Half Moon Hill by Toni Blake (Interview)

Summer is upon us and that means we are all searching for that perfect summer read. Well, if you enjoy contemporaries you might just find it today.  Help us welcome Toni Blake to the blog today!

Toni: Thanks so much for having me!

Lexi: Half Moon Hill is book six in your Destiny series, and there has been some apprehension about the main character Anna. We met her in Willow Springs, not exactly a character that made you fall in love with her. Did you know Anna’s story when you wrote Willow Springs?

Toni: I knew inklings of Anna’s story when I was writing WILLOW SPRINGS, but mostly only that it would revolve around her fixing up and opening the Bed & Breakfast outside town, which I thought would be super fun setting – and I really enjoyed writing about it.  Sorry to hear you didn’t fall in love with Anna.  Some readers had that reaction, while others were fine with her.

Lexi: Anna is the kind of girl we love to hate, she tried to come between the budding love between Logan and Amy. Were you worried about getting readers to fall in love with Anna and connect with her?

Toni: You know, though Anna took some hits in reviews for WILLOW SPRINGS on Amazon, most readers I heard from were okay with her.  And I will admit I was surprised at the bad reactions she received.  Since she was in such a tough situation in life, which most of us can’t even imagine being in, I felt she was doing her best to handle the scenarios her life was presenting to her.  If I’d created a character people fell in love with from the moment she hit the page, readers might have wanted her to end up with Logan, and I couldn’t have that happening. ;)

So when it came to writing HALF MOON HILL, I was aware some readers hadn’t warmed to her, but I also knew that they’d have a lot more opportunity to understand her in more depth in this book, and from all I’ve heard so far, I’m happy that everyone seems to like her just fine. ☺

Lexi: Besides summer reads, it is conference season! Are you planning on attending any this year? Will your fans be able to see you on any panels?

Toni: I don’t do many conferences, but I will be at the national conference of the Romance Writers of America in Atlanta in July.  Readers can find me at the huge literacy signing on Wednesday night of the conference (last Wednesday in July, I believe) and also at Avon’s giveaway signing the following Saturday.  I’ll also be doing an off-site signing while there, in Decatur, Georgia, on Saturday afternoon, so readers in that area should watch my website and Facebook page for more details.

Lexi: Cons or not, you sure keep yourself busy. Multiple releases for 2013, and more Destiny additions...yes?

Toni: Yes, I’m a busy girl!  And besides all that, I’ve just moved into a new home, so I’m even extra swamped right now.

Actually, what’s coming next for Destiny is what my editor and I are calling “Beyond Destiny”    ; )  The next related book, CORAL COVE, actually leaves Destiny and heads for a beach setting.  But CORAL COVE is very closely connected to Destiny, featuring some characters readers already know, and this will allow everyone to keep up with what’s happening in Destiny while also expanding.  I’m excited about this and I hope readers will be, too!

Lexi: Congrats on the new home and the release of Half Moon Hill! The reviews have begun to come in and they sure are great, people are falling in love with Anna and Duke. Thanks for stopping by to talk about your Destiny series!

Toni: Thanks so much!  I’m delighted that reviewers are loving the book!  I really loved writing Duke and Anna’s story – it came from the heart.

Readers can find me online at www.ToniBlake.com, and I’m also on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter as AuthorToniBlake, so I hope your readers will look me up at these places as well!

Half Moon Hill

by Toni Blake

Mass Market Paperback 384 pages

Published April 30th, 2013 by Avon

ISBN 9780062024626

Trying to escape her troubled past, Anna Romo has come home to Destiny determined to carve out a place for herself. When she buys the old Victorian house on the hill with the intent of furnishing it into a Bed and Breakfast, she’s thrilled by the possibilities. 
Ex-biker-gang member Duke Dawson is as much a fish out of water in Destiny as Anna, but he’s handling it fine until an accident scars not only his body but his mind. When Anna stumbles across him in an old cabin in the woods near her newly acquired house, at first she’s terrified. But they work out a deal - she’s willing to keep his solitary living arrangement a secret if he’s willing to help her with some of the heavy lifting at the house.
Working together on the rennovations, romance brews between Duke and Anna. That is, until war hero Jeremy Sheridan returns home in a blaze of glory and sets his sights on Anna. Suddenly torn between the outgoing and charming Jeremy and the intriguing Duke, Anna’s heart is torn between two paths and left with only one solution.

Goodreads

Available for purchase at Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository



About Toni

Toni Blake is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels published in numerous languages. Her heartfelt and sensual stories are known for taking readers on an emotional journey.
A RITA®-nominated author, Toni is the recipient of numerous awards for her books, including the National Readers Choice Award and the Booksellers Best Award. Her work has also appeared in Cosmo.
Toni's most recent and hugely popular Destiny series takes place in a small Ohio town where coming home means finding your true heart and maybe even your true love.