The Reading Frenzy: **GIVEAWAY** Interview with Michelle Major - Review

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

GIVEAWAY Interview with Michelle Major - Review - Meant For You

I used to review Michelle's HQN Special Edition novels for RT Magazine and I really miss her and all the wonderful SE authors, so when I saw she was also writing for Montlake I grabbed this novel right up!
Read our interview and my review courtesy of RT Book Reviews and then enter for a chance to win a fab prize from Michelle.
Contest details below
Enjoy!!

ISBN-13: 9781503943667
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: 03/28/2017
Length: 268pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/IndieBound/Audible

Overview:
Single mom Jenny Castelli has a temper to match her red hair. When the former mean girls of her high school insult her son, Jenny fires off a big lie - that she's engaged to a rich, handsome guy and is bringing him to their ten-year reunion. Now she needs to find the perfect fake fiancé for one night. And only one man fits the bill.
Geek turned tech entrepreneur Owen Dalton already had his heart broken by Jenny Castelli. Still, he finds himself agreeing to her proposition - even as he struggles to remember that the chemistry sparking between them isn't real. But when Jenny's ex makes a play for custody and Owen is forced to deal with the family who always treated him as "second best," their arrangement suddenly becomes very personal. And that lie they've been telling everyone? It isn't nearly as big as the one they've been telling themselves.

Michelle is offering

One signed Print Copy of Meant for You
Plus
a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card US ONLY!!
Please use The Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!!

Hi Michelle! I’m so excited to have you visiting the blog again to talk about your latest Montlake release, Meant For You.
Tell my readers a little about the novel please.

Jenny Castelli is a single mom, raising her son, trying to get a new business off the ground and caring for her own mother. The last thing she needs is a run-in with the one-time mean girls from her high school, who still seem to be able to push all of her buttons, especially when they make snide comments about her son and her high school boyfriend, who dumped her when he found out she was pregnant. Jenny goes on the defensive, claiming she’s got the perfect life, including the perfect fiancé in rich tech entrepreneur Owen Dalton. Now all she needs to do is convince Owen of that.

Owen had his heart broken by Jenny once before but can’t seem to say no to her when she needs him. But this time around there’s something Owen wants in return. Both Jenny and Owen have to risk their hearts to find happiness in this second chance romance.

I loved Jenny and Owen’s story, I also loved that Jenny was such a diamond in the rough and was a bit of a bad girl in the novel.
Tell us about the birth of her character.

Jenny was the best friend/sidekick of hero from the first book in this series, Kissing Mr. Right. Honestly, I didn’t really see her as getting her own book at the start. But the more I wrote snippets of her character, the more fun she was and readers loved her from the beginning. It was a really fun challenge to go deeper with her and Owen was such a perfect balance for her character.

Which star, Owen or Jenny behaved better during the writing process?

Jenny is all sass and spunk and Owen is so steady and stable but Jenny was the character who was easier to write. Especially the scenes that involved her son, Cooper and her mom, because being a mom and a caregiver is so important to Jenny. Owen had some surprises for me…and for Jenny. J

This novel is part of a series of connected books.
Do you have a set number of books with these characters and setting?

This book is the fourth in the series. Normally, I tend to think in terms of ‘3’ at a time – but for this series I added a fourth just for Jenny! Right now my Crimson, Colorado book for Harlequin Special Edition has seven books with three more coming soon. With that series it seems like every time I introduce a new character they just HAVE to have their own book!

Okay Michelle lets get a little personal now.
Your bio says that after college you pointed your car west and ended up in Colorado where you worked on a dude ranch.
I would have been terrified traveling so far from home, were you?

I grew up in Ohio but always wanted to live near the mountains, so I was really excited to move to Colorado. That was back in the ‘olden days’ before cell phones or email, so I checked in with my parents once a week from a payphone. I did a lot of camping on my own (with only my canine companion!) and now it’s hard for me to imagine one of my kids living in a tent for most of a summer! I’d freak out – my parents were way cooler about it than I’d ever be.

Did that lifestyle experience help when you started writing romance?

A lot of my books are set in Colorado, and I think travelling around the state, meeting new people and discovering new places, gave me a deeper appreciation for all the wonderful things the mountains have to offer. I definitely sprinkle some of those quirky details into my stories.

Michelle the heading on your website says Life, Love and Happy Endings.
Why is a happy ending so important to you?

There are so many difficult things to deal with in life – whether big and scary overarching questions of the world or little details and everyday hardships. When I read or take time to watch movies or TV, I want some hope in my life. That’s what first attracted me to romance – the hope and the promise of a fulfilling ending at the end of the story. It was an escape from the real world and the feeling of those butterflies in your stomach when a book is so good can’t be beat. I hope I give that to readers with my books.

You are a very socially connected person.
Do you think we’re becoming too connected, do you put the kabash on tweeting while out to dinner or do you revel in this 24/7 society?

My kids are 11 and 14, and it’s so strange to my husband and I that they don’t really remember a world without social connectedness. We definitely have limits as a family. I do love being connected – writing is such an isolated job – and I feel like I’ve made real friendships online through social media. The romance community is so strong online. But I also try not to let it take over my life and I actually lock myself off the internet when I’m writing because it’s too much of a temptation!!

Michelle thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Will you be attending any events in the near future?

Well, I’m SUPER excited to be attending RWA in Orlando as a RITA finalist for my book Christmas on Crimson Mountain. It’s my first time finaling and still feels so surreal. Now I just have to find the perfect dress! Wish me luck. J

My Review courtesy RT Book Reviews

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Meet Michelle:

Michelle Major is a bestselling and award-winning author who’s written more than a dozen sexy and sweet contemporary romances. She loves second-chances love stories, smart heroines, and strong heroes. A Midwesterner at heart, she’s made the Rocky Mountains her home for more than twenty years. Michelle is thrilled to share her books with readers who can connect with her through her website, www.michellemajor.com.