The Girl He Knows {+ Giveaway}

I’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. 


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.

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.

TOUR 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


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