Trouble Won't Wait - review & interview

Today I’m participating in a Buy The Book Blog Tour with a review of Trouble Won’t Wait and an interview with author Autumn Piper.

Review:

When Mandy discovers her husband’s infidelity on Thanksgiving, she’s torn between kicking him out immediately thereby ruining her kids’ Christmas and hanging onto a fourteen-year marriage. She even agrees to a month’s counseling. Meantime, she meets Adam, a gorgeous hunk who thinks she’s beautiful. While he’s a balm to her shredded ego, she won’t have a revenge affair.

Autumn Piper uses humor and pathos to tell a story of heartbreak and indecision. Her depiction of a woman whose principles take a beating seems so realistic. At times, I wanted to shake Mandy and tell her to wake up and smell the coffee—her husband wasn’t going to change. Then Aunt Clara did it for me. She stole every scene she was in with her down-to-earth wisdom. Just what Mandy needed—along with a brother who offered to beat the husband to a pulp. This story of small town life where family supports each other is a great read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

Now let’s meet the author. Here’s Autumn Piper. Welcome, Autumn. Please tell us about yourself.

I’m a mom of a teen boy and girl, married to their dad for 21 years now, live in a small western Colorado town, and now work pretty much full time as a content editor for Lyrical Press as well as being the executive editor-herder. In other words, I write when I can, which isn’t as often as I’d like, but I still get to fool with the written word for a living. But most of that is boring. Some more interesting facts: I like to grow Jurassic-sized house plants so big it takes things with wheels to move them from one place to another. Also, I did hard time for 7 years as a teacher stunt double (aka substitute teacher), all grades.

OMG, I know exactly what you mean. I was a sub once upon a time. You lasted 3 years longer than I did.

How long does it take you to write a book?

The fastest was 3 weeks. About 9 hours a day. And the longest was about 2 years, but we moved several states away during that time, and life was seriously in the way.

Holy cow! Three weeks? That’s amazing. What does your family think of your writing?

I think the 2 teenagers are mostly embarrassed by it, although many of their friends seem to think it’s cool. Hubby just wants me to write more and be successful enough that we can retire to Jamaica and live off my royalties. (LOL. Is that all? No prob.)

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?

Usually the first scene hits me and I just go. I won’t stop to work out a plot outline unless I need to.

What did you learn from writing your first book?

How fun it is to finish that last chapter. Completing a story is a wonderful feeling. I’d finished about 3 of them before I started looking for critique groups and learned all the stuff I’d done wrong!

If you could give the younger version of yourself advice what would it be?

Start writing sooner! You know, like when I was younger and had fewer responsibilities or distractions.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

Lone Star Trouble. It’s “traditional” in that we get both the heroine’s and hero’s points of view, it’s funny, the characters have great sexual chemistry, and it’s also got the suspense element. But beyond all that…I love the cover.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

I hope my characters are memorable for them. And even if they don’t agree with or approve of something a hero or heroine does, I hope they can at least understand why the character acted that way. Human nature isn’t 100% right or wrong, good or bad. We all make mistakes, even my characters. But if a reader can still like that character after shaking her head and watching her mess up, then I think I’ve done a good job.

What two authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?

Nora Roberts, for her reliable happy-ever-afters (and it’s so easy to find one of her books, no matter where you are, right?) And Meg Cabot, because she’s so darn funny.

Tell us about your latest book.

Trouble Won’t Wait is contemporary romance, but it’s also a lot like women’s fiction. We’re pretty deep in Mandy’s thoughts and feelings for most of the book. Also, she’s experiencing much more than the usual trope of falling for a boss/billionaire/doctor/co-worker.

BLURB:

 Good things may come to those who wait, but trouble waits for no one…

Cheating is a dealbreaker...or so Mandy’s always thought. But when she catches her husband getting some “strange,” she realizes how hard it is to cut and run, or even file papers. She agrees to a month of counseling, which will give her time to grieve the loss of her marriage before she has to tell the world—and the kids. Then she meets Adam, who gives her a hunky—if mysterious—shoulder to cry on, and that thirty-day waiting period seems like an eternity.

Adam has no problem confessing that he’s watched Mandy from his window for months as she runs by his house. If he told her why, though, she’d freak out for sure. He knows they’ve got a future together, if he can think of a way to explain his past. And he’s sure the rat-bastard who cheated on her is putting the moves on her again, but he won’t be the revenge guy. The month-long cooling off period she agreed to is lasting forever, and might just be indefinite, if trouble keeps getting in their way.

WARNING: Eccentric old lady pushing salt-of-the-earth advice, bossy big brother, kooky counselor, super-secretive hunk, and perfect justice served amidst adult situations and language.

B&N BUY LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trouble-wont-wait-autumn-piper/1112799381?ean=2940015920970

AMAZON BUY LINK: http://amzn.to/UvfJBb

EXCERPT:

I snap the phone shut.

Adam pats my back.

I’m feeling a little proud, and a lot sick. A wicked combination of nerves, exhaustion and barely eating has me shaking, my heart racing, legs suddenly weak.

“Hey, you okay?” Adam’s voice is soft, worried.

I can only nod. If I speak I’ll be sick all over my shoes. After a minute or so, I’m not lightheaded anymore, and stand. God, how embarrassing, to go all weak in front of him!

“You’re pale.” He strokes my cheek with his fingertips. I must look awful, but he seems concerned, not disgusted. “You’re freezing. Come on.” He leads me toward his house.

Halfway to his back gate, it comes to me: I cannot go in there, not in this mood.

“Adam. Hold on.”

He stops and faces me.

I press my eyes with the heels of my hands. “Do you want to be my revenge?”

His laugh is warm, lusty. “Would there be opportunity for advancement? A possibility for a permanent position?”

“Probably not at this point. Revenge would be a temp position only.”

“Then, no. I’ll keep arms’ reach away from you, Scout’s honor.”

Arms’ reach, rather than arms’ length… Freudian slip?

BIO:

I write contemporary romance and women's fiction/mom-lit. My stories often have a high heat index to match their American southwest settings. Known by my writing buddies as "Angst", I have a penchant for making my characters suffer. My novels may be tributes to the old saying, "No pain, no gain", but my hero and heroine always get the happily-ever-after they so deserve.

I love sunny days, hot bread, the ocean, and that fluttery feeling I get inside at the first spark of a great romance. In between being a wife, mom of two teens, writer, and editor, I like to read, take morning walks, make people laugh (this probably happens when I break into a jog!), garden, and play Jigsaw World on Facebook. (sad but true)

For me, an excellent book has characters you can sympathize with or hate (sometimes both at once), a story you simply must see through to the end, and realistic dialogue. Give me those key elements, and I'll read any genre or time period, any author.

One last question, Autumn. Where can readers find you?

On Facebook, I’ve still got the layperson’s page, so I’m AutumnPiper.Author

Twitter, @AutumnPiperAuth

My website: http://www.autumnpiper.com/

http://piperpatter.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2980295.Autumn_Piper

Thanks for stopping by and good luck on your Blog Tour.