Author Pepper Basham ~ Behind the Scenes Interview + Book Recommendations

Join me today for a real TREAT! Author Pepper Basham has stopped by to answer a few interview questions in a “Behind the Scenes” look at a her writing and favorite elements of her own books. AFTER THAT, she’s shared some book recommendations in different genres!

Behind the Scenes Interview

Pepper, thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to share a little of your process and chat about all things bookish 😉

YAY, Courtney!! Thanks so much for letting me join you today. I’m so thankful for your excitement about my books and your amazing support of this crazy writing journey of mine 🙂

*blushes* All of the excitement is well-deserved!

You write both contemporary and historical romance. Do you have a preference for one or the other (is one easier to write?)?

Hmm, that’s a tough question because difficulty usually depends more on the story, for me, than the genre – though I have to say that the historical research takes longer (and can sometimes be much more distracting 😉 )

I can understand the distraction part! Just googling a fun historical fact can lead me on rabbit trails….

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I LOVE the brainstorming part. Sorting out what’s going to happen to who and how – the creative process! That’s my favorite. I also LOVE interacting with readers. Without them, I’d be fangirling over my imaginary friends all by myself. That’s no fun 🙂

And you are so gracious in your interactions! Believe me, fangirling over imaginary friends is no hardship.

Have your characters ever surprised YOU with their choices, personality, etc.?

Oh yes!! Almost every book. In my upcoming November release, Charming the Troublemaker, the hero, Alex Murdock, completely surprised me with the depth of his character and…swooniness. I wasn’t expecting him to be so swoony. He’s still a little dorky, but…hmmmm…he’s swoony too.

Oh, I cannot wait to get to know him! We’ve already coined the hashtag #AdorkableAlex. I have no doubt he will live up to it!

Pepper’s personal “favorites” from her novels

Okay, when you ask for favorites you need to know that I have a REALLY hard time choosing just one! So I’ll answer with ONE of my favorites 😉

Who is your favorite hero/heroine from your books?

Right now my favorite heroine is Eisley Barrett!! She has been the most entertaining character I’ve ever written. She’s funny, loyal, kind, creative, and she loves her family. Her insecurities keep her from believing the fairy-tale that’s happening to her – so that’s fun to watch too.

Favorite setting?

The Edwardian era OR the Blue Ridge Mountains

Favorite child or secondary character?

My favorite kid I’ve written so far is Pete from Just The Way You Are (JTWYA). He makes me smile so much. As far as secondary characters, that’s a toss-up between Mama Mitchell and Madame Rouselle.

Favorite KISS?

Nope, there is NO WAY I can choose one favorite. ONE of my favorites, however, is the first kiss between Catherine and David in The Thorn Keeper – the “you taste like Christmas” kiss. I also LOVE the closet kiss between Eisley and Wes (in JTWYA) because it’s SOOOOO funny!!!

*excuse me while I swoon and dream of all things Christmas*

Favorite funny moment?

One of my favorite funny scenes is the “creek scene” in JTWYA – oh my goodness, that one gets me tickled every time I read it. There’s a scene in my upcoming novel, Charming the Troublemaker, which has to do with underoos and mud…it’s hysterical!!

~Book recommendations from Pepper~

Which “Pepper” book should a reader start with?

That all depends on what you like to read. For historical, I’d probably start with The Thorn Bearer, for contemporary???? If you like sweet romance, A Twist of Faith. If you like spicy romcom, definitely Just the Way You Are.

A book for someone new to the Christian fiction genre?

It depends on genre. Some great ‘crossover’-ish books would be those by Sara Ella, Mary Weber, Rachel McMillan. If they want some well written books that are thoughtful but overtly Christian, I’m a BIG fan of Siri Mitchell, Laura Frantz, and Denise Hunter.

A book out of your comfort zone that you really loved?

Can it be nonfiction? (Yes!) Right now I’m reading Know Why You Believe and it’s amazing – really stretches you.

An independent/small time publishing book?

The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof – I just started it and I know it’s going to be amazing.

And of course, a romance? ❤

Kissing Adrien by Siri Mitchell (or Chateau of Echoes or The Cubicle Next Door) – thoughtful but unique books. If you want more romance in the romance book, I’d choose Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz, A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund, or A Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter.

What about you, Courtney? What would be one of your top romance recommendations?

Oh my goodness, no one has ever asked ME a question in an author interview! Hmm. You’ve mentioned (and written) some of my absolute favorites (The Thorn Keeper, Courting Morrow Little, The Lady and the Lionheart)!!!

How about 2 recent favorites? A contemporary– Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge, and a historical — A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White.

As a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pepper Basham enjoys sprinkling her Appalachian into her fiction writing. She is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and a lover of Jesus and chocolate. She resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her family. You can learn more about her on her website, www.PepperDBasham.com or connect on Facebook or Twitter.

