With her latest release, Kristan Higgins is no longer a new-to-me-author, but an auto-buy! "If this latest is anything to go by, Higgins will be a permanent fixture on my shelf. Her unique style and relatable characters will certainly enchant her to romance readers everywhere." Without further adieu, please welcome my special guest:
Author Bio:
Find Kristan on the web: Website | Facebook |Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills
Kristan Higgins' Latest Release:
'My One And Only'
Releases March 29th, 2011
"Divorce attorney Harper James can't catch a break. Bad enough that she runs into her ex-hubby Nick at a mutual firend's destination wedding, but now, by a cruel twist of fate, she's being forced to make a cross-country road trip with him. And her boyfriend back at home is not likely to be sympathetic. Alarm bells ringing with every turn, Harper buckles up, pulls her adorable Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix Coco (her soulmate) onto her lap, and keeps repeating her mantra, "sometimes it takes time for your heart to learn what your head already knows." As they work their way from the wild west of Montana to Manhattan's busy skyline and their first home together, Harper finds herself wondering if maybe this time, her head should be listening to her heart. "
Read My Review of 'My One And Only': here
RJ: Hey Kristan! Thanks so much for stopping by Not Another Romance Blog! Congrats on the release of your latest contemporary romance, ‘My One and Only’ (March 29th, 2011; HQN Books)! Can you tell me and the readers what the book is about aside from what we’ll read in the blurb?
KH: I am very thrilled to be here, Rita! It’s an honor.
My One & Only is the story of love found, love lost and love trying to be found once more. Harper and Nick married young and ran into trouble almost immediately. Before their first anniversary, they’d filed for divorce. Marriage, they learned, required more than two goofy kids in love. Twelve peaceful years later, they’re thrown together as maid of honor and best man at a destination wedding, and the feelings they’ve successfully ignored all these many years are about to get some air time. It’s also a story about faith and trust, and what happens when those things are neglected, and how we think we can control certain aspects of our life that are simply not in our grasp. I love how Harper thinks she’s above the fray in terms of relationships—she’s a divorce attorney, so she figures she knows exactly what can shoot a marriage right between the eyes. And Nick, though irresistible in many ways, hasn’t changed much in terms of being just as certain as Harper, except on the exact opposite end of the spectrum.
RJ: Where did the inspiration for your plot, characters, and setting in ‘My One and Only’ come from?
KH: I had a vision—doesn’t that sound so neat?—of a couple bickering on the altar during another couple’s wedding. What if they were divorced? What if this was the very inappropriate time that they decided to air a little laundry? I was fascinated with the idea that Nick and Harper really loved each other back then, and still failed miserably at marriage for very realistic reasons. And because I’m a writer and love to torment my characters, I figured sticking them on a road trip would be perfect. Character-wise, I was dying to do a cynical heroine. Most of my heroines have been really optimistic, sweet people. Harper is not. She’s brilliant, funny, hardworking, goodhearted, but yes, absolutely cynical. Nick calls her ‘stunted’; she calls herself a realist. Nick, on the other hand, is a wide-eyed optimist, often to his detriment. He thinks once certain things are in place—like a marriage—they’re all set and don’t require his attention anymore. But he loved Harper with all his heart…loves her still, even if she drives him up the wall. I picked Glacier National Park for two reasons—it’s very remote and incredibly beautiful. I wanted them both out of their comfort zones…Nick lives in New York City; Harper lives in Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts (Yankees-Red Sox, see? Just another reason not to get along). The remote setting allowed me to force them to be together in a believable way, and the journey home gave a structure to the book.
RJ: Your latest release features a couple who were once married but got a divorce. How difficult or easy did you find it to write and incorporate this element into your story. Did you do any special research or pull from any personal experiences while writing this book?
KH: That’s a great question. It was actually really hard for me to write about a couple who truly loved each other and got divorced anyway. I’m happily married and have been for some time, so I had to struggle a bit with the notion that two people who truly loved each other could end up divorced. So I gave them both some meaty backstory and issues regarding commitment. Again…tormenting the characters. It’s what we authors live for.RJ: Picture this: Some major motion picture studio buys the film rights to ‘My One and Only’ and want to make it into a movie. They bring you in as a consultant and ask you to come up with an ideal cast list. Which actors would make that list and for what role?
KH: Well, that would be a very happy day, wouldn’t
it? Let’s see…for Nick, I’d have to go with Robert Downey Jr., because I love that guy, and I could see him as the fast-talking Nick, always able to get what he wanted because he’s just so dang charming. And those brown eyes…sigh! Or maybe James Franco, because I have a huge crush on him, too. For Harper…hm. Harper was my first drop-dead beautiful heroine…maybe Charlize Theron or Katherine Heigl. I think both could pull off the “take no prisoners” attitude Harper has.
RJ: Also in the book, the exes take an impromptu road trip across America together. If you and your significant other decided to pack the kiddies off to grandma’s and hop in the car for a cross-country road trip, where would you go?
KH: We love the country’s national parks, so that would be a priority—Acadia in Maine, the Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, Bryce and Zion. I also love the Pacific Northwest’s weather and botany. And I love cities! New York is my favorite, of course, but I’d love to spend some time in Chicago, Austin, Portland. So we’d need a lot of time, is what I’m saying. And a wicked cool ride, of course!RJ: What projects are you currently working on and what can the readers (and I) expect on the bookshelves next from you?
KH:Until There Was You hits the shelves in November and has a first for me—the hero’s point of view! This story is about the return of the bad boy—in this case, Liam Murphy, who has to face his past in ways he didn’t imagine while trying to raise his teenage daughter. He has only the faintest memory of Posey Osterhagen, though he used to work for her parents…but Posey remembers quite a bit about Liam. I love this story because it’s about belonging, being chosen, the past and its effects on the present. The theme of taming the bad boy is a classic in romance, but I think there’s a different take on Liam’s experiences, especially in how Posey saw him back then and sees him now. And of course, there’s a quirky family (wait till you meet Jon) and some very lovable animals. As for the next book, let’s just say that faithful readers will recognize a character or two, as well as what seems to have been the most favorite setting of all my books.
RJ: Thanks once again, Kristan! My One and Only was an amazing read! I can’t wait for other readers to read and concur! All the best!
KH: You are too nice! Thank you for having me!--
~*~Giveaway Details~*~
With a special thanks to Katie at Little Bird Publicity, I have one (1) copy of Kristan's latest release, 'My One And Only' to give away to one (1) lucky commenter! To enter this giveaway, answer the following question in the comments: If YOU were to go on a cross-country road trip with your One and Only ;) where would you go?*The giveaway will end on April 24th and the winner will be announced and contacted shortly after. For extra entries in the giveaway, you can do any/all of the following:
+2 Follow this blog on Twitter or Like it on Facebook
+4 be a GFC follower of this blog
+4 Leave a comment on My Review of the book
+5 Spread the word: Blog about it, Tweet, Facebook-whatever (leave a link so I can verify)
+4 Like Kristan Higgins on Facebook
(*Make sure you leave your email address and mention which extra entries you would like to claim.)
*Restricted to US ONLY
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Good luck to all the entrants and I hope all of you will make use of the on the web links to get to know this fab author. Also, don't forget to pick up your copy or the book if you haven't done so already. It's truly a great read!
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