Welcome Susan! Tell us about ONLY MINE.
Susan: Each book in the Fool’s Gold series is a standalone novel, meaning that you won’t get lost if you read them out of order. Fool’s Gold is a town facing a serious (and seriously funny) problem – the 2010 census revealed that the town is suffering from a man shortage. Fool’s Gold has become the punch line of countless jokes on TV talk shows, which makes the strong, independent women in town pretty darn crabby... and which attracts the attention of a sleazy TV producer.
In ONLY MINE, it’s Dakota Hendrix’s job to interview potential contestants. After she recommends two handsome young twins for the show, the twins’ gorgeous, stern older brother demands that she declare them unfit. Finn Anderson wants his brothers to return to college. Finn has raised the boys since their parents died, and he won’t consider his duty done until they graduate. While Finn does everything he can to strong-arm or coerce his brothers back to Alaska, Dakota is struggling with a problem of her own, a problem so big that it will change the course of her life.
You can read free excerpts at www.foolsgoldca.com. You’ll find lots of freebies and fun bonus content there, too!
How did you come up with your Fool's Gold series?
Susan: I knew I wanted to create a series based on a place. In the past, I’d written series based on a family, so once I ran out of siblings, I ran out of stories. Readers kept asking me for more in every series. They loved that sense of connection, and they wanted it to go on. Debbie Macomber was the one who suggested I stop writing about families and start writing about a place. With a place, the story possibilities are infinite. (Debbie Macomber is like my Mayor Marsha – I never say no to Debbie! She’s a genius.)
The place itself needed to have a strong identity. As I was brainstorming the series, I heard a story about the then-upcoming 2010 census, about everything a town can discover about itself from census results. I wondered, “What if there was a man shortage?”
So Fool’s Gold was born… the town with the man shortage. But instead of making the women eager to get more men to town, I tweaked reader expectations and made the women strong, self-sufficient, and kind of crabby that anyone would think they need more men. They can run the town just fine without men. Which means that any men who do move to Fool’s Gold have to earn the right to live there . . . and they have to earn the hearts of the women they love. www.FoolsGoldCA.com is my gift to readers who have been so loyal to me. I wanted to create an experience for readers that goes beyond the books. On FoolsGoldCA.com, readers will find amazing bonus content such as between-the-books updates, stories and pictures from the characters’ weddings, Fool’s Gold magazines, a map of town, and funny ads from local businesses… I could keep going, but the truth is, you have to see it to get it. Fool’s Gold is the Land of Happy Endings!
What draws Dakota and Finn to each other?
Susan: At their core, Finn and Dakota both value their families more than anything. Finn thinks he wants to be done with his familial duty. He wants to get his brothers through college so he can return to his days as a carefree bachelor, but he will learn that he’s not that guy anymore. Somewhere along the way, he grew up. At heart, he’s a family man.
You love to write about families, such as the Hendrix triplets. Why?
Susan: I was an only child, so I love writing about the big, boisterous family that I never had. Triplets are an extension of that – three sisters who have been together since birth. Each of the triplets has her own personality, but the experiences these three women have shared throughout their lives make them as close as it’s possible to be.
You’re known for both the depth of your characters and for your humor. Do both come naturally to you?
Susan: I think men and women falling in love with each other is inherently hysterical. Who came up with that bright idea?! Men do everything they can to avoid emotion, and yet they’re irresistibly drawn to women, who overflow with emotion. When I get teary-eyed over a commercial, my husband looks at me like I’m completely nuts. There’s this constant push-pull between men and women that never really goes away, and it will always be funny to me.
Most of my story lines are not funny in and of themselves. My characters deal with some very serious issues in their lives, but their ability to find the humor says a lot about their resilience. I like people in real life who can laugh at themselves, and I like that in characters, too.
Do you plot your books before writing?
