Fearless Destiny by Annette Bower - Book Tour - Interview - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Annette Bower and her new book, “Fearless Destiny!”  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card.  Also, come back daily to interact with Annette and to increase your chances of winning! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this exciting giveaway!

Fearless Destiny

by Annette Bower

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GENRE: Women's fiction with romantic elements

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BLURB:

From the Romance Review Readers Choice nominee, Annette Bower, comes a new small town romance, Fearless Destiny.

Tiffany George, riding high on her commission as a fresco artist, returns home for some deserved rest and relaxation.

The drive is uneventful until she rescues Will Cleaver on the side of a highway. While savoring memories of a kiss and a well formed butt, her future goals do not include a romance.

Once in town, she discovers the hopes and dreams of her community hinge on the development of a new resource mine and Will Cleaver’s designed neighborhood. Her parents demand she give up art and resume her working partner role in the family business.

Tiffany George is pulled by her community roots and stretched by her newly discovered independence.

Will Cleaver knows about taking charge of destiny. He models the courage she uses to become the woman she needs to be.

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EXCERPT THREE:

“Tiffany, you’ve been away.” Mayor Robert stepped forward and turned Tiffany toward the model.

“This is our town after the urban development is completed.” He put his finger on the cenotaph.

 “The new neighborhood is here on this land, with access to hiking paths, the park, and further along the street are the new family homes. And here’s the new school and a new community hall.” Mayor Robert spoke slowly, providing time for Tiffany to absorb all the changes that had been planned for Apex.

 “Then of course there will be infill. Some of the older places will be torn down and new buildings taking their place.” Mayor Robert nodded.

“Everything and everyone needs to adjust.” He kept his arm securely around Tiffany’s shoulder like a kindly uncle.

“Nikki is the construction engineer. She’s responsible for the infrastructure. She knows how large our lagoon and water supply will have to be.”

Although Nikki was talking to Will, he watched Tiffany.

Mayor Robert gulped a deep breath. “I’m surprised your parents didn’t mention anything. Or you haven’t been watching our Facebook page or Twitter account.”

“Facebook page? Twitter account?” Tiffany frowned. “It feels as if I left home and returned to a strange place.” She stared at the three-dimensional model on the table in a makeshift office.

“We can’t stand still,” Mayor Robert said. “I hear you haven’t.”

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INTERVIEW:

Hello Annette!  Welcome to Fabulous and Brunette!  We are delighted to have you here and can’t wait to learn more about you and your new book, “Fearless Destiny.”

Thank you, Ally for hosting me today at Fabulous and Brunette on my VBT for Fearless Destiny.

So lets get started.
What 3-5 words would you use to describe your book?

Courage required in choosing destiny.

What is your favorite chapter or section of this book?

You do know that this is like asking a parent to chose their favorite child, don’t you Ally? For you I will provide a tidbit of two scenes.

In Fearless Destiny, I like the scene when Will shows Tiffany the coffee shop. Will demonstrates his understanding of her dilemma and shows her how a group of people, got together to help make their dreams come true.

I also like the scene when Tiffany is parked alone in a make-out spot and messages a photo of a gull flying solo in the evening sky. Will calls her and Tiffany adds the designation of her dream-maker to her list of Will’s other qualities of dog whisperer and shot gun rider. Tiffany and Will have been in situations when she has not asked him to be more able than he is, but she requests him to use the talents he has. Sometimes when we suggest to others what they could do, we are voicing what we ourselves need to do.

Did you come across any specific challenges in writing this book?

In Fearless Destiny Will uses crutches for safe mobility. I had a challenge to write the crutches as a part of who he is, as he explains that persons with a disability are just that, they are not the disability, they are a person first who is differently abled.

Tiffany and Will have a meet cute.  Tell us more about this.

