Q&A With Authors
What can you tell us about the small town setting of your new romance?
Samantha Chase (author of RETURN TO YOU): The south shore of Long Island had always been my heroine Selena’s home. Born and raised minutes from the beach, she always dreamed that it would be where she’d find love, raise a family and live happily ever after. The small coastal town really hadn’t been part of James Montgomery’s plan for his own life, after meeting Selena, it’s suddenly a very appealing part of his future.
Grace Burrowes (author of KISS ME HELLO): Damson Valley lies in rural Maryland, about an hour away from both Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The Appalachian Mountains give the town a protected, bucolic feel, despite the proximity of big city lights. My hero attorney MacKenzie Knightley loved growing up with his brothers on a farm right outside Damson Valley, and was all too happy to go into practice with both James and Trent. The Knightley farm is now owned by foster mom Sidonie Lindstrom, who has moved away from Baltimore to give her foster son a better start in life. Sid has no patience for small town life, though before too long, the scenery does catch her interest…
Andrea Laurence (author of FEEDING THE FIRE): If you’re willing to turn your car off the highway and venture from the beaten path, you might be lucky enough to run across a town like Rosewood, Alabama. Steeped in southern charm and the traditional values of God, Family and Football (although not always in that order), Rosewood is like a time capsule preserving everything modern cities have lost. Here, you’ll find homemade pies, perfectly brewed sweet tea, and beauty parlors filled with lively gossip. It’s the kind of town where everybody knows everybody – and everybody knows your business whether you like it or not! Thanks for stopping by. Sit a spell and tell us what you know.
What is your best advice for finding love in a small town?
Grace Burrowes: Same advice for finding love anywhere: Be yourself and keep an open mind.
Where in the town did your couple have their ‘meet cute’?
Samantha Chase: Selena and her friends were on their lunch break at school and were heading for the local pizzeria. While Selena was driving, her friend Kent called out that he had spotted his cousin James working. Selena pulled over and saw that James was obviously a landscaper. Kent called him over to the car and invited him to join everyone for lunch. James declined but Selena was instantly smitten with him. A week later, she spotted him working in town again and invited him to lunch. This time he agreed.
When your hero and his friends go on a ‘boys night out’, where do they go?
Andrea Laurence: In Rosewood, the boys always head to Woody’s. The owner, Emmett Sawyer, had turned Woody’s Bar into the classic man-cave: no fancy food or upscale décor, just wood, leather and sports. There’s a wide selection of beers on tap, football on every television, cool music in the jukebox, and diversions like pinball and darts. It’s a great place to blow a few hours with friends.
Small towns are known for their gossip. What is some hot news going around about your couple?
Grace Burrowes: MacKenzie Knightley was seen with his nieces picking out a puppy at the Tait’s basset hound and Christmas tree farm.
About the Authors and Books
Samantha Chase
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.
When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
RETURN TO YOU releases March 3, 2015. Pre-order here
Grace Burrowes
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes' bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and Lady Eve's Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.
Andrea Laurence
Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she's working on her own "happily ever after" with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody's business.
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So excited to read Return to You by Samantha Chas
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