My thanks to Marie Astor for stopping by The Character Connection for an author interview during the blog tour for her book, Lucky Charm. Author Interview
1. Who is your favorite character?This is a tough one… I know writers are not supposed to have favorites, but my favorite character in Lucky Charm is Lilly – I had so much fun writing her.
2. Why is he/she your favorite?
I am a pretty shy person and Lilly has such an outgoing personality – it was fun to get to be someone else while creating her character.
3. How did you come to create him/her?
I truly believe that opposites attract – both in romance and in friendship. The main character, Annabel is so different from Lilly – Annabel is shy and reserved, while Lilly is fun and outgoing. Yet, the two are best friends – I’ve seen friendships like this in real life where opposite personalities complement one another, adding where the other one is lacking. I wanted to create this kind of friendship dynamic as a backdrop for Lucky Charm because it is as much as story about friendship as it is a story about love, and that’s how I came up with the character concept for Lilly – she is a foil for Annabel.
4. When did he/she first enter your mind?
When I first started thinking about the idea for Lucky Charm, I immediately had an image of Lilly and Annabel – two best friends who could not be more different.
5. Where was he/she given life in the creative process?
Lilly was the easiest character to write – she is not shy, so she pretty much invited herself onto the pages whenever she felt like it – I had to keep her out at times!
6. What do like the most about him/her and what do you dislike the most about him/her?
Lilly’s personality traits that I like: she is outgoing, she is a loyal friend to Annabel, she is not afraid to speak her mind, she goes after the things she wants in life and gets them.
No one is perfect - I think that characters with flaws are so much more interesting, so Lilly has a few flaws: she can be a bit pushy at times, her bravado is hiding insecurities that she is afraid to face, she has a fear of commitment.
About the BookLucky Charm
Book Details:
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook
Price: $2.99
Buy Links: Kindle
Blurb:
Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.
Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.
A few weeks later, during her trip to Paris, Annabel meets a handsome Parisian, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.
Excerpt:
Blurb:
Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.
Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.
A few weeks later, during her trip to Paris, Annabel meets a handsome Parisian, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.
Excerpt:
The wheat-blond back of the man’s head looked unmistakably like Jeremy’s, and the bleached blond updo of his female companion belonged to none other than Jeremy’s book agent, Athena Christy - a statuesque blond whose credentials were as powerful as her looks. The two sat together at a small table - the kind that every New York café with sidewalk space puts out at the slightest sign of warm weather.
Annabel told herself that there was nothing for her to be worried about – there was nothing wrong with an author having a meal with his book agent. She was about to walk over and say hello, but the sight of Athena putting her arm on Jeremy’s shoulder, stopped her dead.
Her heart pounding like a sledgehammer, Annabel j-walked across the street and slipped into the grocery shop next to the café, quickly ducking beneath the row of flowers that stood in the shop’s window. From her cover up she peered at the table on the sidewalk, hoping that she had been mistaken, but the way Jeremy and Athena leaned into each other, like a couple, along with the sight of Jeremy’s hand on Athena’s thigh left no room for excuses.
A waiter approached their table with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. He uncorked the bottle and poured the golden, sparkling liquid into Athena’s and Jeremy’s glasses. The champagne fizzed, and Athena threw her head back in delight, clapping her hands. They are celebrating, Annabel thought bitterly, perhaps Athena had finally cinched the deal on Jeremy’s book – a book that I had waited for him to write all these years. Jeremy finished his champagne and moved his chair closer to Athena’s. He whispered something into her ear, and she smiled, turning her face toward his; then, their lips met in a kiss that seemed to last an eternity.
Annabel told herself that there was nothing for her to be worried about – there was nothing wrong with an author having a meal with his book agent. She was about to walk over and say hello, but the sight of Athena putting her arm on Jeremy’s shoulder, stopped her dead.
Her heart pounding like a sledgehammer, Annabel j-walked across the street and slipped into the grocery shop next to the café, quickly ducking beneath the row of flowers that stood in the shop’s window. From her cover up she peered at the table on the sidewalk, hoping that she had been mistaken, but the way Jeremy and Athena leaned into each other, like a couple, along with the sight of Jeremy’s hand on Athena’s thigh left no room for excuses.
A waiter approached their table with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. He uncorked the bottle and poured the golden, sparkling liquid into Athena’s and Jeremy’s glasses. The champagne fizzed, and Athena threw her head back in delight, clapping her hands. They are celebrating, Annabel thought bitterly, perhaps Athena had finally cinched the deal on Jeremy’s book – a book that I had waited for him to write all these years. Jeremy finished his champagne and moved his chair closer to Athena’s. He whispered something into her ear, and she smiled, turning her face toward his; then, their lips met in a kiss that seemed to last an eternity.
About the AuthorMarie Astor
Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre.
Her debut novel, Lucky Charm is about love, friendship and luck. Marie is also the author of a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.
In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player.
Connect With Marie:
Web Site
Facebook
Her debut novel, Lucky Charm is about love, friendship and luck. Marie is also the author of a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.
In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player.
Connect With Marie:
Web Site
A canvas tote to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US and Canada only please). Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.
Tour Participants:
11/2/11:
11/2/11:
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