Interview with RITA finalist Jane Porter – & giveaway!

Welcome to my RITA® award celebration! Hosted by the Romance Writers of America®, the RITAs celebrate outstanding romance novels and novellas. I’m so thrilled to be a finalist in the Romance Novella category, and I’ve asked my fellow RITA® finalists to come tell you more about themselves and their books. I hope you meet some new favorite authors!

Today we welcome Jane Porter!

The bestselling author of 47 romances and women’s fiction titles, Jane Porter has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award five times, and today has over 12 million copies in print.

Porter wrote Flirting with Forty, a novel picked by Redbook Magazine as its Red Hot Summer Read in 2006 before being turned into a Lifetime movie in 2008 starring Heather Locklear. Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and makes her home in sunny San Clemente, CA with her surfer husband and three sons.

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1. Which of your books has been nominated for a RITA, and in what category?
Take Me, Cowboy – novella category

2. How do your hero and heroine meet, and what are their first impressions of each other?
They meet on a street corner. She’s in her wedding dress, having just been stood up by her fiance, and the hero is driving past in his truck and he thinks she looks like a princess at the bus stop. He’s immediately drawn to her, not recognizing her as the little girl who lived down the street from him. She’s horrified that her childhood heart throb, bullriding champ, Colton Thorpe would be there to witness her moment of shame.

3. What are their best and worst characteristics?
He’s tough, mature, and a risk-taker…and cynical about women and love. She’s hard working, tenacious but has given up her dreams, setting for a loveless marriage that would have been secure.

4. Where is this book set, and what makes the setting special?
Marietta, Montana set in Paradise Valley is a small town of 11,000 where everybody knows something about you…good or bad. I love writing about Montana. I had a grandfather that was a cattle rancher and so the rugged, tough cowboy is in my blood.

5. Is this the first time you’ve been a RITA finalist? If not, what books have previously finaled?
I have finaled 4 other times… 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2010

2003, 2004 and 2010 were with Harlequin Presents in Short Contemp Series

2008 was in single title/mainstream with romantic elements for Odd Mom Out

and then this year with my novellas from Tule Publishing

6. Have you read any of the other books that are finalists in your category? If so, which ones?
I am reading them all! It’s my reward for writing hard under my current deadline.

7. What was the first thing you did when you found out you were a RITA finalist?
I laughed. I couldn’t believe it. And then I told Meghan Farrell, who runs Tule Publishing and then my husband and some author friends.

8. Do you write in genres other than the one you finaled in? If not, are there any genres you would love to write in?
I write women’s fiction and contemp romance of all lengths.

9. If you win the RITA, who’s the first person you’ll thank in your speech, and why?
Wow. That’s a good question. I don’t think I’ll ever win. But if I did win….hmmm….I’d have to thank God for giving me the desire to do something good in the world, and then my Dad (gone since I was 15) thanks for passing the writing gene on to me. But I don’t need to win…just finaling meant the world to me as this is a story I wrote for my readers and it’s my idea of a perfect Jane Porter fairly-tale.

Speed-dating round

What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?
Kyoto or Cape Town…one of those. Don’t know how to choose.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what ONE book would you want with you?
The Bible because it has poems, stories, advice, and a lot of pages. It’d hopefully keep me busy for awhile.

If you could bring one of your heroes to life for a day, who would you choose?
I did already. That was my surfer hero in Flirting with Forty. 🙂

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream career?
Architect. I love building things…

What kind of dessert are you hoping they’ll serve at the award ceremony?
Something with meringue or marshmallow. Maybe chocolate, carmel and marshmallow. Maybe s’mores….?

What’s the best compliment a reader could give you?
You made me feel good.

How would you describe your books?
Emotional, bittersweet, and hopefully at the end, uplifting.

When Jenny Wright’s fiancé leaves her standing at the altar in a Vera Wang bridal gown she can’t afford, she’s humiliated and heartbroken. To have Marietta hero bull riding champ Colton Thorpe witness her shame makes the rejection even more devastating.

Jenny and Colton grew up in the same rough neighborhood and they both left home right after school to pursue big dreams. Now they’re both back, with Colton as the celebrity chair for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and Jenny in disgrace. Sexy, rugged Colton didn’t get to be a national champion by chance. He’s a man that takes risks and goes after what he wants. During the rodeo weekend, Colton makes it clear he wants Jenny. Flustered but flattered, Jenny finds it difficult to resist his charm. But what happens when the rodeo ends and Colton leaves town? Will she dare to dream again?

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Giveaway!

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Winner will be announced on Monday July 21. Make sure you come back tomorrow for another interview and another chance to win!

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