Friday 26 July 2013

#BBF #Spotlight on Lily Bishop #BloggerBookFair

And my final guest for the Blogger Book Fair is Lily Bishop. Check out her interview and book excerpt.

Leave a comment and you'll be entered into my Summer Is Here prize draw.



Q1) Welcome to my blog. Can you tell us a little about yourself –

My name is Lily Bishop, and I am married with two children, one in middle school and one in elementary school. I have a Bachelor’s in English, one year of degree work toward a Master’s in Creative Writing, and a Master of Public Administration. I work full-time doing database management work. I write in my free time (she says chuckling, because there is none).

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?

Since I can remember telling anyone what I wanted to do. It’s been a dram deferred, but a dream nonetheless.

Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

As a young adult, I cut my teeth on Margaret Mitchell, then progressed to all things Harlequin. On any given Saturday, I could read three in a day. I stopped reading them when I was in college, then when I bought a Kindle four years ago, rediscovered contemporary romance. Now I love to discover and support Indie Authors.

Q4) Can you tell us what a typical writing day for you is like. 

I am up and out of the house buy 7:00 or 7:30 to go to my job, where I work as a database analyst for a university. I work until about 4:00, head home, fix dinner, try to get a walk in, and then I write for about an hour or so before I go to bed. In the fall, during soccer season for the kids, all bets are off. I tend to write while I watch television. I think it keeps both sides of my brain engaged. Watching television allows me to turn off my editor long enough to get the first draft down on paper.

Q5) Let’s talk about your new book.  Can you tell us a little about it?

No Strings Attached asks the question what would you do if your anonymous one-night stand showed up for work the next day in your office?  On top of that, she is suspected of stealing money from her company. Can romance survive embezzlement charges?

 

Laura Todd attends a conference in Las Vegas and meets Fox Thornton, a consultant to the hotel industry. Far away from her normally quiet life, Laura is swept away by her strong attraction for Fox. They both know the score, and neither expects to see the other again. After their hot weekend, circumstances bring them back together in Miami, where Fox is investigating a suspected embezzlement and Laura is the prime suspect. Fox is still drawn to Laura, but he can’t trust her.
Buy Links:

Amazon US (print and digital): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D0UN0T0

Amazon UK (print and digital): http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D0UN0T0

 

Q6) How did you come up with the idea for this story?

My husband and I went to Las Vegas for our tenth anniversary, and I was pleasantly surprised. I had expected a trashy, neon vulgar place, and the casinos and resorts were more classy than I expected. Then I asked the question what would happen if an every-day administrative assistant went to Vegas and had a weekend affair?

Q7) What is up next for you?

I envision this book as the first in a trilogy. The second book is based on the story of Fox’s brother Lee, who is a secondary character in this book. The third book is based on the story of Laura’s sister Lindsey.

Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to a budding writer?

Hone your craft. Develop a network of other writers that you can rely on for support. Above all, don’t give up.

Q9) What is the next book on your To Read Pile that you are dying to jump into?

I just started Shamless (Nashville Nights – Book One) by Cheryl Douglas.  I am having real trouble putting it down.

Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?

Believe in yourself and be your best advocate.

Favorite Quiz

Favorite city:  New York City

Favorite beverage:  Riesling Wine

Favorite place you’d like to visit: I would love to visit London and the castles in Scotland.

Favorite place to write: My couch

Favorite hobby: Writing, Cooking

Favorite movie: The Princess Bride

Favorite book: They are all favorites while I’m reading them, but let’s go with Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Excerpt:

Fox Thornton stared at the cards nestled against the green felt. Focus, man, focus. Something had to change. A fun hand of blackjack had turned into a bloodbath. After being in meetings all day, he had planned a quick hand of blackjack, but two hours later, he had lost more than he intended. He blamed his losses on the gorgeous blonde at the end of the table and her sexy silver dress. How could he leave with her if she made no effort to leave?

Her hair reminded him of wheat in summer and it curled around her shoulders with a devil-may-care attitude. Her eyes shone like dark amber whiskey and glowed with an inner fire when she smiled—which was often—and frequently in his direction. She leaned forward and he caught a glimpse of a little dark hollow between her breasts. He stifled a groan.

He shifted position to relieve the pressure caused by a wave of desire. How long had it been since he'd been this hard for a stranger? Not since college ten years ago. As she considered the cards, her tongue peeked between rosy lips. What a turn-on.

Fox looked for any of the managers he knew from the remodel, and saw James, a pit boss who had joined him for drinks one night. He sent him a text and then moved over to the vacant seat beside her.

"The luck's better over here," he said with a smile, but then he cut his eyes away, not wanting to appear too eager. She spared him a quick glance before turning back to her cards.

Sitting beside her made things worse. He smelled roses every time she moved, and now he had a full view of her long, tanned legs. One of her legs bounced up and down, betraying her nervousness. He blocked out the image of those legs wrapped around his waist or he would never be able to stand. As soon as James closed the table, he would ask her to dinner.

Her bizarre play was screwing up the natural order of the cards. She laughed when the cards fell her way, and when they didn't, she seemed stunned, as if she should be able to predict the card order.

If anyone else had been playing that inconsistently, he would have switched tables and cut his losses. Now he was so intrigued he couldn't walk away without a phone number.

The girl's strapless dress fit against her like a second skin, and he couldn't look away. While they waited for the next round of cards, she fidgeted with a silver-threaded scarf. He could imagine that scarf in his hands as he pulled her to him ... He had to get control of himself.

When the waitress brought drinks, he took care of the tip, and his blonde beauty flashed him a smile. When she won for the third time in as many hands, he saluted her with a flourish. She repaid him by blowing him a kiss. Now he had her attention.

 

Bio:

Lily Bishop was born in a small town near Athens, Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia and received a Bachelor's in English, and then enrolled in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Purdue University. After a year, she left the program and moved to Atlanta. Like a siren's call, Athens wanted her back, and she returned to Athens where she received her Master's in Public Administration. She now lives in the Upstate of South Carolina and works full-time as a database administrator for a university. She is married to her best friend, and they have two children. When she is not writing, she and her family are playing German or Euro-style board games.

Lily writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense, and her goal is to blur the lines between romance, chick lit, and women's fiction. Her books are peppered with family members who make things complicated and couples who can't seem to find a way to be together. Lily writes with a Southern flair, but her characters find themselves in exotic locations and sometimes dangerous situations. She loves to interact with readers about her characters and stories.

Contact Information:

Website/Blog: www.lilybishop.com

Twitter: @bishoplily

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