Elisabeth Naughton - Reunion Stories + Contest

Posted by Tammie - Night Owl Reviews in

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Enter to win one of two eBook copies of WAIT FOR ME!

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Reunion Stories
by Elisabeth Naughton

Thanks so much to Night Owl Romance for inviting me to stop by the blog today!

Hi, my name is Elisabeth Naughton and I’m a sucker for reunion stories.

Gosh, I feel like I’m standing in front of a Twelve Step program introducing myself. But it’s true. I gravitate toward reunion stories like kids are drawn to chocolate. (Okay, I’m drawn to chocolate too, but that’s another topic…) I can’t say why, exactly, I have this love of reunion stories, I just know that if you put two books in front of me, and I have to choose which one to read, I’ll pick up the couple who already has some serious romantic angst between them every time.

I’ve polled romance readers on this topic and the response is mixed. Some love reunion stories, some hate them. For me, it’s the element of getting that do-over. Of being given the chance to try again. How many times have you screwed up something in your life? How many times did you get it right the first time? I can tell you honestly that I’ve messed up more times than I can (or want to) count. And I never get it right on the first try—no matter what it is. Reunion stories—to me—are the culmination of all screw ups, everywhere. They show that no matter what you do, or how bad you mess up, you can still make it right, you can still “do it over”, you can still have that second chance at happiness most of us wish we could grab on to, even now.

Yes, I’m a romantic. (Obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t write romance.) And yes, I’m an optimist. I believe that everyone—no matter what—deserves that second chance. I love writing about characters who’ve done horrible things, but somehow find a way to redeem themselves. And I especially love writing reunion stories about characters who have screwed up the love of their life so bad they think they’ll never be loved again.

That may make me sound morbid (I do love to torture my characters), but it’s really not. Because being the forever optimist, I know that someone who messes up that bad is that much more fun to read about because they have to work twice as hard for that redemption. Of course, reading reunion stories and writing them are two very different things. It’s hard to start a book with two characters who have a heap of emotional baggage dragging behind them, especially when his baggage intertwines with hers and there’s a mountain of hurt between them. Every time I finish a book like this I say to my critique partner, “Do NOT let me write another reunion story.” She’s either not very good at giving orders or I’m not very good at listening, because I keep coming back to those reunion/second chance stories and writing them in different ways. And though I often want to tear my hair out in the writing process, when I finish, those are the stories that resonate with me. Those are always my very favorite books of all my stories that I’ve written. Those are the ones I gravitate back to even when the book is long done and gone.

Are you a fan of second chance stories? If you’ve got a favorite second chance book, I’d love to hear about it. I’m giving away an ebook copy of my latest romantic suspense, WAIT FOR ME, a second chance story with a twist, to TWO lucky commenters!

BLURB / WAIT FOR ME

A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they’ve both been searching for is finally within reach.

“Full of twists and turns, lies and deception, and the ultimate revenge, WAIT FOR ME is a great romantic suspense read.”

—Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her at www.elisabethnaughton.com to learn more about her and her books.

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 3/16/2012