For the Longest Time by Kendra Leigh Castle – Interview, Review & Giveaway
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Description:
For Samantha Henry, it took a ten-year absence to appreciate the close-knit New England town with an appeal all its own….
After a perfect storm of events leaves Sam high, dry, and jobless, she has to head home to Harvest Cove to regroup. Growing up, she was the town misfit, and a brief high school romance that resulted in heartbreak made her realize she was never going to fit in. But now with the support of her mother and an unexpected circle of allies, Sam starts to wonder if she’s misjudged the town all these years.
Life’s been good to Jake Smith. He transitioned from popular jock to town veterinarian without any trouble. But Sam’s homecoming makes him question his choices. The sharp-tongued beauty was never a good fit for the small community, but he’s never forgotten her—or how good they were together. While she makes it clear she’s not about to repeat the past, Jake’s determined to convince her to give him—and Harvest Cove—a second chance.
Review:
For the Longest Time by Kendra Leigh Castle is the first book in her new Harvest Cove series. Sam Henry is our heroine, and as the story begins, she is driving back home to Harvest Cove, after being away for 10 years. Sam laments how everything in New York that was on its way to a promising career as an artist, falls apart, and her roommate leaves her alone. Sam does what she has to do, go back home to regroup financially. But Sam dreads going back home, since she has only been back for family affairs a few times over the years. She left as a teenager, after graduation, having suffered a heartbreak and humiliation. Sam being artist, even in her teenage years was considered a “freak”, and treated like an outcast. The High School “clique” (in-crowd) did not like her artistry clothes or hair (many colors), so she was ridiculed often for being different.
Jake Smith was the high school jock, who was a member of the “clique”. Sam had a private crush on Jake, who noticed Sam and ended up dating her a few times. Only to feel the pressure from his peers, eventually dumping her.
Now all these years later, he runs into Sam as she arrives at her mom’s house. She ends up helping him pick up some stray cats. Sam learns quickly that her childhood crush is now the town’s veterinarian, and he is even hotter than he was in his school days. But Sam is leery, and wants nothing to do with Jake, who already is eying the beautiful and grown up, Sam.
What follows is a sweet romance that builds despite what happened in the past. Sam is now stronger, with a backbone to stand up for herself. She isn’t totally confident to face Jake’s friends, who made her life a living hell, and who are still in this day, very much the same ignorant group. This is somewhat of a lesson on prejudice and how it can affect the lives of others.
Sam, despite her determination not to get involved, does find herself falling for Jake, and having his dog, Tucker and the kittens around doesn’t hurt. They are adorable. Jake is truly a nice guy, and a hunk. He knows what he did as a teenager was wrong and is bent on proving himself to Sam that he is not the boy she knew. I loved their relationship. Watching their romance grow, as each began to trust each other more, and open up. Will Jake stay with Sam, or fall once again to his friends prejudices? Will Sam be able to resume her artist career?
This was a really nice story, with a lot of humor and fun. Sam and Jake made a nice couple that we rooted for pretty early on. Some of the secondary characters, were very nice, and since this series will continue, I look forward to learning more about them. I also adored Loki (Sam’s kitten), and Tucker (Jake’s lovable dog). I totally recommend reading For The Longest Time, as it was a fun, humorous read, with a great couple, cute animals, and with a serious subject in the background.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
Hi Kendra. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.
TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself?
Kendra: Thanks for having me here today! Hmm, about me…I’m 37, a Navy wife from Northern New York who has now lived all over the country. I’ve been writing professionally since 2007, which is when I sold my first book, and For the Longest Time is my first contemporary romance. Up until now, it’s been all paranormal, which was a lot of fun…but I was ready to try something new! I drink a lot of coffee, love animals (we have two Newfoundland dogs and a big Siberian cat), and have three kids. I spend a lot of time running around with my hair on fire.
TRC: Have you always been interested in writing?
Kendra: Always. I was a bookworm by the time I was three, an early and voracious reader. The writing stemmed naturally from that. I wrote a lot of bad poetry as a kid, and I actually remember one really, really awful attempt at a romantic vampire story when I was maybe ten or eleven. Fortunately, both my skills and my ideas improved!
TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing?
Kendra: Staying on track and pushing through the days when I don’t seem to have anything to say is probably my biggest challenge. Sometimes the words flow better than others, and sometimes every word is a struggle. It’s amazing how long it can take to write three pages when your brain is in “I’m tired and I don’t wanna” mode. That’s the worst for me!
TRC: For the Longest Time is the first book in your Harvest Cove series. How did you come up with the idea for this series?
