Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Today's Special -- Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis is in the house! I am super excited to host Jill here at the Romance Dish today. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Jill is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author and a RITA award winner for the first book in her terrific Lucky Harbor series, Simply Irresistible. But did you know that she also has a blog where she chronicles everything from teasers and excerpts to pictures of gorgeous men to hilarious moments in her I Love Lucy-esque life? (Pssst! Check it out here!) Her latest release, Forever and a Day, is the sixth book in the Lucky Harbor series. I absolutely adored it and you can read my review here! Jill is a city girl who makes her home in the wild Sierras near beautiful Lake Tahoe. She certainly has plenty of inspiration! Welcome, Jill!



An interview with Jill Shalvis on Lucky Harbor, writing and relaxing...


Tell us a little bit about Lucky Harbor, the town your series is based in?

Lucky Harbor is a small beach town on the Washington coast, where you could leave a bucket of money on your back seat and it wouldn’t get stolen, but you couldn’t keep a secret to save your life.  If Lucky Harbor was real, you’d want to live there for the warm, fun, caring people -- and possibly for the hot guys.

Have you always wanted to write romance?

Actually, I was a journalism major and thought I was going the nonfiction route.  But I kept wanting to embellish my stories.  They tend to frown on that in nonfiction.  Also, I wanted a happily ever after.  Romance was an obvious choice.  I gave it a shot and haven’t looked back yet.

How would you describe your writing style?

Warm, funny, sexy contemporaries.  Um, maybe very sexy.

I saw on your blog you call yourself a Glee ‘ho.  What other shows tickle your fancy?

Everything.  I should have said I was a TV ‘ho!  Justified, Burn Notice, Breaking Bad.  I love reality shows too, Survivor, Amazing Race … you know what?  I think it’d be shorter and easier to stick with EVERYTHING.

Tell us a bit about Forever and a Day.

I’m afraid I gave ER Dr. Josh Scott a bit more than his fair share of torture this time around.  He’s got a medical practice that he inherited from his father, a five-year-old son whose mother walked away from them both, and a sister he’s solely responsible for.  And to top things off, a wayward puppy.  It’s a lot, and our overworked hero is on the very edge of burn out.  He’s in desperate need of … something.

And that something shows up in the form of Grace Brooks.  She’s lost just about everything in the economic downturn, and the financial wizard is reduced to dog walking when Josh hires her to do just that.  He thinks he’s helping her out, giving her a job, when in truth, she changes his world.  And rocks it.

Grace, who has fabricated her doggy resume, has little to no experience with pets or five- year-old boys but, like she does everything, she digs in with her entire heart.

And soul.

Do you have any plans to branch out and write in any other genres?

I have my hands full at the moment with what I’m doing, but if I was to clone myself, I’d want to write scripts for TV.  Maybe the Big Bang Theory. Or maybe … Criminal Minds!  :)

If you weren’t writing what else would you be doing right now?

Reading.  Playing in the snow. Bossing the kids around. Eating cookies…  Taking a nap!!!!



Andrea here: Thanks so much, Jill! So, dear readers, Jill's Lucky Harbor series is about a small town located on the coast of Washington. What are some of your favorite small-town romances? Where are they set? The wonderful people at Grand Central have graciously offered to give a copy of Forever and a Day to one lucky commenter. (The giveaway is limited to U.S. or Canadian residents only.)

32 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your release, Jill. I like the sound of the heroine...spunky, dives into something with all she has.

    I don't recall a recent small-town romance that I've read lately, but I do like some of Debbie Macomber's small-town romances. The people know everyone and their business, are snoopy in a kind way, and look out for everyone. I think DM's romances are like she, herself; warm, inviting, and full of love (for family and her readers).

    Congrats again on FAAD. Which, by the way, I love for a title because my husband always signs any cards or notes to me FAAD (he will love me Forever and a day). So, I have got to get this book and read it, LOL! :)

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    1. Aww, Deb, that's so sweet!! He sounds like a keeper. :) I hope you enjoy Forever and a Day!

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  2. Congrats whoo love your books , great prize,
    Kimh

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  3. I love this town and all the funny people who turn up. I have been hooked since the first book. Each heroine is different and the heros are DEFINATELY sexy. Love to win a copy of the latest.

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    1. They are sexy, aren't they, Trish? Jill writes some of the BEST heroes! ;-)

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  4. Susan Wiggs- The Lakeshore Chronicles series- set in upstate NY, Avalon, NY near the shore of Willow Lake

    Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove, Washington, Promise,Texas and Hard Luck, Alaska series

    Diana Palmer- Jacobsville, Texas

    Harlequin has the Tyler, Wisconsin series. They also have the Tyler, Texas + Sioux Falls, SD= Fortune family series.