Susan: I do a lot of plotting in advance, which means I can write the story quickly, which further means that I don’t lose interest. For me, the creative rush is highest during the plotting process, and the actual writing of the book is more about getting the story down on paper. I’ve tried writing without a plot, and it just doesn’t work for me. I enjoy the aspect of surprise, but I dread revisions. Even when a book is thoroughly plotted, though, the characters can sometimes surprise me. I was sweetly surprised by a secondary romance in ONLY MINE.
How many more Fool’s Gold books will you write?
Susan: There will be at least seven more books after this year’s. In 2012, three delicious cowboy brothers and their younger sister will move to Fool’s Gold. And in 2013, I think I’m going to establish a bodyguard academy on the edge of town. After that, who knows? If readers clamor for more from Fool’s Gold, anything’s possible. (You can let me know you want more by writing to me at www.facebook.com/susanmallery, www.twitter.com/susanmallery, or www.goodreads.com/susanmallery.)
Are you working on anything new outside of Fool's Gold?
Susan: BAREFOOT SEASON, my next women’s fiction novel, will be out in April 2012 and will launch a new series set on quaint Blackberry Island. The story is about two former best friends who form a turbulent truce to save the inn they both love.
The recent Buzz has been that you have your own team of Cheerleaders for the release of Only Mine and the books to follow. How did the idea come about? What is their purpose? How did you choose the squad?
Susan: Often, I hear from excited fans who discovered me because someone put one of my books in their hands and said, "You have to read this!" It moves me. And this year, it inspired me to create the Fool's Gold Varsity Cheerleading Squad. I decided to form a team of avid readers to share with the world their love of Fool's Gold, the Land of Happy Endings. (Fool's Gold is the setting of my ongoing series of romance novels. It's a quirky small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Fool's Gold is dealing with a man shortage. This year's stories center around the Hendrix triplets. They are ONLY MINE, ONLY YOURS, and ONLY HIS.) The cheerleaders will earn lots of prizes along the way for doing what they love - talking about books - and I will dedicate a book next year to the grand prize winner.
I invited my fans to "try out" for the team by sharing three creative ideas for spreading the word about Fool's Gold. I was overwhelmed by the response! More than 500 fans tried out in the first few days, with some pretty amazing ideas. As I read through their applications, their enthusiasm brought a lump to my throat. I wish I could have accepted every one of them and had a cheerleading battalion that could take over the country. Unfortunately, I only had 25 advanced copies of ONLY MINE to give away. Selecting the final 25 was a daunting task. I wanted to get a good mixture of people who emphasized online ideas and those who emphasized in-person ideas, such as standing in front of a bookstore on release day, wearing a sandwich board, ringing a bell like the Salvation Army. (Yes, she got picked. Hi, Stacey!) I also wanted cheerleaders from all across the U.S., so geography played a role.
I don't know if it was pure luck or my discerning genius, but I am thrilled with the cheerleaders who made the team! They've handed out bookmarks, talked to people at the bookstore, called long distance friends. And now they're doing a blog tour to tell the world how much they love Fool's Gold!
Where can readers meet the squad?
The cheerleaders are pictured on my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/SusanMallery?closeTheater=1.
You can also join my Goodreads fan page http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8716.
Susan_Mallery and my goodreads group to discover other readers who love my books! (Including the cheerleaders!) (http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/49998.We_love_Susan_Mallery_)
Will your squad answer some questions?
Susan: They would love too!!
Readers please meet the squad…
Why did you try out for the squad?
Charlotte: I joined the squad because I absolutely love Susan Mallery's books from a young age I started with her Cowboy series and they just kept coming. I can't imagine cheering for a more important thing than reading with Susan.
Sarah: I love Susan's books... I would have spread the word with our without making the squad...
Jennifer: I tried out for the squad because I am a Susan Mallery fan. I have read everything of hers and I love them all! She is the absolute best!
What is your favorite Fool’s Gold title?
Jen: My favorite is Chasing Perfect, loved, loved, loved it!
