Thursday, March 5, 2015

"Finding the Way Back to Love": 5 Questions for Author Katie O'Boyle

Please join me in welcoming Katie O'Boyle, author of the Lakeside Porches series, warm-hearted romances about healing, hope, and love.
 
Gwen Forrester, Ph.D., is a beautiful widow and a therapist specializing in addiction and abuse issues. You’d think her search for a good man would turn up more than eye candy, but she’s stuck in the past, attracted only to men who look like her late husband, the Ivy League lawyer. 

When her very pregnant niece Haley breaks into Gwen’s lakeside home, Gwen rethinks her choices. Investigating the break-in is Officer Peter Shaughnessy, a macho cop who’s new in town and recently divorced. Maybe it’s hormones radiating from Haley, but Gwen’s convinced she wants a baby with this Adonis in uniform. 

Format(s): Kindle
Print Length: 356 pages
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing (February 2, 2015)

Get your copy at Amazon!


Q&A with Katie O'Boyle
What type of hero do you like best?
I see a lot of book covers with nearly-naked alpha males, and I have to say they’re not my type. Don’t shoot me! I like a man with integrity, intelligence, and a sense of humor. Sure, he has to be sexy and good-looking, but I like a hero who wants a partnership with a woman and who admires her thinking and talent and compassion for others. And, of, course, to get the story started, my favorite hero needs to be thrown for a loop by the heroine and ultimately willing to change his life to make a future with her.

What is your favorite scene in your latest release, Finding the Way Back To Love?
Writing the scene in which Peter and Gwen crash Gwen’s canoe allowed me to draw on my own love of canoeing and on some harrowing experiences boating on the lakes. Gwen and Peter share a love of canoeing, and both of them are physically strong and very fit. They set off from Gwen’s house on Chestnut Lake (in the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York) to paddle the 20-mile eastern shore for one last look at the brilliant fall foliage. Characteristically, Gwen hasn’t checked the weather report. Although Peter knows there is a storm coming, being new to the area, he doesn’t understand how destructive a storm can be on a lake, so he hasn’t mentioned it. When the storm strikes, they are on the stretch of shore with no landing place and no shelter. Peter and Gwen’s push for survival taps every reserve of their strength and sets the stage for an explosive argument that nearly destroys their love for each other. As a writer, I drew on my experiences canoeing with a partner in all kinds of weather. I relived the teamwork, the sounds and sights and smells of the lakes, the feel of the wind and waves, the physical reality of paddling under adverse conditions, and the terror of the storm. It was a challenge to write, and I hope it’s a thrill to read.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does she do that is so special?
On the surface, psychologist Gwen Forrester has it all. She’s beautiful, fit, well-off, and a respected member of her community. As a recovering alcoholic, she has devoted her professional and personal life to helping other alcoholics. Yet she’s in complete denial about the problems in her marriage to hero Jeb Brewster, her first husband, who was killed while rescuing young skiers. That mental block will cost her the love of Peter Shaughnessy, the man she wants to marry and raise a family with. Finding her way back to love will require a disturbing walk down memory lane with her oldest friend Lorraine. And, even harder, she’ll have to tell the truth to Peter.

Which writers inspire you?
What an interesting question! First, I learn something from every writer, including those in my writing groups and those who submit to contests that I judge. I’m repeatedly surprised by the courage of new writers and the compulsion to create that we share as writers. Second, I’m challenged to keep learning and growing as a writer, by those whose work I greatly respect and enjoy: mystery writer Louise Penny; romance writer Mariah Stewart; clever, classic mystery writers Peter Lovesey and Agatha Christie. Finally, author G. K. Chesterton’s humor and insight are guiding forces in my writing.

Favorite color?
Green! I’m Irish, and probably my soul is green. 
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Check out the first two books in the Lakeside Porches series!

Book One
Miracles happen when romance is higher-powered. A lakeside porch in the Finger Lakes is the perfect spot for a quiet moment or a heart-to-heart with your special someone. Joel and Manda’s first heart-to-heart on the breakfast porch at the Manse Inn and Spa is anything but romantic. Joel the owner of the Manse is furious with his junior accountant for using one of the spa showers. If Manda didn’t have a desperate story and a spectacular body, Joel might not be feeding her breakfast and falling in love. Can Manda get sober, clean up her act, and open her heart to her rich, hunky boss? Fall in love with Joel and Manda in Stepping Up To Love. Available at Amazon.


Book Two
Justin Cushman’s billions can’t buy him a solution for his deteriorating health. Gianessa Dupioni’s broken heart won’t let her look at another man until her career is back on track. When fate brings them both to a spa in the Finger Lakes and circumstances pair them in a tiny closet of a treatment room, they begin a journey of health and happiness neither believed possible. If they’re to enjoy the journey, Justin will need to change his entire attitude and outlook on life, and Gianessa will need to open her heart to trust again. Available at Amazon.


Meet & Connect with the Author

Born in the upstate-New York village known as the Birthplace of Women's Rights, I love the Finger Lakes in every season. I enjoy lunch with friends in our beautiful lake towns, and I cherish the lakeside porch as a place for intimate sharing, laughter, and inspiration.

 

5 comments:

  1. Welcome to Books & Benches, Katie! Congratulations on your latest release! What's your favorite thing about the setting of the story?

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  2. oooh, nice! I'll add these books to my TBR list. Sounds like a must read! :)

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  3. Lovely interview, ladies. I've visited the Finger Lakes area several times. A lovely, scenic area, one you clearly know well, Katie. A great setting for any story, and yours sound delicious. Congrats on the new release, and continued success with your writing.

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  4. Lovely interview. Your books are added to my TBR list. Beautiful covers and setting.

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  5. I love the idea of a story set at a lake house!

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