Pepper’s new contemporary romance, Charming the Troublemaker, releases November 1, 2017

When Dr. Alex Murdock is demoted to a university in rural Virginia, the last thing he expects to find is a future. But country charm never looked as good as it did on Rainey Mitchell.

Rainey Mitchell does not need a high-class flirt in her wounded world, but trouble and temptation wafts off the new professor as strong as his sandalwood-scented cologne.

When circumstances thrust them together to save her tutoring clinic, can the troublemaker find the hero inside and encourage the reticent Rainey to open her heart again?

Add to Goodreads | Preorder on Amazon

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Let’s Talk Rereads!

Let’s talk about rereading favorite books! I’m going to ramble on about books for a bit, then ask YOUR opinion on rereading habits…..

I have several books I’d like to reread, but so many NEW books I want to read, too! #bookproblems

SO, I rarely reread a book, though I often enjoy them even more upon a second reading. Knowing certain surprises or twists are coming just makes me pay closer attention to the writing craft with foreshadowing, parallels, etc. I can count my complete rereads of books from the last couple years on 1 hand. They include: The Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann, Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz, The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall, and the 3 book “Price of Privilege” series by Jessica Dotta.

Sometimes I partially reread a book to refresh my memory. It’s helpful in continuing a series. Many times it starts when I sit down to reread a favorite scene and I end up skimming through a lot of the story again. Ha! This often happens when a Top Ten Tuesday topic needs a little research or quote. Or, when I just need to revisit a sweet moment, quote, or recipe from a fav author. (I’m talking about you all, Hillary Manton Lodge, Dawn Crandall, Pepper Basham, Rachel McMillan, and Katherine Reay.)

This past week, I reread an all-time favorite: The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton. After her newest novel, Many Sparrows, referenced and provided the backstory for some of the characters in TPOTL, I just had to pick it back up and continue with those characters. I had forgotten more details of that story than I realized, so rereading it was a treat once again! This time, I noticed the writing style and world-building (because as Lori says, historical settings do involve some major world building) in a different way, enjoying the scenery and the growth of Tamsen and Jesse all over again.

This brings me to my questions for YOU: Do you reread favorite books? What makes a book worthy of a reread? What have you reread recently?

Author Interview & GIVEAWAY: A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese

Happy Wednesday! Today I’m welcoming author Nicole Deese in celebration of her new release, A New Shade of Summer, complete with an interview and GIVEAWAY!!

As an artist, Callie Quinn relies on inspiration to guide her wandering soul. This summer she accepts a short-term muralist job in her sister’s charming town to spend some much-needed time with her family. After meeting her nephew’s friend, Brandon, she’s eager to draw out his untapped artistic talents—however, it’s the boy’s straitlaced single father who could use a little color in his life.

Davis Carter may be the town’s favorite animal whisperer, but his experience is limited when it comes to understanding his preteen’s rebellious behavior. Desperate for a breakthrough, he follows the lead of a free spirit who claims to know the way into his son’s closed-off world. Soon, Davis isn’t the only one caught up in the hope of a new beginning.

Just as Callie considers trading her unattached existence for a life rich with promise and permanence, an unexpected visit from the past threatens to send her packing once again. Davis and Callie must learn to surrender their fears so they can find a love that will outlast the summer.

Amazon | Goodreads

First off, congratulations on your new release! A New Shade of Summer is moving its way up my own TBR with each new tidbit and happy review.

What inspired you to write A New Shade of Summer?

It was actually a who that inspired me–not a what this time around. I have a dear friend who has been in my life since my high school youth group days. She’s the most free-spirited, creative, artsy person I know and she is truly a joy to everyone around her. When I started to contemplate my hero, Davis Carter, (who is a secondary character in A Season To Love–book two) I knew he needed someone much like my friend to loosen him up a bit and to allow him to see the world, and relationships, in a different light. The connection of Callie Quinn to Davis Carter has been one of my favorites to write.

What message or theme do you want to communicate to readers with this story?

As I wrote this book, and particularly as I wrote in Callie’s point of view, I was struck time and time again by how the words spoken over us as children can have a significant impact on our identities. Even though Callie is a free-spirit who dances to her own drum beat, she’s lived under an umbrella of lies spoken over her by a trusted loved one. Part of her journey is to confront her current belief system and compare it to Truth. She craves freedom, yet her mind and spirit are bogged down by all the muck from her past. I can relate to this struggle because past lies are just so darn sneaky! It’s so important to examine our thoughts about ourselves and compare them to God’s thoughts about us. I promise you…. He will win that comparison game every time.

What was most challenging about writing a story set in Lenox? A New Shade of Summer is your third book in this setting.

