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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Interview and Giveaway Hemphill Towers by Leona Pence

Published: October 25th, 2013

Description:

Riley Saunders has her dream job. As an art director at a leading advertising agency, she works every day with her two best friends, Stella and Birdie. All three have been assigned to ensure that the Grand Opening of the Peterson Art Museum is nothing short of a success.

When a girl’s night out at a hot new Italian restaurant ends with a spilled bottle of wine, it sets in motion a series of events that leaves Stella and Birdie caught up in whirlwind romances, and Riley fearing for her life at the hands of a deranged stalker. But, when the handsome museum curator, Trent Peterson, learns of her situation, he vows to keep her safe.

In a quick-paced tale of fine art, wine forgery, and the Russian Mafia, Riley and her friends soon discover their pursuit of love will require them to expose a crime, thwart a murder, and trust the one thing that has never failed them…their friendship.

MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you, Mrs.Leona Pence
You said “happy endings were a must”. Why do you think people want a happy ending for their favourite books? 
Because reading, especially a romance, takes one away from their mundane existence and lets them soar away to places where everything turns out right. They need (I do) to close the book with a smile on their faces. Most have faced enough unhappy endings in reality, and prefer to read about happier things. 

You lived a love at first sight, but it is not a common thing and a lot of people don’t believe in it. How do you create the “set” for a credible one? 
My husband was a co-worker of my brother-in-law when I first met him. So somebody close to me knew him. I trusted my bro-in-law that he was a good man, and didn’t have the fear of going out with a total stranger. I’d set the scene where at least one person could vouch for the man…party at the office or friends, etc. In Hemphill Towers, all three of my heroes had a connection. 

In a movie (Speed #2, I think) the heroine said that a love born during a crisis is not meant to last. What is your and your characters opinion about that? 
I disagree and I think my characters would too. A crises can bring out empathy and understanding between two people. I see no reason why lasting love can’t follow. 

The description of Hemphill Towers offers the possibility for a lot of humor. What do you think about adding humor in a romantic suspense and there is any humor in Hemphill Towers? 
I think humor enhances any romance book. Yes, you’ll find some in Hemphill Towers. Humor helps define a character’s personality. Of course, a bad character can use humor to cover his devious nature. 

What do you think about romance literature of our day? 
I honestly believe romance literature has gone the way of the times and overdoes sexual content. My favorite author, Barbara Cartland, always had pure, virginal heroines. The heroes, Dukes, Squires, and other titled men were rakes for the most part. But until the vows were said, no sex, but plenty of sexuality. Not that my characters were all virginal, but I think the sexual scenes I wrote were tame in comparison to a lot of books I’ve read. 

However, I enjoy the works of a lot of new authors. Romance is here to stay, and I guess it too will reflect the time we live in.

About the author:
Leona Pence started reading romance novels as a teen. She graduated from Nancy Drew stories to Harlequin Romance, and then to her favorite author, Barbara Cartland and her vast Regency romance collection. Happy endings were a must.

Leona began writing late in life after the death of her husband of forty-four years. They married on her 19th birthday after a three month courtship – and yes – love at first sight really did happen.

She enjoys reading, writing, online pool, and especially being a Mentor in F2K, a free online writing course.


Author's Giveaway
The author is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a random commenter during the tour.

23 comments:

Unknown said...

thank you for the chance to win :)
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com

Claudia said...

Interesant interviul si povestea cartii este una bine conturata.

michie2003 said...

Congrats and thanks for the chance.

Vesper said...

expose a crime and thwart a murder mixed in with romance, sounds like a good read


meikleblog at gmail dot com

Leona~Author said...

Thank you Lisa, Claudia, Michelle, and Vesper, for stopping by to read my interview.

Yes, Vesper, it is a good read, but I'll admit to being biased.

Good luck in the drawing.

L. K. Killian said...

Hey Leona,

I loved your interview here with Mythical Books. Not your everyday questions and some superb answers by you. I too love gentle romances. Your book is great. I highly recommend it. Five stars.
Linda

Leona~Author said...

Thanks, Linda. Yes, the questions were different and good ones too.

I appreciate your recommendation.

Unknown said...

Great interview. I think it's amazing that you found love at first sight:)

alena said...

Lovely cover and great interview and plot too, soounds like a great book

Leona~Author said...

Thank you, Angie and Vero.

Yes, love at first sight is an amazing feeling. I was blessed with a wonderful man.(nope, not perfect)

I'm glad you stopped by.

Leona~Author said...

Thank you for hosting me on your blog. The layout is beautiful and very eye catching.

Unknown said...

I love the thought of an author who crafts books especially for readers with "escapism" as our way of coping with life's many stresses. Thanks!

Alisha S. said...

thanks for the chance to win
sienkiel1821 at yahoo dot com

Leona~Author said...

You're welcome, Lori and Glenn. Thanks for stopping by and reading the interview.

Lots of luck.

Debby said...

I used to love reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.,

Joyce said...

A different set of questions from the usual, and great answers to go along with them. I highly recommend this book to those who read romance, and those who don't.

Great tour, Leona.

VampedChik said...

I'll definitely have to grab this one. Thanks for sharing!
-Amber
goodblinknpark(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

Kai said...

This book has everything. Romance, mafia, being at the wrong place. and the HEA ending.

Unknown said...

Yet another great interview. Thanks Leona, you're an inspiration. Thanks also for a chance to win.

nurmawati djuhawan said...

i love reading romance book ..
thx u for hosting ^^

-nurmawati_
chiko_jubilee at yahoo dot com

Leona~Author said...

Thanks to all of you who stopped by and left comments. I really appreciate it. You've made this blog stop the best yet.

Von Rupert said...

Excellent interview questions and answers. Having someone else vouch for a love interest is a very tricky and effective way to convince the reader (and the heroine) of an upstanding character. I've seen it done, but never recognized it until Leo pointed it out. Thanks.

Amy said...

Thanks so much for the excerpt and the giveaway! Have a bless day!