Brooke Moss {#Author Interview +Giveaway}

The Book Faery Reviews is excited to have Brooke Moss here today to talk about her latest book The What If Guy. You can read our review of the book here. Amy Stogner, one our book reviewers gave it 4 out of 4 stars and swears she’d read it again.

Brooke Moss: Thanks for having me, Farrah! It’s a pleasure to be on your blog today.

The Book Faery Reviews: Thank you for giving The Book Faery Reviews the opportunity to ask you questions about you and your latest book The What If Guy. One of our reviewers read your book and was surprised at how much this story touched her.

BM: Aww, I’m so glad. I love knowing that my story touched someone on a deeper level than they expected. That shows me that I’ve done something right.

TBFR: In 2 sentences, could you summarize your book for our readers here at The Book Faery Reviews?

BM: Autumn Cole has been avoiding her hometown for entirely to long, and now–between her father needing her, and her tween son needing some stability–she’s back. Enter one good looking ex college sweetheart turned junior high history teacher, and hilarity, and maybe even a few tears, abound.

TBFR: Is there some inspiration behind the book’s topics of alcoholism, single motherhood, and new love that you’d mind sharing?

BM: Both topics are close to my heart, and subject matter that I’ve dealt with at some point in my life. I feel like romance novels don’t often get a fair shake. It’s not always light and fluffy (though I do have my fair share of fluff), and sometimes romance novels can tackle the tough stuff, too. I took two topics that I felt like I had enough personal experience with to convey the story properly, and ran with it. In this case, it worked in my favor. And I’m so proud of Autumn, Henry, Elliott, and Billy’s stories, it brings a tear to my eye.

TBFR: What was the most challenging part of writing The What If Guy?

BM: Finishing it. I could have gone on to tell Henry and Autumn’s story for another 100K words. Easily.

TBFR: Any advice to someone writing their first work of fiction? {hint-hint…this one’s for me as I begin this month with NaNo}

BM: Never give up. Ever. Write your book. Then edit it to a sparkling shine. Then…edit it again. When it’s sparkly and shiny and perfect, query it. If you get rejected a hundred times, write another book. Then edit it. Then query it. Then, while you query it, write another. And so on and so forth. The advice is: Never give up. Keep writing. Don’t ever stop with one book. Always keep cultivating new ideas, and writing more books.

TBFR: Are you currently reading a novel right now? What is it? Or are you instead working on your next novel? If so, could you give us a sneak peak into it?

BM: I’m doing both! I am currently reading Kristan Higgins’ “Until There Was You”, and like all of her other books, it is wonderful. I seriously doubt that woman can write anything that doesn’t rock. I am also just starting my seventh book, and on submission with my sixth. I also have a romantic women’s fiction trilogy coming out June, July, and August of 2012. Think “My Best Friend’s Wedding” meets “Pretty In Pink” with a dark twist.

TBFR: What does your personal library look like? I find our books can give us a glimpse into who a person is like. We’d love a glimpse into your library or writing space. If you’d like to share a picture, we’d love it even more!

BM: Argh…I don’t actually have a pic of my office! But I will describe both my library and my office for you…

My office is painted a lovely shade of periwinkle blue called “Babbling Brook”, which my husband found hilarious when he picked it out. I have a long desk that runs half the length of two of the walls, in an “L” shape. There is a dark wood wardrobe on one side of the room that holds a TV, because I would die if I couldn’t watch “Top Chef” or that new show “Once Upon a Time” while writing. (Have you seen it?? Totally amazing.) There is a closet with a bookshelf that holds all of my paper copies of books I’ve bought at signings (I’m a fan first–always) and that I’ve won at conferences )Just got back from ECWC–it was fabulous!) and in the far corner is my treadmill…which I loathe.

My library is mostly located on my Nook. (Though, I try really hard to download books from independent sites, or sites of locally owned stores first, as I am a major locally owned business supporter.) I have every book Kristan Higgins has ever written. Why? Because I am stalking her. Well, sort of…I also have them all because she’s brilliant. Haven’t read them? Get them now. You won’t regret it. I also have a fair share of Nora Robert’s books. Mostly her contemporaries, with no magical elements, though I do have a few of those, too. I have a few YA’s on my Nook as well, but I am extremely picky with which YA’s I read. Entangled Publishing has put out some impressive YA’s lately that have been blowing my mind! I also have a lot of Jane Porter, and will buy pretty much anything that Liza Palmer puts out. Why? Because she is amazing and gifted, and can make me laugh so hard, I feel like I am going to throw up…and then make me cry in the same paragraph. Love her.

TBFR: Brooke, we’re happy to have had you here at The Book Faery Reviews. Looking forward to your future works and having you come back again.

BM: Thank you so much for having me! It was an honor. Find me elsewhere on the web, at my website, blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Fondly,
Brooke Moss

After losing her job at a swanky Seattle art gallery, single mother Autumn Cole reluctantly returns to her tiny hometown of Fairfield, Washington. Autumn’s disgruntled twelve-year old son isn’t thrilled about going from hip to hick, but Autumn’s got it worse. She’ll get to resume her role as the town drunk’s daughter.

When his public divorce turns ugly, history teacher Henry Tobler decides to disappear. He finds exactly what he’s looking for amidst Fairfield’s quirky residents, but when the woman he’s pined for since college shows up and nearly breaks his nose in front of a classroom full of twelve-year-olds, his newfound peace threatens to crumble.

Autumn cannot believe Henry is in Fairfield, or that fate chose such a miserable time to drop him back in her life. She and her father face a crisis decades in the making. Can rediscovering love–and herself–with her “what if” guy teach Autumn to forgive before it’s too late?

• Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction
• Length: 274 pages
• Release Date: August 2011
• ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-18-3
• Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-19-0

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Thanks to Entangled Publishing and the author, we’re giving away ONE e-copy of The What If Guy to a lucky reader of The Book Faery Reviewers. This giveaway is open internationally and runs through the month of November. Winner will be selected December 1st.  Just leave a comment for the author to enter!