Interview: Carolyn Brown + Hell, Yeah giveaway

Today I am having  author Carolyn Brown over for an interview, and thanks to Sourcebooks I have 2 copies of Hell, Yeah to give away. More about that later in this post.

Welcome to Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Carolyn!

It's great to be here! And thank you for that wonderful review on Hell, Yeah! And I love your comment about OCD readers! I have a few like that who have asked me to list my books by order on my web page so they won't get out of order when they are reading them.

Tell me something about yourself, so we get a better understanding about the woman behind the author.

I'm a wife, mother and grandmother. My husband is one of those rare men who realizes living with a writer is a great BIG challenge and is a sweetheart for all his support. I was born in Texas and grew up in southern Oklahoma and writing has been a dream of mine since I was big enough to realize those squiggly things on the book pages told beautiful stories. I also love reading, sitting in my fabulous back yard and listening to concerts put on by the birds, crickets and locusts, and cooking for my enormous family. Life is good in southern Oklahoma!

Your newest book is called Hell, Yeah; can you tell me what it is about?

Yes, ma'am and thank you for asking. I can talk about Hell, Yeah all day and half the night. Cathy has put down roots in the Honky Tonk and has no intentions of ever leaving. Travis is only in the little bitty down of Mingus for a few weeks at most and then his boss, Amos Lambert, who plays a part in all four books, will let him go to his dream job in Alaska. So he has wings and Cathy has roots and never the twain shall meet. Right? Her roots get shaken. His wings don't want to fly. And suddenly they are fighting against what is right in front of their eyes. Throw in a whole honky tonk full of quirky characters who can see that they are right for each other and stir well. You'll laugh, cry and get so mad you could chew up railroad ties and spit out Tinker Toys.

How come you started to write western romances?

It's been said that folks write best about what they know. I could never write a thriller because my brain doesn't work that way. But westerns have been a love of mine since Big Valley, Bonanza and High Chaparral. Oops, I think I just dated myself! In my defense, I was very young and very impressionable. Cowboys are so, so hunky and sexy. They walk tall, speak slow and listen to every word a woman has to say.

I am curious, do you love country music, and as a total newbie, who would you recommend to me?
I cut my teeth on the old artists songs ... Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, etc. Then I grew up and married a man who played the guitar and sang country music. We still have family gatherings when Husband plays the guitar and we two-step with the grandkids in the living room. Who would I recommend for you as a newbie? Wow! How much room do we have here? You might like Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Josh Turner or maybe Garth Brooks, Toby Keith (who is one of my all time favorites), Alan Jackson, Gretchen Wilson. Better yet, go to the country music radio on your computer and just listen to the songs they offer before you rush out and buy CD's. I betcha you'll be two-steppin' in no time.

Who is your favorite hero or heroine from your books? What makes them so special?

I'm not sure I can answer this one ... but usually it's whatever book and characters I'm working with at the time. I loved watching Travis and Cathy fall in love in Hell, Yeah! They were so much fun to work with even if they did get sassy at times and want things done just to their specifications. Yes, ma'am, I did change a few things when they wouldn't stop sitting on my shoulder and bugging me. But to choose an absolute favorite among the now more than fifty books I've sold, would be impossible.

Are you working on something new and exciting right now?

Oh, yes, I am. I'm working on the Spikes & Spurs series for 2011. First one should debut the series in May with two more following in the fall. I'm very excited about them. It's the stories of three women who traded their high heeled shoes for cowboy boots; their power suits for tight fittin' jeans but kept their whoop-ass independence. And the three sexy cowboys that strutted into their lives wearing ten gallon hats, boots and spurs and found out that taming a sassy woman was tougher than breaking a wild bronc.

Any advice for wannabe writers?

WRITE! You can whine or write. Whining doesn't produce much. Writing does. You'll never sell what you haven't written ... so write. Preservere and keep writing when you get rejection slips and you will get them. I have almost enough to wall paper the inside of the Pentagon. The White House was papered in them years ago. Give yourself exactly 60 seconds to whine when someone rejects your labor of love and then go write another story.

And last, if you could pick one book to take with you to a desert island, which book would it be and why.

