Delightfullybooked

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Q&A with Helena Hunting

It’s such a treat to have Helena Hunting on for my Q&A today! She’s one of my favorite authors and has 2 new books coming soon! I love her short and sweet IG bio:👇🏻

“Writer of books. Popcorn connoisseur. Lover of hockey. Wife. Mom. Worst person to have in the passenger seat of your car, ever.”-Helena

But she’s also a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author known for her contemporary romance and romcoms! Check out our chat below!

Helena! You have so many books out that I can’t read them fast enough! That’s one of the things I love about you as an author, you seem to write so fast and don’t leave us waiting long. How long does it typically take you to write a book?

The first draft usually goes down pretty quickly, sometimes in 4-6 weeks, but it definitely depends on the book and what else I have on my schedule when I’m writing. If I’m not juggling multiple edits, I typically write between 4-5000 words a day. But I often spend a couple of weeks outlining the story and developing the characters before I jump into the first draft. And my editing process often takes just as long as getting the first draft down, so while it may seem fast, the other parts of the process balance it all out. From outline to copyedit stage, it takes about 4 months for me to draft and edit a novel.

Which series and which standalone that you’ve written have a special place in your heart? (although I’m sure they all do).

That is definitely a hard question because every book has a special place for me. I will say that Lavender and Kodiak’s book, Little Lies, was a story that I felt very compelled to write, and I have a lot of love for those characters. For standalones, Love on the Lake which releases soon holds a special place in my heart. Love on the Lake is a very emotional contemporary romance and I love the characters and their chemistry, but it’s their journey to love and self-acceptance that makes them so special for me.

When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

Probably from the moment I could write a complete sentence. I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember and as a child, when I couldn’t spell the word I would draw pictures.  I didn’t think it would ever become a fulltime career. I assumed I would write on the side for myself, so I’m grateful that I’m able to do the thing I love as my job.

What did you grow up reading?

I loved Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High when I was in middle school, but by the time I was 12 I was reading VC Andrews. I shifted to reading Dean Koontz and Clive Barker which is ironic because I can’t watch horror movies at all, but I devoured those books! I think the lack of visuals made it easier for me to manage, because I could decide what I wanted my imagination to gloss over. I also loved reading Margaret Atwood. We read The Handmaid’s Tale in grade ten and I fell in love with her stories. I discovered paranormal romance a little later in life, and that continues to be a favourite genre.

Who is another author you would love to sit down and chat with?

JR Ward would be such a cool author to meet. She builds amazing worlds you just want to be part of, and I love that all of her characters have these obstacles to overcome that are so organically written. I feel like I’d probably embarrass myself by fangirling, though.

I started my bookstagram blog about 2 years ago, and it blows my mind how engaged some authors are with their fans and readers and their willingness to take the time to respond or comment on their posts. How has this platform helped you as an author and what is the hardest thing about it?

IG and social media can be such a great place to interact with readers. I spend a lot of time in my reader group on Facebook where we talk books and share things that make us laugh, or smile, or cry. It can be such a great, warm place to connect and be part of a community. I think the hardest thing is trying to keep up with all of it and maintain some balance especially when I’m on deadline.

What is something most people wouldn’t guess about you?

I have terrible social anxiety and book events stress me out, but I still love going to them and meeting readers. I just need a week of hibernation afterwards. I also have a serious love of cross stitching.

How do you celebrate when you finish a book?!

Sometimes I’ll celebrate by binge watching a TV show, but for the last book I finished drafting my friend brought over a bottle of bubbly and we celebrated with a charcuterie board and champagne, which is a lot more sophisticated than me eating a bowl of popcorn. It really varies on the book, but this last one was something I was excited to have finished drafting.

I adored When Sparks Fly, and the Spark sisters! How did this series come about?

I think we started plotting this series in 2019. I’d been to Colorado for Book Bonanza and I really wanted to set a series there. I also loved the idea of an event hotel, run by three sisters and the idea formed from there. It’s been such a joy writing their stories, especially because of the sister bond and how they grow individually, as a family and with their partners. I’m very excited for London’s story this May, and I just finished content edits on Harley’s story!

London’s story, Starry-Eyed Love, is coming in May 2022 and I can’t wait! Can you tell us a little more about it?

I loved writing London and Jackson’s story and their meet cute was so fun to write. He approaches her in a bar and she ends up turning him down because she’d just gotten out of a relationship and didn’t want to lead him on when she probably wasn’t going to call him anyway. Three months later she ends up in a meeting that he crashes, and they end up working together. Cue all the awkwardness! It’s a fun, emotional, sexy Cinderella story and I’m so excited for readers to watch these two fall in love!

