I’m excited to have Phillipa Ashley with us today talking to us about her latest release, Just Say Yes. Please help me in welcoming Phillipa to Cocktails and Books!
Tell us about yourself.
PA: I live in a tiny village in the heart of England, recently in the news because a huge hoard of Anglo Saxon gold was found here, though sadly not by me. I have a lovely husband whose one liners occasionally make it into my books and a daughter who’s great at helping with plot brainstorming and anything medical/scientific.
PA: I live in a tiny village in the heart of England, recently in the news because a huge hoard of Anglo Saxon gold was found here, though sadly not by me. I have a lovely husband whose one liners occasionally make it into my books and a daughter who’s great at helping with plot brainstorming and anything medical/scientific.
How did you get your start as a writer?
PA: I’ve worked as a freelance copywriter and journalist since I left university but I only started writing fiction in 2005 after being inspired to write a fanfic tribute to a BBC TV costume drama based on North & South. Someone pointed out to me that I’d written a romance and I realised how much fun it was. I joined the Romantic Novelists Association (like the RWA) and got a deal in spring 2006. I haven’t really stopped writing romance since.
What is your typical writing schedule like?
PA: I have no fixed schedule, it depends on my deadline and other writing commitments. I tend to write my “day job” work in my office and save the romance for my laptop, usually in front of the TV with tea and biscuits.
Tell us about Just Say Yes.
PA: Just Say Yes was inspired by a news item. A man had hired the commercial time during an episode of Veronica Mars to propose to his girlfriend and she was filmed giving her response. Fortunately, she said yes! But I thought, what if she said “no”? How hurtful and humiliating that would be for both parties? The story kicked off from there.
Where did you get the idea for the series?
PA: Just Say Yes is a single title but although all my books are different, they do have common themes: about facing up to your responsibilities rather than running away, and how hard that can be to do. Vivid dramatic settings also inspire me, I think they can be a character in their own right –Just Say Yes is set in London and the seaside resorts of Cornwall
What do you think readers will think about Josh and Lucy? How are they different than Lucy and her ex-boyfriend?
PA: Nick is handsome and fun but he also loves the limelight and perhaps, can’t live without it. He’s a man who’s driven by circumstances, but he also chooses how he reacts to them. Josh is the opposite, a private, quiet man who has uncompromising values due to this tough upbringing – but needs to learn how to open up and forgive. Lucy ends up stuck in the middle but has to find her own place in the world too and decide what she believes in.
What was your favorite scene from Just Say Yes?
PA: I had such a lot of fun writing it that it’s hard to choose but I rather enjoy the scene where Lucy first meets Josh and slams the door in his face. Poor, misguided girl… There are some scenes with the hero and heroine’s doggy friends that still make me laugh too and the ending was meltworthy to write.
What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
PA: I like to go to the places where my books are set – the Lake District, Corsica, Devon and Cornwall. If I could go bodyboarding or surfing every day I’m not sure I’d get any writing done… We don’t live by the sea, so I usually go swimming in an outdoor pool nearby several times a week – even in winter (it’s heated!)
What are three things about you that might surprise your readers??
PA: I’m terrified of speaking in public even though I’m quite a lively outgoing person in the flesh. I often feel physically ill before a talk but as an author, I just have to do it sometimes.
I like eating leftover cold curry, pizza etc from the fridge – even in the morning. My husband thinks that’s disgusting.
I don’t like reality television where people who should know better get ritually humiliated – but you could have guessed that from Just Say Yes!
What’s next for you?
PA: I’ve got a new contemporary romance out in October 2012 called Miranda’s Mount which is set on an island castle in Cornwall.
A big THANK YOU to Phillipa for stopping by today and chatting with us.
If you want to know what our guest reviewer, Jenn, thought of Just Say Yes, click here.
We’re giving away a print copy of Just Say Yes (open to US and Canada residents only). To enter, complete the Rafflecopter below. The winner will be chosen, at random, on June 12, 2012.
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JUST SAY YES BY PHILLIPA ASHLEY – IN STORES JUNE 2012
There’s one question a girl should always say yes to…But Lucy Gibson said no. On national TV. Now she’s hated by nearly everyone.
Fleeing the spotlight’s glare, Lucy holes up in a cottage in the country, where she just might find the right reasons to say yes after all…
From beloved novelist Philipa Ashley, Just Say Yes is a sharp and exuberant tale of the rocky road to love that’ll leave you saying “Yes!”
Praise for Carrie Goes Off the Map:
“Engaging…Ashley’s charming prose makes the journey enjoyable.”—Publishers Weekly
“This tale has its own Bridget Jones–style appeal.”—Booklist
“Quirky and fun!”—RT Book Reviews
“Fulfills all the best fantasies, including a gorgeous humanitarian hero and a camper van!”—Bestselling author Katie Fforde
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phillipa Ashley studied English Language and Literature at Wadham College, Oxford before becoming a freelance copywriter and journalist. A frequent guest on BBC national, local and independent radio on all matters romantic, she lives with her husband and daughter in Staffordshire, UK. For more information, please visit http://phillipa-ashley.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @PhillipaAshley.
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Shannon
Owner at Cocktails and Books
I am a lover of alpha males with dirty mouths, strong heroines putting alpha males in their place, and the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm a proud hockey mom who can often be found at the hockey rink cheering on my favorite forward, with my kindle close by.
Oh, that sounds awkward. A failed marriage proposal on Nat’l TV? Yikes!
I enjoyed the interview and learning about the author too.
Thanks for the giveaway opportuntiy.