His Hometown Girlby Karen Rock
Mass Market Paperback, Large Print, 331 pages
March 1st 2014 by Harlequin
He'd always managed to best her…
Jodi Chapman will do whatever it takes to get top care for her autistic son. If that means going home and convincing local farmers to sell their land, so be it. Even if her biggest opponent, childhood rival Daniel Gleason, is equally determined to convince farmers to buy into his co-op plan. And he's not playing fair.
Facing off against Daniel is the last thing Jodi wants. The attraction that's always fueled their competitiveness is as strong as ever and just as distracting. But with both their futures on the line, and years of distrust between them, how can they ever be on the same side?
Interview
Who is your go to Author for a great read?
Hi, Jeannie! Thanks so much for inviting me on Books and Bling. I love reading all genres, so it's hard to pick one author over another because they are all great at what they do!
For a romance author, if I could only pick one... (*gnaws fingernail*)... I would go with Nicholas Sparks. His books are so deep and rich. I love that his romances are contemporary, that his heroes are flawed and not Alpha/domineering men, and that he includes families and real life issues, which is very reminiscent of Harlequin's Heartwarming line. I love to read and write stories that people can relate to... that touches them because they've gone through similar experiences.
What does your Writing Space look like?
Hi, Jeannie! Thanks so much for inviting me on Books and Bling. I love reading all genres, so it's hard to pick one author over another because they are all great at what they do!
For a romance author, if I could only pick one... (*gnaws fingernail*)... I would go with Nicholas Sparks. His books are so deep and rich. I love that his romances are contemporary, that his heroes are flawed and not Alpha/domineering men, and that he includes families and real life issues, which is very reminiscent of Harlequin's Heartwarming line. I love to read and write stories that people can relate to... that touches them because they've gone through similar experiences.
What does your Writing Space look like?
Hah! Not very glamorous, I’m afraid. One of
my dogs is deaf and has severe heart disease while the other is diabetic. Both
need to go outside a lot, so I write from a recliner chair in the living room
where I can see the front door in case they wander up to it. It’s so
interesting to care for elderly dogs. Puppies are a lot of work, but their
cuteness makes up for it. But when they are old and ailing, I’m even more
compelled to help because they are a part of my family. I love them so much that
there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to help them at this stage in their lives. I
wouldn’t want it any other way- no matter how many times I need to hop up out
of the chair and let them in and out!
Tea or Coffee?
Is diet soda a category- lol! I love iced tea and iced coffee, too,
actually. How weird. I never really thought about it, but maybe I have an
aversion to warm drinks...
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I wanted to write ever since I listened to
the fairytales my father read to me before bed. I fell asleep imagining- and
dreaming- of my own happily-ever-after stories. Once I got a journal, I wrote
in it every day through high school and college, but was too fearful to submit
anything until some years later. I put off my dream of being a writer until my
sister-in-law, a Harlequin author, read my work and told me to give it a try.
What is your favorite go to jewelry piece? I love girly things and accessories
fascinate me. Beautifully put together women make me wonder- ‘how do they ever
know what goes with what?’ It’s not a talent that comes to me naturally, if at
all... So, I guess my favorite jewelry piece is a necklace my godparents gave
me when I was baptized. It’s a gold medal with an engraved angel on it and is
so simple and pretty that I wear it with just about everything. I like to think
it’s a bit blessed, and I always feel special when I have it on J
And lastly, What would you like Readers to know
about your book?
HIS
HOMETOWN GIRL is very personal to me because it incorporates two topics that
are dear to me. The book is set in upstate Vermont dairy country and is very
similar to the upstate New York rural area I grew up in. Farming is such an
incredible way of life. The families that do it sacrifice so much to live
independently and freely. It’s hard work, but so rewarding. My grandparents and
now their oldest son, my Uncle Bob, own a Century farm which is a farm that’s
been continuously owned by the same family for over a hundred years. Growing
up, I loved visiting the farm every Sunday and spending weeks there during the
summer. Being surrounded by so many growing things- plants and animals- makes
you feel so alive and at peace. Unfortunately, a lot of family farms are being
forced out of business as it’s difficult to compete against the corporate
mega-farms which is a central topic to this book.
Autism
is another major issue in this book and it means a lot to me. My sister, Cathy,
has an autistic child, my niece Abbie. We’re separated by only fifteen months
in age, so Cathy and I are more like twins than sisters and her children feel
like mine and vice versa. As the aunt of an autistic child, I’ve had a unique
perspective on the joys and challenges of raising these amazing, special needs
children. It’s one of the hardest experiences a parent can go through, but it’s
also the most rewarding when your hard work pays off and you see your child
making gains.
Jodi, the main character in HIS HOMETOWN GIRL, is based on my
sister Cathy. Although Cathy has been fortunate to have the wonderful support
of her husband, Kevin, Jodi is a single parent raising an autistic child, and
it was important to me to represent these courageous, loving, hardworking
parents accurately and with deep respect for what they do. Cathy was my beta
reader for the novel and I kept revising it until she was satisfied that I had
captured the true experience of parenting an autistic child. This story goes
out as a tribute to all of the parents, and extended family members helping to
raise a special needs child. Like your children, you are extraordinary and more
than worthy of having lasting love.
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Karen Rock has adored romance since receiving Harlequin
Presents books from her grandmother each summer. She formed her Young Adult
writing partnership, J.K. Rock- pseudonym for the CAMP BOYFRIEND series, with
her sister-in-law and Blaze author, Joanne Rock in 2011. When Karen heard of a
call for submissions to Heartwarming, Harlequin’s latest line, she was inspired
by the possibilities of writing unforgettable, deeply romantic, tender love
stories that mothers would feel comfortable sharing with their daughters. When
she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking
her grandmother's family recipes, hiking the ‘high peaks’, and redesigning her
gardens. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband,
daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the
concept of “fetch” though they know a lot about love.
For more information
about Karen's upcoming books, check out her website,
Facebook page, or follow her on twitter. She’d love to hear from you!
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Grand Prize: Hand-stitched, authentic Amish quilt (uses their overlapping heart-stitching- pattern), with matching dust ruffle for a king-sized bed, signed copies of Wish Me Tomorrow & Camp Boyfriend, and some surprise swag (US Only)
1 - Paperback/ebook copies of Wish Me Tomorrow and Camp Boyfriend (format is winner's choice, paperback for US Only) and $20 Amazon gift card
2 - ebooks of Wish Me Tomorrow and Camp Boyfriend (INT)
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Interesting interview - especially about increasing awareness of autism
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