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Emma Cane-Interview and Giveaway with the Author

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Emma Cane-Interview and Giveaway with the Author

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With the recent release of THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY and A PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL The Reading Cafe would like to welcome author Emma Cane.

Interview 1

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TRC: Hi Emma and welcome to The Reading Café.

Emma CaneEmma: Thank you so much for having me!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Please tell us something about yourself.

Emma: I write the contemporary small-town series Valentine Valley for Avon Books. I sold my first book back in 1998, after thirteen years of trying and three completed books. That was my first historical romance, written as Gayle Callen. I just finished writing my 32nd book, somed of them still historicals as Gayle. I’m married, with three grown kids and two adorable dogs. I love to read (of course), watch TV, crochet, travel, and snowshoe and hike with my husband and dogs.

TRC: What or who influenced your foray into writing?

Emma: I went to Catholic school as a kid, and I had a great English teacher, Marilyn Reiser, who started me on my writing journey. But Star Trek was really influenced me. I loved the idea of outer space and alien worlds so much that I wanted to try my hand at it. The first stories I wrote were about teenagers in space, and my high school friends passed them around to read. And then I read my first historical romance, and that was just it. I fell deeply in love with romance, and my first high school attempt at one was a Western historical romance. I find it funny that now I write modern day books set in the west, since all the historicals I publish are about England.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of:

Click HERE for our reviews of THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY and A PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL

The Cowboy of Valentine ValleyTHE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY

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Emma: THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY is the third book in my Valentine Valley series—but you definitely don’t need to read them in any order. Josh Thalberg, a cowboy and leather craftsman, thinks his world is dandy—until he meets reformed Hollywood bad girl, Whitney Winslow, who’s opening a branch of her upscale lingerie store, Leather and Lace, in Valentine Valley and thinks leather necklaces created by Josh will wow her customers. She keeps pushing her advice about promoting his work—until a publicity photo she insisted he take goes viral and Josh becomes the most desired cowboy in America.

A Promise at Bluebell HillA PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL

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Emma: Secret Service agent Travis Beaumont is supposed to be preparing for the wedding of the president’s son in Valentine Valley, but flower shop owner and activist Monica Shaw has a secret that might jeopardize his assignment. In her heyday, she was an activist. It seems the widows of the Widows’ Boardinghouse think a presidential wedding is the perfect time for another protest—putting Monica squarely between them and hunky Travis, who has a job to do.

TRC: What was the inspiration behind the fictional town of Valentine Valley?

Emma: First of all, I really wanted to do a small town where everyone knew each other. Next I chose to set it in Colorado ranching country because of my son, as I mentioned above, but also because I’d visited the area and knew how gorgeous it was. And of course I wanted cowboys! Not that all my heroes are cowboys… 😉 But I really wanted a town known for romance, where people fell in love or renewed their vows or came there specifically to propose or get married. And the name Valentine Valley was born!

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the Valentine Valley series and can each of the novels be read as a stand-alone?

Emma: Yes, each novel has its own main characters and can be read alone. You’ll meet characters from other books, but I hope that just makes you want to read about them. Right now I’m under contract for two more, SLEIGH BELLS ON MAIN STREET, which comes out in November, and another to be published in spring 2015. I hope to keep going after that, as long as the readers enjoy them.

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Emma: Good question! As someone said, there’s not a plot that hasn’t been done before. BUT, it’s the author’s style of writing that makes each book different. And of course, the characters. I spend a lot of time figuring out their backgrounds and flaws, coming up with several goals and conflicts for each of them, and making sure those goals clash. If they’re happy and nothing stands in their way, the book is over in Chapter One. Characters that feel real make you, the reader, believe in the world I’ve created.

TRC: You also write historical romance novels under the name Gayle Callen. Do you have any plans for a new release in 2014?

