Spotlight on Monica Tillery & Kiss Me Katie!

Hey there, readers! So, a couple of months ago I met a ball of fire named Monica Tillery. She cracked me up, and I was thrilled to learn she was my release mate for June: both of our contemporary romances released on the same day with Crimson Romance on June 3. Monica gave me an arc and - wow! - I loved it...so it's my pleasure today to introduce you all to Monica, and her book, Kiss me, Katie! On with the interview...

Kristina: M&Ms, Chips 'n Dip, Jell-O Shots…what's your snack of choice when you're on deadline?

Monica: M&Ms!  I actually have a candy drawer in my desk and have been known to stock it with my favorites for those weeks when I’m chained to the office chair.  I don’t limit it to chocolate though.

Kristina: So with you on the need for a candy drawer! What's your favorite non-word (as in a word we've bastardized or completely made up) and why?

Monica: The first one that comes to mind is pantser, and authors will know that this is someone who dives into writing without plotting, literally writing by the seat of their pants.  It makes what can be a terrifying process sound lighthearted and fun.  I also like “chaptering”, which I might have actually made up since I’ve never heard anyone else say it.  For some reason, figuring out where chapter breaks go in my books drives me crazy, so I leave it till the very end.

Kristina: lol, I love your new word. Totally gonna steal it for myself! When the writing gets tough, who do you lean on?

Monica: If there’s time, I will admit it to my family and let my husband convince me to rest and get back to writing when I’m refreshed.  If I really need help, though, I have turned to my writing friends.  I just recently found myself stumped and simply took the troubles to a group of authors.  They were happy to brainstorm with me, as I would be for other authors.  The truth is that it’s sometimes easier to come up with ideas for stories I’m not involved with!

Kristina: Aw, he sounds like a sweetie! And I've done the brainstorming-with-friends thing. Often. Becaus RadioMan is the awesome, but he doesn't always get the writing thing... Finish this sentence: For me, writing is like ______________ 

Monica: A dream come true.  The hard work, the frustration, the setbacks, that’s a lot to shoulder sometimes, but honestly this is the coolest job ever.  I still just pinch myself when I think about it.

Kristina: It is the best job, isn't it? Okay, final question, tell us one interesting/funny/crazy thing about this book or its characters that didn't make in 'between the covers'?

Monica: Kiss Me, Katie used to have a scary stalker subplot!  It is such a sweet romance that it might be hard to believe, but one of its earlier incarnations included a fairly violent guy who did and said some very nasty things to our dear Katie.

Kristina: Boo on stalkers! And I love the final version...okay, readers, here's your glimpse:

About the Book:
Talented fiddler Katie McCoy finds out that her band, Sterling, will join the very famous, extremely handsome, Blake Jackson on his Country Summer Nights tour. Her career is taking off, but after dating too many guys who let her down, her love life is going nowhere.

Blake is America’s biggest country star, and he can date a different beautiful woman every night of the week. After years on the road, each woman starts to seem the same and none of them ever want more than the experience of dating a celebrity. In Katie, he finally finds a woman who is interested in who he is as a man, someone who loves him for his true self. Being on tour together is a bit like being in a relationship pressure cooker, and things get serious. Everything moves faster than outside in the real world. Theirs is a match made in music heaven, but in three short weeks, Katie’s band leaves the tour and she’ll be out of his arms.

Katie wants true love more than anything else, but her tour bus is heading back to Texas with or without her. Sterling’s new level of success means that her career must take top priority and any man she’s with will have to respect that. She’s done with guys who don’t take her career seriously, and Blake can’t leave his own tour. How can they stay together when their paths have them moving in opposite directions? Will they find a way to make it work or say goodbye?

Buy the Book:   Amazon        Barnes and Noble       iTunes 

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