~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ~
--BLOG TOUR STOP--
-- 'WHEN YOU LOOK AT ME' --
AUTHOR PEPPER BASHAM
~Post Includes: Book Spotlight, Author
Bio, Author Interview & Giveaway~
Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for When You Look at Me by Pepper Basham, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: When You Look at Me
(Pleasant Gap Romance #2)
Author: Pepper Basham
Publisher: Woven Words Publications
Release Date: October 25, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
An unexpected mother-to-be
A romance-leery composer
And a forgotten melody from the past that holds the keys to their futures
When Julia Jenkins' great aunt dies and leaves her a Victorian mansion with decades of secrets, Julia never expects to unearth a World War 2 espionage mystery. Struggling with her own past since an assault left her pregnant, her future as a solo parent leaves her dreams uncertain. The inheritance from her great aunt gives Julia the ability to take a step back into her future, but also sends her into the discovery of a love story she’d never anticipated. As she goes through her aunt's treasured possessions, Julia uncovers some oddly written piano music with a musical code she can’t decipher on her own. Not to worry, introverted Englishman and composer, Henry Wright, is thrust on the scene by a pair of homespun matchmakers who know the ‘right’ man for Julia’s wounded heart.
Henry arrives in Pleasant Gap with the task of composing the soundtrack for his best mate’s newest film. The Jenkins’ family’s southern welcome and gregarious personalities set his reticent nature on edge, but he’s inexplicably drawn to his gentle and music-loving hostess, Julia. Uncertain how to build a friendship with the wounded woman, and rather hopeless in communicating well through words, the bond of music becomes a bridge between her uncertainty and his awkwardness.
But her broken past and his families’ expectations build a wall much greater than the cultures that separate them. As they work together to solve a musical mystery from the grave, will an unlikely romance from the past inspire their hearts to trust in a God who’s written the perfect melody for their lives?
PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance novels with grace, humor, and culture clashes. She’s a Blue Ridge Mountain native and an anglophile who enjoys combining her two loves to create memorable stories of hope. Pepper is also a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of Jesus and chocolate. She resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her family.
CONNECT: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:
June: Welcome to 'Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic', Pepper. As I visited your website and Amazon and Goodreads Author Pages, I was struck by your versatility as an author. You write historical and contemporary romance novels and novellas. By my count, 'When You Look at Me' is your ninth book. Congratulations!
Pepper: June, thank you so much for having me on your blog!! I HOPE it’s my 10th. That’s what I’m sharing, so I’d better go back and check to make sure 😊 I’ve loved writing these stories. They’ve been so much fun, but 'When You Look at Me' has been both a challenge and an EXTREME joy!! The situation was a delicate one in the story and the characters were both more introverted, so it was an interesting discover for me too.
June: Oops! Sorry I miscounted. Please apologize to the book I inadvertently overlooked. 😇
Please tell us how you created your setting and developed the characters for this book, 'When You Look at Me'.
Pepper: The great thing about this book is that the setting was already ‘created’ in book 1, so WYLAM spun off of the ‘world’ created in 'Just the Way You Are'. The cool thing about WYLAM is that you get to spend more time in Pleasant Gap, VA, in book 2 than you did in book 1. Pleasant Gap is kind of a spin off of two small towns in VA that I love – Hillsville, VA (in the county where I grew up) and Wytheville, VA (in a neighboring county. The characters are…mostly fictional, but the ‘heart’ of the characters can be drawn from a great many people who have influenced my life and world. I love Appalachia and truly enjoy bringing that sense of love, home, family, and music to the printed page.
June: Who is your favorite character in the story? Why is this person your favorite? Without spoiling the story, is there anyone in the story who you do not like? Why not?
Pepper: Oh dear, my favorite? I guess they’d be the two main characters (although Nate Jenkins is forever one of my faves). I love Julia’s strength and Henry’s gentleness. I love their communication through music and words. Um…I’m not sure who I didn’t like. Maybe Henry’s mom?
June: You have written in the historical and contemporary romance genres. If you were not writing in those two genres, what other fictional genre might you try? Would you ever consider writing non-fiction? If so, what subject(s) would you like to write about?
Pepper: First answer – I’d love to write in fantasy. I ADORE the storyworld and magic of fantasy stories. Second answer – YES, I’d totally be open to writing nonfiction – maybe about Autism (which is what I do in my day-job) or being a mom of a larger family (one of the BEST things God has called me to be and do, btw).
June: What or who inspired you to become an author?
Pepper: I’d say that God had always put stories in my heart for as long as I could remember, but being as storytelling is an engrained part of Appalachia, I also learned to appreciate it from the people around me, particularly my Granny Spencer. She’d tell true stories of our family history back for 6 generations or more. (You’ll get to read about one of those ‘inspired’ stories in my January release with Barbour).
June: In your bio you state that as a speech-language pathologist working with autistic students you constantly have to 'think outside the box'. As a retired teacher, I was intrigued by this comment. Will you share an example of how you 'think outside the box' when you are writing a story?
Pepper: Children and adults on the Autism spectrum process the world in a different way than the rest of us do – what they’re focus is or what they find rewarding, may look really different than someone without Autism. One of the things I appreciate the most about the adults and children I’ve met who have Autism is that they see people first – not ‘things’. They take people at face value, just as they are. It’s a beautiful reminder of how God wants us to love others.
Also, their processing the world might look different than ours in the fact that they may show their affections in a different way. They’re still very affectionate, in many cases, but it ‘looks’ different than our typical expectations. I had one kid who ‘showed’ me he cared about me by simply making eye contact. No hugs. But when he looked at me (which was a very tough thing for him to do because it was SO high sensory for him), I knew that he was doing that for ME – because he knew it was important to ME). That humbled me so much!!
June: I admire the respect and understanding you exhibit when you share about your students and their unique qualities.
As a wife, a mother of five children, and a working professional, you sound like an extremely busy woman! What are some of your hobbies and/or some of the things you enjoy doing when you want to wind down? Does your family have any special autumn traditions you'd like to share with us?
Pepper: Well, writing IS one of the things I love to do in my free time. It’s so energizing and fun. But I also really enjoying hanging out with my family. Going on drives and walks in these beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Playing the piano/singing. Visiting the Biltmore (nearby). Trying to bake.
We’ll be traveling to visit family on Thanksgiving which is always a treat for us because it’s a BIG Appalachia lunch with a bunch of wonderfully loud and fun people (30 or more, depending).
June: Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Pepper. I appreciate your taking a few moments out of your packed schedule to visit with us. Wishing you continued success in your writing endeavors! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive:
- print copy of Just The Way You Are (Pleasant Gap Romance #1)
- print copy of When You Look at Me (Pleasant Gap Romance #2)
- a plaque which says: Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life.... love comes along and brings you a fairy tale
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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This book looks so good!
ReplyDeleteHey, Jolene ~ Thanks for stopping by. I totally agree with you. Sincerely, June
DeleteThanks so much for sharing about me and my story, June!
ReplyDeleteHi, Pepper ~ It was my pleasure to host you as a guest and feature your new book on my blog! Thanks for the time you spent with us, and best wishes for continued success with your writing, your work with children, and your family life. All my best, June
Deletewhat a fun interview, my dears! :)
ReplyDeleteHello, Carrie ~ It was fun! Thanks for this opportunity to get to know Pepper a little bit better. She is a delight! Best, June
Delete