The Right Chord by Rose Ann DeFranco-Review, Interview & Giveaway
The Right Chord
Brothers of Audubon Spring #3
by Rose Ann DeFranco
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance
Release Date: August 6, 2014
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 6, 2014
Years in the cutthroat L.A. music industry have Kit Maggio yearning for love and acceptance in her hometown, Audubon Springs. Her position as a Theater Arts professor doesn’t erase years of being shoved aside by her family. Her baby sister is getting married, and her high school sweetheart doesn’t recognize her. Will she ever find what she needs?
Vince Iuliano never imagined he’d be a single dad. Vowing no woman will ever again break his daughter’s heart, he focuses on providing a happy and stable home. But when the love of his life rents the house next door, can he take a chance on happiness?
Vince never forgot Kit. Setting out to earn her forgiveness, they fall back into the rhythm of love and heat, much like the songs they wrote as teens. When L.A. calls, will Kit go, or stay and write her greatest love song?
••••••••••••••
REVIEW:
The Right Chord is a wonderful love story and the third in this Brothers of Audubon Springs series. The story is set back in Audubon Springs and this heartwarming and sometimes heart wrenching tale is the story of Vince Iuliano.
Backstory or setup: Vince Iuliano and Kit Maggio were a hot item back in their high school days. They loved each other as much as any teenager can love. However, Vince was a home and family kind of guy, his family owned a construction business and he pretty much wanted the small town life. Kit was a musical talent on the rise and looking to go to LA. Through some teen angst and misunderstandings he thought it would be better if her didn’t follow her or try to stop her from going, she thought she just wasn’t worth the trouble to him… like I said, angst and stuff!
The really great thing is that Rose Ann DeFranco can use this wonderful angst and its aftermath to weave a heart pounding rebirth of love between the right people. She does so with humor, style and magnificent timing!
I’m not into doing spoilers and ruining this incredibly passionate story. Let me just say their road back to each other and forgetting bad pasts for each of them is what makes this author the one you don’t want to put down. It’s the perfect story for this brother, just like the other two. However, the right thing doesn’t always happen first, as it probably should…shit happens!
Get a really big glass (or in my case a bottle) of your favorite beverage, a large supply of tissues, a few soft pillows to throw or throttle and dig in. Enjoy everyone, I certainly did!
Copy supplied by author.
Reviewed by Georgianna S
Reading Order
Return to Audubon Springs
Secondhand Romance
The Right Chord
TRC: Hi RoseAnn and welcome to The ReadingCafe. Congratulations on the August 2014 release of THE RIGHT CHORD – book three in your Brothers of Audubon Springs series.
We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?
Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Rose Ann: Thank you so much for having me here today! I am a wife and mother with a passion for the written word and super heroes. I work full time for a consulting firm. I’m a Dance Mom with a very active 11 year old, and I used to be a professional singer and actress.
TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?
Rose Ann: I come from a musical theatre background so the pursuit of an artistic or creative life has always been a part of my makeup. When I left the theatre life behind, I found a new creative outlet in writing. My father was the first person to tell me I had a voice in writing. He passed away before my first book was published.
TRC: When not writing, what do you do to relax?
Rose Ann: I love listening to music, singing, reading, bike riding, going to the beach, and just in general being with my family.
TRC: THE RIGHT CHORD is the third instalment in your Brothers of Audubon Springs romance series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?
Rose Ann: The three stories take place in a fictional Jersey Shore town. The focus is on three brothers in a big loving Italian family. The family, especially their dishcloth toting mother, meddles, and the women who come into their lives drive them crazy until they can’t help but fall in love. What surprised me a bit in my own writing is the humor. I’m not sure I intended to write funny heartwarming stories. I thought I was writing dramas at the start. But it makes sense, I’ve always subscribed to that, laugh so you don’t cry mentality. Sometimes we laugh until we cry.
TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?
Rose Ann: I only intended to write one story in Audubon Springs, but I fell in love with the town. When I finished Return to Audubon Springs, I didn’t want to leave. The entire plot of Secondhand Romance came to me as soon as I wrote THE END of the first book. THE RIGHT CHORD is the final book in this series since I’m all out of brothers, but stay tuned. I’m not done with Audubon Springs just yet.
TRC: Can each book be read as a stand alone?
