Summer People by Corinne LaBalme

Please welcome Corinne LaBalme author of Summer People

Corinne LaBalme will be awarding $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Summer People

by Corinne LaBalme

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GENRE: Cape Cod Romance

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INTERVIEW:

1. How do you come up with ideas for your books?

Sometimes it’s as simple as overhearing a few words of a conversation – on the street, on a bus, anywhere. Not being burdened with knowing who the people are, what sort of relationship they have or the topic of their discussion  frees me to make up anything I like. Very often, I conclude they are space aliens;  I usually don’t use those stories in my romance or mystery books.

2. What expertise do I bring to my stories?

For SUMMER PEOPLE, knowing Cape Cod was key, as was a brief stint working in the American Art division of Sotheby’s auction house. In FRENCH GHOST, the first book of my Paris Ghost-Writer series, I ‘borrow’ a lot of the experiences of a movie agent pal. The sequel, FRENCH TOAST, takes place in the Michelin-starred restaurant world, so I lean heavily on my own experience as a food critic for Paris-based magazines.

3. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

The first thing on my writing ‘TO DO’ list is to finish the Ghost-Writer trilogy. Book Two is now in final edits and I’m still developing the plot for the third and final book, FRENCH POSTER GIRL, which dives into the competitive world of lifestyle influencers.

4.  If you could be one of the characters from your book, who would it be and why?

I’d like to be Jessica Stratton from SUMMER PEOPLE. She’s a woman who thinks she has it all at the start of the book… and finds out a whole lot more when she realizes she doesn’t.

5. If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play the leading roles?

If I were a casting director AND I had a time machine, I’d think about a toned, younger Elvis for Rick. (That’s partially because Lydia Martell, one of the characters in the book, would not let any actor without Cherokee blood play her brother.) And for Jessica… ? With a time machine… why not Jessica Lange around the time she acted in Tootsie.

6. Do you belong to a critique group?

Yes. I’m in a group that meets (over bread, wine and cheese) in the 10th arrondissement of Paris every Wednesday. The writers are all terrific – working on everything from poetry to romance to war fiction – and all contracted by  traditional and indie publishing houses. Writing can be a very lonely pursuit and I think writing groups are essential.

7. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I prefer to work without an outline, but that may simply mean that the outline exists in my head, just not on paper. For romance, since a happy endings are pre-ordained, it’s easier to work without one.  Apparently, Barbara Cartland had the romance format so firmly hard-wired in her brain that she simply dictated her novels to a secretary.

8, Do you have any hobbies and do these carry over into the plots of your books?

I love salsa and swing dancing but haven’t done much for the past few years. I think a social dancing class would be a fabulous launch pad for a romance but getting up close, personal and sweaty with a bunch of strangers is probably not a good storyline until the Covid dust settles.

9. Do you have an all-time favorite book?

I have many, MANY favorite books but I’m going to go with COLD COMFORT FARM by Stella Gibbons since I think it’s one of the funniest books ever written. Gibbons was rather a one-hit-wonder with this book and too many people don’t know it. If they find a copy now, they’re in for a treat. 

 10.Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little about your book?

Yes. After I finish the Ghost-Writer trilogy, hopefully by mid-1023, I want to get cracking on a paranormal about an aging fashion model who discovers new and scary powers when she gets in touch with her Inner Goddess.

Unfortunately, it’s not a very nice Goddess…

11.  Anything else you might like to add?

Nope… simply thanks Christine for including me on your lovely site!

BLURB:

Jessica Stratton’s long-cherished dream of opening her own Folk Art gallery in an idyllic Cape Cod setting finally comes true. However, her start-up is anything but smooth sailing. Her ten-year marriage hits the rocks and, when the hunk next door to her shop – a brooding ecologist on a mission to save the planet – proves too irresistible to ignore, she’s got to relearn the rules of the dating game while working overtime to lure clients to her boutique. Unfortunately, someone’s already far too interested in a 19th century example of advertising art in her collection and will go to any means – legal or illegal – to acquire it. Maybe the planet isn’t all that needs to be saved…

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EXCERPT:

Why on earth did that woman get under his skin so much? This was the second time he’d stomped off her property. Well, it had a whole lot to do with that chunk of jewelry on her left hand, didn’t it? He didn’t need anything to do with married women. Never again.

Had he said anything to her that would make them both cringe if they ran into each other in the mini-mart?

Oh yeah. Smallpox. Well, that was a low blow, considering that she personally hadn’t poisoned any of his ancestors. All the fashion stuff was OK.  But he’d added something about French can-can boots, hadn’t he? Boots which had absolutely nothing to do with his sister’s thesis. No, those kinky, lace-up boots were part of Martine’s Halloween costume last year.

She hadn’t taken those boots off either. Not even when they went to bed.

 Just thinking about the sex that ensued made him feel like he needed another shower. But then he’d have to dry all that damn hair again. How did women stand all this stuff hanging around their shoulders? He’d read about hermits who refused to cut their hair until they’d atoned for their sins.

Well, Rick Starfire Martell had a helluva lot to atone for.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Corinne LaBalme lives in France and loves everything about it… except eating snails. Her articles about European fashion, food and fun destinations have appeared in The New York Times Travel section, Diversion, La Belle France and France Revisited. Her favorite place to write? Any Parisian café with a good croissant connection…

The setting for SUMMER PEOPLE is founded on childhood memories of vacations on Cape Cod and based on my mother’s (very real) house in Brewster.

The romantic hero of SUMMER PEOPLE — Rick Martell — is the kind of guy who exists only in our sweetest & beachiest dreams…. sigh!

Twitter: @corinnelabalme

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinnelabalme/

Website:  https//corinnelabalme.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61449367-summer-people

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Corinne LaBalme will be awarding $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4342