Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Random Acts: Interview with Author Alison Stone and a Giveaway!

Alison Stone, author of Random Acts joins us today as she tours with Goddess Fish Promotions. We'd like to welcome her and I for one, am looking forward to reading her book. Welcome Alison!

MK:  Your book is described as a “Thrilling Suspense and Heartfelt Romance”. That’s an intriguing combination – how did it come about?   

AS: I was looking for a tagline to express the tone of my books. I think the “thrilling suspense” is pretty straightforward. “Heartfelt romance” is meant to convey the notion of a sweet romance for those who prefer a “closed bedroom door.” I also like my other tagline, “The Thrill of Sweet Suspense.” I guess I couldn’t settle on one.

MK:  What is your favorite scene in Random Acts?

AS: I can only pick one? J I enjoyed writing a scene where Danielle connects with Patrick’s daughter, Ava. Danielle is out raking leaves in the yard when Ava wanders over. Ava, who lost her mother, is drawn to Danielle. Danielle allows the young girl to jump in the leaves and she ends up joining her. As the two are laughing, leaves clinging in their hair, Patrick shows up. His heart shifts. He’s happy his daughter has become friends with Danielle, yet he’s worried she’ll break both of their hearts when she leaves.

MK:  Do you have a favorite character in Random Acts? Who and why?

AS: I love both my hero and heroine. For me, I have to really like my characters to hang out with them for 200 pages. However, if I had to pick one character that holds a special place in my heart, it has to be Ava, Patrick’s daughter. She brings Danielle and Patrick together despite their reservations. I mean, who wants to disappoint a precious little girl?

MK: Without giving it all away, please tell us a little something about how Danielle Carson is going to get through her biggest challenges.

AS: The hardest part of answering this question is not to give anything away. J One of Danielle’s biggest challenges comes at the climax of the book. She has to dig deep and use her mental and physical strength. I’ll give you a hint. She always swam for fitness. Being a strong swimmer will save her life. Also, after years of struggling with her faith, she finally reaches out to God to ask for strength during her darkest moment.

MK: What has been your greatest challenge in writing Random Acts?

AS: Random Acts is my debut novel, but not the first manuscript I’ve ever written. I think the greatest challenge was pulling everything I knew about craft together to tell a compelling story. Putting all the pieces together is definitely a challenge. The really good writers make it seem so easy. 

MK: “This title contains a shadowy criminal, dark family secrets, meddling family, and a heroine who’s determined to show her old crush that she’s moved on”…it sounds as though this story could hit home for some people. Is there any underlying message or is it just to be taken as a good work of fiction?  

AS: I hope my stories are an entertaining read. If something in one of my books sticks with the reader long after they’ve finished it, that’s a bonus.

MK:  Tell us how you unwind after a long writing session?

AS: One of my favorite ways to unwind after a long writing session is to curl up on the couch with my kids and watch a fun movie. Then, once they are tucked into bed, I’ll pull out a good book.

MK: What do you have in store next for your readers? 

AS: Too Close to Home, a romantic suspense, will be released August 7th. Thanks for having me!

The Book: 

Second chances can have a terrible sense of timing.

As a child, watching her mother always pick the wrong man left Danielle Carson wary of opening her heart to anyone—except Patrick Kingsley. But circumstances came between them and left Danielle with a broken heart. Now she buries the pain of what might have been by channeling all her energy into her career. When a family crisis brings her back to her hometown, she is forced to face the past—and the disturbing fact that her sister’s car accident was staged to mask a brutal beating.

A police officer and widower, Patrick guards his heart as fiercely as he guards his beloved daughter. Seeing Danielle again unexpectedly reignites their old flame, but no way will he introduce a woman into his daughter’s life. Certainly not one whose values on faith and family are so different from his own.

Despite their best intentions, they are drawn together—until Danielle learns Patrick had a hand in putting her sister in harm’s way. Her fragile trust is crushed, but Patrick is the only man who can help her stop the villain before everything they both love is destroyed. Faith, family…and their second chance at forever. 
  