Absolutely! While you may see characters from the previous books, each book is its own story from start to finish. In fact Kit, the heroine in THE RIGHT CHORD, was not featured in the previous two books even though it is a reunion romance.
TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story and series?
Rose Ann: The recurring theme of this series is home and family. It is all driven by emotions and family circumstances. This was not a research heavy project. I researched the region a bit and added more characters of Irish decent to the town as a result, but this is an area I know and the stories are very much a part of my own background. The hero Vince is a single dad with a six year old daughter. My husband was a single dad with a six year old son when I met him. Kit pretty much works as a profession in the theatre arts program where I attended college. So you see where I’m going with this, THE RIGHT CHORD is in some ways very close to me.
TRC: Have you considered a novella or spin off for any of the secondary characters?
Rose Ann: Funny you should ask! Many readers haves asked me about Mia, the cousin to Rafe, Tony and Vince. Her role is prominent in all three books in the series. I’m working on a holiday novella for her. Beyond that, I can see a new Audubon Springs series forming as a result of some characters I introduced in THE RIGHT CHORD, but right now I’m working on projects in other towns so I’m not sure when I’ll get to those stories. Mia deserves her day in the sun and a happy ending. I feel I owe it to her.
TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?
Rose Ann: I am a very character driven writer. I spend a lot of time getting to know my characters before starting a story. I usually have a strong sense of where I’m going, meaning the big moments, or turning points in a story before I hit go. When a character starts to steer the ship in a direction I hadn’t intended, I let them go. Usually end up where I was headed in the first place, but they may have taken me down a different path.
TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?
Rose Ann: I think if a writer has a comfortable voice, it is easy to invite a reader into your world. I’m a writer, but I consider myself a reader as well. I don’t like to read a story in which I feel the author is condensing, talking down to, or preaching to their readers. Also, characterization is so important to me. If I find too much in the way of inconsistent characterization in a book, I have to set it aside. I think if you’re true to your characters, you will invite the reader into your story.
TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?
Rose Ann: I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced writers block while in the middle of a project. There are times when a scene isn’t working as well as I’d like. One of the best things I’ve found to do at that point is to write some notes for myself as to what should our could happen in that scene, and then move on to another scene that I want to write at the time. Any anxiety I’ve experienced is possibly when I’m in-between projects. There is that moment of concern that a new cast of characters won’t show up on my doorstep. Fortunately, they always do!
TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?
Rose Ann: I’m really lucky to have a great group of writing friends and one amazing beta reader. Something I’ve learned over the years is that I’m very much an auditory writer, meaning I need to talk it out. My writing friends, critique partners and my husband are great for this. My husband is the best because sometimes he’ll ask questions that aren’t from a writer’s perspective that really prompt thought. These conversations usually end with me running out of the room to jot something down.
TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?
Rose Ann: I currently am pursuing writing in multiple genres. In the next five years I would like to have a new humorous contemporary romance series published, a young adult contemporary series publish and a young adult fantasy series published.
TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?
Rose Ann: I am really sort of an open book. I kept my musical theatre background in the closet for a while until after a drink or two I hit the karaoke mic at a writing conference a few years back.
TRC: On what are you currently working?
Rose Ann: Right now I’m working on Mia’s Audubon Springs Novella, a new humorous contemporary romance series, and a young adult contemporary. Lots of irons in the fire.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Rose Ann: Thank you for the opportunity to appear on your blog. I’m a fan of the site and just love what you do here.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: Almonds
Favorite Dessert: My mother’s apple pie
Favorite TV Show: Once Upon a Time
Last Movie You Saw: The Proposal (on TV), If I Stay (in the movie theatres)
Favorite Musical Group: Train
Dark or Milk Chocolate: Milk
Secret Celebrity Crush: Robert Downey, Jr. So not a secret, though!
Last Vacation Destination: Jamaica
Pet Peeve: When a TV is on too loud and no one is even watching it.
TRC: Thank you RoseAnn for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulation on all of your success.
RoseAnn is graciously offering winner’s choice (US/Canada-paper or ebook:
International-ebook only) of any ONE book in her BROTHERS OF AUDUBON
SPRINGS series to ONE commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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7. Paper copy or ebook (US/Canada only): ebook (International)
8. Giveaway runs from October 13 – October 17, 2014