Heidi: Although I have loved them all....I think the first one, Chasing Perfect, is my favorite. Josh Golden...WOW! What’s not to love about the Fool's Gold "golden boy"? He loves his family and his community, He's a strong, charming, retired athlete and the fact that he's RICH and FAMOUS doesn't hurt either...Is there a better Hero out there? In the end, Josh may not be perfect...but he is perfect for the towns new City Planner, Charity, who's looking for a place, to plant some roots and, to call home.
What's your favorite book by Susan?
Charlotte: OMG Raoul and Pia in Finding Perfect.
Jennifer: I simple cannot just pick one...I love them all!!!
Marilyn: Accidentally Yours and Sunset Bay.
Heidi: I agree with Jennifer, It's IMPOSSIBLE to pick just one! I have really enjoyed The Marcelli Series, The Buchanan Saga, The Bakery Sisters, The Fool's Gold Series. . . . the list goes on and on.
How did you discover Susan for the 1st time?
Kelly: Searching Amazon for new books. Susan’s books came up in the recommendations section based off of other books I’d read, so I figured I’d give them a shot. I must have read at least 15 of them by now and can’t find a sour apple in the bunch.
Marilyn: Her Desert Rogue series were recommended to me.
Heidi: I discovered Susan for the first time when I purchased The Marcelli Bride. I had already read most of everything that Wal-Mart had out on the shelves and picked this one up because I like the cover; I'm a very visual person :) However, I immediately fell in love with Joe, the former Navy SEAL and couldn't bring myself to put it down! I went online and ordered the first three books in the series and had a hard time waiting for the last one, The Marcelli Princess, to be released.
What made you an avid fan of Susan's books?
Sarah: Her writing style is amazing, she grabs your attention from the get go. I have yet to read a book and think I'm not going to read that again. I have read every book I own of hers at least twice (sometimes more)
What's it like to be on the squad?
Jen: It’s fun & a little exhausting honestly! There are a ton of e-mails daily from everyone.
Marilyn: Fantastic.
Heidi: It's be a lot of fun! Everyday brings a new adventure.
Have you read only mine yet? What do you think?
Kelly: Adored Only Mine! The long-awaited return to Fools Gold did not disappoint. All of the favorites are still there and we learn more about the infamous Hendrix triplets. Dakota’s story is sweet, charming, entertaining and even a little heart-breaking. So really what more could you ask for in a book?
Why should readers buy this book?
Charlotte: I’ve convinced many friends and sisters to pre-order the book on eBooks and hard copy some did all 3 who love her books.
Marilyn: Why not?
Any favorite quotes from the book?
Heidi: Yes! Well. . .it's actually a favorite scene; in fact...it's the very first scene.
"What’s it going to take to get you to cooperate? Money? Threats? Either works for me."
Dakota Hendrix looked up from her laptop to find a very tall, stern looking man standing over her. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. What’s it going to take?"
She’d been warned there would be plenty of crazies hanging around, but she hadn’t actually believed it. Apparently she’d been wrong.
"You have a lot of attitude for someone wearing a plaid flannel shirt," she said, standing so she was at least something close to eye-level with the guy. If he hadn’t been so obviously annoyed, she would have thought he was pretty decent looking, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes.
He glanced down at himself, then back at her. "What does my shirt have to do with anything?"
"It’s plaid."
"So?"
"It’s hard to be intimidated by a man wearing plaid. I’m just saying. It’s a friendly pattern. A little down home for most people. Now if you were in all black, with a leather jacket, I’d be a lot more nervous."
I'd just opened the book and began laughing! I loved it! I got one of those "looks" from my husband and he said, "If it's already got you laughing, I might as well say good-bye to you until you've finished it." :)
Be honest... What's Susan really like?
Stacey: Susan is an amazing person and what I think I like most about her is that she is very comfortable with interacting with her fans. I have exchanged emails with her, she’s visited my blog and left comments, I mean, not a lot of authors take the time to do that. She’s the kind of person who would probably come for dinner if she was in town!
Tiffany: Supportive, Caring, Giving, Friendly, Creative, and a great author! She is someone you would want as a friend in good times and bad. She really has been so kind and supportive of all of us even when it has nothing to do with her or her books! She just cares.