    Rachel Gibson- Gospel,Idaho books

    Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series was set in Forks, Washington

    Janet Chapman's books- Midnight Bay, Maine

    Robyn Carr's Virgin River, California series

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    1. GREAT choices, Laurie!! I always hear a lot of buzz about Robyn's Virgin River series, but haven't read any of them. Maybe someday!

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  5. Andrea, it was the Dishes' enthusiasm for the books of Jill Shalvis that started me reading them. Now I never miss one. I love Forever and a Day. It's my favorite of the Chocoholic trilogy. I'm reviewing it tomorrow.

    I've been a fan of small-town settings since before the current trend. I have a dozen or more on my never-miss list. The one I'm most eager to revisit right now is Lisa Kleypas's Friday Harbor. Six days until Dream Lake brings my return ticket. :)

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    1. I'm so glad we helped you discover Jill's books, Janga! And I totally agree with you about LK's Friday Harbor series. I'm counting down, too!

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  6. Please don't enter me, I just got Jill's book. I don't read a lot of contemporary but Jill is one of my favorite authors!! And her blog is just wonderful!

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    1. Yay, catslady! Well, if you read only a small amount of contemporary, you sure picked the right author to read! Isn't she hilarious on her blog?!

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  7. I love Jill's Lucky Harbor books. Another favorite small-town series of mine is Jodi Thomas's Harmony, TX series.

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    1. Jodi's Harmony books are a good choice, LSUReader!

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  8. As others have mentioned, the small town romances that I've read are LK's Friday Harbor series and some of Rachel Gibson's books.

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    1. Kim, I recently discovered Rachel's Lovett, Texas series and LOVE it!

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  9. Yay! I just read the announcement that there will be more Lucky Harbor books.

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    1. I was thrilled when I read that, Janga! :)

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  10. Ahh, Josh sounds like a wonderful hero. Plus the wayward puppy is bound to tug at my heartstring! I adore animals in stories. Congratulations on your newest release, Jill.

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    1. I love animals in stories, too, Na. They can really add to it if done right. :)

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  11. I really liked Dundee, Idaho series by Brenda Novak.

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    1. Thanks, LilMissMolly! I'll have to check those out. ;-)

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  12. Congratulations, Jill! I love your books. I can't think of any other small town romances that I have read besides the Fortune family of Texas.

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  13. Congrats on the new release. Love jills books. Love books about small towns. Love lauren dane's chase bros series in petal georgia, and kathleen brooks bluegrass series about keeneston. Love them because of the gossip aspect, the small town closeness, and everyone knows everyone & what thet do. What a great giveaway.
    Christinebails@yahoo.com

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    1. "Love them because of the gossip aspect, the small town closeness, and everyone knows everyone & what thet do."

      Very well said, Chris!

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  14. Congratulations on the book! I like Katie Lane's series.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  15. Love this series of Jill's. Also into Emily March's Eternity Springs series.

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  16. Hi Andrea and Jill,
    I have to admit I'm a newbie to your books. Although I have read so many good things about your work, including Andrea's wonderful review here of "Forever and a Day;" I always fall into the velvet trap of "So many books, so little time." However, now I'm going to make a real effort to read your work. Since Christina Dodd called me a linear reader at RWA/2012 last weekend, I will start at the beginning of the Lucky Harbor series ASAP!
    As for my favorite small town books: I love the small Texas towns in some of SEP's Chicago Stars books, Lisa Kleypas' current series set in Friday Harbor in Washington State's San Juan Islands and Lori Foster's "Winston Brothers" books. Just to name a few!

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  17. I have heard such wonderful things about Jill's books and am still trying to get to them. The small town element appeals. They are special places that bring out the best, and often the worst in people. The small town series I have enjoyed that come to mind are The Virgin River series by Robin Carr and Janet Chapman's series set in Maine. There are more and all enjoyed.The small town is itself a character in most of these books.
    Keep writing those books. I will get them all read soon.

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  18. Love this series! I'm reading Lucky in Love right now. Can't wait to get to this one. I think it was the covers that caught me first. They all have a very innocent, small town feel. I love them all!

    Thanks for sharing the interview.

    Tami

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  19. I really enjoyed Debbie Macombers Cedar Cove series. Small town series are a lot of fun - especially some of the quirky supporting characters.

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