I really enjoy writing in the small-town of Lenox, Oregon because it’s become such a familiar place to me, but I think that’s also the challenge. I never want the town to get soooo familiar to the reader that it becomes dull or boring. In A New Shade of Summer my characters discover a few new places to visit in order to keep Lenox feeling fresh and exciting (hopefully–Ha!).

Which character was your favorite to write?

Callie! Don’t get me wrong, I loved writing Davis, too, but Callie was such a fun new perspective for me to explore. I loved being on the page with her!

Just for fun:

Do you have any hobbies?

We recently adopted a six year-old girl from China (just two months ago!) so most of my free time is spent playing with dolls, having tea parties, and hanging up one pink outfit after another in a ridiculously full closet. After having two boys in our house for the last twelve years… this has been quite the change in our family! Haha. But I truly love having a daughter!

A new family member TOTALLY counts as a hobby 😉 ! Congratulations!

If you could live in any other time period in history, which would it be and why?

Um… I hope I don’t offend any historical buffs out there… but I was made for the here and now. I like my modern conveniences (i.e. toilet paper, hot tubs, take-n-bake pizza, Netflix…etc.) and I’m a big fan of yoga pants. I’m pretty sure I’d be thrown out on the streets if I were to show up during the Regency era sporting my yoga wear and messy bun.

What are you currently reading?

I’m just about to start Many Sparrows by Lori Benton. I’ve heard wonderful things about this book!

Thank you so much, Nicole, for spending some time here today!

Nicole Deese is a full-time lover of humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled fiction. She is the author of seven inspirational romances including the “Love in Lenox” novels, A Cliché Christmas and A Season to Love, and The Promise of Rayne. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found reading near a window while sipping a LaCroix. She lives in small-town Idaho with her handsome hubby, two sons, and one daughter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Now, on to the giveaway fine print! Giveaway is for one (1) copy of A New Shade of Summer, U.S addresses only, please. Giveaway is open 1 week until 9/20/17, 11:59 pm. CT. Thank you to Nicole and Relz Author Support Services for the giveaway copy.

To enter, comment with a valid email address. Let’s talk books! Have you read any of Nicole’s novels? This series is set in a small town. Do you have a favorite small-town setting? What are you currently reading?

Joining In…. Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon

Tressa over at Wishful Endings is hosting a fun read-a-thon called the “Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon” September 11-24th!!! I’ve never participated in a read-a-thon, so now is as good a time as any to join the fun!

Read her post for more details. You can join any time! The point is to tackle your TBR (AKA to-be-read list/stack/continent) as much as possible and post goals or an update when it’s over.

My goals: read AT LEAST two whole books I have for upcoming reviews, including Robin E. Mason’s The Long Shadows of Summer and Ronie Kendig’s Conspiracy of Silence. I’d also like to finish the audiobook of Joanne Bischof’s The Lady and the Lionheart (a “reread” for me). Hopefully more will be accomplished!

Updates: via Twitter (follow me! I’m @cameracourt) with #TackleTBR and page counts. I’m also anticipating a wrap-up blog post later this month.

The fun stuff: giveaways and blog stops along the way. Visit Tressa’s blog for the full schedule.

Cover Reveal: “Charming the Troublemaker” by Pepper Basham

 

Welcome to my blog!!! Today, author Pepper Basham is revealing the cover for her upcoming release, Charming the Troublemaker. It’s book 2 in the “Mitchell’s Crossroads” series, an Appalachian romantic comedy that promises plenty of drama, family, and per Pepper’s usual style, a sweet romance.

The first in the series, A Twist of Faith, is an adaptation of sorts of the classic tale My Fair Lady. This second book, Charming the Troublemaker, began as a loose modernization of Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South (AKA 1 of my FAVORITE classics, along with the BBC series presentation!!!!!). However, as Pepper herself says, “the characters had their own ideas”! I’m excited to see exactly what that means!

When Dr. Alex Murdock is demoted to a university in rural Virginia, the last thing he expects to find is a future. But country charm never looked as good as it did on Rainey Mitchell.

Rainey Mitchell does not need a high-class flirt in her wounded world, but trouble and temptation wafts off the new professor as strong as his sandalwood-scented cologne.

When circumstances thrust them together to save her tutoring clinic, can the troublemaker find the hero inside and encourage the reticent Rainey to open her heart again?

Releases November 1, 2017

Add to Goodreads Now!

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for………..

Isn’t it such a sweet cover!? I love how it conveys the Blue Ridge setting and matches the “fun” theme of the previous book. Here’s another view of the whole jacket design:

As a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pepper Basham enjoys sprinkling her Appalachian into her fiction writing. She is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and a lover of Jesus and chocolate. She resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her family. You can learn more about her on her website, www.PepperDBasham.com or connect on Facebook or Twitter.

