Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Girl He Knows {+ Giveaway}


book coverI’m delighted to be participating in the virtual blog tour for THE GIRL HE KNOWS, a debut chick lit/romantic comedy novel by author Kristi Rose.

Kristi's novel was released Monday (Aug. 18) by Lyrical Press, a division of Kensington. If you enjoy books from authors like Sophie Kinsella and Allison Winn Scotch, you have to read THE GIRL HE KNOWS. Kristi's writing is an engaging combination of humor, swoon and serious stuff. In a nutshell, her novel is an ideal summer read.

Kristi is joining us to answer some questions about her book and writing. In addition, Kristi is hosting a tour-wide giveaway (signed copy of her book, $50 gift card, and a journal). Please see the end of the post for more details.

Here’s a synopsis of the book:

        Waking up naked next to a good looking man is not a bad way to start the day. Especially since Paisley missed all those opportunities in college, when she was too busy supporting her no good, thankfully now, ex-husband. The problem? This hottie is Hank, her best friend’s older brother, a guy she’s known her entire life.
        Stopping after one night is the right thing to do. Being with him clearly breaks the best friend code, and from his career as a naval officer to his Boy Scout reputation, everything about him screams monogamy and commitment. Two things Paisley has had enough of.
        When Hank presents a “no strings attached” offer, it’s too good to be true. She can enjoy him while still embracing being single. But, poor choices force her to confront old fears of love and loss, and Paisley has to decide if Hank is worth the risk. The alternative is never experiencing the real deal. Or far worse, settling for less

THE GIRL HE KNOWS is available at the following sites: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | KOBO 

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Kristi as she graciously answers some questions. Welcome, Kristi.

Hi all, Thanks for joining me here on Thoughts in Progress (which is one of the best blog names –ever). It’s an honor to be hosted here and share this time with you all. I love meeting new people so please feel free to contact me or leave a note in the comments. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. 

You asked me what has surprised me the most about the whole process of getting THE GIRL HE KNOWS written and published.
I think the whole process is amazing and nothing like I expected- only because I didn’t know what to expect. But the two big things that stood out to me are this:

      1. The book from its original draft to the final document is so different it’s crazy! For example, I’m a HUGE Duran Duran fan (I know- that dates me) and in the first draft each chapter reference some of their lyrics. Yeah, getting the rights to do that – expensive and, ultimately, it didn’t really work. Gone. Lots of chapters were cut and new ones added. But man, I’m so happy with the final product.

      2. The editing process- I’d thought I’d edited my book after the beta readers were done. I thought it was in good shape. So naïve. When I started working with my editor (who is AMAZBALLS BTW), the first thing I was tasked to complete was a filler word hack and slash. I realized then what a hot mess it really was. Which was pretty embarrassing and my goal was to not be such a train wreck from that point on-ever again. I went above and beyond the first task and before I sent it to her for the next round of edits I did a spell check and accidentally hit change instead of ignore on the word EMOTICON. When I got it back for round 2, she’d highlighted the area and said, “I don’t think you meant EMBOLI here.” Both my MS and I were still a hot mess.

You also asked about my habits and rituals for writing. 

TGHK5
I have young kids and work part time so I squeeze writing in whenever I can. But I set playlist that help me ‘feel’ the story line and listen to them to get in me in the mood before I start writing. I also keep Pinterest boards ( http://www.pinterest.com/krosewheeler/the-girl-he-knows/ ) and look at my characters to get close to them and try to get in their head.

When I write I either have it quiet or listen to classical music. I usually write in coffee shops only because I’m either in between dropping kids off and picking them up or have a few hours away from the house and a coffee shop is the best option. A London Fog, a light snack, and a large table is all I need. Sometimes I write with my critique partners present and those sessions are the best because you can brainstorm something as it happens and they bring good juju with them. I dream of the day when writing is my only job. Smile

Again, thanks for having me. It’s been fun! You all take care and pop over to my website (http://www.kristirose.net) sometime and say hello!

Kristi, thanks for joining us and sharing this look at your writing. It’s fascinating how a story can start out one way and end up completely different. Thanks also for the kind words about the blog name.

Now here’s a bit of background on Kristi.
 
Kristi Rose was raised in central Florida on boiled peanuts and iced tea. She’s lived by an active volcano, almost fallen off a mountain, and was married in Arkansas by a J.O.P in flip flops named Earl. Today, as a proud military wife and mother of two, she’s been lucky enough to travel the world.