How long am I going to be on this island? If it's just one day I'd take Laurie Brown's What Would Jane Austen Do? because I haven't read it yet and I'm dying to do so. But if I'm going to be there two or three days then I'd need a longer one so I'd reread Gone With The Wind. And if I was going to be there indefinitely I'd have to take one that I'd love to reread over and over again and I'd have to check my bookcase for my very favorite LaVyrle Spencer book.

Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for letting me stop and catch my breath on this blog tour. It's been fun visiting here. Tell me, what do you readers think of the cover for Hell, Yeah?

CONTEST

Now to the giveaway, and I have 2 copies of Hell, Yeah to give away to you.

1. Ends September 6th.

2. Open to US and Canada.

3. Answer Carolyn's question about her cover, or ask her a question :) Or just comment.

4. If your email is not in your profile then please put it in your comment, or you can email me, Blodeuedd

For those who can play along in the contest please stop by, ask a question or comment you too :)

HELL, YEAH BY CAROLYN BROWN – IN STORES AUGUST 2010

She’s finally found a place that feels like home…
When Cathy O’Dell buys the Honky Tonk, the nights of cowboys and country tunes come together to create the home she’s always wanted. Then in walks a ruggedly handsome oil man who tempts her to trade in the happiness she’s found at the Honky Tonk for a life on the road with him…

He lives the good life…
Gorgeous and rich, Travis Henry travels the country unearthing oil wells and then moving on. Then the beautiful blue-eyed new owner of the Honky Tonk beer joint becomes his best friend and so much more. When his job is done in Texas, how is he ever going to hit the road without her?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carolyn Brown, an award-winning author who has published 36 romance novels for the library market, credits her eclectic family for her humor and writing ideas. She was born in Texas but grew up in southern Oklahoma where she and her husband, Charles, a retired English teacher, now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. They have three grown children and enough grandchildren to keep them young. http://carolynlbrown.com/ 


Blodeuedd: And now for something from me since I could not help myself, I know certain readers will enjoy this, lol. Here you go ;)

Review: Beyond the Shadows - Brent Weeks + KT Grant winner

Night Angel, book 3

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 608
Published: 2008

Logan Gyre is king of Cenaria, a country under siege, with a threadbare army and little hope. He has one chance - a desperate gamble, but one that could destroy his kingdom.

In the north, the new Godking has a plan. If it comes to fruition, no one will have the power to stop him.

Kylar Stern has no choice. To save his friends-and perhaps his enemies-he must accomplish the impossible: assassinate a goddess. 

This is the third and last book. The two first were good and heart wrenching, I was always sick to my stomach for fear of the main characters life, and for the horrible things happening. In this one that feeling wasn't around, it was "lighter".

In this book Kylar wants Logan to take the throne, and he is willing to to whatever it takes to make that happen. Even if it means killing the queen and loosing his own life. Cenaria has enemies surrounding them, and as always the north is stirring.

Kylar was great as always, only he can die over and over again and still be surprised. I was never relaly a fan of Elene but after this book, she was remarkable. Love really is all conquering. Logan, well he is sure to become a great king. Dorian, the Godkings son is heading north and searching for the woman he dreamed about, Jeni. I felt sorry for him in thsi one, he really wanted to change the country but fell into every trap. Vi Sovari still swears and I have a new appreciation for her. All in all this book has a great cast of interesting characters.

Khali, oh I have been curious about her for a while. Could she really be a goddess and all that, since no other gods are around. And the strange Wolf that gives Kylar life again. It is truly a strange and magical world.

This is epic fantasy. Kingdoms fall, wars are fought, people die and are massacred. It is a dark fantasy series but with truth in it. Like I have said in previous reviews. War is a bitch, people suffer, people die, and civilians pay the consequences. That is shown here.

My only negative thing is the end. It was good and all, but I kind of wanted to know what happens next with Kylar. All stories in the book are getting an ending but it still leaves room for something more, perhaps 20 years later. I sure hope he gets back to this world because I can see a lot of more things happening.

Cover Corner: I do like fantasy and men in hoods.

Reason for reading: Own copy

Final thoughts: Good fantasy

The winner of For the Love of Mollie is 

Cecile

Congrats!!!

