Monday, October 24, 2011

Cara Lynn James' "Love by the Book"

 Title: Love by the Book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson


Cover blurb: Savor this sweeping love story set in a lavish seaside mansion in 1901 Rhode Island.

Melinda Hollister is a society lady, intent on finding a rich husband before her peers discover her quickly diminishing wealth. Nick Bryson is all business, focused on making a name for himself in his father’s steamship line. Despite the marriage of their siblings, they rarely gave each other a second glance—until a tragic accident results in Melinda and Nick being appointed as co-guardians of their three-year-old niece Nell.

In order to get better acquainted with Nell and one another, Melinda and Nick agree to spend the summer in their own private quarters of the Bryson family vacation home, Summerhill. As their love for Nell grows, so does their attraction to each other. And for the first time in their lives, they sense that God has a bigger plan in motion.

Yet old habits die hard – and Melinda and Nick each find it difficult to resist the pull of their former worlds.

When the unthinkable happens, they find themselves faced with seemingly impossible choices and a new understanding of God’s true love.

1) How did this story come to you?
My editor suggested I write a ‘marriage of convenience’ story because it would be really different from my first two books in the Ladies of Summerhill series, Love on a Dime and Love on Assignment. Right from the beginning the idea intrigued me, so it was fairly easy to develop characters and a plot. I already had the setting of Newport, Rhode Island during the Gilded Age. The plot turned out to be more complex than I’d initially envisioned, but lots of fun to write.


2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Since Love by the Book was the third novel in a contracted 3 book series, it wasn’t difficult to get it published! It was harder to get the story just right for my editor. I’m glad she was so exacting because it made the story much stronger.


3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I don’t take escalators unless I have no alternative, I could live on popcorn, and I can’t carry a tune unless I’m singing with a group.


4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
My next book is called A Path toward Love. It’ll be released in July 2012. It’s set during the Gilded Age and it takes place in central Florida and Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. I’m working on revisions right now and they’re keeping me very busy. Too busy.


5) Parting comments?
If you’re a writer hoping to get published, I really encourage you to persevere. Don’t get side tracked by discouragement, your inner critic or anything that keeps you from learning the craft.


9) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.caralynnjames.com and http://www.seekerville/.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/pages/Cara-Lynn-James




19 comments:

  1. Please add me! This sounds interesting!

    Sarah
    sarahsantanablogs@gmail.com

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  2. thanks for the chance to read this wonderful story :)

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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  3. Rhode Island in 1901 sounds like great
    historical fiction...
    Thanks, Cindi
    jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  4. I like the colors in this story. Like...gloom and doom to sunshine and starry skies. Please enter me in this giveaway and thank you for the chance to win this lovely book.

    Blessings
    Barb shelton
    barbjan10@tx.rr.com

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  5. I love 'marriage of convenience stories'. My Mother does like escalators either. I know I would thoroughly enjoy reading LOVE BY THE BOOK.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  6. Thanks for the encouraging words!
    twinwillowsfarm at gmail dot com

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  7. would love to win.
    nakiassgeorge@yahoo.com

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  8. I love this book cover please include me in this giveaway thanks

    ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

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  9. Good morning! I'm working fast and furious (that means spinning my wheels) on revisions for A Path toward Love.

    I enjoyed writing Love by the Book because I like writing about villans along with heros and heroines. The contrast is so much fun.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. I've been enjoying this series set in the Gilded Age, Love by the Book sounds like a great addition. Please add me!
    worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

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  11. I've seen this book on many book blogs and would love to read it! Thank so much for the giveaway!

    Margaret
    singitm@hotmail.com

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  12. Love by the Book is the last of my Newport novels, at least for now. I really love Newport because of its rugged beauty and rich history, so I'm kind of sorry to leave it. Its easy to write about a location you really like. If I had a choice I'd live there!

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  13. I've read the other two books in this series, and would really love to read this one! Thanks for the chance.
    jackie.smith[at]dishmail[dot]net

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  14. This sounds like a great story idea - and I've read and loved the other two in the series. This one has been on my wishlist for quite a while. :o)

    margaretmetz_writer at yahoo dot com

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  15. I've enjoyed Cara Lynn James's previous two books, so I know "Love by the Book" will be great as well!
    Thanks for the chance to win!

    jafuchi7[at]hawaii[dot]edu

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  16. Hello Cara Lynn, I will look forward to your 'Path toward Love' as I live in Central Florida. :o) If you need any extra historical info for this area, there is a historian, Mr Rick Reed that writes for the Daily Commercial Newspaper out of Leesburg Fl - I can give you a contact number if you would like to have it. He has written on the history of the surrounding areas in Lake County for as long as I can remember - many many years at least. Your new book "Love by the Book" sounds delightful!!! Thanks for the free book drawing!!
    ~Dawn Adams
    daisyflower.adams@gmail.com

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  17. I would love to read your book. It sounds heartwarming.
    Linda L.
    dlarock (at) wolfenet (dot)com

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  18. Enjoyed reading your blog today. I'm just the opposite of you...I try never to ride in the elevator...I live in earthquake country and don't want to be stuck in one....I don't mind stairs or escalators. Your book sounds like one I would like ....I've written the title on my books to get the next time I'm shopping a bookstore.
    JFWisherd (at )aol(dot)com

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  19. I loved learning about the different authors on this blog. This book looks interesting and I'd love to read it! Thanks for sharing.

    bottleonboort@yahoo.com.au

    ReplyDelete

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