Blog Tour: "Adding Lib" by Kathryn Elliott

Kathryn will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.


What is your name?  
Kathryn Elliott – but primarily I answer to ‘Mom’ or ‘Babe, have you seen my keys.’

Where are you from?  
Connecticut, USA – Where the taxes are as high as the socialite hemlines.

What genre are you in?
Women’s Fiction, but I dabble in non-fiction for (gasp) politicians.

Please list your books and the year of publication. 
Adding Lib - 2014

Why are you an Author?  
Because I was too argumentative for law school. No, I jest. I’m an author because writing is my oxygen. By day I’m a local freelance journalist, but as you can imagine, the exciting world of donut shop openings and spay and neuter clinics are not all that satisfying. Fiction feeds my creative side.

What inspires you?
 I’m a people watcher, not in the creepy cease and desist way. I’m more of a park bench observer, someone who picks up the quirks and subtleties of human interactions and spins them in to a plot point. I do not take examples from my ‘real life’ however friends and family live in fear they’ll see their darkest secrets in print. Hey, so far no one knows my about my college roommate’s bust for solicitation – I’m a vault when it comes to that stuff.

 

Where and what times during the day do you work best?  
Ideas come more easily at night as do typos, grammatical errors and general rambling. Editing occurs during daylight hours with coffee and a clear head.

Who is your target audience? 
Adding Lib’s ideal demographic is women 35 and up, but I don’t think the story specifically falls to a target audience. I’ve had reviews from men, women and teens, each finding a character to identify with. In truth, the best reader for this story is one looking for a humorous look at the heavy subject of dementia. The one thing I’ve learned through my work within the Alzheimer’s community – laughter heals. Life needs more!


How do you want your readers to feel as they read your book?  
Like they’re among friends. Adding Lib’s characters were developed with an emphasis on relatability. Spoiler – there are no surprise zombie attacks or vampires.  I tried, but I just couldn’t work them in – vamps and zombies aren’t as common in suburban Connecticut as you’d think.

 

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? 
Quitting is for quitters! (I’m a writer, not a poet.) If this is something you’re passionate about – keep at it. If you write because you got an A on an English Lit paper in 10th grade and thought, ‘hey, I’ll take a stab at it’ – do something else. Writing is a calling; if you’ve got doubts, don’t answer.

 

Share one thing about yourself that you would like readers to know.  There are a million answers to this question, but I’ll seize the opportunity for a personal plea. I’m a cancer survivor, a small scare but life-altering nonetheless. If you have the opportunity to make the world a better place – grab it.  Reach out to someone battling this monster and brighten their day. You only get one go round in this rodeo – make the best of the ride!

Thank you for hosting, Megan!

BLURB:
Libby O'Rourke has a short fuse. Her mother, Mae, carries a big match. Engulfed in the never-ending life-juggling of suburbia, Libby fails to notice Mae's emerging dementia symptoms until a kitchen fire puts the problem on the front burner.

Proficient in the art of denial, Mae brushes the shattering diagnosis aside and sets her sights on a matchmaking crusade for her eldest son. After all, if her lucid days are numbered, Mae’s going to make damned sure he makes it down the aisle while she still recognizes the groom.

It’s going to take a razor wit and an iron stomach to handle Mae's diagnosis. Thankfully, just like her mother Libby has both.

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EXCERPT:


Libby felt the weight of the coming conversation bear down on her shoulders like a lead blanket and struggled to find the right words.

“It’s all right, Libby,” Mae said, interrupting her thoughts. “Say what you need to. We’re here for a reason. We both know it.”

Shocked by her mother’s perception, Libby stared at Mae.

The older woman’s eyes were moist but holding back. She continued. “Spit it out, honey. I won’t have a public tantrum. It’s obvious you have something important to talk to me about, and I think you’ve delayed long enough.”

Libby’s shoulders slumped. “How’d you know?”

“Well, let’s examine the facts...” Mae grinned despite the gravity of the moment. “You took me to church, plied me with brunch, and now you’re standing there biting your bottom lip raw. Daddy used to call that your tell. We always knew something was wrong if your bottom lip looked like it had a run-in with a cheese grater.”

“Huh?” Libby ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “I never noticed.”

“In your teens, we were pretty sure you were going to bite clean through it,” Mae joked. “At least your nervous habit isn’t offensive; whenever Kevin lies, he grabs his testicles. Since the day he was born that boy treated his penis like an accessory. It’s terribly inappropriate, especially at parties.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kathryn Elliott is a lifetime journalist with awards in political satire, human interest, and commentary. A Connecticut native, she is a happily married mother of two sons with high hopes one of them will pay for a delightful rest home.

A true believer in laughter's healing power, Kathryn writes characters whose flaws resonate with readers long after "The End."

ADDING LIB is her debut novel, and the first in The McGinn Series.

 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/KathrynElliottAuthor?ref=bookmarks

TWITTER: http://@CandidKathryn

BLOG LINK:http://candidkathryn.com/

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5961246-kathryn-elliott

BUY LINKS:

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=6006

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Adding-Lib-Kathryn-Elliott/dp/1628306408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416509045&sr=8-1&keywords=adding+lib

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/adding-lib-kathryn-elliott/1120959745?ean=2940149968862

iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/adding-lib/id946791906?mt=11
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