We're fans of Liberty Kontranowski...plus a special giveaway

Today Liberty Kontranowski is here to talk about her debut novel, All Access, which is the first in her Fangirl series. To celebrate, she's giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to a lucky reader!

Liberty Kontranowski is a romantic women’s fiction author who adores all things lovey-dovey with a pinch (or more) of hubba-hubba. When she’s not at the keyboard, she’s taxiing around her three boys, knocking back craft beers with the hubs, blogging, fangirling, and dreaming up more fake people. She also spends an inordinate amount of time drinking coffee and dreaming of the day she can bid adieu to far-too-wintry Michigan and move to a place where she can write with her toes in the sand.

Liberty loves to hear from her readers (and otherwise cool people) so give her a yell. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and through her blog.

Synopsis:
Every fangirl has a fantasy . . . what happens when that “if only” dream comes true?

Though she’s a single mom wedged firmly into thirty-something territory, author Kallie Reagan’s devotion to rock star Niles Russell knows no bounds. To pay homage to her muse, Kallie writes a smokin’ hot novel featuring a hero who looks and acts an awful lot like Niles — and a heroine who may or may not have a smattering of herself thrown in for fun.

When Niles learns about the book and surprise-texts Kallie, the two deliciously complicated creatives become fast friends . . . and so much more. But trying to define a relationship that’s laced with closeted skeletons, half-truths, and constant question marks proves harder than making it big. If they’re going to progress from Fangirl Infatuation to The Real Deal, these two need to give each other All Access to the most important place of all: their hearts.

How do you define the genre, "Chick Lit"?
The Chick Lit genre has become quite fluid over its lifetime, which is both exciting and encouraging. So I think there’s lots of wiggle room as far as definitions go. That said, I’d classify Chick Lit as any story that women (and men, if they want!) can learn from, escape with, or fall into. These stories might include serious subject matter, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. And the best part? They almost always guarantee you’ll have a really great time!

What is it about writing that brings you the most satisfaction?
The act of writing is my therapy. It helps me make sense of the world through a creative person’s eyes. (Which is, in my opinion, a much different approach to life than that of a non-creative.) Writing keeps my imagination busy and allows me to funnel my creativity toward something productive. Plus, I can make those “big dreams” of mine come true . . . by flinging them into a fictional person’s life!

Bonus benefit? After publication, writing nets a whole new type of satisfaction: resonating with readers! By far, reader feedback has been the coolest part of being published. There’s nothing more incredible than hearing how your writing has affected (or inspired) someone else. I swear I’ll never get used to that. :)

Which authors have influenced your writing?
I’m not sure if this is good or bad, but no other authors have really influenced my writing. Don’t get me wrong — there are a ton of amazing Chick Lit, women’s fiction, and RomCom authors that I admire, but I’ve always kind of done my own thing. Every writer has his or her own voice, approach, style, nuances. That authenticity is what makes you stand out. So, I try to tune into my own “Higher Author Chick” and challenge/influence myself that way. The hope is, of course, that pushing myself will help me improve with each story, and ultimately connect with more and more readers.

After loved ones and friends, what three things could you not live without?
Sunshine (!), coffee (!!), and my computer (of course)!

One thing I’m too afraid to do is:
Drive on highways. I loathe this about myself, but somewhere along the line I developed a tremendous fear of driving on highways and now I simply can’t do it. (I can be a passenger, but I can’t actually drive.) When you read ALL ACCESS, you’ll notice that’s a trait I passed on to poor Kallie. Except she can do it . . . she just doesn’t like to!

If you could bottle up one thing from the summer to carry with you throughout the year, what would it be?
Warm temperatures! I am an island girl trapped in a Michigander’s life and, no lie, I am counting down the years until I can shove out and relocate to somewhere warm. Only 11 more years to go! ;-)

Thank you so much for having me! This was a ton of fun and I love being able to chat with the incredible CLC Community! If you read ALL ACCESS, thank you in advance. I hope you love the few hours of pure escapism!

Thanks to Liberty for visiting with us and sharing a gift card with our readers. Thanks to Chick Lit Plus for arranging the interview.

~Interview by Tracey Meyers

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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway ends August 30th at midnight EST.