In Which I Host Justine Dell!!

Woo hoo! Today's my stop on the awesome Justine Dell's blog tour for her book Recaptured Dreams!!

sooo pretty!

Also very pretty!

Blurb:

Ten years, the Atlantic Ocean, and several rungs in society have kept Xavier Cain from having Sophia Montel. Now twenty-seven, he’s spent his entire adult life building a fashion empire that could finally prove his worth to her family. When fate reunites him with Sophia at London’s premiere fashion show, one problem lodges in Xavier’s path: Sophia doesn’t remember him.

The only obstacle that has kept Sophia from Xavier is a horrific car crash that erased her memory at seventeen. She’s spent the last ten years fighting to reclaim a sliver of her past that her mother refuses to help her remember. When Sophia meets Xavier at the London show, however, all her fantasies come to life in one night of passion. Discovering he is the missing link, she is determined to find all the pieces to their love story and her memory.

Xavier wants forever. Sophia wants her memory. If they take this chance, they’ll have to start over. How far are they willing to go get what they want? And when the past catches up to them, can they handle the truths it has hidden?

Today, I have an interview with the awesome Justine. So sit back and enjoy!

·         As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

A vet. I love animals, but when I discovered I had to deal with the bad stuff as well as the good, I decided that wasn’t a good career path. That and the time I cried when I stepped on a worm. Yes, I’m that sensitive when it comes to animals.

·         Are you’re a pantser or plotter?

Panster! If I had to plot, I would die. Seriously. I probably wouldn’t write. Writing for me is like escaping. I just...fly. And pansting is flying. I go where the characters take me.

·         How long did it take you to write Recaptured Dreams?

30 days. Crazy, right? It’s been majorly tweaked since then, but I had the first draft down in one month.

·         Where do you get your idea for Recaptured Dreams?

 A good friend and co-worker were tossing around ideas for a contest one day and it came up. She actually came up with the brooding, yet sensitive and swoon-worthy Xavier Cain.

·         What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I work a regular job (40 hours per week) and write whenever I get time. I used to have set times (in the evening and on Saturdays) but now I’m kind of all over the place. As the Offspring has aged, she keeps me busier and busier!

·         What would you say is an interesting writing quirk of yours?

I must write in total silence. Without interruptions. If I get interrupted, I grow horns. I need to be in the zone. J

·         Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

No. I actually didn’t started reading for fun until after I wrote my first book. I know, I know, that’s just crazy! Which is way that first book was such a mess and won’t ever see the light of day.

·         Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Oh, whoa is me. I’ve spent a great deal of time in the slush pile and I think I have enough rejections to fill up my entire bathroom. The main challenge of getting published is getting all those “No’s” and still having the drive to keep going. Had it not been for wonderful crit partners who pushed me to the brink of my sanity and made me see that this was something I love and something I shouldn’t give up on, I probably wouldn’t be answering these questions today.

·         If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

Probably not. Even with all the highs and lows, I am who I am because of what I’ve been through, the things I’ve learned, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. Getting published isn’t the end of the journey, it’s only another part of the beginning.

·         What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

The very beginning. And the very end. For me, beginnings just kind of land in my head and I have to get them down. The ideas come from a random conversations or seeing certain things and then BAMN! The first few paragraphs write themselves in my head. That is a cool moment for me. Because as I write them, the rest of the story is weaving itself into my head, pulling me along into a wonderful tale. And the ending? Well all endings are beautiful to me. It’s that moment when you can say, “I did it.”

·         How did you come up with the title?

The basis of the story revolves around the hero recapturing his dream, so it just worked.

·         What project are you working on now?

Ah! A novel called Until Next Time. I’m getting ready to write those last wonderful chapters. It’s a contemporary romance about a woman, Piper, who runs a Funeral Home and she’s terrified of death. And the hero, Quinn, sees life in death. An interesting pair, those two. J

·         Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

OMGoodness, yes. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE writing stories about people reconnecting. Past loves and all that. There’s just something so magical about two people who are perfect for each other but don’t see it until they are older, more mature, and have more to lose.

·         What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

What has been the best compliment? Hahaha. One, I’m laughing so hard because my first crit partner and super best writer friend, Sarah Fine, is both my biggest critic and my biggest cheerleader. She pushes like no man’s business and makes me really thinks about the characters, the ideas, the prose. She is the reason I am who I am right now and I owe everything to her.

·         Do you have any suggestions for all the aspiring writers out there?

Never give up. And read what you want to write. You’ll only get better with time, and the more you know about your genre, the better off you’ll be.

·         Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and soon-to-be fans?

 THANK YOU! J This has been an amazing journey and I’m still learning, but I hope you all love Recaptured Dreams as much as I do!

Woo hoo! Interview! Want to know more about Recaptured Dreams? Well, here's the trailer!





Oooh, I LURVE that song!

And super exciting news! One lucky commenter will win an eBook of Recaptured Dreams! Worried that you won't win? Double your chances by entering this Goodreads giveaway for a chance at one of two copies!

Also, 2 lucky commenters will win a Recaptured Dreams boomark!

AND! Just when you think there couldn't be anything more, Justine is having a HUGE giveaway on her blog for the whole month, so hurry over and check it out for a chance to win even more! (see linkage below for her bloggy)

Yay for Justine!!


Contact Justine by email: dell.justine@gmail.com

Recaptured Dreams on Goodreads, Facebook, Barnes and Noble

Justine on Facebook, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads

And don't forget to check out Omnific Publishing.  Romance ... without the rules.