Book Bits~n~Bobs: Valentine Countdown Day 1

Laura L. Walker grew up in a large family in the beautiful Gila Valley of southern Arizona. From the time Laura was young, she spent hours drawing characters on paper and fantasizing about their adventures. Life became more serious, however, when Laura met her own hero and they eventually became the parents of six children. In between spurts of grocery shopping, sewing costumes or quilts, transporting kids to practices, and making dinner, Laura still enjoys putting her imagination to good use. She is the author of four contemporary romances.

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"All Penny Merrill wants to do is run her own bakery shop, but her money-thirsty mother and conniving stepfather are making it nearly impossible to keep her dream alive. When Penny finds a clipping advertising a Valentine's Day contest for Arizona's cutest couple, with the winnings being enough for her to hold on to her floundering business, she comes up with an idea that might just work--if she can find the right man for the job.

Commercial contractor Preston Ames is starting to develop feelings for Penny, and even though he's been through enough heartache to know that he should avoid her at all costs, he can't keep himself from visiting her sweet shop everyday. When Penny asks him to participate in a crazy scheme so that she can overturn her stepfather's underhanded business ploy, Preston is tempted to run the other way. But one look into her soulful blue eyes and he's a goner. Little does he know that his calm, orderly world is about to unravel--and that just one picture will turn Penny into his sweet valentine! "

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Q&A With The Author:

1) Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction besides writing?

Traveling, when I can, and meeting new people.

2) What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?

I'm a pantser (a writer who writes by the seat of their pants) so plotting in general is hard for me. I'm becoming a better outliner, but I still get stuck from time to time. That's when I go back to old-fashioned pen and paper. Somehow my eyes just "see" the overall picture better and then I'm able to fill in the blanks.

3) What are your future projects?

I'm currently working on Book #2 in my When Love Happens series (LDS romances) and then I plan to write the second installment in this series, which is Holiday Contests, although I haven't decided which holiday I will focus on next.

4) What is the “message” of your writing?

My series, When Love Happens, is geared toward a religious audience so my messages will be much different than the lighter tone and overall message I convey in my rom-coms. In my inspirational fiction, I try to convey the idea that God loves us and everything will work out if we have faith. For my rom-coms, my main message will be that love conquers all.

5) Are your characters/stories/scenes, etc. based on anything in real life?

Some of my stories contain incidents from my own life. My second novel, The Matchup, was largely based on my experience as a mother to an autistic child. However, The Billionaire's Sweet Valentine is pure fantasy on my part, and I suspect as I write more rom-coms that this pattern will continue.

6) Have you done anything writing-related, besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?

I'm fortunate to have found wonderful mentors who have shown me how to navigate the writing and publishing world. I've attended a few writing conferences that have been very beneficial. I also met in person a blogger who had participated in one of my earlier blog tours while I was at a book signing. She came just to support me. That was a great experience. I've also formed a fun street team on Facebook where we talk about bookish things. Members of my street team also get to read my newest releases for free, and in turn give a shoutout on social media for my books. If you would like to join, here is the link: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1493800594035114&ref=content_filter