Thérèse gives us an unforgettable summer, plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Kathryn Hamilton

**Giveaway is now closed**

Let’s give a big “bonjour” to Thérèse as she joins us here at CLC to celebrate her debut novel “India’s Summer.” This is an author you will love getting to know. She has a French name, given to her by her Irish mother and grew up in Liverpool, England, but now resides in California with her husband and two (young adult) children. She has an awesome sense of humour that comes through loud and clear in her personal blog. “India’s Summer” is several years in the making and Thérèse was finally able to complete the novel once she found herself with an empty nest. It is already receiving an abundance of praise, so let’s hope she her success continues. Félicitations!

Thanks to BookSparks PR, we have one copy of "India's Summer" for a lucky US reader. You can also find it at Barnes and Noble on paperback or Nook. It is also $1.99 for Kindle.

Visit Thérèse at her website and on Twitter.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Swim, read, spend time with the family and travel. I travel a great deal and that gives me plenty of time to gather material for my blog.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?
I’ve learned this wonderful technique for unblocking called Morning Pages. It’s from "The Artist’s Way" by Julia Cameron. You write for twenty minutes freehand without pausing. It frees up your subconscious mind and it’s amazing how easily your writing flows soon after.

Did you learn anything from writing "India's Summer" and what was it?
I learned that I had a unique voice and a wealth of experience to draw from. I also learned how much of a commitment you make when you set out to write a book and how it takes over your entire life. I learned to lose myself in the moment. I also learned to trust my inner critic.

What kind of research did you do for "India's Summer?"
I set my novel in terrain that was very familiar to me so that in my mind’s eye I had a very clear picture of what was happening on the page. I researched the medical background for one of my characters and revisited many places in LA to make certain of the visual details.

If "India's Summer" were made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Rachael Weisz for India. Orlando Bloom for Adam Brooks and Kate Hudson for Annie.

What is your most unique trait (physical or personality)?
I find it very hard to be serious for any length of time.

Since your current character is named India, If you could name your next book character after another city/state/province/country, what would you choose?
Great question. It would have to be Ireland. Maybe Eire would be good as that’s the Celtic spelling.

Would you rather have too much time or too much money?
Too much of anything isn’t good. But if I must choose then money, because that would give me more time.

Thanks to Thérèse for visiting with us today and to BookSparks PR for sharing "India's Summer" with our readers.

How to win "India's Summer":
Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: Which city/state/country/province would you like to see as a chick lit character's name?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
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4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US only. Giveaway ends August 19th at midnight EST.