about the sea and loves exploring tropical islands. She extends this passion by doing volunteer work benefiting dolphins and whales. Sue splits her time between Armonk, New York and Cary, North Carolina, with her husband and English bulldog, Bubba.

Connect with Susan:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble  

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