Beth Vogt and Free Books!

Can a young widow fall in love with her husband’s reflection?

Today we're talking with novelist Beth Vogt, author of Somebody Like You (Howard Books, May 2014).

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”

A novelist with Howard Books, her contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted in May 2012, followed by Catch a Falling Star (2013), You Made Me Love You (2014) – an eShort novella – and Somebody Like You (2014). She is also part of the Year of Wedding Series by Harper Collins, writing the A November Bride novella (2014).

Beth enjoys writing contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Beth is also the Skills Coach for My Book Therapy, the writing community founded by best-selling author Susan May Warren.

She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, who’s just entered the teen years.

Please tell us three random things we might not know about you.

-- I met my husband in a karate studio when he knocked me down. I like to say he “swept me off my feet.”

-- I have a twin sister. We’re fraternal twins, not identical.

-- I’m craft-challenged.

That's definitely a "meet cute" story about you and your husband!

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Somebody Like You.

Haley’s three-year marriage to Sam, an army medic, ends tragically when he’s killed in Afghanistan. Her attempts to create a new life for herself are ambushed when she arrives home one evening—and finds her husband waiting for her. Did the military make an unimaginable mistake when they told her Sam was killed?

Too late to make things right with his estranged twin brother, Stephen discovers Sam never told Haley about him. As Haley and Stephen navigate their fragile relation­ship, they are inexorably drawn to each other. How can they honor the memory of a man whose death brought them together—and whose ghost could drive them apart?

Wow, that concept has terrific tension, Beth!

What is it about Stephen that will make your readers care about him?

Stephen Ames is trying to find his brother Sam again. He sees Sam every time he looks in the mirror – and yet the distance between them is impassable. Stephen is a man with regrets, trying to right a wrong that is not all his fault.

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your lead roles?

As an author, I always have someone in mind for my main characters, but I also want to leave room for my readers to imagine the characters too. But to answer your question, when I envision Stephen and Sam Ames, I see Ben Affleck (isn’t that wonderful? Double Ben Afflecks!).


And for Haley Ames, the heroine, I see Uma Thurman.



I like that you're a twin and you're writing about twins. And yes, we can never have too many handsome young men like Ben. 

What kind of brainstorming do you do for your stories, and whose help do you incorporate?

Brainstorming is such a vital part of the writing process for me. I am blessed to have author Rachel Hauck on speed dial, Skype, Face Time – you name it, I know how to reach her! She’s a tremendous brainstormer! I also love talking story with my husband, who helps me nail down the male perspectives for my books.

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

I read an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of Kristy Cambron’s The Butterfly and the Violin, which releases in July. Kristy did a wonderful job weaving together both a historical and a contemporary storyline.

What are you working on now?

I’m fast-drafting a contemporary romance that wrestles with the question What if you discover that what you thought was your biggest mistake was actually the right choice?

Where else can readers find you online?

My website, www.bethvogt.com, which hosts my blog, In Others’ Words. It’s all about quotes. My Author Facebook page. Twitter: @bethvogt and Pinterest

Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

I’m curious if any of your readers are twins – or associated with the military in any way, since both topics are integral to Somebody Like You.

Thanks, Beth, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Beth has offered to give a signed copy of her book to the winner of our drawing on Thursday, May 22. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Beth's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Leave your email address, in case you win, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

Be sure to check out my interviews with James Rubart and Golden Keyes Parsons, below. Leave an appropriate comment at the bottom of the post to enter the drawing for a signed copy of the book.

Also, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer HERE.