Alana Stewart is top dog...plus a book giveaway

Interview and introduction by Tracey Meyers

**Giveaway is now closed**

The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Hart to Hart. All of these shows were favorites of mine when I was a child growing up in the 80s.  I would spend hours on end watching them week after week after week.  So, I'm sure you can only imagine how it must feel for me today to introduce the internationally known model/actress, Alana Stewart, who amongst her many, many roles guest starred on the aforementioned shows that I couldn't be peeled away from. Furthermore, Alana appeared in one of my favorite movies, Swing Shift.

(Yes, I'm a bit star-struck at the moment.)

Alana Stewart is an actress, author, talk-show host, former model, and president of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation to support cancer research. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling My Journey with Farrah: A Story of Life, Love and Friendship and producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Farrah's Story. In 2011, Stewart received the prestigious True Grit Humanitarian Award from the John Wayne Cancer Institute for her contribution to the fight against cancer. She tours the country regularly, speaking about cancer, addiction, women and beauty, health and aging, and her four decades experience in Hollywood.

Today she joins us to discuss her thoughts on pets and the process of writing her latest memoir, Rearview Mirror (reviewed here).

Thanks to Get Red PR, we have TWO copies of Rearview Mirror to giveaway to some lucky readers anywhere in the US and/or Canada.

You can find Alana at her website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

What role have pets played in your life?
I’ve had a few dogs over the years, all of which are very memorable. A dog’s love is so unconditional and they enable us to love them in return and care for them. My last dog, Lolita, a French Mastiff was, after my children, the “love of my life”. I could swear she was almost human, and when she died in 2009, I was devastated for a very long time.

The best pet name I've ever heard is:
For me, it’s Lolita, my most beloved dog.

What is the most interesting thing you've observed in terms of how people interact with their pets?
I think you can tell a person’s character by the way they treat animals.

How would you describe your personality - are you a cat person or a dog person?
I’m definitely a dog person. I’m allergic to cats, but even if I wasn’t, I prefer dogs. Cats are so independent while dogs need you much more.

What inspired you to write about the adversity you've faced in your lifetime?
When I first got into 12 Step programs many years ago, listening to other people share their stories really helped me in my healing process. I think when we hear others talk (or write) about their challenges and how they got through them, it’s helpful and we often learn tools that support us in our own lives. That’s the reason I decided to share my story. I’ve faced a lot of challenges and been through some very difficult times in my life and hopefully people who read the book will take away something positive that might help them in some way.

What was the easiest and hardest part about writing Rearview Mirror?
Ha! There was no easy part! The hardest part was being totally open and honest and not hurting anyone else. I went back over the book many times because I didn’t want to disregard anyone else’s feelings or invade their privacy, yet I wanted to tell my story truthfully. Hopefully, I was able to accomplish that.

Do you feel you have more to prove as a writer since you are better known as an international model/actress? Why or why not?
I think any time a person is in the public eye, they’re certainly scrutinized more than perhaps someone who isn’t. But I’m very proud to say, unlike many celebrities, I wrote every word myself without the help of a co-writer or ghost writer.

You have three grown children. How did they feel about you sharing your story with the world?
My children were fine with it as long as I didn’t invade their privacy too much. I sent them the book before my final edit to see if there was anything they objected to. I really wanted to respect them in that area.

Thank you to Alana for taking the time to visit with us and to Get Red PR for sharing Rearview Mirror with our readers!

How to win Rearview Mirror:
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: What is the best pet name you've ever heard?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
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. Follow us on Twitter and/or Pinterest.
6. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends January 13th at midnight EST.