Tuesday, August 18, 2009

SUMMER OF TWO WISHES BLOG TOUR: INTERVIEW AND SPECIAL BONUS PRIZE!

GIVEAWAY ENDED
SUMMER OF TWO WISHES

BY JULIA LONDON
BLOG TOUR

ABOUT THE BOOK: SUMMER OF TWO WISHES

Whose wife was she?

Macy Lockhart's life shattered in a moment with the news that her husband, Finn--serving in the military overseas--has been killed in the line of duty. Their ardent and devoted marriage is over, leaving Macy alone and directionless. But while she tries to sustain herself with memories of Finn, the quiet, strong man who made her and their small Texas ranch the center of his life, it is wealthy Wyatt Clark who slowly brings joy back into her life. Her love for Wyatt may be less romantic than the breathless passion she'd once shared with Finn, but she vows to cherish him, and their marriage is happy and solid as a rock. Until the day that Finn, miraculously spared from death, returns home to claim his bride...

How can a woman choose between the two men she loves? And how will she make the right choice--for herself and everyone involved?


AN INTERVIEW WITH:
JULIA LONDON


Julia London was so kind to agree to an interview for this blog tour of SUMMER OF TWO WISHES with BOOKIN' WITH BINGO.
Welcome, Julie. Is there something you'd like to say to start off with?


I would like readers to know that
Summer of Two Wishes will be on sale August 18, and that for news, excerpts, and great contest giveaways, they should visit my website, www.julialondon.com. There is an “official” bio there, too, as well as an unofficial one.

What is the current of next book you are working on?

The next book set in Cedar Springs about a woman with a secret who hires on as a nanny to the children of a man who also has a secret. As things begin to heat up for them, and everything seems very rosy, their secrets unexpectedly intersect and everything comes undone.

I also write historical romance, and the last book in Scandalous Series, A Courtesan’s Scandal, will be published in November.

What have you just finished reading?


Life Sentences
by Laura Lippman. I had never read her before but my agent recommended her and I loved the book!

What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?

There are so many! First, there was Jane Austen and Edith Wharton and the Bronte Sisters. As a girl and a teen, I loved being transported back in time to the drawing rooms and wilds of England.

Then there was Iris Johannsen, who wrote romances before she wrote suspense. I picked up an old book hers at a garage sale—The Lion’s Bride—and I was transported in an entirely different way. That book was so sexy and was such a great love story.

And last but not least are the Irish and United Kingdom authors: Marian Keyes, Harriet Evans, Nick Hornsby, and Jasper Fforde, to name a few of my favorites. There are many more. I love their droll wit and the complex relationships they write about, or, in the case of Jasper Fforde, the splendid imagination.

What gets you started on a new book? A character or story idea or….?

Always the characters. I may have a story idea, but the first thing I see is the characters. I can imagine their lives and their personalities and their day-to-day living. The hard part for me is taking a story idea and a couple of characters, and then building a really good plot around them.

What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don't know?

I have ridden a camel with a Bedouin tribe. I have! It was years ago when I was in a student exchange program and I ended up in the Sultanate of Oman. One day we were taken out to see how Bedouins lived, and they had a camel, and I had a very big curiosity, coming from a ranch in Texas, and the next thing I knew, I was riding one. It was apparently a good experience for all, as I heard later they named a baby camel for me.

What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

To write. Writing is like anything you want to do well—you have to practice your craft and keep at it, every day. You have to write to know if your stories have beginnings, middles, and ends. You have to write to know if you have the discipline it takes to see a story through to the end. And you have to write to improve.

What is something you would like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general?

I am a sucker for a good love story. Does it ever get old? I love the interaction between a man and a woman, the feeling of falling in love, the feeling of security, the feeling of being someone’s one and only. I guess I love love.

To find out more about the life of Julia London, go here which is a charming bio on her website.

GIVEAWAY
Thanks to Sarah Reidy at Simon & Schuster
I have a copy of the marvelous book to give away
on this tour. I hope you will like it as much as I
did and if you don't win, you can buy one by
clicking here!

