Welcome Back to Apple Grove and a Giveaway

Note: The winner of this giveaway is Glenda M. Congratulations, Glenda and thanks to all that enter the giveaway.

I’m delighted to welcome author C.H. Admirand back to Thoughts in Progress as she tours blogdom with her new release, WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE.

Thanks to C.H. and the lovely Danielle at Sourcebooks, I have one copy of WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the giveaway details.


Here’s a brief synopsis of WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE……

There's No Place Like Home...
      Grace Mulcahy thought she'd finally gotten Apple Grove, Ohio, out of her system. Then she's lured back for a family barbecue and spies a broad-shouldered hottie hanging out at the grill. He somehow seems utterly at ease, whether flipping burgers or horsing around with her hellion nephews. Why didn't her brother-in-law tell her he had such gorgeous friends? Suddenly her mouth is watering for more than her best friend's famous pie.
Some fires aren't meant to be fought…
      When firefighter Pat Garahan sees Grace, it's like a five-alarm bell goes off and he's the one ablaze. She says she wants to leave Apple Grove, but he will do whatever it takes to keep her around. The life of a firefighter isn't an easy one though, and he'll have to prove their immediate spark can have a lasting chance at love…

C.H. joins now and has graciously answered some questions for me about her new release and her writing.

Mason - What drew you to write about small town life in the beginning and did you realize it would be a series as those first few pages began to come together? 

C.H.:
My editor, Deb Werksman, asked how I’d feel about writing a small town contemporary series for them. At the time I was in LA for the RT Booklover’s Convention and working on edits for the second book in my contemporary cowboy series. I jumped at the chance because I had this idea about three sisters who were taking over the family business—a handyman business. I always think in terms of family, so it’s either: brothers, sisters, cousins, or close friends.

Mason - Do you do anything special to put yourself in the mood to write and release your muse?
 
C.H.:
Actually, I’m working on a new routine since I’ve been spending a big chunk of my time babysitting our grandson. I haven’t really worked that out yet, but I am on deadline with my new series, so I guess I’d better start figuring one out! LOL

Mason - Since writers also enjoy reading, what were the last two books you read?

C.H.:
I just finished reading DARK WITCH by Nora Roberts and loved it! It takes place over in Ireland and is about cousins…it’s that family thing, draws me in every time. DANGEROUS REFUGE by Elizabeth Lowell and loved this one too. It takes place out West—I’m a sucker for that locale in books.
 
Mason - The cover of WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE is charming and inviting. Are you able to have an input into the cover design of your books?
 
C.H.:
Not with my previous and current covers, but I will in my new series. I’m excited about that.

Mason - If I were looking to visit a real town that would be similar to Apple Grove, could you recommend a town that you feel has the same atmosphere?
 
C.H.:
That’s a tough one because Apple Grove was created from bits and pieces from my childhood neighborhood, the neighborhood we’ve raised our children in, and some of my favorite TV shows as a kid: Petticoat Junction, the Andy Griffith Show, Green Acres, Gunsmoke, Cheyenne and Bonanza.

Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?

C.H.:
I’m going to be re-releasing the first book in my Regency-era Historical series, THE THREE VICES: PATIENCE in the next month or so. Books 2 and 3: CHARITY and PRUDENCE are wips that I plan to have ready for 2014. Then there is the exciting new Historical Irish Western series that I’ll be writing for Sourcebooks, due to release in 2015. It’s going to be a busy around here for the next little while

C.H., thanks for visiting with us again. It’s fun learning how this series came to be.
For those not familiar with C.H., let me give you some background.

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, as well as the Small Town USA Series, with the 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, please visit www.CHAdmirand.com. 

WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE is available at the following locations: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, Chapters/Indigo, IndieBound, iBookstore, Sourcebooks, and Discover a New Love.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one copy of WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE. The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

To enter this giveaway, please send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win Welcome Back to 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 no post office box addresses can be accepted. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance to win a copy of WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE is 8 p.m. (EST) on Monday, Dec. 23.

Thanks everyone for stopping by today. Do you know a small town that would be similar to Apple Grove?