Sharing a drink with Michelle Gable....plus a book giveaway

Photo by Joanna DeGeneres

Michelle Gable's latest novel, The Summer I Met Jack, publishes in one week. To celebrate, she's here today to talk with us about food (and beverages). Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have one set of all four of her novels to give away!

Michelle is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A PARIS APARTMENT, I’LL SEE YOU IN PARIS, THE BOOK OF SUMMER, and the soon-to-be-released THE SUMMER I MET JACK. She also has numerous other never-to-be-seen books that will forever remain stored in her childhood bedroom.

Michelle grew up in San Diego and attended The College of William & Mary, where she majored in accounting, as most aspiring writers do. After a twenty-year career in finance, Michelle now writes full-time. She lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, with her husband, two daughters, and what is quickly becoming a menagerie: one cat, one bunny, and a lab/jindo mix recently rescued from the dog meat trade in Thailand. (Bio courtesy of Amazon and Michelle's website.)

Visit Michelle online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Based on a real story - in 1950, a young, beautiful Polish refugee arrives in Hyannisport, Massachusetts to work as a maid for one of the wealthiest families in America. Alicia is at once dazzled by the large and charismatic family, in particular the oldest son, a rising politician named Jack.

Alicia and Jack are soon engaged, but his domineering father forbids the marriage. And so, Alicia trades Hyannisport for Hollywood, and eventually Rome. She dates famous actors and athletes and royalty, including Gary Cooper, Kirk Douglas, and Katharine Hepburn, all the while staying close with Jack. A decade after they meet, on the eve of Jack’s inauguration as the thirty-fifth President of the United States, the two must confront what they mean to each other.

The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable is based on the fascinating real life of Alicia Corning Clark, a woman who J. Edgar Hoover insisted was paid by the Kennedys to keep quiet, not only about her romance with Jack Kennedy, but also a baby they may have had together. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Do you watch food shows on TV? If so, what is your favorite?
I don’t watch food shows, mostly because I don’t like to cook. I do cook, because for some reason my kids keep wanting to eat every day, but it is very much a chore. I do love Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, but that’s probably travel more than food.

That said, my husband is a fan of cooking shows and I’ll never forget watching Iron Chef America while I was in labor with my oldest. It was the middle of the night, and the hospital didn’t have a ton of options. A former Bachelor contestant (Andrew Firestone) was one of the judges and he kept going on and on about “mouth feel” and it was driving me nuts!

What is your favorite carnival food?
I grew up close to the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego and it was very common for high school kids to work there when the fair came into town. Yes, that’s right, I’ve been a “carnie” thanks to the two weeks I spent making corndogs in a hot, stuffy trailer. My skin was a disaster and I came home each night reeking of french fry oil. That experience soured me on carnivals, and now I avoid them at all costs. So, my favorite carnival food is whatever my husband and kids are eating at the county fair while I stay at home.

What snack would be a good pairing with your book?
The Summer I Met Jack begins at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port. Interestingly, the Kennedys had very bland culinary tastes, due in part to their famed “Kennedy stomachs” (i.e. they were all high-strung and nervous). Basing a menu on their dietary habits would be a grim affair indeed but pairing the book with a good pizza or a plate of homemade pasta would honor the Roman part of the story. Or, you could read it with a daiquiri, JFK’s favorite drink!

What is a food everyone else likes but you won't even touch?
I’m generally not very picky and there are few things I won’t eat. But, I cannot stand olives and syrup. Separately, of course. I’m sure no one likes them together! I also don’t care for ice cream all that much, but I’ll have a bite on occasion.

What food are you craving at this very moment?
Dark chocolate. Always.

Favorite song with a food item in it?
"Cracklin’ Rosie" by Neil Diamond is one of my favorite songs in general, and my husband tells me it’s about wine. Second choice would be "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett because it reminds me of college. Also, San Diego is my hometown, so I do love a good margarita.

Thanks to Michelle for helping us work up an appetite and St. Martin's Press for sharing her books with our readers.

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 May 28th at midnight EST.