Make Welcome ~ Barbara Longley

 

Today I have Barbara Longley here to talk about the first book in her series, Far From Perfect.

As with all Montlake authors, I have a question about what it has been like to work with this new publishing house.

So, Barbara, how has Amazon Montlake been to work with?

Montlake has been wonderful to work with. Clearly they want their authors to be happy, and that’s a rare thing in this industry these days.

I couldn’t agree more. What do you think about self publishing?

I’ve never self-published, so it’s hard for me to have an opinion. I know authors whose older works are out of print, and for them to get their rights back and self-publish their backlists makes a lot of sense. I work a full time day job, and self-publishing seems daunting to me. I don’t have the techy skills to design my own book covers or to do the formatting. I don’t have the extra money to hire an editor. For now, I’ll stick to my current path. I have a lot of admiration for writers who strike out on their own. They’re trailblazers. It’s just not for me at this point.

What do you love about being a writer?

What’s not to love? I get paid to make stuff up, and I drink copious amounts of coffee while doing so.

I like that! Only I switch coffee with wine after five. LOL Tell me, what do you hate about being a writer?

The second guessing and anxiety. What if nobody likes/buys my book? I suck at writing. I’ve forgotten how to write. I’ll never get anywhere, etc., etc. I’m a terribly insecure person, and yet you kind of have to have a healthy ego to put your work out there for the world to judge. Weird, right?

Not weird at all. I think most of us feel this way. We’re a narcissistic bunch, us writers.

Nearly all romance novels have shhh, sex, in them. How do you answer the never ending question, Why do you write THAT kind of book? Or even better… How do you do your RESEARCH?

Eh. I always respond that sex is a huge part of life and a huge part of what motivates us as human beings. Fashion, scents, cars, boats, houses—it’s all about the sex appeal when you get right down to it, and we use that sex appeal to sell just about every product imaginable. It has always boggled my mind that we make such a big deal about something so basic and natural. If you have a problem with the sex scenes, skim. Good writing is good writing. There’s way more to romance than just the sex.

What do you like better, Twitter or Facebook? Why?

I like Twitter the best. Facebook has become more and more complicated, and as I’ve mentioned previously, I’m technologically challenged.

I’d like to think I am a tecky, but I don’t get all the changes to Facebook either.

Now, for the the most important question ever... Do you roll your toilet paper over the roll or under the roll?

Under.

*Head-desk* Wrong I tell ya…LOL I’m an OVER woman myself.

Tell us about your latest release and were we can find it.

FAR FROM PERFECT is the first book in a trilogy and it’s being released by Montlake Romance on October 23rd. It’s a contemporary small town romance with military elements. I love stories about larger than life military heroes who are involved with special ops, or do top level security stuff, but what about the everyday GI Joes and Janes? Who’s going to tell their stories?

My trilogy focuses on the very real issues wounded warriors face while trying to reintegrate into civilian life after multiple deployments. Many of our veterans come home to shattered relationships and unemployment. Many suffer with PTSD, depression, chemical dependency and disabilities. They deserve happily-ever-after and healing. It’s their turn. They are who I write about.

Here’s the blurb for FAR FROM PERFECT:

Noah Langford narrowly survived the roadside bombing in Iraq that killed five of his men and took his leg, leaving him haunted by flashbacks and riddled with guilt. When his stepbrother Matt dies in a car accident, the loss feels like the final blow to Noah’s shattered soul. But then he learns about the girlfriend and baby Matt abandoned years earlier, and suddenly Noah has a new mission…

Ceejay Lovejoy was nineteen and pregnant when her boyfriend walked out, disappearing from her life just like her parents did. Since that day, Ceejay has devoted herself to giving her daughter a better life, avoiding any man who could threaten that security—until the day Noah Langford shows up on her doorstep. His gentle spirit has an unexpected effect on Ceejay’s guarded heart, tempting her to take one last chance on love. But when a painful secret comes to light, it threatens to break the fragile bond growing between them…and to destroy a love powerful enough to heal them both.

Links:

www.barbaralongley.com  website

http://longleyb.wordpress.com blog

http://twitter.com/#!/barbaralongley

http://facebook.com/barlongley

HERE is the link to check out the first chapter of Barbara's book over at Amazon.