Brooke Moss Interview and Giveaway!

"Brooke writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more!

When Brooke isn't spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading two books a week (ask her who her faves are), watching movies then comparing them to books, and, of course, wrangling four kids, one hubby she lovingly refers to as her "nerd", and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence."

 Hi Khelsey! Thanks for having me on your blog!

Can you tell us 3 things we can’t find about you on the internet?

Ummm...let's see: I don't drink at all; I'm a pescetarian--which means, I don't eat any meats, except for seafood & eggs; and when I went to college, I studied Art & Art History, but never finished getting my degree. I really wish I had a re-do on that one. :)

 

Can you tell us about your new book The Carny?

Sure! Here's the blurb:

"At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then he disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.

Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.

As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival?

After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover."

I loved writing this book because it all stemmed from a dream I had about a really handsome carny, which is a total oxy-moron, if you ask me. Carny's are usually a bit creepy, if you ask me. When I sat down to write it, I felt really compelled to add an aspect of racism to the story, but wanted to make it a bit less typical. So I made Vin a Native American. I really hope my readers enjoy this book, it's got a little piece of my heart connected to it. :)

 Out of all of your books what scenes stands out the most to you?

 There is a scene from my August release, Keeping Secrets in Seattle, that involved a sexual assault. Most of it hit the cutting room floor in edits, but I still have my rough draft version of it, and I am very proud of it. It took a lot of strength to write something so terrifying and awful, without being crass, and I was really proud of the end result.

What made you want to become an author?

This sounds cliche, but...I was meant to be a writer from the time I was a little kid. My mom says that for as long as she can remember, I was making up stories. When I was a kid, I would cut pictures out of Sears & JCPenny's catalogues, and then line them up on paper. I would name every member of the family, write out their personality, hopes & dreams. Then when the whole family was created, I would write "books" about them. I was really into families. I guess it's because I was the youngest of three kids, and both of my brothers were best friends with each other, and much older than me. I craved a big family like nobody's business, so a lot of my stories involved large broods. It's no wonder why I have four kids now! There is nothing else that I could do that is closer to my heart, than writing stories. It is every bit a part of who I am as my children, my husband, and my faith are. I'm honestly surprised it took me 35 years to become a professional author. It's just always been such a pivotal part of my life.

Can you tell us a little about Bittersweet?

 Sure! Here's the blurb:

"Anna Kirkpatrick isn’t looking for love. Being a single mom to Bowan, her eight-year-old autistic son, takes up all of her time…leaving no room for romance. Willing to do anything to help her son come out of his shell, Anna agrees to take Bowan to cooking classes with a world class chef.

Motorcycle-riding pastry chef Leo Mancini isn’t exactly searching for “the one”, either. After losing every penny he had, his business, and his girlfriend, he’s moved to northern Idaho to sulk, restart his career, and pay his sister back for a loan that no amount of money could ever really suffice.

When Anna and Leo discover that Bowan’s fondness for the kitchen extends beyond his peculiar cookbook collection, Leo quickly becomes the one person who can break through his barriers. But will Leo and Anna’s attraction lead to more than just a weekly cooking lesson?"

When I started Bittersweet, I knew only two things: 1.) I wanted to tell a story about an Autistic kiddo (I have a 3 and 1/2 year old son who is on the spectrum) who weasels his way into the heart of a "bad boy". And 2.) I was going through a major Johhny Iuzzini phase. (Don't know who he is? Google him....you're welcome.) When I combined the two, the magic just sort of happened. I loved the end result.

What does a typical writing day like for you?

 I usually get most of my writing done in the mid mornings, afternoons, and late at night. Usually in the mid mornings, it is while my two youngest children (age 5 and 3 1/2) are preoccupied with either a movie or a computer game or something. Since I can't rely on electronic babysitters all day (that would be frowned upon....right?) I have to turn my internet off for a couple of hours, and I am usually able to get my word count goals done. During the afternoon, I write while my older kids (age 10 and 13) are doing homework and chores. But the *real* writing time doesn't start until about 9pm. That's when I turn on my music (all of my books have playlists that inspire me), sit down, and start cranking out the chapters. I usually write until about 1-2am, and then I fall face down in my bed to dream about my characters until 7 or so in the morning....then it all starts over again. I'm very nocturnal.

 

What are you working on?

 I'm currently finishing a manuscript that is a fantasy YA. I pitched it at Connecticut Fiction Fest a few weeks ago, and it was requested (a lot) and so I am trying to force myself to finish the edits and send it out. Beyond that, I've got a contemporary romance that I'm excited to get back to after a 6 month break. (We weren't getting along, so I had to put it in time out.)

 If you could pick an author to write with whom would you pick?

 Hands down, Kristan Higgins. She's brilliantly talented, and very nice. I met her in May, and she didn't mind at all when I had my fangirl moment in her presence. Very, very nice lady.

Do you have a favorite character of yours?

I am partial to my heroes. Henry Tobler......*SIGH*. I love Henry. So patient and understated. Plus, a history buff who volunteered on the fire brigade and played violin? Um...hello, hot nerd. I love hot nerds. Leo Mancini...wow. Hello, a hot pastry chef covered in tattoos and riding on a Harley? Where do I sign up?? In The Carny, Vincent (Vin) Youngblood was especially fun to write about, because he was this classically nice guy, who had secrets. I love the fact that at first glance, he's perfect, but he's got some pain and agony he's hiding under the surface. Then there's Gabe Parker, from my August release, Keeping Secrets in Seattle. This guy is undeniably hot, and knows it. He's cocky, self assured, and...completely in love with his best friend, even though she is his complete, polar opposite in every way. I absolutely adore my heroes!

Thank you so much Brooke for doing this interview. I love every one of your books! I am looking forward to your Aug. release Keeping Secrets In Seattle.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Sure! Thanks for having me, Khelsey, it was a blast! Here's where you can find me elsewhere on the web: 

brookemoss.com

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Blog

Amazon page 

Brooke Moss is giving away an ARC of The Carny. I have read it and love it! I know whoever wins it will too! We found out about what Brooke would re-do. So tell us if you had a re-do what would it be?