Rebecca Hunter's Blog, page 11
July 5, 2016
Fireside by Susan Wiggs
My family and I spent the second half of June on vacation in Hawaii. We had all been looking forward to the trip for a long time for different reasons. My husband wanted to relax. The kids wanted to swim. Me? On some coldish winter day this last year, I found a photo of a canopied bed next to the beach. I imagined my husband and me lying on this bed, reading, as the kids played in the sand a little further away.
After two weeks, all four of us left the Big Island thoroughly charmed. As for our vacation goals? Well… the kids definitely swam. And to my surprise, one of the places we stayed had an approximate of the bed I imagined, though it’s location – not on the beach – made it impractical. Would our kids sit on the rocks next to it, waiting for my husband and me to read and relax? Yeah, right. And the relaxing? Not a lot of it.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, I read a whole lot less than I thought I would. But one of the books I did manage to read, Fireside by Susan Wiggs, is worth noting.
Up until a couple months ago, I hadn’t even heard of Wiggs. Her small-town women’s fiction/romance series isn’t what’s trendy, but she sells. So I picked up this book with the question, what is she doing well? Anyone whose books continue to please readers over many years has to be doing something right.
Fireside begins in an airport. Kimberly van Dorn is returning from LA after a humiliating public break-up with her boyfriend/PR client. Minor league baseball pitcher Bo Crutcher is meeting the 12-year-old son he’s never met but is now responsible for. Hero and heroine clash at the airport and then, unknowingly, head back to the same small town. Romance ensues, impeded by Kimberly’s wariness to get involved with another athlete as well as Bo’s new-found struggles with parenthood.
Both the beginning and the end of this book tend toward romance cliché, but it was the chapters in between that caught my attention. The characters’ struggles felt real and complex, and that includes the minor characters whose perspectives we get as well. I was impressed that Wiggs didn’t always (as many authors tend to do) use conflict to raise the emotional stakes. Instead, she explored what felt like very realistic hold-ups in the relationship, such as a new father without a history of caretaking trying to figure out what’s best for this stranger who is also his son.
Wiggs also takes on the topic of how U.S. citizens of Mexican descent can become swept up in border immigration issues. Bo’s son comes to him because his mother was detained and deported in a factory raid, despite the fact that she is, in fact, a U.S. citizen. She just doesn’t have the right documentation when she needs it. Untangling this mess takes time, which leaves her son with no parent at home.
Does this happen in real life? Of course. Wiggs explores this issue both from Bo’s and from his son’s perspective without overdramatizing it. In other words, each character’s reactions felt personal. What I most admired was the emotional paths of the different characters. The romance was just okay, but the characters themselves felt real, enough so to make me want to try another of her books again.
After two weeks, all four of us left the Big Island thoroughly charmed. As for our vacation goals? Well… the kids definitely swam. And to my surprise, one of the places we stayed had an approximate of the bed I imagined, though it’s location – not on the beach – made it impractical. Would our kids sit on the rocks next to it, waiting for my husband and me to read and relax? Yeah, right. And the relaxing? Not a lot of it.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, I read a whole lot less than I thought I would. But one of the books I did manage to read, Fireside by Susan Wiggs, is worth noting.
Up until a couple months ago, I hadn’t even heard of Wiggs. Her small-town women’s fiction/romance series isn’t what’s trendy, but she sells. So I picked up this book with the question, what is she doing well? Anyone whose books continue to please readers over many years has to be doing something right.Fireside begins in an airport. Kimberly van Dorn is returning from LA after a humiliating public break-up with her boyfriend/PR client. Minor league baseball pitcher Bo Crutcher is meeting the 12-year-old son he’s never met but is now responsible for. Hero and heroine clash at the airport and then, unknowingly, head back to the same small town. Romance ensues, impeded by Kimberly’s wariness to get involved with another athlete as well as Bo’s new-found struggles with parenthood.
Both the beginning and the end of this book tend toward romance cliché, but it was the chapters in between that caught my attention. The characters’ struggles felt real and complex, and that includes the minor characters whose perspectives we get as well. I was impressed that Wiggs didn’t always (as many authors tend to do) use conflict to raise the emotional stakes. Instead, she explored what felt like very realistic hold-ups in the relationship, such as a new father without a history of caretaking trying to figure out what’s best for this stranger who is also his son.
