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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Linda Francis Lee "knows" what her readers want...plus a book giveaway

When I read Emily and Einstein a few years ago, I knew Linda Francis Lee had something special to contribute to chick lit. So I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of The Glass Kitchen, not only for the beautiful cover art, but also for a delicious sounding story about a woman with a special "gift" when it comes to cooking. I'm currently devouring this novel and it is as decadent and enjoyable as I was expecting. I love the whole concept of "the knowing" and even had an experience with it recently, but with books instead of food. Linda, herself, is a real treat to know. She's so friendly and she does lots of fun book giveaways at her Facebook page.

Linda Francis Lee is a native Texan now calling New York City home. Her writing career began when her article was published in her university’s quarterly magazine. But she got sidetracked from writing when she started teaching probability and statistics. Later she found her way back to writing, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution called her breakout novel, Blue Waltz, “absolutely stunning.” Currently, Linda is the author of twenty-one novels that are published in twenty countries around the world. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films.

When Linda isn’t writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends. She loves to hear from readers, so visit her at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have TWO copies of The Glass Kitchen for some lucky US readers! There's currently a sweepstakes going on until June 30th where you could also win this book...or the grand prize of a KitchenAid stand mixer.

What was your favorite thing about writing The Glass Kitchen?
I loved writing the Ariel scenes. When I plot a book I try to have a character that doesn't have to edit what he/she says. They get to say whatever comes into their brain. In Emily & Einstein, it was Einstein. With The Glass Kitchen, it was Ariel. There is something freeing about not thinking about "nice" or "sweet" or some heroic way of being when the character isn't a villain. Of course that takes set up so that the reader can still love the character despite them getting to say whatever they want. But with most protagonists a writer doesn't have that freedom.

Which authors or books have inspired you to become a writer yourself?
I think I was initially inspired to tell stories by seeing The Sound of Music for the first time. Actually, it was the first movie I ever saw; my grandmother took me to it. Kid's books hadn't brought such a gigantic world full-blown into my head in the way that the movie did. I was sucked in. It was after seeing the movie that I started making up stories in my head.

If The Glass Kitchen were made into a movie, who would play the lead characters and why?
That is so hard! I keep thinking different people. But I think for Gabriel and Portia, the intensity of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. Her personality in Morning Glory. In looks, perhaps a bit of David Gandy for Gabriel?

What is the best thing about your kitchen?
The best thing is probably also the biggest challenge: the marble countertops. I adore them. I walk into the kitchen every morning and want to hug them. A friend told me that the litmus test to kitchen countertops is that you want to hug them every morning! As a result, I spent months searching for the perfect slab of marble. It drove the contractor crazy. But in the end, I found it. That being said, marble is not the hardest stone in the stone yard – so to speak. So it takes a lot of upkeep.


What meal or dish do you consider yourself "famous" for making?
When I was writing The Glass Kitchen, we were going to a lot of dinner parties. All our friends are great cooks. My first dinner party in NYC wasn't a gigantic success – at least food-wise – and our friends tease me about it to this day. So for the next party we hosted, I had something to prove. I spent a week preparing, then made Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon. To this day when we talk food and any of my meals, first comes the teasing about my strange chicken, followed up by my heavenly Beef Bourguignon. It came out really well – thankfully! (And I haven't made it since.) Second place, something I could make in my sleep, would be oatmeal cookies. I have been making them forever. My secret? I microwave the butter instead of just letting it soften. But I love a moist, chewy cookie.

What did you do for your last vacation and what is a favorite memory from that time?
Our last trip was to the Caribbean. Business for my husband, but we had enough time to ourselves that we turned it into a mini-vacation. The best part about it for me was that we had just finished the renovation of our apartment, and we had a room overlooking the ocean, and while he was in meetings during the day, I sat in the room at a desk facing the water and wrote. After nearly a year of being consumed by renovation, I could sit with nothing competing for my attention other than the characters in my head. Heaven.