Excerpt: End of opening scene of Random Acts by Alison Stone:

He bobbled her body, freeing his hand to grab the handle of the driver’s door. It opened with a groan. He loosened his jaw and let out a quiet breath. A dog barked in the not-too-far distance. An incessant bark, as if the animal sensed the girl’s plight.

His stomach tightened. His actions took on a renewed urgency. Swallowing hard, he maneuvered the girl’s body behind the wheel—no small feat, despite her small frame. Her lifeless body had a will of its own. Her head dipped toward the passenger’s side, physics demanding her body follow suit. His jaw clamped in frustration. He grabbed her shirt sleeve and yanked her back into position. With a flat palm, he pushed the door closed, careful not to make a sound this time. He reached through the open window to adjust her body one last time. Fastening her seatbelt would be counterproductive. He shook his head. Silly girl had only herself to blame. Ducking his head, he reached into the vehicle and stretched across the steering wheel to put the car in neutral.

With his plan coming together, he relaxed his shoulders and strolled to the rear of the vehicle. Some things were meant to be savored. He lifted a dusty boot to the plastic bumper.

And pushed.

The tires gained traction. The vehicle rolled forward. Arms crossed, he watched the vehicle pick up speed as it raced down the steep hill, heading toward the crop of trees at the bend in the road.

Just as he had planned.


Visit Alison!
E-mail: Alison@AlisonStone.com

GIVEAWAY!

Alison will be awarding autographed bookmarks at every stop, as well as a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. She will also give away a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to host with the most comments.

JOIN THE TOUR!

16 comments:

  1. I must have missed it before. I was not aware that RANDOM ACTS is your debut published novel. I love getting to know an author right from the exciting beginning of their publishing career.


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  2. Thank you for hosting Alison today.

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  3. It's great having her with us today. The book sounds great!

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  4. Thank you, MK for hosting me!

    Marybelle ~ Thanks for stopping by. I am very excited about my debut.

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  5. Alison- Didn't have a chance to read more last night but I'm looking forward to getting back to it!

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  6. Thanks, Stacy. You're rocking the comments section :)

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  7. I am so excited to find a new author who writes my favorite kind of romance. I hope you continue writing this genre. I am anxious to read this story. It is on my to read list.

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  8. MK, you're surely helping many authors to get a spotlight in the land of blogging.

    the book seems interesting and i really like "Thrilling Suspense and Heartfelt Romance."

    I like suspense and heartfelt romance books.

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  9. Peaches - it's one of the best things about book blogging!

    Alison - will you be publishing this in print too?

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  10. MK ~ Yes, Random Acts will be out in Paperback in March 2013.

    MomJane ~ I'm very happy to tell you I have another book, Too Close to Home coming out in August. It is also "sweet" romantic suspense. :)

    Peaches ~ thanks. I appreciate your stopping by. I appreciate all the wonderful authors who have hosted me. :)

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  11. Congrats on the debut novel. As a librarian, I love discovering new authors. In the past I was mostly a nonfiction reader but my resolution for this year was to read more fiction and more new-to-me authors. Thanks for giving me the chance to do so.
    @capefearlibn

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  12. Thanks, Catherine Lee. I hope you enjoy Random Acts.

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  13. Congratulations to your first release! The cover is lovelly and it was the first to attract my attention to the great excerpt.

    Jibriel.O (at) web (dot) de

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  14. I really like the cover, too. Thanks! The cover artist did a fantastic job.

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  15. Okay, my first ever virtual book tour has wrapped up. The winner of the autographed bookmark from this stop is Peaches Ledwidge. If you happen to read this Peaches, contact me at Alison AT AlisonStone dot com.

    The winner of the $25 Amazon gift card is "Mary" who posted on JC Martin's blog: http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter/2012/05/alison-stone-motivational-lines/#comment-24265 (The winner was chosen via a random number generator across all 10 blog stops.)

    Thank you to everyone who stopped by. I truly appreciate your support.

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  16. Great tour Alison and thank you for the generous giveaways! Congrats to the winners and thank you to our readers for stopping by and participating!

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