RULES:
Sorry, since I pay the postage on this one,
U. S. Residents only
No P. O. Boxes, Please!
Include your email address in your comment

HOW TO ENTER:
I made this one really easy!
All you have to do is comment below
with your email address and tell me
one summer wish you had (whether
it came true or not)! That's it!

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY
6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 6

BONUS BONUS BONUS!!!
IF THIS GIVEAWAY GETS MORE THAN 50
ENTRIES, I WILL PURCHASE A COPY
OF THIS BOOK AND SEND IT DIRECTLY
TO YOU! AND THAT WOULD BE TWO
WINNERS...IF IT GETS MORE THAN 100
ENTRIES, I WILL BUY TWO EXTRA COPIES
AND THAT WOULD BE THREE WINNERS!!!
...SO IT MIGHT BE A GOOD
IDEA TO LET YOUR FRIENDS AND
BLOGGERS KNOW BY TWEETING
OR BLOGGING ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY!

HERE ARE THE OTHER SITES ON TOUR FOR THIS BOOK! GO VISIT THEM AS THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF GOOD "STUFF" HAPPENING!

My Book Views: my-book-views.blogspot.com
Book Soulmates: http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/
Just Jennifer Reading: http://justjenniferreading.blogspot.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
My Guilty Pleasures: http://www.mgpblog.com/
Bookin’ with Bingo: http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
The Tome Traveller: http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
Bella’s Novella: http://www.bellasnovella.com/
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
Eclectic Book Lover: http://www.eclecticbooklover.com
One Person’s Journey Through A World Of Books: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/
Foreign Circus Library: http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/
My Own Little Corner of the World: http://molcotw.blogspot.com/
Alpha Heroes: http://alphaheroes.blogspot.com/
Pudgy Penguin Perusals: http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/
Seductive Musings: http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/
Bibliophiles ‘R Us: http://nightdweller20.wordpress.com/
Park Avenue Princess: http://aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com/
Power in the Blog: http://jesharris.wordpress.com/
Books and Needlepoint: http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/

56 comments:

Rebecca C said...

I really wanted to go to Scotland last summer and I hinted and hinted, even bought a book on travel to Scotland, my DH never took the hint, just said yea, that might be fun. Then he planned a trip to see his sister and brother in law to go fly fishing in Montana. Yea, lots of fun....

rebecca[dot]cox[at]charter[dot]net

Rebecca C said...

http://twitter.com/ccqdesigns/status/3382562816 Here's my tweet!

rebecca[dot]cox[at]charter[dot]net

Kaye said...

Great interview, Karen. You always come up with such good questions ! This is a great book, isn't it. I really enjoyed it. Don't enter me in your drawing as I have the book. Congrats on winning at Circle of Books. Toni had some nice (blushing) things to say about us.

Have a good week and happy reading.

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I love stories about presumed dead loves coming back to life! (like the movie "My Favorite Wife" - love that one!)

Summer wish: that I wouldn't get pregnant after my first kiss (I didn't know how it worked, back then)

Please enter me!

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

Sue said...

My wish for this summer was to enjoy my kids so much that I wouldn't want them to go back to school. I almost made it...
Thanks for the giveaway.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

bermudaonion said...

My summer wish was to go to New York, and it did come true! Thanks for another great giveaway. milou2ster(at)gmail.com

Danielle said...

My summer wish was for my husband, our 3 boys and I to spend some good quality time together with our focus being solely on the Lord. We did just that! We went to church camp for 10 days and all had such a great time growing in the Lord and strengthening our relationships with each other!

danielle78@comcast.net

Libby's Library said...

Well - Several years ago, I desperately wanted to go to Hawaii to see one of my daughters, her husband and their new baby boy.
My dear sweet husband arranged the trip and took off the time to go with me (as I'm terrified of flying - and get lost and dizzy [long story] in airports). We spent almost two weeks there. My husband loved Hawaii so much, that we went back again 9 months later.

Thanks for the interview and giveaway.

libneas[at]aol[dot]com

scottsgal said...

My summer wish was to be able to travel and we've done quite a bit of that - I've been fortunate

msboatgal at aol.com

Kat Bryan said...

My summer wish was to find a good part-time job ... didn't happen.

