Guest Post Roxanne St. Claire

I’m so excited to have New York Times Bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire visiting my blog today! I’ve been a huge fan of Rocki’s since I found her Bullet Catcher books years ago and always look forward to the release of her books in all genres. I'm currently reading Rocki's They All Fall Down (and loving), which comes out today. Happy Release Day Rocki!!! Rocki is not only  sweet enough to stop by and answer a few questions, she is also offering up 1 digital or print book of the winner's choice. Thanks so much for stopping by Rock!

Barefoot in Lace was such a beautiful and emotional read for me, and I loved every minute of it. How has Gussie and Tom’s story been received by readers?

Thank you!! And thank you for having me here today! It’s such fun to talk about this book.  Gussie and Tom are enjoying an amazing reception from readers, and I’m a little overwhelmed by it. I struggled with these characters – their backstories and motivations were more complex than I’d originally expected when I first created them.  Tom really confounded me and it wasn’t until deep into the book that I took off the final layer and realized what was at the heart of his decision to live life “always alone.”  But once that became clear, then he became clear, and Gussie and I both fell madly in love! I think readers have, too!

I loved the relationship between Gussie and Alex and felt like it was a huge part of the story. Did their relationship surprise you as you were writing their story?

Oh, my, yes.  When an orphaned twelve year old girl threatens to take over a scene in a romance novel, you get surprised.  Gussie’s relationship with Tom’s broken and bruised niece was a huge part of the story for me, and there were times when I thought I was writing Gussie and Alex’s book! I loved that, though, and really felt it enhanced the romance and the depth of the book.  I hope readers agree.  There’s not a LOT of Alex in the book, but she is an integral part of the story and readers seem to love her, too.

What is next with the Barefoot Bay Brides series?

I’m writing the third book in the series, BAREFOOT IN PEARLS. This is Ari Chandler’s story, and she falls in love with Gussie’s older brother, Luke McBain.  Ari’s been raised to believe without a shadow of a doubt that there is “one true love” for everyone – her parents’ marriage is proof of that.  (Her father is a preacher, her mother was a Native American professor and a trained shaman.)  But when “the one” shows up in Ari’s life, he’s on a mission to destroy something that Ari will do anything to save.  They have a rocky hill to climb – literally and figuratively! I’m in the middle of that now and loving it.  After that…I’m not sure yet! Stay tuned!

I know you also write Young Adult books and your newest release comes out on October 14. Please share with my readers a little bit about They All Fall Down.

I have written two YAs, and the second one is a psychological thriller that really challenged and, well, thrilled me as a writer.  I’d never written anything quite like this, though my romantic suspense background probably trained me for the climactic near-death scenes in the end.  Like all my books, this one has a deeply emotional component, but the story is wildly fast paced and kind of scary! Here’s the blurb…

THEY ALL FALL DOWN:

Pretty Little Liars meets Final Destination in this taut psychological thriller that will have readers hearts racing!  Every year, the lives of ten girls at Vienna High are transformed....all because of the list. Kenzie Summerall can’t imagine how she’s been voted onto a list of the hottest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes amazing.  Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her.

This s the power of the list.  If you’re on it, your life changes. But this year? Your life ends. The girls on the list have started to die in freak accidents, one by one.  Is it a coincidence? A curse? Or is the list in the hands of a killer?

Time is running out for Kenzie, but she’s determined to uncover the deadly secret of the list...before her number’s up. 

Do you have any must-see television shows you never miss each week? Have you found any new favorites with the premiers in the last month?

I am ALL in with OUTLANDER.  I know we are in the (endless) mid-season break, but I simply inhaled every episode at least three times! After the second show, I bought the book since I’d never read it, and then devoured every page, barely coming up for air.  I could not be more in love with the characters, the story, the setting, and the incredible production on STARZ.  Other than that, I do a little reality TV (love The Voice and Chopped!) and movies.  I’m really not too fond of episodic television, but OUTLANDER? Oh, yummy!!

Describe your perfect girl’s weekend with your best friends.

My besties are ALL writers, no surprise.  Our perfect weekend includes long (productive!) days at the keyboard, plenty of cocktail hour hilarity, and an evening of brainstorming, life-sharing, and laughter.  I try to do retreats like this once or twice a year, which refresh me and remind me that you simply cannot get through this lonely business of writing without fantastic friends.  I’m blessed to have many!!

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Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels of suspense and romance, including three popular series (Barefoot Bay, The Bullet Catchers, and The Guardian Angelinos) and multiple stand-alone books. 

In addition to being a six-time nominee and one-time winner of the RITA Award, Roxanne’s novels have won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense three times, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, the Award of Excellence, and many others. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and are routinely included as a Doubleday/Rhapsody Book Club Selection of the Month.

Roxanne lives in Florida with her family, and can be reached via her website,www.roxannestclaire.com or on her Facebook Reader page, www.facebook.com/roxannestclaire and on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/roxannestclaire.