Patti Callahan Henry's great idea...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome back Patti Callahan Henry and to celebrate the publication day of her latest novel, The Idea of Love. Thanks to Sullivan and Partners, we have a copy for a lucky reader in the US or Canada!

Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times bestselling storyteller of eleven books, including The Stories We Tell, And Then I Found You, and Driftwood Summer. Patti lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama with her husband and three children, where she is crafting her next story. Visit Patti at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Synopsis of The Idea of Love:

Ella's life has been completely upended. She's young, beautiful, and deeply in love--until her husband dies in a tragic sailing accident while trying save her. Or so she'll have everyone believe. Screenwriter Hunter needs a hit, but crippling writers' block and a serious lack of motivation are getting him nowhere. He's on the look-out for a love story. It doesn't matter who it belongs to.

When Hunter and Ella meet in Watersend, South Carolina it feels like the perfect match, something close to fate. In Ella, Hunter finds the perfect love story, full of longing and sacrifice. It's the stuff of epic films. In Hunter, Ella finds possibility. It's an opportunity to live out a fantasy - the life she wishes she had because hers is too painful. And more real. Besides. what's a little white lie between strangers?

But one lie leads to another, and soon Hunter and Ella find themselves caught in a web of deceit. As they try to untangle their lies and reclaim their own lives, they feel something stronger is keeping them together. And so they wonder: can two people come together for all the wrong reasons and still make it right? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is one of your favorite compliments that you received on your writing? What is a piece of constructive feedback that has affected how you approach writing each of your novels?
My favorite compliments are the ones where the reviewer or reader somehow tells me that I've accomplished my goal -- hitting the heart. I also smile whenever I'm compared to my favorite writers (ie: Anne Rivers Siddons in this last book) or if my writing is called "lyrical."

A piece of constructive criticism that has affected my approach to writing? That would be anything really. If a reader doesn't resonate with the story, I want to know why and I take it to heart and try to fix the next time around. An example would be if a reader complains they didn't understand why a character did or didn't do something, I know that I need to spend more time showing (not telling) their motivation for action.

What is one piece of advice you can offer aspiring novelists?
Stop trying to be perfect and just set your aim for the heart. You can fix it later.

What did you enjoy most about writing The Idea of Love?
I loved weaving together their stories and watching the two main characters -- Blake and Ella -- get to know each other through stories (both true and false). I loved writing about how this changed their lives.

Since your latest novel is about love and even has the word in the title, please finish the following statements:

The last person I said "I love you" to was: My son, Rusk. Ten minutes ago.

My favorite song with the word "love" in the title is: "When Love Finds You" by Vince Gill

Something I always love to do is: Read!

Thanks to Patti for visiting with us and to Sullivan and Partners for sharing her book with our readers.

~Interview by Melissa Amster

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

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US/Canada only. Giveaway ends June 28th at midnight EST.