Kathleen Y'Barbo - Firefly Summer

 Good Monday Morning Readers!

Today, Kathleen Y' Barbo 

visits Lagniappe to discuss 

her latest release, Firefly Summer.

Welcome, Kathleen!

Tell us a little about Firefly Summer

A new cowboy romance from award-winning author Kathleen Y'Barbo. 

Trey’s biggest challenge isn’t performing surgery…it’s restoring Sessa’s heart! 

Artist Sessa Chambers may never recover from losing her prodigal son. Even as she grieves the tragic decisions that led to his death, and left her with a toddler to raise, she’s asked to work on her dream project—restoring carousel horses for the Smithsonian. But she can’t do it on her own… 

Dr. Trey Brown can’t pick up a scalpel again. Yes, he acted in self-defense, but the events of that awful night haunt him. He was trained to save lives, not take them. When he goes to the young man’s widowed mother to apologize, she’s not at all what he expected. For one thing, she’s not as alone as he thought—not with the fearsome ladies of the Pies, Books, and Jesus Book Club in her corner. For another, she’s beautiful, and being in her presence is more jolting than any eight-second bronco ride from his former rodeo days. Before he knows it, she’s captured his heart as easily as they capture the fireflies gracing Sessa’s Texas ranch. 

How can they overcome their past to embrace a future together?

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what's on your writing playlist these days?

No! I used to be able to listen to classical music—Vivaldi was a favorite—but even the classics seem to bother me now. I don’t need absolute silence, but there’s something about music that divides my attention.

For Christmas, do you prefer white lights or colored lights on your Christmas tree?

Definitely white! I have such a mish-mash of ornaments, most of them with great sentimental value but little design sense, so I love having the plain white illumination to set those off.

Give readers your brand/tagline and share how you came up with it.

Fiction with a Southern accent is my tag line, and except for a few exceptions, also the brand that you find in my stories. If you’ve ever spoken to me, a tenth generation Texan who sounds like it--you’ll know why!

If you weren't a writer, what would be another dream job?

I am so blessed to already working at my other dream job. When I’m not penning prose, I’m a paralegal. I’ve worked in all sorts of areas of law, from insurance defense to criminal to probate, but my favorite is family law.

What author's books do you enjoy reading?

I have so many favorites! Right now I am reading a new contemporary novel called The Girl Who Chased the Moon by the fabulous Sara Addison Allen. She writes the most magical stories, and her characters are unforgettable!

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

I do NOT read my reviews unless I accidentally stumble across one or someone I trust, usually my agent, my editor or my publicist, sends it to me. No writer creates a novel that is loved by everyone, so personal preferences will always dictate the response from readers. Either way, I do not make it a general practice to respond to reviews.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

This may seem like an odd request from a writer who doesn’t read her reviews, but readers can be a huge help to us just by posting a nice review. I don’t think readers always understand how much power public opinion and word of mouth has. If you like a book, talk about it to others, either by posting on Goodreads, Amazon, and other places or just by telling your friends.

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing come from?

I began as a reader, thanks to my parents who were both avid readers. My love of the written word goes way back to the grand old Gates Memorial Library in Port Arthur, Texas where I can still recall the smell of books in the air and the cool marble floor beneath my bare feet—until my very proper mama made me put my sandals back on. When I was older, I rode my bike to the Hebert Library in Port Neches, Texas to grab the latest book and spend hours reading it. Now I fill my Kindle with stories, so reading is a love that has not diminished over the years.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Up next is A Texas Christmas, a multi-author book of  historical romances set in Texas during the Christmas season. Next month, my novella Autumn Skye, the second book (a novella) in the Pies, Books & Jesus Book club series will be released in a fabulous collection called The Boy Next Door. In 2016, look for at least one more story in the Pies, Books & Jesus Book Club series.

Please include buy links and your website/FB/Twitter etc links.

www.kathleenybarbo.com

www.twitter.com/kathleenybarbo

www.facebook.com/kathleen.ybarbo

LIGHTNING ROUND   

NCIS or CSI?  DEFINITELY NCIS! Jethro or Pride (NCIS New Orleans) win every time. Love Hetty (NCIS LA) but the legal inconsistencies on that show drive this paralegal bonkers.

Y’all or You Guys? Y’all all day every day. By the way, the plural of y’all is all y’all. You’re welcome.

Grits or Hash Brown Potatoes? Grits, especially cheese grits. Extra points if they’ve got shrimp on them.

Crawfish or Crawdads? Girl, are you serious? Everyone who has spent any time in Louisiana knows the proper name is mudbugs. But I’ll go with crawfish.

YOU'RE SO RIGHT, KATHLEEN! BUT I HAD TO CONSIDER ALL THOSE POOR SOULS WHO'VE NEVER SPENT ANY TIME IN LOUISIANA!

Bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee of more than fifty novels with almost two million copies in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan, she has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award as well a Reader’s Choice Award and Book of the Year by Romantic Times magazine.

Sadie’s Secret, a Secret Life of Will Tucker historical romantic suspense novel and the winner of the 2015 Romantic Times Inspirational Romance of the Year, is in stores now: http://harvesthousepublishers.com/book/sadies-secret-2014/

For another book with ties to Kathleen’s home town of Port Neches, Texas, Firefly Summer, the first novel in the contemporary Pies, Books & Jesus Book Club series features a character with the same name as her mama—Bonnie Sue. And a very similar personality. Check out the book here: http://amzn.to/1LhPdeq  

When not wearing her writer’s hat, Kathleen is a paralegal, a proud military wife, and an expatriate Texan cheering on her beloved Texas Aggies from north of the Red River. Connect with her through social media at www.kathleenybarbo.com.

Kathleen, thanks for sharing!


Readers, thanks for visiting Lagniappe.

Answer Kathleen's question to be eligible to win a digital copy of Firefly Summer!

In FIREFLY SUMMER, each Pies, Books & Jesus Book Club members are required to bring at least two pies to every meeting when it is her month to host. If you were a member of the book club, what pies would you bring to the meeting when it is your turn?

I pray you find 

"a little something extra" 

in each of your days.

Marian