An amazing "opportunity"...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Robert Trachtenberg

When I was in college, I started watching Days of Our Lives. I became hooked for quite some time and would watch every day on my lunch break. Sami stood out to me a lot. I think she was always scheming to go after her sister Carrie's boyfriend and was unlikable at the time. (Yes, this probably ages me quite a bit, if you do the math.) I caught episodes every so often over the years and I think Sami became more likable at that point. In any case, this iconic role was played by Alison Sweeney, who is now writing chick lit novels. We recently received the opportunity of a lifetime....to interview Alison at CLC! Speaking of "opportunity," her latest novel is called Opportunity Knocks and it caters to fans of The Devil Wears Prada. Thanks to Hachette, we have FIVE copies to give away!

Alison Sweeney is an award-winning actress, producer, director, TV host, and author of four previous books, including the two novels Scared Scriptless (reviewed here) and The Star Attraction (reviewed here). Sweeney starred for almost 22 years on Days of our Lives and has appeared on numerous additional prime time television series. In 2015, she began starring in and executive producing the Murder She Baked franchise of TV movies based on the culinary-mystery bestseller by Joanna Fluke. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. You can find Alison on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Synopsis:
Alex Cleary lands her dream job as a makeup artist for Hillary P.—a lifestyle empire mogul and culinary TV star who is renowned for her golden touch in broadcast in print media despite her less-than-lovely reputation behind-the-scenes. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, providing a steady paycheck and limitless possibilities for her blossoming career as a makeup artist to the stars. 

Yet when Alex inadvertently violates the confidentiality clause of her contract, her dream career might quickly turn to dust. She’s on the hook for $5 million unless she can squash the problem within 48 hours. With help from a Hollywood heartthrob, Alex concocts an elaborate scheme that might get her off that hook, but everything will have to run precisely as planned, and the clock is already ticking.

How did you go from acting to writing novels? 
Honestly, I was frustrated with a story line and used writing as a way to get out my frustration by writing a story that I wanted to tell. I’d never taken classes but once I started writing, I couldn’t stop. I love it.

Which authors have inspired you? 
There are so many incredible writers but I’m personally a huge fan of Jodi Picoult's. When she wrote a quote for my first novel, Star Attraction, I was so excited.

Do you have a favorite character or one you most identify with (from any of your books)? 
I think there’s a part of me in each book since it’s easiest to write based on what you know. All three lead characters take chances and that’s definitely based on my life.

If you could cast Opportunity Knocks as a movie, who would play the lead roles?
That’s something I’m so often asked but I don’t have an answer. There isn’t a specific actor that I had in mind as I was writing so it would be based on delivery more than looks.

What is one of your all-time favorite summer reads? 
I could read Harry Potter over and over again.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend? 
Portia deRossi’s Unbearable Lightness was heart-wrenching but her honesty was beyond inspiring.

Thanks to Alison for chatting with us, Triple 7 PR for arranging the interview, and to Hachette for sharing her book with our readers.

~Introduction 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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Giveaway ends June 20th at midnight EST.