If you haven’t yet read my review of The Second Chance Café, be sure to check it out—then come back and enjoy this behind-the-scenes look into Alison’s writing process and inspiration.
The Second Chance Cafe by Alison Kent
"A Hope Springs Novel"
Montlake
March 2013
March 2013
Book Blurb
Kaylie Flynn was just five years old when her mother abandoned her to the Texas foster system and vanished. But Kaylie was luckier than most, blessed with a foster mother who taught her the comfort of home…and the healing power of baking the perfect brownie.
Now two decades later, Kaylie has journeyed back to Hope Springs to open a café in the rambling Victorian she once shared with her foster family—and hopefully to find answers to lingering questions about her birth parents.
Yet Kaylie’s carefully laid plans quickly take a turn for the complicated. The house needs more work than she ever imagined, and handsome Tennessee Keller, the carpenter Kaylie hires for the job, is having an unnerving effect on her heart. Add an unexpected crisis to the mix, and Kaylie has all the ingredients for a perfect disaster—or a perfect love.
FBL ♥. Can you tell us how this story was developed. Did you first have a story in mind and the characters just happened? Or did the characters come to you, begging you to tell their story?
Now two decades later, Kaylie has journeyed back to Hope Springs to open a café in the rambling Victorian she once shared with her foster family—and hopefully to find answers to lingering questions about her birth parents.
Yet Kaylie’s carefully laid plans quickly take a turn for the complicated. The house needs more work than she ever imagined, and handsome Tennessee Keller, the carpenter Kaylie hires for the job, is having an unnerving effect on her heart. Add an unexpected crisis to the mix, and Kaylie has all the ingredients for a perfect disaster—or a perfect love.
Here is what a few reviewers are saying about her latest release.....
"Kent is a favorite for steamy erotica, but she also writes beautiful contemporaries, and in The Second Chance Café, her voice is reminiscent of an early Nora Roberts. The attraction between Kaylie and Ten is immediate, but the relationship builds slowly. A diverse secondary cast gives hope that the series will continue, perhaps with Kaylie's friend, Luna. The sporadic inclusion of brownie recipes is a total bonus that I imagine many readers will eagerly test for themselves." —RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
"Superb writing makes this emotional story a standout. Alison Kent bakes up a winner." —New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde
Author Interview
In houses, and the story developed from there. Coworkers and I used to lunch at a small cafe in such a house, and I wanted to recreate that experience. Kaylie Flynn came next, as I needed the house to have some importance to someone. And of course she needed an adversary to keep her from destroying the house's historical authenticity - though Tennessee Keller wasn't much of one once they met. :)
I have a thing for old Victoria
FBL ♥ Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
The only thing in the book based on real life is my love of brownies, and my devotion to rescue dogs. I have three, and can't imagine my days without them underfoot. Well, I can, but I would probably miss having to shove them out of my way all the time. ;)
FBL ♥ What was your favorite part of the book?
Besides the brownie recipes (which I baked several times each to get them right!), I have to say Magoo. I'm a sucker for big hulking dogs! But I also loved the scene with Mitch and Kaylie driving home from Austin. That scene pretty much wrote itself!
FBL ♥ What was the hardest part to write in the book?
I'm not sure any part was harder than any other, but when I got deeper into the book, dealing with Kaylie's search for her parents became difficult. Probably because it was difficult for Kaylie.
FBL ♥ If you could only describe a single scene to encourage someone to read your latest release, which scene would it be? (Grabbed this question from a fellow blogger, thanks Nat @ Reading-Romances)
The scene in the kitchen when Ten and Kaylie first kiss. It shows the tension between them, the uncertainty and doubts, but also moves their relationship to a new level, and hopefully gives the reader more to look forward to.
FBL ♥ Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
I have one that's a work in progress that hasn't been published. I have a couple of those, actually, but I love that now once they're done I'll be able to self-publish them.
FBL ♥ Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
My next release is an erotice romance coming in August from Berkley Heat. UNFORGETTABLE is the third book in my contemporary western (yay, cowboys!) Dalton Gang series. Then in January, I'll have my first historical novella released from Berkley in an anthology with Jodi Thomas, Jo Goodman, and Kaki Warner. My story is related to my Dalton Gang series, and I'm so excited to be in this collection.
Next year I'll also have two more Hope Springs novels from Montlake - Luna's story will be first, followed by Indiana Keller's, but I don't yet have firm release dates on those.
Love Alison Kent?
If you enjoyed The Second Chance Café or love small-town romance with depth, heart, and emotional redemption, Alison Kent is a must-read.
Discover more from Alison Kent on her official website or explore other Alison Kent books featured on Forever Book Lover.
More by Alison Kent Read My Review of The Second Chance Café My Goodreads Review of The Second Chance Café
What did you think of The Second Chance Café? FBL ♥ would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Wonderful interview, I love old Victorians and as a child would make up stories about the people who lived in them. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete@kimbacaffeinate
ReplyDeleteThere are a few homes in my childhood that I would have loved to have purchased as an adult. The stories I created could fill a book. :) Thanks for stopping by Kim..