A Wedding in Apple Grove by C. H. Admirand (Interview/Giveaway)

Whether it is voices in your head, addiction to books, or a love of fresh blueberry baked goods you have something in common with our guest today. Welcome C. H. Admirand!

CA: Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed at Reading Between the Wines!

Lexi: I think you wrote about my home town! A Wedding in Apple Grove sounds like the perfect small town including meddling neighbors and no privacy. Is Apple Grove inspired at all by any towns in South Carolina? 

 CA: Isn’t that the best part of life in a small town? The core of what makes them special fits actually fits more than one small town. The sense of community and of course busy-bodies! Although I was born in South Carolina, I grew up up north, which if you’ve met me explains a lot! Apple Grove is actually inspired by the isolated neighborhood I grew up in—Cedar Hill—a small section of Wayne, NJ…we had 25 homes on dead-end streets and as kids loved it! But it’s also based on where we’ve lived for the last 30 years—Lindy’s Lake—a small lake community in West Milford, NJ. Someday I’ll get back to South Carolina…it’s on my list of places to visit again. :-)

Lexi: This is no cowboy book, but you still have a hero that sounds like the perfect man to bring home to Mom. If you were to pick an actor/model to play Daniel who would you pick? And sorry, I know you are head over heels for your hubby but you can’t pick him.

CA: True, it was hard to leave my cowboy heroes behind, but I have plans for the Garahans to visit their cousin Patrick—in book 3 in the small town series…hearts will be all aflutter when they hit town! Hmmm…that’s a tough one since I can’t use my hubby. LOL! It’d have to be someone who is broad-shouldered, built like a football player and has a heart of gold…Physically a build like Gerard Butler in 300 or Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia, or maybe Chris Hemsworth in Thor. 

Lexi: Handsome men...gotta love ‘em. And what is better than a handsome man, one who wears his heart on his sleeve. Has your husband ever declared his love in a public way? Or would you want him to?

CA: He wasn’t raised with PDAs as the norm, like I was, so whenever he does show how he feels in public…it’s a big deal. There are two that I can think of. One a really long time ago when we first met, we were at a party and there was another young man who I had no interest in who mistakenly thought DJ was a rival. One minute the three of us were talking—well, actually, DJ and I were talking and Stan was trying to butt in—and the next thing I knew DJ swept me up in his arms and started to walk away, leaving Stan staring after us. THAT left a huge impression on me but hey, I was 17 at the time and he was 20. That was ages ago. LOL! The other was more recent, and I think surprised the both of us when a friend said she wanted to snap a picture of us during RT in LA and goaded him into kissing me since we were sitting on this really comfortable glider—I didn’t think he would…and he did—and I didn’t think she’d post the pic on FB…and she did! LOL! 

Lexi: Some of us are good with attention, the rest of us would rather stick our nose in a book and hide. Do you still find time to read in your busy life?

CA: To be honest, I’d rather be writing or reading than the center of attention. I read every night—it’s how I unwind. I have an amazing number of keepers that fill the shelves in our bedroom, downstairs in my office, in the living room…oh yes…and under my side of our platform bed—great place to stash my TBR stack. :-) I love re-reading keepers. When I’m writing contemporaries, I read historicals to unwind. 

Lexi: It is good to find a balance, work and play. Though maybe if you write another small town love story it will feel like play and not so much work? Do you plan on another cowboy release, or small town love story?

CA: I just turned in the edits on book 2 in my small town series, ONE DAY IN APPLE GROVE (June 2013) and am writing book 3, WELCOME BACK TO APPLE GROVE (December 2013), and couldn’t resist having Patrick Garahan invite his Texas cousins, Colorado lawmen cousins, and NYC firefighting brothers to a wedding that takes place in in book 3…it’s going to be a blast! I do have another cowboy series in mind as well as a few other projects.

Lexi: Thanks for stopping by Lady Admirand! Congrats on your newest release A Wedding in Apple Grove!

CA: Thank you!! It was my pleasure :-)

A WEDDING IN APPLE GROVE BY C.H. ADMIRAND – IN STORES NOVEMBER 2012

He's not so sure about small town life.
She can't imagine living anywhere else.
Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (population 597), where everyone has your best interests at heart, even if they can't agree on the best way to meddle. When the townsfolk of Apple Grove need handiwork done, there's no job too small for the Mulcahy sisters: Megan, Caitlin, and Grace.
Specializing in hard work and family loyalty, tomboy Meg Mulcahy has left behind any girlhood dreams of romance. Enter newcomer Daniel Eagan, looking to bury his own broken heart and make a new start. He's surprised-and delighted-by the winsome girl with the mighty tool belt who shows up to fix his wiring. 
But Dan's got a lot to learn about life in a small town, and when Meg's past collides with her future, it may take all 595 other residents of Apple Grove to keep this romance from short-circuiting. 

Praise for A Wedding in Apple Grove:

“A terrifically fun read... With quick dialogue and a homey feel, this is a wonderful book to curl up with. Small-town romance at its best!” —RT Book Review, 4 Stars

“Raw charm... one to read.” —Publishers Weekly 

“Sexy and fun... Admirand’s series will be popular, especially with fans of Susan Wiggs and Janet Chapman.” —Booklist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.H. ADMIRAND was born in Aiken, South Carolina, but grew up in New Jersey. She has been delighting readers with her Secret Life of Cowboys Series, featuring three cowboy brothers with Irish charm, and is now working on the next books in her small town contemporary romance series, featuring the town and quirky characters of Apple Grove, OH. She lives with her husband, who is the inspiration for all of her heroes’ best traits, in New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.CHAdmirand.com.

~*GIVEAWAY*~

Sourcebooks is offering up one copy of A Wedding in Apple Grove to one of our lucky reader! (US and Canada only) To enter leave a comment for CH about a small town you fell in love with (real or fictional), then fill out the Rafflecopter. 

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