Okay, maybe it’s not a million miles, but I am on the road today. My good friend Karen Booth is here to keep you entertained. If you were a child of the 80’s, you would know that the title of Karen’s new book is taken from the Plimsouls song I used as my blog title. And it may be playing on my iPod as I type this. Yes, I am that much of a nerd. See you soon, my darlings!
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It’s only fitting that my first guest blog appearance after the release of my new book, Bring Me Back, would be on Margaret’s blog. I’m not sure she realizes it, but she was instrumental in helping me decide that Turquoise Morning Press was the right place for this book. After reading several of her books and eventually getting past my immense fear that I would never write as well as she does, I knew that the stories she likes to tell were very in-line with what I write. So, thank you, Marg. I’m oh-so-just-slap-me-now happy to be here.
(Aw! I’m blushing. And squeeing. And blushing again. Thank you!)
One of the best parts of becoming an author, aside from the massive royalty checks and all-night sex parties, is becoming friends with other authors. Writing is a lonely business built on a house of cards—one day you’re on top of the world, you just wrote the most amazing ten pages in the history of literature. The next day, those ten pages have been deleted and you’re thanking the stars above that you didn’t get carried away and actually show those pages to anyone. This is why you need friends, preferably friends with large, unlocked liquor cabinets.
My friendship with Margaret has grown from fan/author to author/author, which has been an amazing process for me. Sure, Margaret and I first bonded over my ability to gush about her writing, but we’ve since moved on to more important things like our shared love for Duran Duran and our propensity for getting in trouble on Twitter. When she began to read Bring Me Back and quickly sent me an email saying she was hooked, I nearly fainted. After she finished reading, she sent me an email saying she loved it and I felt as if I’d won the lottery. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as she did.
So, without further ado, I present my Two Facts and a Work of Fiction. From those who correctly guess the work of fiction, I will award the winner’s choice of my backlist eBooks. And, please, while you’re here, take a gander at the blurb for Bring Me Back.
Two Facts and a Work of Fiction
1) I have performed on a stage one time in my entire life, in the middle school school talent show. I tap danced to “Me and My Shadow” with the only other girl who’d signed up for tap dancing—Shari, a sweet, but very poor-sighted and unusually uncoordinated fellow sixth grader.
2) I didn’t have my first boyfriend or first real kiss until college. There were a few sloppy, drunken attempts at kisses in high school, but nothing I care to count. The college guy wore black leather riding boots and listened to The Cult and I thought he was the sexiest thing ever. Now, the thought of him makes me queasy.
3) I spent the summer after college backpacking through Europe with my best friend, Jane. We spent most of our time in Hamburg and Amsterdam, even though I’d told my parents we were going to Italy and Spain and several other countries that we never made it to. We were having way too much fun where we already were. I’d like to say that I regret our lack of miles traveled, but it was the most fun I don’t totally remember.
Bring Me Back
Music critic Claire Abby is a single mom dreading her daughter’s departure for college and worried that turning forty will leave her career running on fumes. She’s floored when she lands a Rolling Stone cover story on 80s British rock legend Christopher Penman. She spent her teenage years fantasizing he was her boyfriend.
In person, Christopher is everything Claire feared he’d be—charming, witty and unwilling to address the rumors he’s dodged for a decade. Still, she contains her adolescent fantasies and manages to earn his trust, unearthing the truth and the devastating secret behind it. His blockbuster story is her first priority when she returns home, a nearly impossible task when Christopher starts calling and flirting. She knows she should maintain a professional distance. She knows she should focus on the story. She knows it would be best to simply walk away. But how can she say “no” to the man she could never forget?
Website: http://karenbooth.net
Bring Me Back on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17187439-bring-me-back
I’m totally with you, Karen. I still get all giddy whenever Mags compliments my work. When someone whose writing you respect and admire so much actually likes your work too…Yeah. That’s cause for epic SQUEEING. 😀 Now, as for the fact or fiction game, I’m gonna have to say #3 is fictional. I’m picturing you all cute on stage tap dancing right now and it’s making me grin. Bring Me Back is on my TBR list! Best of luck to you, Karen!! 🙂
Those are hard choices because they could all be fact. I think I will go with #2 as fiction.
Good luck on your release.
It’s always scary to take a leap. I’m glad Mags was there to give you a little push. Your book sounds very cool. Good luck with it.
I’ll say number 3 is the fiction.
I’m going with #1 as the fiction. I could totally see someone that age pulling a #3.
having fun reading everyone’s replies but that’s as much as I’m going to say! Lips zipped!
“Margaret and I first bonded over my ability to gush about her writing” Huh. Is that the way she picks up all of her friends? I feel so used now.
Karen, congratulations on the new book! It sounds great and I’ll zoom right over to Goodreads and put it on my to-read list!
All 3 of your choices seem very plausible and funny. I’m going to go with #3 as being the fiction just because ‘best friend Jane’ seems a little generic. (And my apologies to BFF Jane, if she actually exists!)
okay, peeps, thought I should drop by today and let the cat out of the bag. #3 is the work of fiction, which means that Evelyn, Laurie, and Carol were all right. I will say though, Carol, that my bff in high school really was named Jane. We just never got to go to Europe together! I will send everyone an email about choosing a book. Thanks!