Monday, June 22, 2015

Author Interview: Alison Packard!


WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG, ALISON! :) 



Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in Southern Nevada where she’s still getting used to the blistering summers and the slot machines in every grocery store.

When not working at the day job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over her head, and supports her book and chocolate habits, Alison spends most of her free time writing. But when she takes a break, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends.



Where to Find Alison:






Kame: Anyone who follows my tweets and my FB page knows I am a fan of baseball; what better way to bring two of my hobbies together than a baseball book. In 2014, Alison Packard stopped by TBQ to talk about her Feeling the Heat series. Today, she’s here again to chat about the latest installment in that series, Stealing Second.

Hi Alison Packard, welcome back to TBQ today, thank you so much for stopping by.



Alison: Thanks for having me back, Kame. I love visiting the blog, and it’s always fun chatting with you.



K: For readers who haven’t heard about this series, can you give them a short rundown of the Feeling the Heat series; it’s not all about baseball, is it? 


A: Oh gosh, no. When I started writing my first book, Love in the Afternoon, my only goal was to finish it and hopefully find a publisher who wanted to publish it. A series was the farthest thing from my mind. That’s why in terms of characters it’s a bit eclectic. There are soap opera actors, personal trainers, and sports agents as well as baseball players. There may even be a law enforcement hero and heroine before the series is wrapped up.



K: But in this installment you went back to baseball. Which begs the question – you must be a fan – so any favorite team or players?


A: I’m a huge baseball fan, and have been since I was a kid. My favorite team is the San Francisco Giants, and I love Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner. Go Giants! 



K: Red Sox and the Mets in this house. I love the stories behind the game – game day traditions, players never giving up on their dreams – Chris Colabello with the Blue Jays and of course interesting ones like the Oakland A’s new ambidextrous pitcher.

Stealing Second is the latest installment. What drew you to Katherine and Tom’s story?


A: Katherine and Tom were minor characters in my second book, The Winning Season. At the time, I alluded to the fact that they had a past, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that past was. They’ve always been in the back of my mind, but then one day I saw a segment on a television news program about high school sweethearts who found each other again after a long separation, and it inspired me to write Tom and Katherine’s love story. 



K: Katherine and Tom have a history, one that many don’t know about. I love Tom’s softer side, he never gave up on his love for Katherine. He is one patient man.


A: During revisions, my editor said she thinks my readers will love Tom. Of course, I can’t predict that, but I know I love him. LOL. Not only is he a gorgeous Texan with a heart of gold, he’s a good man who, despite trying his hardest, never got over losing the love of his life.



K: I love how confident and powerful Katherine’s character is; she did it all on her own didn’t she? But I get the feeling this wasn’t how she was when she and Tom first met; making me wonder if she would be who she is today if they hadn’t been torn apart.


A: I love Katherine too, Kame. She’s one of my favorite heroines. And I agree with you, she did do it all on her own. She left Texas after Tom broke her heart and forged a career in a profession largely dominated by men. That takes brains and confidence. Because she’s so smart, I do think she would still have a successful career even if she and Tom hadn’t broken up. 



K: Thank you for giving us glimpses at previous heroes and heroines. I love checking up on them.


A: Isn’t that the best part of a series? Catching up with characters we love so much? I’m so glad I was able to show my readers what their favorites are doing now. I hope they approve!



K: Katherine and Tom have to work together on an issue involving Trey Gentry; a recurring secondary character in the series. Is it safe to say Trey is on his way to an Ah-Ha moment and may be a hero in a future book?


A: It’s totally safe to say that! Trey’s been a jerk since A Christmas for Carrie, and he was worse in Breaking His Rules. He was due for a little dose of karma and he definitely gets it in Stealing Second.



K: I really enjoyed the book and I think it is a perfect summer read.


A: That’s high praise coming from you, Kame. Thank you for taking the time to read and review it. I know you get tons of requests, so that you found time for Stealing Second is very much appreciated.



K: As you know TBQ has a speed round tradition, to mix things up I have a new set of speed round questions for you:

Here we go - 


Lefty or righty? 
Lefty



Up with the sun, or night owl? 
Night owl by nature, up with the sun due to the day job.



Favorite beverage while writing? 
Diet 7-Up



Favorite food while watching a baseball game? 
Hot dogs, what else? LOL 



Three most played songs on your iPhone/iPod?
Sadly, I have not downloaded a lot of music in the past year, but I checked and these songs are the most played on my iPod: She Will be Loved by Maroon 5, (Kissed You) Good Night by Gloriana, and What if I Was Willing by Chris Carmack, from the Nashville soundtrack



I adore that Gloriana song!  I so think it is the greatest inspiration for a book!

What author would you stand in line for hours to just get an autograph? 
Julie James. I love all of her books.



What new release are you dying to read? 
X by Sue Grafton, which comes out in August, and Suddenly One Summer by Julie James, which was just released and is on my Kindle as we speak. 



Kame: Alison, thank you so much for stopping by. This has been fun. I look forward to reading more of your work.



Alison: You’re so welcome, Kame. It’s been a blast. And I’d just like to add how much I appreciate how passionately you and TBQ support authors. You guys are the best!



K: Ahhh – thanks – we do enjoy what we do – and great authors like you make it easy!





Stealing Second by Alison Packard
Publisher: Carina Press (June 22, 2015)
Series: Feeling the Heat, 5
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Katherine Whitton doesn’t purposely avoid men and relationships, but she doesn’t mind that side effect of immersing herself in her job with the San Francisco Blaze. Years ago she was betrayed by her one true love, and she’s never fully recovered, though she’s tried by building a new life in a city she loves.

It’s taken seventeen years for Tom Morgan to get over Katie—Katherine now. Sober now and faced with the incredible opportunity to manage the Blaze, he thinks he’ll finally be able to handle working with this beautiful woman without falling to pieces…as long as she doesn’t get too close.

A crisis with the team's star pitcher forces Tom and Katherine to put in long hours together. Years of animosity melt away as the sexual tension between them ignites. But it’ll take more than scorching kisses to avoid the wreckage of the past. And neither Tom nor Katie are sure they’re ready to trust each other or risk their hearts for a second chance at happiness.




Where to Buy*:
More Info:

Reviews of Packard's Previous Novels:









Thanks for stopping by today, Alison, we're always happy to have you on the blog! :) 

Are you a baseball fan? Do you have a favorite team or player? 

And if you're not a fan, how about sharing a song that's on your playlist right now.



Enjoy!




Until Next Time,


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  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

2 comments :

Sophia Rose said...

I enjoyed Kame's reviews of the books, but this was very fun to read the interview, ladies!

In answer to the question, I am a baseball fan and a third generation NY/SF Giants fan. Buster Posey is one of my favs, too, but I have added Joe Panik as of the first time he played in the bigs.

Alison Packard said...

Thanks, Sophia Rose! I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview. It was fun! I'm a Joe Panik fan too. He was one of the reasons the Giants won the World Series last year.