I love doing This or That questions, because it’s a quick way to learn things about people!

Introvert or extrovert?

Introverted-extrovert.

Pool or beach?

Both

Fancy restaurant or local spots

Local!

On time or late?

On time, late stresses me out.

Planner or go with the flow?

Planner or I’m an anxious mess!

Morning person or night owl?

Night owl, except now any time after eleven feels late.

Friends to lovers or enemies to lovers?

Both, but I love writing enemies to lovers because of the banter.

Thanksgiving or Christmas?

Christmas

Thank you so much Helena for this awesome Q&A 💕. I grew up reading Sweet Valley High as well! Those were some of the best books. I also have a love of cross stitch, but haven’t done it in a long time. I remember my grandmother teaching me. It’s so relaxing and I hope to pick up that hobby again soon!

Friends- to learn more about Helena and her books, follow her on IG or checkout her Linktree!

Upcoming books preorder links:

Love on the Lake coming March 15, 2022

Starry-Eyed Love coming May 10, 2022

Don’t miss them!

Q&A With Author Brooke Burroughs

You guys, I’m so happy to feature Brooke today! I love following her travel adventures on IG (she has an airstream!!)-Also, how adorable is she?!

Hey Brooke! I’ve been so excited to do a Q&A with you. I read The Marriage Code right before it came out in 2020 and fell in love with how you described Bangalore with all of its traditions, customs, and especially the food! I read in your bio that this story is based on some true events, would you share with us?

Thank you! The Marriage Code started out as a memoir of my experience moving to Bangalore, India and meeting my husband. Everyone kept saying, “Your story would make a great movie!” and because I’d always been a writer (and didn’t have the aspiration to be a Hollywood producer) I wanted to try and write about it. So there are definitely events that inspired the book—like my move to Bangalore, meeting my husband at the office, a vacation in Kerala, and the many, many drool-worthy meals! I had no idea how varied Indian cuisine is until I moved there. And of course, I included some of the challenges my husband and I faced being a couple coming from different cultures, and with his family’s wish for him to marry someone within his community. Luckily both Emma and Rishi, and my husband and I all had happy endings!

In your latest book, The Name Curse (which I adored by the way 😍), the characters are hiking an Alaskan trail. I’m sensing a travel/adventure theme in the stories you tell…are you an avid traveler? Is this what inspires your stories?

I do love travel and adventure, so I’m not surprised that’s an emerging theme. I have always wanted to write love stories featuring women who have a sense of adventure, even if they don’t know it yet (much like Bernie in The Name Curse). I’ve lived in three different countries aside from the US, and love to explore new places. During the pandemic when international travel felt a bit risky, we took a lot of road trips in our airstream and camped (well, “glamped”) around the US to appease the travel bug that kept urging us to get out of the house. I love hiking, exploring, and still hope to live outside the country again. There is so much to learn about other cultures, and in turn, learn about yourself when you’re in an unfamiliar setting.

What was the feeling like after you published your first book?

Finally getting your first book published is every writer’s dream, so the feeling was absolute elation! One thing I never anticipated was the response from readers. While I am quite familiar with the joy that sinking into a good book brings, I’ve never been one to reach out to my favorite authors and let them know how much their words affected me. But that has definitely been one of the most rewarding parts of having a book out there. Every time someone read The Marriage Code and told me that it made them cry seeing a STEM heroine, that it resonated with their own life, or that they had to order nonstop Indian takeout while reading it—that was the best feeling!

How long have you been writing?

Even when I was little I had an urge to tell stories. I remember getting a Snoopy diary for Christmas when I was in third grade and started writing in it; I still have it, and its tiny lock that keeps the trials and tribulations of a nine year old top secret! My niece has also recently unearthed an illustrated story of my family that I wrote in first or second grade on construction paper that is bound with yarn. Those were the origins of my writing, and eventually it turned into poetry and short stories in high school and college. I didn’t start anything novel length until I started drafting The Marriage Code though!

What does a day of writing look like for you?

Ah, my dream day! I still have a day job, so I usually write in the mornings on weekdays before work, and one reason I look forward to the weekends, is because I wake up and have a day of writing ahead of me. I usually go sit outside at one of my favorite coffee shops in Austin to write for several hours. Sometimes another writer friend will join me and we’ll brainstorm, or work through any story challenges we’re having. Then I’ll finish the day off by reading whatever book I have on my nightstand. Those are the best days!

Do you have a book recommendation that you think everyone should have on their TBR?