Review: Dragon Haven - Robin Hobb + another tradition post

 The Rain Wilds Chronicles, book 2

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 576
Published: March 2010

 The dragon keepers and the fledgling dragons are forging a passage up the treacherous Rain Wild River. They are in search of the mythical Elderling city of Kelsingra, and are accompanied by the liveship Tarman, its captain, Leftrin, and a group of hunters who must search the forests for game with which to keep the dragons fed. With them are Alise, who wants to continue her study of dragons, and  Bingtown dandy, Sedric. Rivalries and romances are already threatening to disrupt the band of explorers: but external forces may prove to be even more dangerous. Chalcedean merchants are keen to lay hands on dragon blood and organs to turn them to medicines and profit.. And then there are the Rain Wilds themselves: mysterious, unstable and ever perilous, its mighty river running with acid, its jungle impenetrable and its waterways uncharted. 

This one was, I don't know, I prefer her Fitz books more, I didn't care for the liveship books, the first Rain Wilds book was nice, but now this second one, it was just that not that much happened.

It starts where the first book ended. They continue their travels down the river. Alise has feelings for Leftrin, but what can she do when she is married to Hest? Sedric wants to steal dragon parts to be rich and run away with Hest. The dragons complain about the hard journey. The dragon keepers have internal conflicts. People are starting to wants partners even though it is forbidden for the heavy touched by the Rain Wilds to mate. Thymara has issues with loosing her independence just cos their "leader" says so. And the Rain Wilds are as dangerous as ever.

The book was ok and I read on, it's just that yes not that much happened. Sure a lot of personal problems, and some dangerous Rain Wilds things happening. But other than that it was more about the journey and the journey was just in this one place. My other problem with the book is the ending. Happy, nice, but abrupt and it left me with this big "and then what?" Nothing was resolved in a way. I did hear she was writing on another book about the Rain Wilds so perhaps we can get some questions there, I sure hope so at least.

The good things are that Hobb is a remarkable writer and her worlds are great. She is truly talented, even if I prefer Fitz ;) Also she sure loves to make her heroes or heroines suffer but here, not so much. Nothing made me sick to my stomach of worry or sadness.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: I do not like these covers

Reason for reading: From that awesome library, kind of makes me wish I lived there

Final thoughts: Perhaps not a Hobb series a newbie should start with. Cos things that happen here comes to play after events in her previous books.

End of Summer Tradition

This is something that only happens in a few places in Finland. And it's called different things, we call it "summarcottage conclusion" ok weird translation there. Anyway on the last Saturday of August the summer is finished. People go to their summerhomes to celebrate the summer one last time. This is the time when you also kind of clean up there to leave the place ready for winter. Cos sure you can go there in the winter too, but we never did.

Fireworks is the big and kind of only thing. So yesteryday I watched a nice display of fireworks coming from everywhere corner around the sky, and ate some yummy grilled sausages.

Review: Sweet Anger - Erin St Claire

 aka Sandra Brown

Genre: Romance
Pages: 250
Published: 1985

Television newscaster Kari Wynne blamed her shattered life on one man--D.A. Hunter McKee. He hadn't directly caused her husband's death, but he had destroyed his reputation. Still, the desire that exploded every time they met was almost overwhelming.

Oh yes old school romance, I do confess to have rolled my eyes once... or ten times.

Kari looses her husband and then the DA Hunter Mckee opens a case against some of her husbands associates, and he is also blamed there. She is upset and starts slandering him on tv where she works, he falls in love and will they ever be together...

Ok she the first time they meet he yells at her, while watching how pretty she is and when she leaves he realises that he is in love with her, ok buddy it's called lust. Then one time when she had fainted and opens her blouse and sure spends some time looking at her bra and thinking how pretty she is. This after really going after her in court.

I can't say I liked Hunter, his sudden love for her was a bit, maybe it was the 80's love. And she, well she hates and hates, and then she suddenly loves him.

Also I did spend some time time giggling at the sexscenes too, like when she was thinking that she wanted intercourse. The sex and making out wasn't that hot. But then things to evolve in 20 years.

All in all it was an ok book, and I am blaming some things on the 80's because I have sure read books like this one before.

The book had romance, drama, and one angry couple.

Cover: Lol

Reason for reading: I actually won this in Good Reads First program, never thought I'd win.

Final thoughts: Sandra Brown has written some great books, later.