Q and A and Giveaway with Tina Seskis!

Tina Seskis's debut novel One Step Too Far was released in January of this year in North America (Did you see my review) Tina was kind enough to stop by today to answer a few questions about her book, her writing - and herself!

 Hi Tina!  One Step Too Far is the story of a young woman who walks out on her life, which leads some readers to be critical of her choices. What do you think of your heroine, Emily?

Well, I've always known her secret, so I guess I understood her actions, even some of the more extreme ones. It means that I've always had a degree of empathy with her, and I just really willed her on in the story to get some kind of resolution. I did find that she became almost like a real person to me, and I liked her, despite her flaws (hey, who's perfect?) although I know some readers found her to be quite self-indulgent. All I would say is take a walk in her shoes before you judge...

In One Step Too Far you bring London to life in a very gritty way at times. How well do you think the book helps London tourism?

Ha, well, I think if you want to go to Finsbury Park or the Nag's Head you won't find them in any tourist books, so I've given you a flavour. I think I may have brought to life the real London, of beautiful parks and squares cheek by jowl with less aesthetic places, of smoky dives and fancy hotels. I hope I've shown that London is also a very green city (in the original sense of the word), and the magnificent Hampstead Heath in particular is one of my favourite places anywhere. So come visit!!

Like many writers, you struggled at first to get One Step Too Far published. What made you so determined to carry on?

First, that I had had enough feedback, from my family (which every writer knows doesn't count!), friends, acquaintances, literary agents, and most importantly readers to know that there was something about the book: people found that they couldn't put it down, plus it seemed to elicit some very extreme responses (love and hate spring to mind, fortunately with love in the vast majority) that made me think it was the type of book that people wanted to talk about and share. And secondly, I had run out of money and it was either get published or get another job in freelance marketing, which I didn't want to do.

What is your favourite place to write? Do you have a specific daily routine?

I write on an iPad with a wireless keyboard, so I tend to write anywhere. I follow the sun around the house (kitchen table, living room sofa, bedroom sofa, a deckchair in the summer etc), I rarely go to cafes or libraries, but nearly always edit if I'm on public transport. I get some very odd looks sometimes. And my routine is non-existent unless I'm in the writing bit, where I do 2,000 words a day, even if it's finished in the dead of night.

What's next for you?

Well, my next book (When We Were Friends) is about to come out in the UK, I am editing my third novel, writing short stories, doing quite a bit of PR activity, looking after my dog with a broken paw, and I am going to Australia to see family at Easter. So I'm pretty busy...

Thanks so much for stopping by Tina! You can connect with Tina on Twitter as well as on Facebook.

If you haven't had a chance to read One Step Too Far - well, here's your chance! I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader, courtesy of Harper Collins. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends April 18/15.  Get a sneak peek - here's an excerpt of One Step Too Far.

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Susan Wiggs - Q&A AND Giveaway

I'm thrilled to be hosting author Susan Wiggs at A Bookworm's World today. Susan has just released her latest book -  Return to Willow Lake - the ninth installment in the Lakeshore Chronicle series. Susan was gracious enough to do a quick Q&A session!

1. What do you feel is the appeal of an ongoing series for a reader? And as a writer?

SW: As a reader, I love the feeling of returning to a familiar place with people I’ve “met.” It’s very involving. I’m hoping readers of Return to Willow Lake will enjoy the glimpses of past storylines, but that the story of Sonnet and Zach is fresh and fun.

2. Return to Willow Lake is the 9th book in The Lakeshore Chronicles. When you wrote the first book, did you envision there being a number nine? Did you start with a long range plan or does the story evolve with every addition?

SW: I knew from the start that there would be many books. When I started the series, I made a mural on the wall with images I’d clipped–faces and places, things I could picture in stories. The thing just kept growing. I don’t really have a detailed plan but I’m usually thinking a book or two ahead. I knew what I wanted for Sonnet while I was working on Marrying Daisy Bellamy.

3.What characters are near and dear to you? (Daisy?) Are any based on real life persons? Is the town based on somewhere you've lived or visited?

SW: Daisy, of course. But the main characters of any novel are near and dear to my heart, since I work with them every day I work on the book. They definitely share a piece of my heart. The town of Avalon is based on any number of small towns I’ve known and loved. Phoenicia and Catskill in upstate New York, my hometown in Washington state, the little western New York town where I was born, called Olean. What they all share is a tight-knit community, a closeness to nature and a charming layout. Avalon is so real to me now that the new book features illustrated maps of the key places in town.

4. Anything else you'd like to share with us? New projects?

SW: I’m loving all the action on my Facebook page! I hope readers will join me at facebook.com/susanwiggs.

Thanks for stopping by Susan! And I have a copy of Susan's book Return to Willow Lake to giveaway to one lucky winner. Open to US only, ends Sept16/12. Simply leave a comment to be entered.

"Return to Willow Lake centers on Sonnet Romano, whose life is almost perfect. She has the ideal career, the ideal boyfriend, and has just been offered a prestigious fellowship. There’s nothing more a woman wants – except maybe a baby…sister? When Sonnet finds out her mother is unexpectedly expecting, and that the pregnancy is high-risk, she puts everything on hold – the job, the fellowship, the boyfriend – and heads home to Avalon just until things back on track. But when her mother receives a devastating diagnosis, Sonnet must decide what really matters in life, even of that means staying in Avalon and taking a job that forces her to work alongside her biggest, and maybe her sweetest, mistake – award-winning filmmaker Zach Alger. At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Return to Willow Lake plumbs the deepest corners of the human heart, exploring the bonds of family, the perils and rewards of love, and the true meaning of home.

Susan Wiggs is a three time RITA® Award winner, a #1 New York Times, Washington Post, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, and winner of Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence."