Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Guest Post & Giveaway Ruthie Knox


In a brand-new eBook original novella, RITA finalist and USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox takes her spectacular Camelot series to new heights with a tale of desire reinvented.

A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone.
Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink. He’s cool, he’s confident, and he wants to take Amber to bed and keep her there for days. Lucky for them both, he’s her husband. He’s only got a few days in Jamaica to make her wildest desires come true, but if he can pull it off, there’s reason to believe that this fantasy can last a lifetime.


You can see my review of Making It Last here.


I’m SUPER DOOPER excited to have Ruthie Knox on the blog today.  I l-o-v-e her.  Que to really loud screams.... (Clears throat)  Anyway... Ruthie’s latest book, Making It Last recently came out.  (If you haven’t already grabbed your copy, use the buy links above.)
 
As part of her "whistle-stop tour" for Making It Last, Ruthie agreed to stop by and answer one question about the story. She's also giving away a copy of the book, today only! Imagine her standing in the caboose car of her blog tour train, shouting out her answer over the crowd and flinging an e-book and some Tootsie Rolls at the assembled audience. Or not. Either way — here's the question:
My husband is ALWAYS complaining about romance books always having some kind of issues and feels that not everyone goes into a relationship with issues. Yes, he's in lala land. Why did you choose to write a REAL marriage romance book?
First of all, I'd like to meet these people your husband knows — the ones with no issues. Then I will poke them in the eye. (Smiles)
He's right, of course, that everyone in romance books has issues. The reason for this is that romance novels aren't about love, all by itself. They're about the relationship between love and conflict. Without conflict, there's no story. We need to see love acting on people, influencing them, changing their ways. That's what romance novels are all about! And you know, maybe you've never read a romance manuscript in which two people who have no issues meet, are attracted to each other, and fall in love, but I have. And I can tell you, it was boring. Soooooo boooooooring. Conflict = necessary!
I chose to write what you call "a REAL marriage romance book" (love that) for a couple reasons. First off, when I started thinking of Amber and Tony, it was as married people. The first story I wrote about them, How To Misbehave, is about their courtship, but in my head, I "met" them as a married couple with three kids, and I wanted to write about them in that spot, the "present day" of the Camelot series.
Perhaps more important, I have this bee in my bonnet about romance novel epilogues. I dislike the way that many epilogues present a static picture of perfection, as though, once the novel's primary conflict has been solved, everything's hearts and flowers for that couple forever. To me, the most interesting part of a romance — the fun, the drama, the part I believe in — is the conflict. And I think conflict is ongoing. It's part of life. I cannot imagine any marriage free of conflict. The longer one is married, it seems, the more likely one is to have been through ups and downs, good patches and bad patches. The romance of marriage, I think, is the choice each part of a couple has to make, again and again, to stick with it. To say, "This is the man I choose. Not just once, when we got married, but over and over again. You. I choose you." So when I wrote Making It Last, my purpose was really to show that romance — the conflict that is inherent to so many "real" marriages, and the romance of two people who love each other who have lost their way, finding it again.


Ruthie is giving away one e-book copy of Making It Last to a randomly selected commenter. This giveaway is for today only! Just answer this question to enter:
What do you think about "real marriage romance books" — is this something you want to read, or does it defeat the whole purpose of romance, for you? What about this idea of "issues" — do you think "real" couples tend to have less dramatic stories than those on the pages of romance novels?
The giveaway is open in North America only. (Sorry -- due to geographical restrictions, Ruthie can't buy her own e-book outside North America!)


USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After training to be a British historian, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deeply into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing. Her debut novel, Ride with Me, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night, a London-set romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn, a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life. Ruthie moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website at www.ruthieknox.com and drop her a line.

14 comments:

  1. Great giveaway.. I think "real" couples tend to have more dramatic stories..You can always add more in stories but real couples I know have more real issues.. I Think I would like to read a real marriage romance book.

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    1. Hey Tina.

      I loved this book. I'm REALLY not one to give out 5's. I mean I could completely see and understand everything Amber and Tony were going through.

      If you haven't checked out the first book with this couple, please check out How to Misbehave. It's good too.

      Delete
  2. I like real marriage books if there well written because they are realistic to most couples. I do have a tendency to like relationship developing books more because I do like to see where it starts and the adventure it leads to

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    1. Hi Lorie,

      Thank you for stopping by. Making It Last is REALLY well written. I think Ruthie did a FABULOUS job of showing you both sides and especially Amber's.

      You can check out the way Amber and Tony first met in How to Misbehave. It's a really good story to. I will never think about rain and a tree the same again.

      Delete
  3. I love this idea! As someone who has been married for almost 18 years, it's amazing to finally see a book about marriage lasting. There are always issues in every relationship, and those need to be written about too. Not everything is sunshine and roses, but you have to be willing to choose the person and everything they come with every day. It's not always easy, but if you love them, it's so worth it. This sounds like an amazing book, it's already on my TBR. Thanks for the chance to enter. :)

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    1. I totally and completely agree with you.

      No one ever told me that being married for hard work.

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  4. I prefer real life couples. I agree with the above commentors that it makes the relastionship more believeable and we as readers can relate most of the time by everyday life.

    The book sounds great - can't wait to read it.

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    1. Melanie,

      After you read the book, you HAVE to come back and tell me what you thought of it.

      Delete
  5. I would prefer to read about real life couples. Relationships are more believable when couples have problems. It wouldn't be realistic if the couple had no problems or never argued. Some real life couples may have less drama in their lives compared to a book, but there are some that may have more drama too. I'm looking forward to reading this book!

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    1. Hi Kimberly,

      Tony and Amber are definitely people I think everyone can relate to and understand. Ruthie has probably gotten some flak from people, who don't like the fact that the story is real. Me personally, I think their just upset that it makes them look at themselves.

      Delete
  6. Sounds Great! Does make it more believable and can relate more

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    1. Hi Sandra.

      Making It Last is DEFINIATELY a believable and relatable book.

      Delete
  7. Personally, Ruthie, I like "real marriage" romances because they offer hope to real people, the readers of such stories. Fantasies are OK, like visiting Disneyland, but they don't offer hope for a positive HEA like "real marriage" stories do. I mean, if so and so could do it, why can't I? That's real, not fantasy. And talk about drama! OMG, if you look at TV or movies...or the newspaper, all you hear about or see are the dramas of real life. No imaginary characters could compete with the real-life dramas that are out there in the real world. There's some weird stuff out there (just tonight we heard about a man who had a "foot fetish" and that's why the women he raped had to remove their shoes first), and really evil stuff...but there's some really good stuff too, good stories too. The trouble is, the media don't promote the good news as much as the bad or weird news. So why not get the good news from stories in books? I say "real marriage" romances are a terrific idea. jdh2690@gmail.com

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    1. Hiya Janice!

      So my question to Ruthie was inspired by my real life. My husband's like, guys don't really do that, referring to some of the steamy stuff. But he loves the idea of this book. I'm going to have to have him read it and give me a guys perspective.

      Delete

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