This is it, everyone! The big day has finally arrived!
I’m so excited to show off the cover for my new book, Away to Me,
which is Book 1 in the Tri-Town Series. It will be published by eXtasy Books later this year, so keep watching for it!
Many thanks to eXtasy Books/Devine Destinies cover
artist Martine Jardin for her
amazing work on the perfect cover. It’s so Nova Scotian, which is exactly what
I wanted. I adore it!
The town in the background is Lunenburg, which is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, and home of one of the most famous schooners in Canada
– The Bluenose II. The couple represents Neil and Kelsey perfectly… It’s
amazing seeing them come to life for the first time. I’m so happy!
Before we do the big reveal, here’s some information
about the book:
What would you do if you found out
your late spouse wasn’t the biological parent of your stepchild as they had led
you to believe? Would you let it go, in hopes the child wouldn’t go looking for
their birth family, or would you help them in their search?
This is the dilemma Neil Falcon faced when he first
discovered his late wife, Rita, wasn’t the biological mother of his teenage
stepdaughter, Rikki.
His decision to look for her roots puts them on a path
that leads them to a part of Neil’s past, one he thought was locked away
forever.
Away to Me is about family, overcoming one’s troubled past, and finding that one
special person to love forever.
Here it is, the gorgeous cover for Away to Me,
Book 1 of the Tri-Town Series.
Away to Me
Book 1 of the Tri-Town Series
Tagline: Sometimes you have to go
back to move forward…
“What doesn’t
lie? The evidence.”
The evidence in
front of Neil Falcon proved that his late wife wasn’t the birth mother of his
stepdaughter, Rikki. If Rita lied to him about Rikki’s roots, what else did she
hide from him?
The confused
pair begin a search that leads them down a road that makes an unexpected
backwards turn, to Neil’s past, and the woman who once held his heart.
Kelsey Wagner is
shocked to see the man she once adored appear on her doorstep with claims that
Rikki may be her biological child. After finding out her daughter wants her to
be a part of her life, she agrees. With Neil’s help, Kelsey settles into the
role of helping him raise their daughter.
Amidst the
confusion of raising a teenage daughter and dealing with the antics of a
mischievous corgi, the old feelings resurface.
They know their
daughter wants them to become a family, but can they make it work?
(Book
2 is currently “under production”, keep watching for updates on my blog!)
*
* * *
I was interviewed by my longtime friend
and fellow eXtasy Books author Maggie Blackbird. Enjoy!
1. Hi, VJ.
It’s great to have you at my blog today.
We know each other through eXtasy Books and the Book Carousel, but can
you tell the readers about the everyday VJ?
VJ: Hi Maggie, thanks for having me. All of you know I’m nuts about
cats, heavy metal music, purple, and my family. I’m also a huge bookworm, and I
can devour a good book in less than a day.
The
everyday V.J. is a regular stay at home mom. I cook, I clean, I take care of my
15-year-old son who has autism, and I’m always tripping over our Maine Coon,
Marnie. I’m really shy in real life, so I tend to hide at home a lot, and do
most of my socializing with everyone online. My husband and I are close, we’ve
been together almost 28 years, and will be married 18 years in November. I also
love the beach, and pretty much grew up at Crescent Beach and Risser’s Beach,
both are in Petite Riviere, NS.
I’m
a trigeminal and occipital neuralgia warrior, I fight chronic pain daily. I’m
an advocate for prevention of animal cruelty, including cosmetic procedures
like ear cropping, debarking a dog, and declawing cats.
2. You write romance. What drew you to this genre?
VJ: I love the happy ever after aspect of it. I remember reading my
first romance novel in Grade 6, and I was immediately hooked. I knew at that
point I wanted to be an author, but I wasn’t sure what genre I wanted to write.
That book sealed it for me.
3. Your forthcoming book is Away to Me. How did you come
up with the idea for the book?
VJ: Oddly, it’s a spin off of a “what if?” scenario that hit me after I
finished the first draft of a story that was sort of a sequel to the original
version of Stricken. I wondered what would happen if an adopted child
went looking for their birth families, and the consequences of it. Since I
write romance, I added in another “what if” scenario – the surviving adoptive
parent falling for the birth parent, and their love story.
4. Since you write contemporary romance set in
Canada’s Maritimes, what elements do you think this genre should contain? Did
these elements influence Away to Me?
VJ: You have to show ordinary people living ordinary lives to some
extent. Nova Scotia isn’t known for its rich and famous, so sticking with
characters that people here can relate to is a necessity in my opinion. Another
one would be including the ocean and our main industries – fisheries, tourism,
carpentry, and all other spin-offs. Talk about the towns and describe them,
that way the locals can picture the exact street in your mind, and everyone
else can get a sense of what it’s like living in this part of Canada.
5. Away to Me will release early this
fall. Can you share your writing process
for this novel?
