Author C.H. Admirand: One Day in Apple Grove

It’s my pleasure to welcome author C.H. Admirand back to Thoughts in Progress today. She joins us to talk about the latest release in her contemporary small town series, ONE DAY IN APPLE GROVE.

Thanks to C.H. and the lovely Danielle at Sourcebooks, I have a copy of ONE DAY IN APPLE GROVE to giveaway to a lucky visitor. Please see the end of the post for the giveaway details. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:

    Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (pop. 597), a small town with a big heart.
    Caitlin Mulcahy loves her family. She really does. But sometimes they can drive her to her last shred of sanity—from her dad ("I'm not meddling, I just want what's best for you") to her eight-months-pregnant older sister to her younger sister, who will do just about anything to avoid real work. Cait just needs to get away, even if for only an hour.
    When she sees someone in need of help on the side of the road, of course she's going to pull over. She might even be able to fix his engine—after all, the Mulcahy family is a handy bunch. She's not expecting that former Navy medic Jack Gannon and a little black puppy named Jameson will be the ones who end up rescuing in her.

C.H. has graciously answered some questions about her new release and her writing.

Mason - What drew you to write about happenings and people in a small town?

C.H.:
Having grown up in a small neighborhood of 20 – 25 homes with a bunch of dead-end streets, it felt as if we were a tiny town all our own. We moved 25 minutes north of where my husband and I grew up and raised our family in a tiny lake community that had everything we were looking for. A safe place for our kids to play and grow while experiencing the tight-knit community we loved. It was my former editor’s idea to write a series set in a small town, and I jumped at the chance to try something new.
 
Mason - With the book’s release, as you look back what was the biggest surprise that occurred in writing the story?

C.H.:
I really had no idea the little black ball of fuzz—stray puppy Jameson—would run out in front of Jack or straight into Caitlin’s arms, bringing those two together.
 
Mason - What would you recommend visitors to your hometown do that they wouldn’t find noted in any tourist brochures?

C.H.:
I’d tell them to take a walk and experience the wildlife that lives in and around our town. There are woods all around us and a large part of our town is watershed property, so it can never be developed. I really like that. There are so many different types of birds, animals, and creatures that crawl and slither… I’ve got this great idea for a children’s series based on the abundance of nature surrounding us here.

Mason - As a published author, has your perspective of authors in general changed?

C.H.:
I suppose it has—having just turned in the copyedits for my 15th book, I wonder how my favorite authors have had the staying power to keep writing while dealing with all of the things that life tosses in our paths as roadblocks now and again. I have great respect for these women who have balanced life, family, writing, and the business side of being an author.

Mason - Has anything strange or unusual ever happened to you at a book signing, author event or literary festival?

C.H.:
Hmmm…I don’t think it’s especially unusual, but I have been asked where the bathroom is more than once at book signings. What I find delightful, and never tire of hearing, is when readers come up to me and tell me how much they’ve enjoyed reading my books.
 
Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?

C.H.:
The second book in my contemporary small town series: ONE DAY IN APPLE GROVE released on June 4th and the third book: WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE releases on December 3rd. In between, I’ve re-released the first two books in my historical Irish Western Series: THE MARSHALS’ DESTINY and THE RANCHER’S HEART, and will be releasing the 3rd and 4th books soon. I’m working on a proposal for a new Historical Western Romance series…so keep your fingers crossed!

C.H., thanks for visiting with us again. Your love of the small town atmosphere comes through in your books, making it a place readers wants to visit.

C.H. was born in Aiken, South Carolina, but grew up in New Jersey. She has been delighting readers with her Secret Life of Cowboys Series, featuring three cowboy brothers with Irish charm, and is now working on the next book in her small town contemporary romance series, featuring the town and quirky characters of Apple Grove, OH. 

She lives with her husband, who is the inspiration for all of her heroes’ best traits, in New Jersey. For more information on C.H. and her writing, visit her at www.CHAdmirand.com  

Here’s what one reviewer had to say about ONE DAY IN APPLE GROVE:
    “The talented Admirand is able to write about these serious issues realistically but in a way that makes this book still feel light and fun.” — RT Book Reviews, 4½ Stars

ONE DAY IN APPLE GROVE is available at the following locations:
Amazon  *  Barnes and Noble  *  Books-a-Million  *  IndieBound  *  Chapters/Indigo  *  Discover a New Love  *  Sourcebooks

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
    To enter this giveaway, please send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win One Day In Apple Grove.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. The contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. And, just so you know, I don’t share this information with anyone other than the publisher nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance to win a copy of ONE DAY IN APPLE GROVE is 8 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, July 3.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Which do you prefer - small town life or big city lights?