Thank you, Annie Solomon, for writing ONE DEADLY SIN. It was such a pleasure to read this book. I asked my readers a while back what to ask an author if I get a chance to have a Q&A. These are some of the questions that came up:

“What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview but never have been?”
First off, thank you for inviting me!

As for your question, interestingly enough, I’ve been asked some great stuff during this book tour. Things like my idea of earthly paradise (a beach) and the quality in a man I most admire (the ability to laugh at myself). It’s just fun to find out what other people are curious about. I love that you asked your readers what they’d like to know.

“Why did you pick the genre you write in?”
I picked it and I didn’t pick it. First off, I LOVE the romance genre and as a reader that’s pretty much all I read. I especially liked historical fiction. But I don’t like research so when I wrote my first book, Like A Knife, I wrote something that didn’t require tons of prep. Which meant a contemporary story. That said, I didn’t set out to write within a particular genre. I wrote a book that meant something to me, that I would have enjoyed reading and that I enjoyed writing. When it came time to sell the book, I was told it was a romantic suspense, so here I am.

“What kind of research did you do for this book?”
As I said, I don’t like research—it becomes a reason not to be writing—but I do have to do some. For this book, I had to find out about motorcycles because my heroine rides a Harley. I had a very interesting time talking to a local motorhead who not only filled me in on a million details about bikes, but also made a million passes at me while he was doing it! Since my hero is the chief of police I had to find out what happens when someone is arrested and sent to jail, I went through the process at the Wilson County Jail–from booking, to holding cells, to restraints, to the view from the control booth, which overlooks the cells and the prisoners. I also saw what it’s like to visit someone in jail—from the prisoners side to the visitor’s. I have a bunch of murders in the book—natch—so I had to do a bit of forensic research to figure out what clues presented, or didn’t present, themselves at each death. And, since the book is set in a small Tennessee town, and I grew up in the suburbs of New York City, I visited Bradford, Tennessee, a friend’s home town, and caught a glimpse of what life is like there.

“What’s been the hardest thing for you when writing your books?”
Finishing it! That first draft is very hard. I love the second and third drafts because that’s just revising, but getting the story down that first time is always a struggle.

“When and where do you write? Do you have particular time of day you find you’re more creative”
I wrote One Deadly Sin at a local Panera’s. The book is dedicated to some of the folks I got to know there. I write in the morning because I’m most awake and have the most amount of energy at that time.

“What authors do you read when you’re not busy being an author yourself?”
Sadly, I don’t read much anymore. I think it’s a casualty of writing—I always see the bones now, not the whole body—but also of hormones. I can’t concentrate as well as I used to. But I haven’t forgotten the thrill of being swept away by a great book or a wonderful story. Some of my past faves are Diana Gabaldon, Lisa Kleypas, Katherine Sutcliffe, Anya Seton, and Phillipa Gregory (her Meridian trilogy).

“What’s the best thing about being an author?”
Talking to people who love to read and enjoy my books.

“What question would you like your readers to answer?”
What would you like to see me do in my next book?

Would you like to share anything else?
Well, if you don’t mind, I’d like to plug my website, (anniesolomon.net). You can find excerpts there from all my books, including One Deadly Sin. I’ll have behind-the-scenes stuff there from ODS once the book is out. I also run a monthly contest and write a blog, Annie’s World (anniesolomon.net/blog). I’d love for your readers to drop by and say hello.

Thanks again for inviting me here. Happy Reading everyone!

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One Deadly Sin
ISBN-10: 0-446-17844-6
Author: Annie Solomon
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
416 Pages
Publisher: Forever

Can’t wait for this giveaway? Then you can buy a copy here.

Read my review here.

About the book from publisher:

COMING HOME IS MURDER…
Revenge. Edie Swann has hungered for it since she fled her hometown as a little girl. Now she’s returned, ready for payback. Armed with a list of names, she leaves each one a chilling sign that they have blood on their hands. Her father’s blood. What happens next turns her own blood cold: one by one, the men she’s targeted start dying.

Sheriff Holt Drennen knows Edie is hiding something. She has a haunted look in her eyes and a defiant spirit, yet he can’t believe she’s a murderer. As the body count rises and all evidence points to Edie, Holt is torn between the town he’s sworn to protect and the woman he’s come to desire. But nothing is what it seems. Long buried secrets begin to surface, and a killer won’t be satisfied until the sins of the past are paid in full–this time with Edie’s blood.

A native New Yorker, RITA-winning author Annie Solomon has been dreaming up stories since she was ten. After a twelve-year career in advertising, where she rose to Vice President and Head Writer at a mid-size agency, she abandoned the air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps of her professional life for her first love—romance. An avid knitter, she now lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter.

About the Giveaway:

Five winners will be selected on May 10.
Thank you to Anna and the Hachette Book Group for letting me host this giveaway.
Winners are restricted to US and Canadian addresses.
No PO Boxes please.

Chances of Winning:
+1 entry: Read the Q&A above and answer Annie’s question:
What would you like to see me do in my next book?
+2: E-mail five friends about this giveaway and cc: thisbookforfree at gmail dot com
+1: to both you and your friends when the come here and leaves a comment. Make sure they mention that they heard about this contest from your e-mail. For example (Shoshana e-mailed me about this contest)
+1 entry: Blog about this giveaway on your site and leave the link in a sepate comment.
+1 entry: Subscribe to this blog’s feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/thisbookforfree/OLrA

Tags: Annie Solomon, Hachette Book Group, Q&A