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is one of my favorite romcoms (as it probably is for everyone!). There are so many amazing books out there it’s hard to pick just one! But that one I enjoyed so much I re-read it two more times right after I finished it.

I can tell from some of your posts that you’re a dog lover 💕Tell us more about your fur babies!

I have a 5 year old Great Dane, Rani (which appropriately translates to “queen” in Sanskrit), and a 10 year old boxer, Ike. They are the best dogs, and often my writing assistants, giving me company in my office while I’m working on a book. Actually, Ike was the inspiration for Bernie’s dog in The Name Curse!

How do you enjoy spending your free time?

I spend a lot of time trying to make a dent in my TBR pile because there are so many amazing books that keep coming out, I feel like I can’t keep up! I also love traveling, whether that’s going to visit my in-laws in India, exploring a country for the first time, or camping at a state park for a weekend. I also love Bollywood dance, and am part of a group here in Austin.

Let’s do some THIS or THAT!

Mountains or beach: Ooh this is a tough one, but if I had to pick one place it would be the beach because I love the sun and the sound of the ocean.

TV or reading: Reading FTW!

Fancy or casual: Default casual, but I also love dressing up in sparkly things for weddings or dance events!

Fly or drive: Depends where I’m going, but if it’s in the US, driving can be part of the adventure!

Background noise or silence: I love the background noise of a coffee shop to write.

Dinner or dessert: Wait, isn’t dessert just the end of dinner? LOL (so, um both?)

Scary movies or funny: Funny, all the time! Scary movies give me nightmares.

Readers (me 😂) want to know if you have another book on the horizon? I have to say, I’m super excited for what you come up with next!

The project I just finished is a romcom inspired by the small town in Kentucky where I grew up. I wanted to write something about the area because it’s gone through so many changes in the past several years. Also, it was an opportunity to highlight some of my favorite parts about growing up there. This story is about a woman who always wanted to escape the place she’s from, and when she returns for her sister’s wedding, she gets roped into actually planning it with the groom’s son who happens to be her high school nemesis.

I’m so appreciative that you took the time to do this Q&A with me, I love getting to know you better! Man, I would enjoy being able to travel like that, but I’m such a homebody. So for now I’ll just live vicariously through you 😍. I’ll be anxiously waiting to hear more about your newest book! Thanks Brooke!

Friends, if you want to follow or learn more about Brooke then check out her info below 👇🏻

Website: www.brookeburroughs.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/brookeburroughswrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brookeburroughsauthor/

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@brookeburroughswrites

Q&A With GiGi Blume

Hi Gigi! I’m so glad to have you on my blog and to get to know you a little better! As you know, I’m a HUGE fan of romcoms. I recently read The Friend Act and fell in love with your characters! Tell us a little more about your books!

Thanks for having me. I love your blog.

I’m happy you liked The Friend Act. It’s part of my Backstage Romance series which is inspired by Jane Austen’s works. So far I’ve covered Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Mansfield Park. My next Austen-inspired book will be Northanger Abbey but I don’t have a date for that yet.

I read that you used to be a professional wedding singer! That is such an interesting job, what was it like? How did you get from that to writing books?

The singing gig was a natural progression of what I’d been doing for years, having been in bands and choirs my whole life. While I love singing, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I remember writing the screenplay to Batman the Musical in fifth grade. Because of my desire to write for the stage and screen I joined the drama club in middle school and fell in love with theatre and by extension, musicals, singing, and playing guitar. Now it’s kind of come full circle. I didn’t so much get from singing to writing as a transition, but rather one phased out as the other moved to the forefront.

Tell us about your love of musical theater and how has that inspired your writing?

Musical theatre is such a huge part of my being, I can’t help but write about it. I think if I ever write about aliens in space, musical theatre references will still sneak in there.

I recently found out that you design book covers as well and they are beautiful! How did this get started for you?

Gosh, I’m such a Jack of all trades. (and master of none) I just love art so much and used to do chalkboard art for a local coffee house. My friend, author KG Fletcher (she’s also a singer/actress) asked me to design one of her covers a while back and I completely turned her down. I didn’t think I had it in me. But she was persistent and wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I caved and made her cover. But I told her, “Never again. That’s a one time thing.” Famous last words. I think I’ve designed five covers for her now. LOL. And in learning how to use photo editing programs and Procreate, I decided to start a cover design business for the frugal indie author. It’s fun and a good distraction when I have writer’s block.

What was the first book you published and how was your experience?

My first published book was Confessions of a Hollywood Matchmaker, the prequel novella for the Backstage Romance Series. There was a huge learning curve so overwhelming, I think I blocked the experience from my memory. When I look back to that time, I see myself as a little kid who had no clue what she was doing. It kind of makes me cringe, especially when I look at my super lame marketing from those days.