Kendra: That was the easy part, really…I love small town settings in books, maybe because I grew up in one. When I knew I was going to try to write a contemporary, creating a small New England town to set it in was a given for me, and I really enjoyed doing it. The town is the heart of the series, and I hope readers see it as a sort of character in its own right.
TRC: Can you tell us the premise of Harvest Cove, and how many books do you have planned?
Kendra: The series is about a bunch of interconnected people who call Harvest Cove, Massachusetts home. I’m working on the third book right now, and I’d love to just keep writing them…I don’t have an end point in mind right now. I know the Cove has a lot more stories for me to tell!
TRC: Would you please give us a brief description of For the Longest Time?
Kendra: Sure! For the Longest Time is a story about second chances, complete with a charming misfit unwillingly returning home, the handsome veterinarian who broke her heart, and an adorable kitten who unwittingly brings them back together. When artist Sam Henry loses her job and her inspiration, she doesn’t have much of a choice but to return home to Harvest Cove, the town where she never fit in…and she has the emotional scars to prove it. The last person she wants to see is Jake Smith, the popular jock turned town veterinarian, but thanks to a litter of orphaned kittens underneath her mother’s porch, he’s one of the first people she encounters. Sam has come a long way from the shy, bullied girl who unwisely trusted Jake with her heart, and no matter how hot the sparks still flying between them are, she’s determined not to repeat the mistakes of her past. But Jake has grown up too, harboring his own regrets. And he’s determined to show Sam that sometimes, a first love deserves a second chance.
TRC: You write both contemporary romance & paranormal romance. Do you have a preference? Have you ever thought about writing in another genre?
Kendra: No preference. When I first started writing, I couldn’t imagine doing anything but paranormal romance. As time went on, though, and the market changed, I started to feel like I should try to stretch myself a bit and see what else I could do. As I said, I’ve always found small town settings appealing, so I decided to try a small town contemporary…and I loved it! I’m naturally inclined to throw a lot of humor into my stories, and that’s always been something I’ve had to rein in when writing darker paranormals. Now, though, I can just write funny and sweet, and it’s really, really comfortable for me. Both subgenres are great fun to write in, and it’s nice to be able to do both. As far as writing in a completely different genre, the only one I might consider is fantasy, but I’m too busy to even think about really giving it a go right now!
TRC: What are you currently working on?
Kendra: I’m writing the third book in the Harvest Cove series, Zoe’s story. She’s a character I really loved writing in For the Longest Time, and she definitely deserves her own happily ever after!
TRC: What is your writing process? Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place?
Kendra: I have three kids with their own interesting schedules, and I’m the official chauffeur, so…I try to write when they’re all in school. But mostly I just squeeze it in whenever I have time during the day. I do have a couple of comfy chairs I head for with my laptop, though. And I need it to be quiet, because I’m easily distracted. That’s why one of my comfy chairs is in my bedroom, out of the way of my noisy crew!
TRC: Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth. Do you have anyone you like to discuss your stories with?
Kendra: If I get stuck, I’ll bounce things off of my mom. She’s an excellent sounding board. My editor, too, has proven to be excellent at spitballing ideas with me. Beyond that, though, I’m a pretty quiet, solitary writer. I don’t tend to like to show things off until I’ve really fleshed them out and finished them.
TRC: What books, authors or people in your life have influenced your writing?
Kendra: The romance authors who’ve most influenced me are the ones I grew up reading—Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, and Nora Roberts are the big ones. There’s a warmth and intimacy to their writing that I’m always striving for with my own. Outside of romance, Stephen King, for his amazing way with characters, and Neil Gaiman, for his gorgeous prose.
TRC: When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?
Kendra: I like to read and play video games to unwind. I used to sing, as well…I sang tenor in a barbershop quartet and chorus, and I sang in a church choir. That’s something I’ve always loved to do, and something I’d love to get back into one of these days (did I mention my children keep me super busy right now?).
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Kendra: I’ve got nothing to add except to thank you again for having me here today! For the Longest Time is a book I’m very proud of—I really hope readers enjoy this first trip to Harvest Cove!
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Dessert: Cherry cheesecake
Favorite Movie: Stardust
Favorite TV Show: Game of Thrones
Favorite Movie or TV Celebrity: Alan Rickman
Dark or Milk Chocolate: Milk
Favorite literary character (not your own): Arya Stark
Dog or Cat: Both!
Thank you Kendra, for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with For the Longest Time.
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Kendra Leigh Castle. Today Kendra will be discussing her new release, For The Longest Time, which is the 1st book in her new Harvest Cove series. Kendra will also tell us what she has upcoming.
Let’s talk to Kendra.
Kendra and her publisher are offering a paper copy of her new release For The Longest Time to one (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.
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3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.
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6. Giveaway is open to USA only.
7. Giveaway runs from July 8 to July 11, 2014