This book sounds exactly like an updated version of A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore. I'd like to read it and see how the endings compare.

winterset AT peoplepc.com

Anonymous said...

My summer wish was to relax and read...and that's what I'm doing. Please add my name to this great book giveaway...thanks.

karen k
kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com

holdenj said...

My summer wish was to keep up with my garden, and it's pretty close to coming true. I should probably be out picking green beans right now!

Looks like a great story.

JHolden955 (at) gmail (dot) com

Thanks.

Beverly said...

A summer wish is to take off every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. But it seems we always get a big project in the summer so this summer wish has not come true

Nikola said...

What a great interview! She seems like such a nice person, and the camel experience was really fun to read about!

The book sounds great as well. Unfortunately, I live outside of the US, but I just wanted to let you know you have a fabulous blog here and that you got yourself a follower! :)

chey said...

My summer wish was to go swimming in the lake every day. We haven't had much swimming weather this year.

chey127 at homail dot com

Beth said...

I really wanted to go to Disney with the kids. Didn't get there. But we were able to plan the trip for later this year!

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Julia London said...

Karen, thank you so much for interviewing me and having this contest on your site. I really appreciate it.

My summer wish was that I would get to August and not have a deadline, but alas, that did not happen. Still slogging away and complaining about the heat

storylady said...

Summer of Two Wishes sounds likea good read. Your life sounds really exciting.
My wish for this summer was getting all my family together, but it didn't happen. Each had too many commitments, and couldn't come. It's disappointing but we will get together for the holidays.
Hope I win.
Thanks
Sharon Schafer
email storylady17@aol.com

Unknown said...

My wish this summer is just beginning. I am a first year medical student at AUA in Antigua and I just came home for my 10 day vacation. My biggest wish is to see all my friends and family within this short frame of time before I have to go back. So far, I am off to a good start =) (and also to catch up on some good books)

Mindy Moore said...

I was desperate to go see U2 play at Slane Castle in Ireland back in 2001. Sadly, I didn't get to be there. But I have at least been able to experience that night on dvd, and I've seen them live in Texas a couple of times. Still, it isn't quite the same as being in Ireland with the crowd there. Oh well. Maybe another time.

mindymoore78[at]yahoo[dot]com

Pearl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sara said...

This past summer I wanted to see my infant son smile for the first time. And he did. Not only did he smile but he laughed at me. I couldn't have been a happier person.

Sara said...

I wanted to see my infant son smile for the first time. And he did. Not only did he smile but he laughed at me. I couldn't have been a happier person.

Meghan said...

My summer wish was to finish my MA dissertation. Not done yet, but I'm getting there!

meghankk at gmail dot com

Debbie Kaufman said...

I wanted to go to Nationals this summer, but didn't get to go. I am aiming for next year.

Intriguing conflict. Can't wait to read this one.

Julie@My5monkeys said...

thanks sounds like a great book and great interview too

aprilmom00 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Vicki King

I hope you are having a wonderful summer.

My summer wish, is that I could survive the summer with my four boys at home and keep sanity in tact. I'm hoping that I make it....lol

Have a great day!

vicki{dot}king{at}yahoo{dot}com
vicki.king@yahoo.com

RAnn said...

I wished for a date with the really cute lifeguard--and I got it. ruthjoec at aoldotcom

Erin said...

Great interview! I love all of of Julia's books.

My summer wish was to go to DisneyWorld! We had a great time!

Erin44s AT hotmail DOT com

CrystalGB said...

My summer wish was to take a vacation. With home improvement projects being so expensive, my wish didn't come true.

Crystal816{at}hotmail{dot}com

Molly said...

My summer wish was to be able to spend quality time with my two wonderful little boys and grow closer! It came true! Please enter me for a chance to win a book! She writes wonderful novels and I am looking forward to reading more of her books! Thanks for this chance!
Molly
Mollydawn1981@aol.com

Misty Williams said...

I wanted to spend time with my family and just have some old fashion fun. That is exactly what we did. :) Trips to the beach to relax and play. Nothing better than that when you have lots of kids and a wonderful hubby.

misty@mistywright.com

nfmgirl said...

Tragic situation, huh? Please count me in. Thanks so much!