 

 

 

Start the series today with A Twist of Faith!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads 

August Happenings

It’s the last day of August! That means back-to-school season and last hurrahs of summer. It’s been a quieter month on the blog, but this monthly wrap-up proves I was a little productive.

on the bookshelf

New titles on the shelf this month include The Girl Who Could See by Kara Swanson, Someplace Familiar by Teresa Tysinger, My Hope Next Door AND Shattered Rose by Tammy L. Gray, Uncloaked by J. Rodes, and for review, The Engagement Plot by Krista Phillips, The Long Shadows of Summer by Robin E. Mason. + a few fun reference books at a library book sale, along with a cute little copy of Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (yay for classics!).

on the blog

Most popular posts:

1. How-To: Solar Dyed Yarn Project
2. Top Ten Tuesday: True History in Fiction
3. July Happenings

Most popular book reviews:

1. I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones
2. A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White
3. The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

in the kitchen

I’ve been happily cooking with a few fresh veggies from the garden. My favorite veggie-to-hide-in-baked things is zucchini. After a few frozen loaves of the normal cinnamon zucchini bread (grandma’s recipe 🙂 ), I was ready to try something different. I found THIS 2-loaf lemon zucchini bread recipe, and it’s A-ma-zing! It’s more like a light lemon cake. You’re welcome.

on the screen

One of the things I enjoyed “on the screen” this month was a Queen Elizabeth II TV special (from last year) on the Smithsonian Channel called The Queen at 90. It was a delightful look at some of the queen’s yearly duties, everyday life (including her sweet love for her horses), and her life through the years, with interviews from her own family (including some fun comments from Prince William!).

around the web

This lovely “Romance Rendezvous” interview with author Pepper Basham over on Katie’s Fiction Aficionado blog covers some fun points on romance in Christian fiction and character talk.

“What are we becoming?” by Amy Matayo. Food for thought in this media-crazy, soap-box modern life.
What was your August like? Do you share a monthly wrap-up or favorites post? Share your link in the comments, I’d love to visit!

July Happenings

It’s the end of JULY already! Wow, the summer has flown by! I would love to hear how your summer is going or what you’ve been reading lately in the comments. As always, thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog.

on the bookshelf

July was a fun month for book gathering! Someone needs to stop me from clicking on the “purchase” and “request for review” buttons all. the. time. Or, someone could just lock me in a cabin with food and my TBR and I might make a dent after a few weeks…..

The bookshelves gained these titles: A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren, Many Sparrows by Lori Benton, His Steadfast Love by Julie Lessman, Not by Sight by Kate Breslin, Just Look Up by Courtney Walsh, A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White, Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki, and finally a physical copy of Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano.

on the blog

Most popular posts:

1. Book Spotlight, Author Interview, & Giveaway: My Unexpected Hope by Tammy L. Gray
2. Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Favorite Book Quotes About Books
3. How-To: Solar Dyed Yarn Project

Most popular book reviews:

1. The Whys Have It by Amy Matayo (plus author interview)
2. His Steadfast Love by Julie Lessman (plus book snippet)
3. I’ll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones

in the kitchen

I altered this PBS food recipe for dairy-free spinach stuffed shells. Thanks to a cow dairy allergy, it caught my attention, though I did alter it by using ricotta made from almonds and a little sheep cheese. It’s highly recommended!

on the screen

Of the movies I’ve seen this month, Dunkirk (just released July 21) is the one that left the biggest impression. Extremely well done from start to finish, every element, from the cast to the cinematography, musical score, and riveting timeline of the story worked together to create an immersive experience. This lesser-known event (to those of us on this “side of the pond”) was of key import to the UK and its allies as it struggled to evade the advancing Germans and evacuate France from the beach of Dunkirk. It’s a film to be taken seriously — both its subject matter and story of the prevailing good of humanity during an atrocious time of history. I highly recommend it!

around the web

Carrying forward more Jane Austen fun (because you can never have too much Jane Austen), check out Hillary Manton Lodge’s Jane Austen Week interviews and recipes in honor of the bicentenary (200 year mark) of Jane’s passing. And, check out my #bookbestie Rissi’s review of Hillary’s novel, Jane of Austin, over at Finding Wonderland.

More bookish fun! Title news for Joanne Bischof’s upcoming series, book 1 releasing in 2018.

Fellow book blogger Kate over at Fiction Aficionado has published a fabulous series discussing a common book and story trope: the love triangle. She introduces and gives specific examples of several kinds (from the Christian fiction genre), then further discusses the good and the bad of this trope in two more posts!

• Romance Tropes: The Love Triangle
• Love Triangles: When do they get a thumbs up?
• Love Triangles: When do they get the thumbs down?

Finally, this is an old article, but SO MUCH FUN! 10 of the Best European Train Trips, compiled by National Geographic.

So, tell me: what was your month like?