Blog Tour and Giveaway: There's Something About Ari by L.B. Gregg

TNA: Hi, L.B., it’s lovely to have you here with us today on your There’s Something About Ari blog tour. Why don’t we start the Q&A off with you telling us a little bit about yourself?

L.B.: Well first, I’m happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me. This is a strange experience because I’m currently writing this in Asia, but I return to the Connecticut when this interview posts. So right now, I’m probably pretty jet lagged, but still super excited to be promoting another book! **confetti**

TNA: Tell us how you became involved with the Bluewater Bay project. Was it an open call, or were each of the participating authors hand selected?

L.B.: I received an email from my editor asking me if I’d be interested and I was totally intimidated by the lineup, so my initial reaction was WHAT?! ME? NO WAY. I have no idea if there was an open call. I think it was by invite? Sarah’s in charge of the particulars. :) I do know that mine is the only novella for a while (there will be others) and Riptide was nice enough to suggest I write in the format I’m most comfortable with.

TNA: The Men of Smithfield series gives you a certain familiarity with setting stories in a small, quiet town. What are some of the things you find most appealing about writing books about characters in a small town setting? Are there any fun creative advantages to it?

L.B.:  Remember the old TV show Cheers? People crave connectivity. They want to go to that place where everybody knows their name.  So the advantage of a small town setting is familiarity and kinship. At the same time, those things add tension. It’s not easy to fade into oblivion in a town like Smithifleld when everyone knows your name, and all you want to do is fade into obscurity. When Mark clobbers Jamie with a bible in St. Joe’s, Mark reaches a whole new level of infamy. He can’t hide from Jamie, and he certainly can’t pull the wool over Tony’s eyes. And in Holden and Adam, the entire town regards Adam through the veil of his tragic family history. He can’t shake his father’s reputation.

There’s dimension to life in a small town that’s worth exploring.

TNA: Since Ari Valentine is a rising star in Hollywood, let’s pretend you’re casting him and Buck Ellis in the movie of There’s Something About Ari. Who would you choose to play their roles, and what makes these men the perfect actors for their parts?

L.B.:  Does Kit Harrington do an American accent? **fans self** That’s Ari’s British twin. Buck actually says as much in There’s Something About Ari. And for Buck, my gut says Chris Pine, because Chris Pine for everyone! but he’s too old? Scott Michael Foster would be my choice for Buck—the Cappy version from Greek, with a pinch of Michael Cera as Buck’s internal voice.

TNA: I’m sure you probably get asked this question all the time, but I’m going to ask it anyway: will there be more Caesar and Dan (Romano and Albright) coming anytime in the foreseeable future?

L.B.: Yes. I’m reviewing a contract for books three and four right now. It’s been long enough and I’m finally ready to tackle a larger project. I know there are a lot of complaints about novellas in general, but I love to write them. I prefer category and novella length because I’m a slow writing. Working on Ce and Dan? It’ll take half a year. That means I have to forego all other projects. I can’t change who I am, or my process.

I hope to have the third book out November 2015.

TNA: Considering I’ve belly-laughed my way through more than a few, if not all, of your books, tell us how you’d describe your sense of humor. What makes you laugh?

L.B.: My husband makes me laugh a lot. And Tumblr can be vastly entertaining. I guess I’d describe my own humor as self depreciating and down to earth. I write in first person, which allows me to laugh at myself over and over again. And because I can think of an asshat comment for every situation, internal dialog is a great way to set my inner smart ass free.

But I don’t like mean spirited humor at the expense of others. No. That just sucks.

TNA: Would you care to share a little news about any works-in-progress you have in store for us?

L.B.: I’m writing a quick holiday story coming out next month—Waiting For Winter. This is a rekindled romance/second chances story about a jilted guy stuck alone with his smoking hot ex on Christmas Eve. This book is part of the Comfort and Joy anthology, with powerhouse all stars Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox, and Joanna Chambers. I am walking with GIANTS.

TNA: Thanks again for being here with us today, L.B. Will you tell us where we can find you on the internet?

L.B.: You can usually find me on facebook! There’s my page, which you can like, and then there’s my profile, where I’m very active. I lurk Twitter. And for information, you can check the website.

Thanks again! And I hope you all enjoy the book. :)

Blurb:

Buck Ellis’s future seems pretty damn bright. With a full college scholarship in hand, he’s going to ditch Bluewater Bay and pave the way for his kid brother Charlie to do the same. The only fly in Buck’s ointment is his ten-year addiction to his best friend since second grade, his true love, and his Achilles heel: Ari Valentine, Mr. Least Likely to Succeed.

But then Buck’s mother dies, changing everything, and five years later, his future is still on hold. It’s a struggle to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and Charlie on the straight and narrow. Buck can’t afford any temptation, especially in the form of the newly returned, super hot, super confident, super successful television star Ari Valentine.

ADHD poster-child Ari Valentine left for Hollywood and lost everything, including his bad reputation. Then the breakthrough role of his skyrocketing career lands him back in Bluewater Bay, to the stunned disbelief of, well, everyone. But there’s only one person Ari longs to impress—the only person who ever really mattered to him, the person he left behind: Buck Ellis.

Available at Riptide Publishing and Amazon

The Giveaway: Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 16^th, and winners will be announced on November 17^th.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.