Monday, February 27, 2017

Blog Tour: Spooning Daisy by Maggie McConnell #giveaway #interview



Contemporary Romance (RomCom)
Date Published: June 7, 2016
Publisher:  Kensington (Lyrical Shine)


It’s a long way from Seattle to Otter Bite, Alaska. But if one woman can survive the trip-and the locals-she just might find what her heart has been searching for. Her mango chutney is exquisite; her blueberry sauce is to die for. But right now, Chef de Cuisine Daisy Moon is a woman without a kitchen-and without a fiancé. Unceremoniously dumped from her place of business and her relationship, Daisy sells her belongings, plus a few of her ex’s, and packs her bags. Maybe smashing all the china in her former restaurant was a bad move. Stripped of her Golden Spoon for “un-chef-like” conduct, she is now blacklisted all over Seattle. Her sole job offer is from Wild Man Lodge…in Otter Bite, Alaska. Too bad Daisy can’t even get out of Dodge without incident. By the time she boards a ship for Alaska, she’s got a trail of new troubles behind her, and suddenly Otter Bite is sounding pretty good. But the vessel turns into her own personal Titanic when a series of close encounters confirms her terrible taste in men-including one very good looking bad luck charm named Max Kendall. She vows to dedicate the rest of her days to chowders and brulée. Yet even Alaska isn’t far enough away to shake the memories of the sexy shipmate who rocked her cabin-and her world. Thank goodness she’s done with surprises-but they may not be done with her…


Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

My romances tend to be light and fun, although I usually slide in a bit of my own philosophy about animals, but nothing that hits the reader over the head. I prefer to focus the story on love with more serious issues on the side.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Yes! Staying on course. I’m a fool for details; I love to put in trivia tidbits and obscure information readers may not know, but might find interesting and maybe even a little educational. For instance, Daisy and Max have a short, fun conversation about the Roman emperor, Caligula. Probably not something you normally see in romance (unless it’s a romance set in 37AD Rome). 

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I’ve written 4 romances, but Daisy is the first one published. Every book has qualities that make it special, like your kids (yeah, everyone says that), but if I’m forced to choose, my all-around favorite is probably YOU HAD ME AT HABARI, which is set in Kenya and was a 2012 RWA Golden Heart finalist.  


If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

Amy Adams is definitely Daisy! Based on her various movies that I love like Leap Year, Trouble with the Curve, The Wedding Date, and Enchanted. Amy’s characters are charming, assertive, and yes, even sometimes a bit witchy and self-centered, but they have good hearts, and in the end are kinder, more compassionate people. Just like Daisy.


When did you begin writing?

I was about six when I wrote my first story, with pencil and crayon, about a boy and his donkey who lived in China. My parents were US diplomats and we were living in Viet Nam at the time which explains the general location. I still have the pages. I started writing seriously (with a goal to be published) about 10 years ago.




How long did it take to complete your first book?

About 2 years. I had a family and a career and my writing was limited to weekends.



Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

I think I was self-inspired to be a writer, but there are writers who inspired me to push the envelope of the romance genre and maybe color outside the lines (how’s that for mixed metaphors?) like Sandra Brown and Marion Zimmer Bradley.


What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Research! Which is why I have difficulty staying on course. One topic leads to another and another and pretty soon I’m adding a conversation between my leads about Caligula.



Describe your latest book in 4 words.

 Clever. Sexy. Quirky. Fun.

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I return to Otter Bite, Alaska, for Embracing Felicity, the second book in the Otter Bite RomCom series. Felicity is part Alaskan native (Alutiiq) and she owns a curio shop in this seaside village. She’s also a staunch animal lover and environmentalist and might even be a mermaid…

Ian MacIntyre is her love interest and someone we briefly met in Spooning Daisy along with his 10-year-old daughter, Emily.

The first chapter is included at the back of Spooning Daisy, or readers can find it on my website, along with a plot teaser.


 Golden Heart nominee Maggie McConnell spent her childhood overseas as the daughter of US diplomats. Attending college in Illinois, she earned a BA in Art and an MBA while working at the local humane shelter. At 26, she packed her dog and cat into a Ford truck and drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska, where she spent 23 years exploring The Last Frontier in a single-engine Cessna. A vegan and animal rights advocate, Maggie provides a sanctuary on her Arizona ranch for all creatures great and small, but her immediate family includes dog Molly, cat Sara, horses Quinn and Teena, and an ever-growing dynasty of chipmunks. Every year, like the Gray Whale, Maggie returns to Alaska.

Contact Information


Purchase Links

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting

Maggie McConnell said...

Hi Texas! Thank you for the lovely presentation of Spooning Daisy. I have relatives in TX--do you know them? :) Good luck to all in the giveaway.

Post a Comment