Wiggs also takes on the topic of how U.S. citizens of Mexican descent can become swept up in border immigration issues. Bo’s son comes to him because his mother was detained and deported in a factory raid, despite the fact that she is, in fact, a U.S. citizen. She just doesn’t have the right documentation when she needs it. Untangling this mess takes time, which leaves her son with no parent at home.
Does this happen in real life? Of course. Wiggs explores this issue both from Bo’s and from his son’s perspective without overdramatizing it. In other words, each character’s reactions felt personal. What I most admired was the emotional paths of the different characters. The romance was just okay, but the characters themselves felt real, enough so to make me want to try another of her books again.
July 1, 2016
Book Birthday Today!
One year ago, I published my first book, Stockholm Diaries, Caroline - hurrah! I got the idea for this series when our family was still living in Sweden. As an expat, I met many women (and some men) who had moved from around the world for love - "love refugees," as we all were called. I wrote this book a tribute to the many stories I heard about both the struggles and the rewards of an international relationship.
As you can see from the cover, Stockholm Diaries, Caroline is first and foremost a romance, but the book is also filled with Caroline's observations and experiences entering this foreign culture. I imagined it as (very inexpensive!) ticket to steamy romance in the land of the midnight sun. It's a peek into a beautiful little country, and I hope the story brings Sweden alive for you!
June 6, 2016
Summer Reading
Summer is just around the corner... or already here, for some of us! My family and I are leaving for vacation in Hawaii in six days, which sounds very optimistic at this point since our kids still have five more days of school. What were we thinking??
I haven't even started to think about clothes or sunscreen or shoes, but I have spent some time thinking about the books I'll bring. This was aided by my trip to the Berkeley Library's discarded library booth at the Bay Area Book Festival last weekend, where I found a bunch of well-known authors and books I've been meaning to read.
But no matter how much time I spend reading this summer, I'll never get through my To Be Read list, so I want to craft my short list carefully. Here are some factors I'm considering:
- A mix of new and well-established authors. Reading well-established authors often means I know what I expect (in a good way), but with new authors it's a little more of a surprise, sometimes the great kind and sometimes, not as great:)
- A mix of contemporary, historical and paranormal books (romance, of course). Each genre has different strengths. I'll probably throw in a romance suspense as well, since I'm in the middle of writing one!
- Both paperbacks and ebooks for different settings (plane rides, night reading, beach reading...)
What else should I consider? Any recommendations? On Facebook I'll post a photo of my book finds this weekend!
/Rebecca
P.S. I'm part of the Sizzling Summer Reads at The Romance Reviews. Come check it out the different giveaways all month long: http://www.theromancereviews.com/even...
I haven't even started to think about clothes or sunscreen or shoes, but I have spent some time thinking about the books I'll bring. This was aided by my trip to the Berkeley Library's discarded library booth at the Bay Area Book Festival last weekend, where I found a bunch of well-known authors and books I've been meaning to read.
But no matter how much time I spend reading this summer, I'll never get through my To Be Read list, so I want to craft my short list carefully. Here are some factors I'm considering:
- A mix of new and well-established authors. Reading well-established authors often means I know what I expect (in a good way), but with new authors it's a little more of a surprise, sometimes the great kind and sometimes, not as great:)
- A mix of contemporary, historical and paranormal books (romance, of course). Each genre has different strengths. I'll probably throw in a romance suspense as well, since I'm in the middle of writing one!
- Both paperbacks and ebooks for different settings (plane rides, night reading, beach reading...)
What else should I consider? Any recommendations? On Facebook I'll post a photo of my book finds this weekend!
/Rebecca
P.S. I'm part of the Sizzling Summer Reads at The Romance Reviews. Come check it out the different giveaways all month long: http://www.theromancereviews.com/even...
May 18, 2016
Series Sale through Monday!
For my last promotional event coming on Monday, May 18, all three books in the Stockholm Diaries series are on sale for .99!!