Thanks to Linda for visiting with us and St. Martin's Press for sharing her book with our readers.

~Introduction and interview by Melissa Amster

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


US only. Giveaway ends June 24th at midnight EST.

29 comments:

  1. I honestly don't know if I have ever had a physic connection. They other day while driving and listening to the radio, I was thinking of my husband and living in "his world" when Midnight Train to Georgia came on. It is one of my favorite songs because its best line......."I'd rather live in his world, than live without him in mine." I just love it when things like that happen!

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  2. I have those all the time with the hubby but I don't know if it's the psychic thing or it's because were so much alike!

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  3. I have those with my husband! We're always saying the same thing at the exact same time. I tell him that we share a brain!
    Brannanflooring@aol.com

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  4. My sister and I have a special connection. For example, we can go a month without seeing each other, and show up wearing the same outfit on the same day when we are together. We both seem to have inherited my Mom's intuitive instincts.

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  5. I had such a special connection with my sister. Sadly she passed away on Christmas Eve. I miss her each day, but do feel her wor me still.

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  6. I don't recall ever having a psychic moment or that kind of connection with anyone.

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  7. There have been a few weird instances when my husband and I seem to actually know what the other was going to do or say or what they were thinking and beat them to it! I don't really know if this is a psychic connection or we have just been together for 13 years and so know each other too well :)!
    candc320 at gmail dot come

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  8. I have them with my husband... pretty common... might have to do with living together!

    pascale.poitras@verizon.net

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  9. I've known a few times when one of my sisters was dealing with something difficult.
    Most memorable connection was when I dreamed about my grandmother the very night that she passed away.

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  10. I was leaving work one day and thinking about a long-time colleague who had recently retired and wondering how she was coping with not being part of the action anymore. As I was nearly to the exit of the building, I ran across her coming the other way! She'd just been thinking of me too! She'd returned as a retired annuitant to help transition the person who'd taken over her job. We then texted each other all weekend (I'd check my phone, which was set to no audible alert, moments after she'd message me). The two of us had worked really well together for a number of years and obviously still share a work-related connection.

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  11. When I met my husband. I was not really interested in meeting anyone new at the time but when I opened my door to greet him for our first date (a blind date) it was like I had known him forever.

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  12. I don't know that I have a psychic connection other than knowing that something wasn't right with my daughter in another state. I called her and discovered that she needed help.

    bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  13. I don't think I've ever had one. I will occasionally mentally push a certain thought or idea very hard towards another person. It usually fails. :/

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  14. I've never had a psychic connection with another person. But I wish I did. Thanks for having the giveaway.

    ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. No psychic connections yet!

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  16. I don't think I have ever had a psychic connection with anyone, just strong feelings.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  17. I don't think I have ever had a psychic connection.

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  18. I absolutely LOVE the cover. Would pick this book up in a bookstore in a heartbeat.
    best,
    carol

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  19. My husband and I have those moments frequently, we just look at each other and before either of us can say "it" we know and smile.

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  20. I haven't really had a psychic connection other than thinking about someone and then hearing from them shortly thereafter.

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  21. Not that I know of. : )

    Suzy

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  22. A few years ago while going through a medical situation. Extremely worried about outcome. My father who had been dead for many years came to me in a dream. Could hear his footsteps coming in as far as my bedroom door. They stopped at bedroom door and then out the front door. Dog followed came and checked on me and just stared in directions footsteps left. Woke up next morning feeling everything was ok. Call from ADR confirmed.

    huelsebusch@earthlink.net

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  23. I was thinking of a very good friend and she called and said she was thinking of me and wanted to hear my voice!

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  24. I don't know that I've ever had a physic connection. My husband and I do "read" each others thoughts, but we just know each other well :) I do the same thing with my mom & best friend.

    Beth

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  25. With my daughter when she was born. There were lots of little things. But the funniest was when they gave me a shot she cried.

    wordywon at gmail dot com

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  26. I have had a few experiences of dreaming about something before it happened.

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