Redemption of the DukeEmma: The newest book, REDEMPTION OF THE DUKE, publishing in May, is about Adam, the unexpected Duke of Rothford, who feels the need to make up for the mistakes he made during the war. He discovers that the sister of a man who died under his command is working as a lady’s companion. Surely he can improve her life. But Miss Faith Cooper wants nothing to do with him, until Adam is forced to take matters into his own hands.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Emma: I’m a plotter, which means I figure out much of the plot before I begin to write the book. As I mentioned above, I know everything about the characters, and I usually know all the main scenes. So most of the time, I’m the director. 😉 But when I’m writing, and those characters come to life, sometimes they make me realize they would never act the way I have planned in a certain scene, or they want to do something completely different. I usually can’t plan love scenes—they tend to happen because of what’s going on in the book, not advance planning. I don’t fight those instincts. I figure it’s my subconscious trying to get the book right.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Emma: After fifteen years of writing professionally, I still have days when the scenes won’t come to me. That’s the signal that something is wrong, and my subconscious is letting me know it. I have to put aside anxiety and trust myself. Staring at the screen usually doesn’t work. I think about the problem, and then I go do something else, housework, reading, exercising, anything. Eventually, my mind solves the problem without me even realizing it’s been working in the background the whole time.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Emma: I just finished writing the fifth book in the Valentine Valley series, SLEIGH BELLS ON MAIN STREET (November 2014), where single-dad Tony, who owns a popular tavern, discovers that his ex-wife has dropped back into town for the holidays and drives him crazy. Next I’ll start plotting and writing the sixth book of the series, due to be published next spring.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – ice cream

Favorite Dessert – and also chocolate. 😉

Favorite TV Show – Scandal

Last Movie You Saw – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk Chocolate

Secret Celebrity Crush – Liam Neeson. He became a big star after the movie “Taken,” but I fell in love with him during the Scottish historical movie, “Rob Roy.” Yes, he was wearing a kilt…

Last Vacation Destination – England, to visit my daughter as she studied during her semester abroad, and of course, to research!

TRC: Thank you Emma for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY and A PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL. We wish you all the best.

giveaway

Emma Cane and Harper Collins are offering a paper copy of the first book in the Valentine Valley series A TOWN CALLED VALENTINE to ONE (1) lucky commenter.

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.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Giveaway is open to US / CANADA only

6. Giveaway runs from March 28 to April 1, 2014

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The Cowboy of Valentine Valley / A Promise at Bluebell Hill by Emma Cane-reviews

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The Cowboy of Valentine Valley / A Promise at Bluebell Hill by Emma Cane – reviews

Valentine Valley Series

The Valentine Valley series by Emma Cane

The Cowboy of Valentine ValleyTHE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY (Valentine Valley #3) by Emma Cane

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 28, 2014

Welcome to Valentine Valley, where the cowboys have many talents and love is waiting around every corner . . .

Ever since a heated late-night kiss—that absolutely should not have happened—cowboy Josh Thalberg makes former Hollywood bad girl Whitney Winslow’s pulse beat faster. But when she decides to use his gorgeous leatherwork in her new upscale lingerie shop, Leather & Lace, she’s determined to keep their relationship strictly professional . . . even if she wants so much more.

Josh has never met a challenge he isn’t up for. Which is probably why he allowed Whitney to persuade him to take the sexy publicity photo that went viral—and now has every woman in America knocking down his door . . . every woman except the one he can’t get out of his head.

But how to convince a reformed bad girl that some rules are worth breaking?

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REVIEW: THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY is the third full length storyline (fifth story) in Emma Cane’s Valentine Valley adult, western romance series. This is cowboy/leather designer Josh Thalberg and lingerie business owner Whitney Winslow’s story. Whitney has returned to Valentine Valley eight months after approaching the town people about her desire to open up her third ‘Leather and Lace’ lingerie boutique and eight months following the kiss that has turned her dreams upside down. Although this is the third full length story it can be read as a standalone without too much difficulty. Many of the previous storyline characters play an integral role in THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY. The story is told from third person POV.

The focus of THE COWBOY OF VALENTINE VALLEY is Josh and Whitney’s building relationship and the drama surrounding small town mentality with the hopes of keeping the riff-raff at bay. When Whitney approached Josh about a designer line of leather collars for her shop, she had no idea the media fall-out that would occur when a few pictures of Josh showing his leather goods went viral on the social media networks. Add some enterprising ‘grandmas’ and the tabloid paparazzi and, Josh and Whitney will find themselves front and center in a small town scandal. Hoping to track down the people responsible, Whitney is surprised when the source of the problem is someone very close.