Tiffany and Will meet on the side of a highway because I drew from my experience of living on the prairie and as the cover of Fearless Destiny suggests when we have to go anywhere it involves driving on a highway. And in Saskatchewan as in the Northern States and I’m sure in other countries there can be great distances lonely stretches of road between help, especially in inclement weather. Tiffany was brave to approach a car on the side of the highway but she is cautious. She has practised karate; she is a first responder, as well as a volunteer fire fighter. She knew that occasionally a stalled car could mean someone was in trouble. Of course in the city where she had just come from, there is help readily available, so she almost drove by. When I used to commute from the resort town in which I lived in to our major city, it was a forty-five-minute drive on a good day but in a storm, much longer. If there ever was car trouble you hoped that you weren’t in a cell phone dead area, or that the car that stopped was friendly.

Will made an assumption that Tiffany would not be able to help him, but of course he is wrong.

Tiffany and Will’s relationship sparks right off the bat. Do you believe in love at first sight?

I believe in an attraction, an intuitive recognition of someone who is kind and good.

Tiffany and Will’s relationship gets tested and pulled apart. Do you believe love can conquer all?

I believe that love as an emotion is the result of the actions of love and when you act out of respect for the person you love, then yes, it can conquer many things. But both people have to understand love is an action word.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The message I’d like readers to grasp is that we are all in charge of our own destiny. Usually we allow others to hold us back because we are afraid of losing something, it may be esteem, good will, or love. But if it is holding you back, it may not be the best thing for you.

Give us an interesting fun fact about your book.

The 36 questions that can make you fall in love with anyone, I used with Tiffany and Will is a real study.

After I discovered this research by Arthur Aron, one of the women in my walkers’ boot camp, was starting a new relationship. She tried the questions and they are still together today. These question lead deeper and deeper into trusting someone.

Here is a recent link to a follow up to this study: 36 Questions that can make you fall in love with anyone. 

As an author, what is your favorite word you love to include in your books?

My favorite word is love in my books. It could be within a word, ie glove, or lovely or simply love but love is definitely my favorite word to use.

Do you ever get writer’s block and if so, how do you handle it?

Writer’s block is cured by menial tasks, like scrubbing the floor or washing windows, walking on my treadmill, or walking outside with my favorite music playing or reading more research. I gnaw on the issue and sometimes put things down on paper that I know I will change but it will help me move forward.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

My endings are rushed.

Do you write your books with a pen or type writer or computer?

I start my openings with a fountain pen and my favorite ink and when I have the opening written, I move to my computer. Also I compose a scrapbook for each character where I paste photos of what I believe they look like, what they might wear, where they might live. I also make up their backgrounds and all of this is done with pen, scissors, and glue. I know I could do this on pinterest but sometimes using familiar tools helps me create a concrete vision.

I may also write research with my pen because the act of writing the words with my body seems to give details a different weight.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

On average, 3 years and then a year of edits with the publisher’s editor and then to production.

When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go?

As I’ve said earlier, I have an idea about them. I know their birthday, their horoscope sign, their position in the family and the affect that might have on them. But as the story goes along they develop deeper and mature.

Describe what your ideal writing space looks like.

My ideal space would be organized and I’d have a fairy who would put things away for me. The space I work in is not organized because when I’ve pulled a book off of my shelf, I usually drop it on the floor next to my chair. Or when I’ve cut out an article from a paper or magazine, it is within reach.

What books have most influenced your life?

Of course there are many books, but today I will pick Susan Faludi’s book Stiffed, The Betrayal of the American Man because it helped me garner a glimpse of understanding the world about a male’s pov.

And On Death and Dying by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. I used to work as a nurse and I also had many women around me whose spouses had passed away early. This book helped me understand loss.

Where is your favorite spot to read? And what book(s) are you currently reading.

My favorite spot to read is in an airplane but since I don’t travel everyday, my second most favorite is in a car, or riding my bike, or walking as I listen to an audio book. Today I am listening to the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. At my bedside is, Star-Crossed by Carla Caruso.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

I read and own a great many fiction ebooks because they are convenient, I always have one with me which synchs to my tablet etc. I have paper/hard back books for research and the occasional paperback if someone has lent it to me, or I’ve borrowed it from the library. And from the above question, I also read audio books. I enjoy listening to the rhythm of the story.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

I like finding a character and then finding someone who will love them. I enjoy adding a tap on the shoulder to a social issue in my novels because then I can research different subjects. In Fearless Destiny, I learned about fresco art, I’ve travelled and have seen the murals in cathedrals but I have now learned that an old way of art is coming back in a new way.

