Shenanigans Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for Shenanigans by Heather Norman Smith, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: Shenanigans
Author: Heather Norman Smith
Publisher: Every Season Books
Release Date: April 1, 2020
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Fiction

You're never too old for fun, faith, or love.

Lavinia Lewis is a wealthy southern widow who enjoys a good prank. But when a resident at her posh retirement community in Southport, North Carolina gets sick at a potluck, Lavinia's reputation as a jokester lands her in big trouble. How can she clear her name when her own daughter doesn't believe she's innocent?

Neville McGrath is a long-in-the-tooth lawyer, afraid of being put out to pasture. Torn between his nephew's offer to move to Maine to live with him and his desire to keep working, Neville discovers other options when he takes Lavinia's case.

The jokes keep her young, but Lavinia remembers the true source of joy as she faces criminal charges. Can she help Neville find his faith for the first time, and can they both find love at eighty-years-old?

A humorous and inspirational story with lovable characters, a beautiful setting, fun mystery, sweet romance, family drama, and an ending that will leave you sighing in satisfaction.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository  

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Heather Norman Smith is a Christian Fiction and devotions author. Her goal is to use the written word to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. She is proud to be a life-long North Carolinian and also aims to present the beauty of the Tar Heel State in her fiction. Heather's home is just outside Winston-Salem, NC, where she lives with her husband, their four children (currently including a foster son,) and several very spoiled pets. In addition to writing and spending time with her family, Heather enjoys singing about Jesus. Her "day job" is in the Information Technology field, and she is also involved in youth ministry with her husband. Heather's other novels include Grace & Lavender and Where I Was Planted.

CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  

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Hi Heather! Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions and giving my readers the chance to get to know you and your newest book- Shenanigans- a little bit better. Typically, I start these interviews by asking 5 random facts about YOU, but because this is your second interview with me, we’ll mix it up a little bit… can you share 3 random facts about this new book?

It’s so great to be back on your blog! Thanks for having me.

·         Shenanigans is my third novel but the first with a real place as the setting! Southport, North Carolina is one of my favorite places, along with neighboring Oak Island where my in-laws have a house.·         The character of Lavinia is not based on a real person as far as her prankster nature, but in my mind, her appearance is that of someone from my hometown—the picture of southern class and sophistication, never without her pearls. It was fun to imagine this kind, gentle lady as Lavinia while I wrote the book.·         Originally, I titled the book “She-nana-gans” to point out the play on words, but at the wise recommendation of a well-known literary agent at a writing conference, I changed it to make the title more easily “searchable.”

Having written both historic and contemporary novels, do you find that there is a genre that you are more drawn to? Is your writing process any different between the two? 

I am drawn to characters, and they tell me if they are historical or contemporary. I know that may sound a little crazy. 😊

Maybe one day I’ll focus in on a genre, because I understand it’s easier to establish a readership that way, but for now, I write whatever develops in my brain and won’t leave me alone.

After writing the historical, Where I Was Planted, I doubted I’d ever write another, because the research part is so much more intense. There were times I really wanted to be writing the story but had to stop and dig into research. The results were very rewarding, though, and I think I’m ready to do it again. There’s something romantic about bringing the past back to life.

Can you tell us a little bit more about Shenanigans? 

Shenanigans has humor and romance, but it also has elements of women’s fiction. The main character struggles with the fear of losing her identity as she grows older, and there’s conflict with her grown daughter (who is her biological granddaughter) who disapproves of her antics. And, of course, as with all my writing, there’s a message about the redeeming love of God.

I must admit I was drawn to Shenanigans with the name alone, but reading the description has me even more excited to read it! Are you a prankster yourself? What is the best prank you’ve been part of (either as the prankster or the pranked)?

I’m not really a prankster. I like to have fun, like Lavinia, but I’ve always been too afraid of getting into trouble to pull anything big. Last April Fool’s Day, I put a toy snake in the mailbox for my oldest daughter to find. It wasn’t a realistic one, though, because I didn’t want her to really get scared. She thought it was silly.

We don’t often see romance stories whose leads are in their 80s...and I love that you’ve created one! What inspired you to write this unique story?

The story really began with the character of a prank-playing grandmother, and the romance was a surprise to me! But I know some adorable dating couples in their eighties, so it wasn’t a stretch at all to depict this type of relationship. Having senior characters also provided me the opportunity to show that God is waiting to welcome us into His family, even if we’ve spent a long time running from Him. 

What do you hope readers will take away from this book? 

There are many take-aways, but the tag lines sums it up best: You’re never too old for fun, faith, or love. The conversation about age also drives at the fact that ALL life is precious and valuable to God.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions. Before we go, can you give us an idea on what we can look forward to next? Any projects you are currently working on that you can share?

I have one other completed novel with a TBD release date. It is a follow-up story to my first book, Grace & Lavender.

At the moment, I have two fiction projects and two non-fiction projects in the works, and I’m not sure which will get the bulk of my attention. But I believe the next novel will be my first split time story! I have several chapters written for a book with a present-day setting alongside a 1960 setting. 

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(1) winner will receive a print copy of Shenanigans and a story inspired glass ornament! Plus (1) additional winner will receive a print copy of Shenanigans!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight March 30, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on April 6, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US mailing addresses only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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