VJ: Goodness, it was one of the easiest stories I’ve ever written. I had
just gotten a rejection for what is now Stricken from a publisher, and
was writing what is now called “Play with Me” (novella that needs a lot of
work!) when this idea hit me – it was early 2014. It wouldn’t leave me alone,
and I set “Play with Me” aside to work on it. It came together so quickly –
from Neil’s personality and his background, to the names, and finally, Kelsey’s
reasons for giving Rikki up for adoption.
Once everything was set, I wrote it during the one or two days a week I am able
to write (mostly Fridays during the school year when I’m home alone), with a
few minutes of quick editing before I started writing. I have to be alone to
write, because I get distracted so easily. I was sneaking in some work here and
there when the guys were home but it was mostly editing and revisions.
This
story and its characters were in my head, constantly, and I couldn’t write
their story fast enough.
It came together in about 3 months, writing part time. That’s a record for me.
*laughs*
Away
to Me
was supposed to be a practice story. I never thought I’d submit it to eXtasy
Books and have it accepted!
6.
Let’s talk about the main character. What do you love most about Neil Falcon
and what makes you want to shake him?
VJ: Neil is the kind of guy that stands up for those he cares about, and
is loyal to the death. He’s a big sweetheart with a heart of gold. He’ll take a
bullet to save his daughter, or Kelsey. However, he has a stubborn streak a
mile wide, and isn’t always as forthcoming with his feelings, wants, or needs
as he should be.
7. The same for Kelsey Wagner. What do you love about her and what makes you
want to shake her?
VJ: Kelsey is a tough woman. She’s opinionated, stubborn, and loves
cats. She is also loyal until betrayed, then she becomes indifferent and cuts
off the person for good. She has a lot of bravado, but has a fragile side. What
drove me crazy about her was her unwillingness to see how much Neil loved her
from the start, and how she couldn’t see she was a great mother to Rikki.
8. Without giving away any spoilers, what was
your favourite scene to write for Away to
Me?
VJ: The last full love scene. It was a fun one to write.
9. What makes Away to Me different from other contemporary romances?
VJ: First
of all, there are not many romance stories set in Nova Scotia. That alone makes
it stand out. Neil and Kelsey are regular people, neither are rich or famous,
and they are relatable to most readers.
10. If a reader asked why they should read Away to Me, what would you tell them?
VJ: Kelsey and Neil are as real as you can get. There is some humor
included, notably the dog’s antics, so it’s not a heavy duty read, there are a
lot of lighter moments in it. It’s a story about love, growth, and letting go
of one’s fears and past.
11. What do you enjoy most about writing?
VJ: I love creating unique
characters and sharing their journeys. Writing is therapy for me, it’s what
keeps me sane when my various chronic illnesses flare up.
12. What do you enjoy least about writing?
VJ:
Editing
and revising. Both are necessary evils in my opinion.
13. I enjoy doing random questions, so humour me:
What’s
your favourite movie?
Other
than the original Star Wars Trilogy? Star Wars Rogue One, Valmont, Nightbreed,
and The Fifth Element.
What
book is currently in your e-reader?
I’m
not reading much at the moment, but I have a lot of books by my fellow eXtasy
Books and Devine Destinies authors in my TBR area of my Kindle app.
Who’s
your favourite musical group?
Disturbed.
What
song puts a smile on your face?
Stricken
by Disturbed, Drift Away by Dobie Gray, and Cold Ethyl by Alice Cooper.
14. Is there anything else you’d like to
add?
I’m
currently rewriting “Play with Me” (formerly “Something About Alexis”) and I
hope to include that as part of the Tri-Town series. It’ll be easy to connect
the two, even though there are no secondary characters in Away to Me I
can exploit… However, I don’t talk about any of the secondary characters’
expanded families, so I’m able to get away with it, with some tweaking.
I
hope to have this one finished sometime soon. I’m working on it during summer
vacation, which is what’s supposed to be my break from actual writing… Normally
I use summer vacation to catch up on reading! Next year. LOL
Thanks
again for having me Maggie!
About the Author
V.J. Allison was born and
raised in southern Nova Scotia, Canada, and her work reflects her strong
Maritime roots. She is a stay at home mother to a son on the autism spectrum,
married to the love of her life, and “mama” to a rescued Maine Coon cat named
Marnie.
She has been writing various
stories of novel length and short stories since her school days, and sees
writing as a vital component to her life.
When she isn’t writing,
she loves to read romance and science fiction novels (notably Star Wars);
listen to music (heavy metal, rock, alternative); watch various crime and
forensic dramas; watch science fiction television shows and movies; and spend
time with her large family and many friends.
This self-proclaimed
geeky rocker chick is a warrior and advocate for various chronic illnesses
including Occipital Neuralgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Diabetes, Migraines, and
Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia. She is also an advocate for the prevention of
animal cruelty and is a voice for Autism Awareness.
*Special
Thanks to Maggie Blackbird, Denise Wheatley, Cheryl Headford, and Taryn Jameson
for doing the cover reveal for me. Y’all are amazing! Big hugs, and love to all
of you!*
