Interview and Giveaway: Amy Woods, Author of His Texas Forever Family
(Manga Maniac Café) Good morning, Amy!
(Amy Woods) Thanks so much for having me as a guest today!
(Manga Maniac Cafe) Describe yourself in five words or less.
(Amy Woods) Introverted, Curious, Dog lover, Writer
(Manga Maniac Cafe) Can you tell us a little about your book?
(Amy Woods) His Texas Forever Family is a sweet, contemporary category romance set in the fictional small town of Peach Leaf, Texas.
Paige Graham only has room for one man in her life—her son, Owen. The little boy hasn’t spoken since his father died, but things change when he meets his new art teacher, Liam Campbell. Paige can’t help marveling at the progress Owen makes while working with his instructor—and Mr. Campbell isn’t exactly hard on the eyes, either!
New to Peach Leaf, Texas, Liam is captivated by his beautiful boss—who is none other than Paige! He can’t risk his job or his future by falling for his supervisor, but there is just something about her he can’t resist. Thanks to Liam’s lessons, Owen is on the road to recovery. Now if only Liam can show Paige that the best way to heal her heart is to open herself to love again….
(Manga Maniac Cafe) How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
(Amy Woods) A spark of an idea, and the wonderful question, “What if?” inspired the story. I wondered what would happen if a child became mute following a terrible incident, and the only person able to help that child was someone with an unconventional way of treating psychological distress. I combined that person with the child’s mother—who has tried everything, without success, to help her son—along with a sweet romance, and the rest is history.
(Manga Maniac Cafe) What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
(Amy Woods) I loved researching art therapy and all of the amazing ways it can help people overcome rough spots or challenges in their lives. It seems to me that there are just about as many ways to heal from trauma as there are people—horse therapy, dog therapy, art therapy, behavioral therapy, and the list goes on. I’m fascinated and inspired by the many wonderful people who go into these fields with the goal of making others’ lives better.
Also, this is my debut novel, but it’s also my very first book and I loved, loved, loved the experience of finishing a full story. Happily, I became addicted to that feeling and have gone on to write more. ?
(Manga Maniac Cafe) What gave you the most trouble with this story?
(Amy Woods) At the risk of having tomatoes thrown at me by the writers out there…this story didn’t really give me much trouble. The characters were fun to write, even at their dark moments, and I didn’t ever get stuck for very long. I’m sad to say this hasn’t happened since, and I’ve finished several other books. I’m learning that some books just require either more or different work than others, and every book is its own animal. I’m still a fairly new writer, and I’m still working out my process. The minute I feel like I’ve grasped something pretty firmly, a fresh challenge pops up.
(Manga Maniac Cafe) If you had a theme song, what would it be?
(Amy Woods) Sara Bareilles’ “Brave”—not because I embody the lyrics but because I’d like to
(Manga Maniac Cafe) Name one thing you won’t leave home without.
(Amy Woods) My purse. Lord help me if I ever lose that thing! I’m pretty sure most women can relate.
(Manga Maniac Cafe) Name three things on your desk right now.
(Amy Woods) -Kleenex (I live in Austin, Texas and we have some of the worst allergens in the US)
-a pen with pink ink (I have approximately one million pens, and I get bored with them regularly and have to switch them out—neurotic much?)
-a hula girl (my brother serves in the Navy and is stationed in Hawaii)
(Manga Maniac Cafe) If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?
(Amy Woods) J.K. Rowling. I’d love to know what it feels like to have sold hundreds of millions of copies of something I wrote.
(Manga Maniac Cafe) What are some books that you enjoyed recently?
(Amy Woods) The Winter King by C.L. Wilson, Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron, and What Once Was Perfect by Zoe York.
(Manga Maniac Cafe) What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
(Amy Woods) The hubby and I are movie fanatics. I don’t care if it’s old, new, Netflix, or the cinema—if it sounds good, I’ll watch it. My favorites usually have a SciFi or historical setting. I also have a dog (read: child) and I spend a lot of time with her, mostly trying to get her to stop sniffing telephone poles so we can actually walk further than two feet.
(Manga Maniac Cafe) How can readers connect with you?
(Amy Woods) I adore hearing from readers, and they are welcome to contact me through my website at www.amywoodsbooks.com, on Facebook as Amy Woods Books, or on Twitter as @amywoodsbooks. I also have a (non-spammy) newsletter available at http://eepurl.com/0Vmi1, for anyone who is interested in keeping up with new releases
His Texas Forever Family by: Amy Woods
Released August 19th, 2014
Harlequin
“MR. CAMPBELL, PLEASE REPORT TO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE…
Paige Graham only has room for one man in her life—her son, Owen. The little boy hasn’t spoken since his father died, but things change when he meets his new art teacher, Liam Campbell. Paige can’t help marveling at the progress Owen makes while working with his instructor—and Mr. Campbell isn’t exactly hard on the eyes, either!
New to Peach Leaf, Texas, Liam is captivated by his beautiful boss—who is none other than Paige! He can’t risk his job or his future by falling for his supervisor, but there is just something about her he can’t resist. Thanks to Liam’s lessons, Owen is on the road to recovery. Now if only Liam can show Paige that the best way to heal her heart is to open herself to love again….”
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/07/his-texas-forever-family-by-amy-woods.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21471411-his-texas-forever-family?from_search=true
Buy Links
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-texas-forever-family-amy-woods/1118925347?ean=9781460338773
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/his-texas-forever-family
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/his-texas-forever-family/id857569196?mt=11
Publisher: http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=53590
Author Info
Although she’s wanted to be a writer since learning to read, Amy Woods took the scenic route to her job as an author. She’s been a bookkeeper, a high school English teacher, a claims specialist, and a call-center worker, but now that she’s tried making up stories for a living, she’s never giving it up. She grew up in Austin, Texas and still lives there with her wonderfully goofy, supportive husband and a very spoiled rescue dog.
Author Links
Website: http://www.amywoodsbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amywoodsbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amywoodsbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8059195.Amy_Woods
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Tour Wide Giveaway for $10.00 Amazon Gift Card and Print Copy of HIS TEXAS FOREVER FAMILY)
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