I learned about cerebral palsy and refreshed my memory about walking with aids.

I researched about hand-cycles. I also had to learn about potash and had an opportunity to tour a solution potash mine.

What is your favorite quote or phrase?

“Late Fragment

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.”

― Raymond Carver, A New Path to the Waterfall

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

A day full of possibilities.

I heard you enjoy participating in walk/run races. What is the next upcoming race you are preparing for?

Royal Road Race in 2017. I missed 2016 as we were away but next year I would like to beat my previous walking time. I don’t run.

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

1.  Live around Time Square in New York for a month and attend as many plays as possible.

2.  Learn to ride a horse and live on a ranch for a month. I used to read Louis La Mour and have wanted to experience ranch life.

3.  Understand why some people do not want to be in a relationship. I’ve met people who are happy, content, fulfilled living on their own, without a special partner in their life, I’d like to understand this person.

Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?

I would like my publisher to send me to live within the dragon guarded gates of the City of London, England. I’ll take any season but preferably when I can walk and experience the sights, sounds, odors, scents and people from the sidewalk.

What is something memorable you have heard from your readers/fans?

The most memorable was when a receptionist in a doctor’s office said that after she read Woman of Substance she began to understand women who are larger after she read my book. A fan, while laughing asked where I came up with the idea of the woman waving her bible, after he read Moving On?

My hope is that after I tap an issue on the shoulder, my readers’ may take away another view of an issue along with a journey in a romance story with a happy ever after ending.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Writing is hard work, but if it is something you want to do, make time for it, take workshops, and be part of a writing community. Like minded friends will console you at times when the work is hard and celebrate with you when you’ve met a goal. Even if that goal is writing a more few lines than you wrote yesterday.

What’s next for you? What are you working on now?

I’m considering a flash fiction story online course. Flash fiction has always intrigued me. I’ve written a number of these short-short stories and have had some recognition but I would like to learn more techniques. I’m sure it will also improve my writing for my next novel. I have a story that wants me to write it. It is again about a diverse character but it will take a great deal of research to get it right. I will begin the research and then decide if I can do the character’s story justice. If not, I have another character I wrote and performed a monologue about and readers have been asking me to tell her story.

Thank you so much for spending time with Fabulous and Brunette readers and sharing your exciting new book with us!  We wish you all the best on your book tour!

Thank you Ally for allowing me to appear on your blog and sharing your followers with me.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Annette Bower sets her romance novels in Saskatchewan because she believes home can be as exotic as anywhere else in the World. Annette travels extensively, but always returns home to Regina, Saskatchewan. Born in Regina, her experiences as a nurse, administrator, town councillor, teachers’ assistant and student inform her stories and reflect the experiences of many readers. Annette’s stories are read around the world and have been shortlisted on many national and international stages.

Annette Bower writes about women’s roles in families, in communities and women’s emotions at the beginning and end of love in her home office in Regina, SK. Her short stories are published in magazines and anthologies in Canada, United States, and United Kingdom.

Her women’s fiction novels with romantic elements, Woman of Substance and Moving On are published by Soul Mate Publishing.

Annette Bower’s day-to-day experiences as a nurse, administrator, town councillor, teacher’s assistant and student means that her stories are the real thing because they are about you and your neighbours. Her short stories and novels are read around the world. Her romance novels are set in Saskatchewan because she believes home is as exotic as anywhere else in the wide world she has visited.

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CONNECT WITH ANNETTE:

Website: www.annettebower.com

Blog: www.annettebower.com/blog
Email: annettebower.author@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annette.bower1author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BowerAnnette

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2aVx6xL

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AMAZON BUY LINK:

http://amzn.to/2brPs95

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Annette Bower will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.