If you picked up Stockholm Diaries, Caroline last week, this is your chance to read on!
http://amzn.to/22g9hml
http://amzn.to/1TfuCfp
If you picked up Stockholm Diaries, Caroline last week, this is your chance to read on!
http://amzn.to/22g9hml
http://amzn.to/1TfuCfp
May 15, 2016
Romance Lives Forever Interview
Today I'm on Romance Lives Forever discussing Stockholm Diaries, Caroline 2!
http://bit.ly/1NuPjBE
Stop by to find out where the setting for the first surfing scene comes from and what I'm working on now.
http://bit.ly/1NuPjBE
Stop by to find out where the setting for the first surfing scene comes from and what I'm working on now.
April 22, 2016
Maybe Baby by Kim Golden
Another romance about a North American in Stockholm? Yes, please!! And what a great book I found.
After years of radio silence from her biological clock, Laney suddenly hears the ticking, loud and clear. But when she proposes a baby to her partner Niklas, he tells her he had a vasectomy after kid #2 with his ex-wife.
“I told you, remember?”
No, Laney would remember a detail like that. This begins the adventure that takes her to a sperm clinic in Copenhagen, where prospective clients have the opportunity to mingle with donors. But things don’t go as planned when she meets Mads, donor extraordinaire, with whom more traditional methods of pregnancy open up. What ensues is a compelling and sometimes painful process for Laney as she decides what she really wants.
But here’s what I loved even more about the book:
Kim Golden paints a vivid picture of the Stockholm I love and miss. She captures much about what stands out in Swedish culture—everything from interior design to child-rearing approaches. I laughed aloud at some of the scenes between Niklas and his kids; the stories will ring true to anyone who has spent time in Sweden! She also touches on the experience of looking “un-Swedish” in Stockholm—another topic often discussed in expat circles.
We moved from Stockholm over two years ago, but this book brought me right back there. I can’t wait to read #2!
After years of radio silence from her biological clock, Laney suddenly hears the ticking, loud and clear. But when she proposes a baby to her partner Niklas, he tells her he had a vasectomy after kid #2 with his ex-wife.
“I told you, remember?”
No, Laney would remember a detail like that. This begins the adventure that takes her to a sperm clinic in Copenhagen, where prospective clients have the opportunity to mingle with donors. But things don’t go as planned when she meets Mads, donor extraordinaire, with whom more traditional methods of pregnancy open up. What ensues is a compelling and sometimes painful process for Laney as she decides what she really wants.
But here’s what I loved even more about the book:
Kim Golden paints a vivid picture of the Stockholm I love and miss. She captures much about what stands out in Swedish culture—everything from interior design to child-rearing approaches. I laughed aloud at some of the scenes between Niklas and his kids; the stories will ring true to anyone who has spent time in Sweden! She also touches on the experience of looking “un-Swedish” in Stockholm—another topic often discussed in expat circles.
We moved from Stockholm over two years ago, but this book brought me right back there. I can’t wait to read #2!
April 9, 2016
New Cover, Giveaway
On my last (very short) post and on my Facebook page, I asked viewers to compare covers for Stockholm Diaries, Melanie and give feedback and... almost everyone preferred the new one!
So the new cover is up and running, and to get the word out, I'm running an Amazon Giveaway for it.
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/1e8ff19...
May the odds be in your favor!
xoxo,
Rebecca
So the new cover is up and running, and to get the word out, I'm running an Amazon Giveaway for it.
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/1e8ff19...
May the odds be in your favor!
xoxo,
Rebecca
April 7, 2016
A/B Cover for Stockholm Diaries, Melanie
Recovering the series, starting with Stockholm Diaries, Melanie. Thought/opinions??
April 3, 2016
The Book Queen Author Interview
I'm doing a little virtual spring cleaning today and noticed that I didn't link to my interview on The Book Queen a week ago! Here's her first question and my answers -the rest of the interview can be found by following thislink.TheBookQueen: Hi Rebecca! Let’s start off with a fun question: tell us 3 unique/wacky/fun things about yourself.Rebecca:1. My husband and I have lived in Sweden twice, and our whole family is bilingual. The details about Sweden are from my own experiences as well as
March 31, 2016
Until We Touch by Susan Mallery
From the outside, ex-football pro Jack is charming, fun and more than a little good-looking, and his assistant Larissa can’t help the attraction. She’s determined to ignore her feelings until her mother outs her. This does surprising things to Jack, who has until now successfully kept others at a distance. But this is small town Fool’s Gold, California, where no one keeps their distance for long. Pretty soon, the Larissa’s massages take on a new tone, and Jack has to decide whether to risk the