What do you do when you are in a writing slump?

I love to listen to the autumn acoustic playlist on Pandora while I take walks. The music gives me inspiration for scenes. Sometimes though, I just need to zone out to Netflix and give myself a break.

What do you want readers to know about you?

Um, I guess that even though I have a stage performing background, I’m not an extrovert. I’m one of those people who hides when someone’s at the front door. So don’t come over because I’ll pretend I’m not home. LOL

How about some favorites!

Musical? GAH don’t make me choose! Phantom Sound of the Godspell Pirates

Food? French fries

Movie? Pride and Prejudice 1995

Book? Pride and Prejudice

Author? Jane Austen (Are we seeing a pattern here?)

Show? Midsummer Night’s Dream

Scent? Almond soaps and lotions

Person? My son and daughter.

Describe your perfect day.

Sleep in. Hubby makes my favorite breakfast. Hang out with my awesome teenagers. Walk along the beach. Read a book. Finish the evening with Shakespeare in the park or some other theatrical show.

Finally, tell us more about your new romcom series coming this year!

I’m over the top excited about this series. It’s a spin-off of The Friend Act where we get to know Francesca’s six irresistible Latinx brothers. They’re hard working, fiercely loyal to family, and if they can ever slow down for romance, watch out ladies. Prepare thyself for all the juicy tropes. You’ll need to grab a fan and a tall glass of ice water because the Precio Brothers are muy picante and when it comes to love, these hotties Mexi-CAN.

*closed door PG-13

AHHH, I love this so much GiGi and I can’t wait to read your newest series! Thank you so much for telling us about yourself and what makes your books so unique in the romcom genre 💕 I absolutely love your niche and your love for Jane Austen!

Friends! If you want to keep up with GiGi and her books then go and follow her on instagram.

Check out her cover reveal for her new romcom, Messy Love below!

Q&A With Author Katherine Center

My introduction for this amazing lady wouldn’t do her justice, so I’m going to let her bio speak for itself!👇🏻

BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, and her newest, What You Wish For. The movie adaptation of her novel The Lost Husband (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix and her novel Happiness for Beginners is in production now as a Netflix original starring Ellie Kemper. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Her books have made countless Best-Of lists, including RealSimple’s Best Books of 2020, Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2019, Goodreads’ Best Books of the Year, and many more. Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog.

Hi Katherine! I can’t tell you how excited I am to talk with you on my blog! Your books are some of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read, heart-wrenching but equally inspiring. How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire have stayed with me on so many levels. What led you to this particular niche in your writing?

I really love stories about how people get back up after life has knocked them down. Those moments, those really hard life moments that just crack us open . . . they’re so hard—but they also give us these rare opportunities to grow and change and redefine our lives. I’m interested in how people get through those hard times—but also in what they learn from them and how they grow from them. So I think I found my way to these kinds of stories because that’s what I’m interested in, myself, personally, just as a human: How we do it. How we rise to life’s challenges and cope with humor and grace. But not only just how we cope, but how we also appreciate life’s beauty and joy. Because we kind of always have to do both at the same time—and that’s not easy. I’m just endlessly fascinated by it all.

What is the most fulfilling thing about being an author?

Getting to think about stories all the time. Getting to study them and figure out how they work. Getting to pay attention to what I myself love and long for in stories—and then trying to figure out how to do that for other people. There’s a great quote from Julia Child: “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” That’s me. I never, ever get bored with stories. I’ll be studying them my whole life long.

What does your day look like when you are in the middle of writing a book?

When I’m writing the first draft of a book—sort of building the scaffolding of the story—it takes huge, vast amounts of concentration. I need long stretches of time—days!—when I can get lost in the story and think about nothing else. I’ll go out of town (to Galveston Island) for 4 or 5 days at a time and do a big chunk of writing (50-100 pages), and then come home and read them over and mess with them and let them settle. Then a few weeks later, I go again and do the next section. This rhythm works for me—pushing forward and then settling for a while. That’s always the hardest part: figuring out what the story IS. Once I know what it is, telling it is pretty easy.

Tell us about your book cover designs! They are always so bright and positive and keep with the same theme. I know immediately if it’s one of your books without looking at the title or author!

I got so lucky with them, didn’t I?! I hit the jackpot when Macmillan, my publisher, asked the brilliant designer Olga Grlic to design my covers. That red cover with the flowers for How to Walk Away is the cover that started it all, and I feel like it captured something about my soul. I know the covers won’t always be exactly the same—they’ll have to grow and evolve, but I hope we’ll always keep some version of flowers.

Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written that holds a special place in your heart?

I love them all in different ways. How to Walk Away was my first book to ever hit the New York Times bestseller list. The Lost Husband was my first book to ever get turned into a movie (Hi, Josh Duhamel!). Things You Save in a Fire was a book I wrote with a ton of input from my (volunteer firefighter) husband, and so that one will always be close to my heart.

Your books are becoming movies!!! First The Lost Husband, now Happiness for Beginners, and possibly Things You Save In a Fire?! How has this experience been for you and to what extent are you able to be involved in the process?

It’s so amazing, I can hardly even describe it. I love movies, so it’s just like some kind of crazy magic to watch my stories come to life in this whole new way. I recently got to visit the Happiness for Beginners movie set and attend the wedding of one of my own main characters! The movies are of course often quite different from what I saw in my head when I was writing—but in some ways, they’re better. That kiss O’Connor gives Libby at the famers market in The Lost Husband movie? Better. I can’t take credit for that overalls-pull! That was director Vicky Wight, who is clearly a kissing genius. I was there on the day they filmed that kiss, and it just blew my mind to think that a kiss I wrote for two imaginary people in my head was now, like, happening in the real world with real people. It’s thrilling beyond description.

What are you currently reading/watching?

I just finished reading an advance copy of Christina Lauren’s new book, Something Wilder, and I also just finished Emily Henry’s next-summer book, Book Lovers. Both were absolutely delicious and so much fun to read. Those writers are both new discoveries for me in the last year or so, and I’m in love.

What’s your favorite way to unwind?

I’m a big fan of unwinding! I dance around in the kitchen a lot when I’m making dinner. I sing at the top of my lungs in the car. I walk the dog after dinner with my husband. I take a lot of bubble baths and read yummy novels cover to cover. I curl up with fuzzy blankets and Korean rom-com TV shows online with subtitles. Korean dramas were my best discovery during the pandemic. So swoony and fun to watch!

Where is your favorite place to travel?

So many! I love road trips. I love little New England towns. I love Europe and the UK. I’d love to go the Fjords. My mom’s family is from Germany, and I’ve never been there, so that’s a definite goal. I’ve been to Japan, but I’d love to see more of Asia. Korea’s on my list big time! And my best friend from college lives in New Zealand, so I’ll be heading that way at some point.

Do you have any family traditions you look forward to every year?

We spend Thanksgiving out at my grandparents’ ranch in Texas every year. It’s usually at least 20 people—my sisters and their husbands and any other extended family and friends we can gather. November is usually cool and lovely in Texas, so we build fires and walk the gravel roads and feast and fall asleep on the sofa. It’s just so fun for us all to be together.

What do you do to celebrate when you finish writing a book?

It always feels very celebratory to print out the final pages of one of those big, beautiful beasts. It’s like, it’s finally real. I print them out and then put them in a big old binder and carry them around for a while. That said, “done” is a slippery concept! Almost as soon as I’m printing it out, I’m circling back to make more changes and make it better.

And Finally! Will you please tell us more about your newest book, The Bodyguard?! It’s one of my (and many others) most anticipated reads this summer!

Oh, I’m so in love with it. It’s a classic rom-com. Usually, I think of my books as kind of half tragedy and half comedy—like, there’s almost always some big, hard life event that the main character has to struggle with and figure out, and there’s also always a fun love story. So it’s a balance between darkness and light. But with this story—which I was writing in 2020 and 2021—I decided I just wanted as much light as possible. There’s some struggle here, and some darkness, and some things to for the main characters to figure out, because you have to have some ballast in a story, but I knew from the beginning that I wanted this story to be as joyful and fun and bantery and swoony and playful as possible. And it IS. It was how I made my own sunshine during the pandemic. I just put these two main characters out on a ranch together . . . and then I just let them tease each other and joke around and banter and fight and fall in love. Man, it was fun. It was exactly what I needed!

You guys! How great is she???!!! Singing the praises of her cover designer and fellow authors-such a phenomenal writer, down to earth, and just all around so sweet to chat with. I want to give a shout out to Josh Duhamel too (Hey Josh!) because I just know he’s reading my blog 😂. Thank you SO MUCH Katherine for taking the time to do this chat with me. Readers!!! GO pre-order The Bodyguard now! It will be released on 7/19/22 and you won’t want to miss it! To learn more about Katherine, her books, and her movies you can check out her blog or Instagram.

Stay tuned for more fun Q&A’s!

XOXO,

Kristyn