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

Paula said...

My summer wish was to take a vacation but with a senior graduation and getting son off to the Univ of Iowa it never happened. Oh well, there is always next year.
pjhess55hotmail.com

Kristin said...

My summer wish was to get healthy, and I am well on my way!

kristin.l.fitzgerald at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

My summer wish was to go back to Italy. If all works out...my family and I will be going next year. Then, my summer wish would be that my cats don't hate me for being away for so long...

dee30dh@gmail.com

Nancye said...

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Summer Wish: I have a nerve disorder called RSD. I traveled to Tampa for a special treatment. My wish was that it would have worked and that I would have gone into remission. I guess my new wish would be to have researchers come up with new treatment options to ease the relentless pain.

Mitzi H. said...

Summer wish: To meet a man that enjoyed the water as much as I did. And it did come true!!

mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net

DarcyO said...

My summer wish is that my husband find a new job soon!

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

Anonymous said...

I really wanted to go on a Mediterranean Cruise with three girlfriends. It didn't work out for us.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Bingo said...

Thank you all for entering this and all the giveaways. I have a new person I keep seeing entering today, Starryann? I wonder if you are coming here next to enter..if so welcome! If not, do come! Have a great day everyone!

kalea_kane said...

A summer wish of mine is to head back to Carmel, California. My husband and I went there for our honeymoon and the whole area was absolutely enchanting. Plus we found THE best clam chowder that either of us had ever eaten so far away from the East Coast. I know we'll get there again one of these days. I just long to look at the beautiful scenery again and feel the sand between my toes. :) Thanks for a lovely interview and giveaway, Karen.

kalea_kane(at)yahoo(dot)com

Kytaira said...

My summer wish as a teenager was to get a great tan. Never worked. Yes, now I know the hazards of tanning but waaaaayyyyyy back then we were just finding those things out and it didn't really matter to a teenager anyways.

lynda98662 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

My wish for this summer was to see the kitten my husband and I rescued thrive. When we found her she was close to death, unable to walk, experiencing seizures, starving and ravaged by fleas. Today you cannot recognize her as the same cat! She is chubby, very furry, happy, she plays like a kitten, has no fleas and no more seizures. She's our little miracle!

This looks like a wonderful book!
Thank you!

Amy
Aimala127@gmail.com

catss99 said...

My wish was to get healthy enough to return to school after an absence, and I made it!

amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

CherylS22 said...

My summer wish was for my husband to be called back to work - and he was!
megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com

Virginia C said...

I wished for a breezy Summer day by the water all by myself! Plenty of sweet iced tea, good reads, and peace. The perfect end to the day: a giant hot fudge sundae with walnut syrup and a big cherry on top! gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Natalie A. said...

My wish was to get away this summer! We didn't really get to do that, but hopefully next summer!

coolnatty12@yahoo.com

Ms. Cindy said...

I wished to see my kid's and grandkid's more, but I wasn't able to!
monkeyami1@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I wished I had a summer traveling around the world.Or, if we are wishing here - make it a year ;-)
aitmama (at) gmail (dot) com

Lost Without a Clue said...

My summer wish was to go to the beach and get a great tan. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate with me on this one for every time I planned to go it rained =[.

Anita Yancey said...

My one summer wish was to be able to take a trip this year. But I didn't get to take one. Maybe next year. This sounds like a wonderful book. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Leslie said...

Loved the interview. I've read some really good reviews for this book. I like the premise and can't wait to find out who Macy chooses.

My one summer wish was for a new car. Our son was just born and I really wanted a new, reliable car for our family. I got my wish and I'm still driving it 9 years later. LOL I think it's time for new wish. :)

Rebecca N. said...

My wish this summer was for my new son to start sleeping longer throughout the night. Thankfully, he has and the whole household is better rested and more cheerful each day because of it lol!

Thanks for the wonderful giveaway! imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Virginia C said...

I'm still wishing for the mountain cabin by the lake. A week by myself with good books and good food. I'm a new follower! gcwhiskas at aol dot com

The Demille's said...

My summer wish was to go camping...and it kind of happened...we went to the mountain and stayed the day...works for me!
rachel_demille@yahoo.com

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