The relationship between Whitney and Josh is a second chance at love between two people who are perfect for one another but from different lifestyles and financial backgrounds. The romance is sensual and slow to build as our couple take the time to discover one another.

Emma Cane pulls the reader into a romantic tale set in a picturesque world where friends meet and fall deeply in love. It is a story (and series) where romance fuels the senses and love deepens the plot. The characters are colorful and approachable-they are people with hopes and dreams; heartbreak and sorrow; loves and dislikes. The world building continues as the Valentine Valley regulars draw in the reader for a peek at the past and the future storylines that have yet to be told.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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A Promise at Bluebell HillA PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL (Valentine Valley #4) by Emma Cane

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About the book: Release Date February 25, 2014

Welcome to Valentine Valley, where romance blooms and love captivates even the most guarded of hearts . . .

From the moment Secret Service agent Travis Beaumont strides into the town and through the door of Monica Shaw’s flower shop, she feels a sizzle of attraction. After years of putting everyone else’s needs first, Monica is ready to grab hold of life. If she can just persuade the ultimate protector to let his own walls down for once . . .

The President’s son is getting married in Valentine Valley, and Travis should be avoiding all distractions . . . not fantasizing about a forthright, sexy-as-hell florist. Especially when she’s keeping secrets that could jeopardize his assignment. But just this once, Travis is tempted to put down the rulebook and follow his heart—right to Monica’s door.

Roses are red, violets are blue, and in Valentine Valley, love will always find you.

••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: A PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL is the fourth full-length instalment in Emma Cane’s Valentine Valley series focusing on a tight knit group of friends and family in and around Valentine Valley, Colorado. This is florist Monica Shaw and Secret Service agent Travis Beaumont’s story. Although this is the fourth instalment, it can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty although I would suggest for your complete enjoyment, reading the series from the beginning as many of the references are interconnected from previous storylines. A Promise At Blue Bell Hill fast forwards the series approximately six to seven months.

The focus of the storyline is on the impending nuptials of the US President’s son with one of Valentine Valley’s own. Travis is the lead agent preparing for the president’s visit and must be on guard for any and all potential threats to the first family. Travis finds himself irrevocably drawn to Monica once he has entered her shop and their mutual attraction fuels the gossip in the small town of Valentine Valley. As the storyline builds, so too, do the secrets between our couple-Monica’s past and Travis’s true intent.

As the town of Valentine Valley prepares for the upcoming visit of the president and the wedding of the year, the reader is re-introduced to many of the previous storyline characters. We get another glimpse at the Valentine Valley’s feisty Widow’s Boarding house ladies; the gang at Tony’s Tavern; and all of the couples who fell in love in Valentine Valley.

Emma Cane writes a wonderful storyline about two people who met under auspicious circumstances-they were obviously destined to meet-but life and everything it has to offer will ensure that what they have is only a temporary thing. As the date nears for the president’s arrival, the ladies of the Widow’s Boarding house have other plans for welcoming the president and her family. Plans will be made, lines will be drawn and family will be pitted against one another.

The relationship between Monica and Travis is slow to build as they play around one another throughout most of the storyline. In this, I did not feel the connection between our leading couple. There was something missing in the ‘love’ department-perhaps it was Travis’s cold, brooding, dark Secret Service exterior –or Monica’s ‘laissez faire’ attitude about the entire relationship. The relationship took second place to the secondary storyline regarding the upcoming presidential visit and the plans the elder members of Valentine Valley had put into motion.

A PROMISE AT BLUEBELL HILL is a story that pulls together all of Valentine Valley’s lovers and friends. It is a story about a building romance between two people from different walks of life; a story about family, discovering the truth and, knowing when to let go. The world building continues throughout each instalment with the re-introduction of old friends, new lovers and future stories. Emma Cane weaves a story about a small town in Valentine Valley, Colorado and all of the romance it has to offer.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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