Denise Hunter ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Denise Hunter is telling us about her new book, Seaside Letters. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Denise! Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m happily married (for 21 years), have 3 sons ages 11, 14, and 17, and we live in Indiana. I love to read (big surprise!), travel, and watch romantic comedies. Chocolate fits in there somewhere too.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I started writing my first novel in 1996, writing while my sons napped each afternoon. My July release, Driftwood Lane, will be my 16th novel.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
Karen Kingsbury, Deborah Raney, Francine Rivers.

I’d say the romantic scenes themselves are G. However, sometimes my characters are dealing with past issues, sin, or consequences that can be PG13.

In your own words tell us a little about Seaside Letters.
Seaside Letters is the 3rd book in my Nantucket Love Stories series. Each book is completely stand-alone, though, as the characters don’t carry over from one book to the next.

Blurb:

Their letters could lead to lasting love . . . or expose Sabrina's mortifying secret.

Sabrina Kincaid didn't intend to fall for Nantucket native Tucker McCabe, the man she serves coffee to every morning-a man tied to a past she deeply regrets. But she has. And she's fallen hard.

But she's kept this a secret from her handsome customer. And now Tucker wants to hire Sabrina to help locate his friend "Sweetpea"-the mysterious woman he's falling in love with online. Sabrina is not inclined to help, but if Tucker hires someone else, it could spell disaster. Because if someone else sifted through the emails and figured out the truth-then Tucker would discover that the person he's trying to find is . . . her.

What made you want to write this story?
Honestly, I’m a huge fan of You’ve Got Mail, and I wanted to tell my own love-via-email story. Seaside Letters has it’s own twists and turns that make it wholly different from the movie, though.

What research did you have to do for this book?
For the series itself, I went to Nantucket to research the setting—I always do that. It really puts me there in the story and helps me to take the reader there also.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

Mathew McConaughey for Tucker and Anne Hathaway for Sabrina

What are you working on now or going to write next?

I’m gearing up for the release of my last Nantucket book, Driftwood Lane (July 6, Thomas Nelson), and I’ve just finished A Cowboy’s Touch, due out in Spring 2011.

How can readers get in contact with you?

I have a readers group on Facebook, which has turned out to be a great way to connect with my readers. I also give away books and ask for my readers’ help choosing everything from titles to covers. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124248046980

I also have a website http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/

What are you currently reading?
I’m currently between books. The newest Jodi Piccoult novel is next on my to-be-read list and probably Francine Rivers’s latest novel will be after that.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I play the drums on my church’s worship team. :)

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Cherry with white icing

Disney Princess?
I have all boys. I don’t know a single Disney princess!

What is/was this book’s release date?
Oct, 2009. It’s on the shelves!

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Sure. I posted it pre-publication for my Facebook Readers. Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=124248046980&topic=11256

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**Open to residents of any country**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of Seaside Letters!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 26) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (April 1). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 2nd, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.