No matter where she is, she enjoys watching people and wondering what’s their story? That’s what Kristi likes to write about: everyday people, the love that brings them together, and their journey getting there. Kristi is a member of RWA.

You can follow Kristi on her website, liker her Facebook page, send her a tweet on Twitter and connect with her on Pinterest and Goodreads. THE GIRL HE KNOWS is her debut novel.

You can find out more about Kristi and her writing by checking out the other blogs participating in her tour.

jhpr_host_badgeTOUR SCHEDULE: 

Monday, August 11th - Books Over Boys
Wednesday, August 13th - Two Children and a Migraine
Friday, August 15th - The Fake Steph Dot Com
Monday, August 18th - Jersey Girl Book Reviews
Friday, August 22nd – Refreshingly Riki
Friday, August 22nd - Penny For My Thoughts Book Blog
Monday, August 25th - Once Upon a Twilight
Wednesday, August 27th - Reader Girls
Friday, August 29th - The Bookshelf Intruder

TheGirlHeKnows_events
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is tour-wide and is for a signed copy of THE GIRL HE KNOWS, a $50 gift card and a journal.

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient.

Thanks so much for stopping by during Kristi’s visit. When you’re reading, do you have to have it quiet or can you read with noise going on all around you?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

21 comments:

  1. Kristi, thanks again for joining us. I could see where writing at a coffee shop could be inspiring. Wishing you much success.

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    1. I can read anywhere with noise or quiet except in a moving car.

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    2. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it and really enjoyed the interview:-) Fingers crossed on the success:-)

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  2. Emboli doesn't quite have the same meaning, does it? Don't worry Kristi, the first book is a learning experience. The process will get better because so will you!

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    1. I know, right! I'll take an emoticon over and Emboli- any day:-) Thanks for the kind words. I'm going to copy them and hang them from my desk and look at them when I'm beating myself up.

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  3. I can only imagine how much Duran Duran lyrics would be to use!

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    1. I think I secretly hoped I'd get the attention of the bassist, John Taylor, and sparks would fly. Never mind that we are both happily married but it's hard to let go of a crush I've since I was twelve. :-)

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  4. Mason - Thanks for hosting Kristi.

    Kristi - Thanks for sharing your experiences. As Alex says, drafting and going through the writing experience makes you a better and wiser writer. I wish you much success.

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    1. Thanks. You are wonderful. I'm going to hang out here more often!

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  5. ''Waking up naked next to a good looking man is not a bad way to start the day.'' Can't imagine any way better :)

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    1. Me either. Word!

      And therein lies my attempt at being cool!
      Wait, I have another-

      Holla' Dezmond! You speak the truth:-)

      I'll stop while I'm ahead.

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  6. Mason-
    Love your blog and your followers. You all give out good juju. Thanks for commenting, the lovely words, and being a part of this new experience. I hope our path cross again soon. Which is likely to happen since I plan on lurking here often. Happy Wednesday:-)

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    1. Kristi, it's a pleasure being a part of your tour. You're always welcome at Thoughts.

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  7. Kristi is very talented and creative. This book would be enjoyable and special. Best wishes and much happiness. How fortunate to travel and now have time to write. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks. I feel pretty lucky. I wish I could say that all my travels came because I'm independently wealthy so what else have I got to do but that is not the case. I'm just lucky that my day job provided me those opportunities (and my mom retired from an airline so- I'm a pro at standby travel). Thanks for visiting:-)

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  8. Kristi, this looks like a fun book! Since you are a military wife, i think the heroine's career will be pretty realistic. :-) Thanks for sharing, especially your adventures with word check. I used to have daily battles with it.... Now the battles are with auto correct. :-D

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    1. Haha. Autocorrect is the bane of my existence, too. The only thing that gives me comfort is knowing that other struggle enough that a whole site is dedicated to it. Drop by my site and vent anytime. <3

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  9. Oh ow! I totally felt that twinge in my back when I read about the emoticon switch up.

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    1. Ha! I spent a good ten minutes with my hands over my mouth- horrified. Do I email her and say, "I'm really not THAT clueless?" Or just ignore it? I still feel a tad embarrassed when I think about it:-)

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  10. This looks like it would be a great book!

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  11. Thanks, Sara. If you read it- I'd love to know what you think (even if you hate it-seriously). I'm always curious to know if readers are satisfied where it ended or if they wanted more. Of course, that's IF you liked the couple. You might not and in that case, you might just want to throat punch them :-)

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.