Guest Post and Giveaway: The Lovers, Losers, and You Blog Tour with Skylar M. Cates

Please joining us in welcoming author Skylar M. Cates to The Novel Approach today. Skylar is on tour to promote her new book Lovers, Losers, and You. Enjoy her guest post, then be sure to click on the Rafflecopter widget below for the chance to win a $15 Dreamspinner Press Gift Card and the choice of an e-book from Skylar’s backlist.

Good luck!

Reality Shows

Last year my children got hooked on Master Chef Junior.  We watched these amazing kids chop, sauté, and bake their way to a huge prize, and they gained the admiration of three world-class chefs. From that point on, my kids watched all the cooking reality shows on Netflix. All of them. We watched Cake Boss and Chopped and Cupcake Wars and others. We talked excitedly of cooking our own delightful, homemade meals, all the while stuffing our faces with delivery pizza and popcorn.

My children have moved on to other television shows. My son loves anime. My daughters love to go to You Tube and watch Shopkins videos (if you don’t know what those are— be grateful!). It made me miss the cooking shows. It made me miss the times where we gathered as a family and rooted for our favorite contestants.

So like all good writers who are missing something, I decided to create my own version of it.

In my new release, Lovers, Losers, and You, Andrew decides to enter a reality cooking contest. I had a lot of fun taking bits and pieces from all the shows I’d watched with my kids, and best of all, I asked my kids to describe their dream judges for my fictitious show. Even though they are too young to read my book, I hope someday they read it and smile, knowing I based the judges on their descriptions.

The other fun part of creating a reality show is that I barely cook. Oh,  I grill. I microwave with the best of them, and I’m an expert at takeout from Japanese to Mexican food. But cooking from scratch? Yeah, not so much.

Again I turned to family and friends who do cook for ideas. I was fortunate enough to know somebody who owns a café, like my main character in the novel.  When I think of this book, I will think of how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life sharing their ideas with me.

I still enjoy reality television, especially when the show revolves around a talented person.

What about you? Do you love or hate reality television? Is it a guilty pleasure? Or something that you shun? Or maybe you are somewhere in-between the two extremes?

Thanks for hosting me!

Title: Lovers, Losers and You

Series: Sunshine and Happiness

Author: Skylar M. Cates

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Angsty G

Length: 220 Pages

Release Date: September 11, 2015

Blurb: How can you lose one dream and still find another?

Owen King is a lonely history teacher who wants to be braver. So when Owen learns about the deceased brother he never met, he breaks free of his safety net and risks answers. Despite his loving, adopted family, Owen wonders if there are missing pieces inside of him. Visiting the seaside town of Ocean Vista, where his brother lived and died, will be no vacation.

Andrew Teagan wants to be a winner. After being dumped by his last boyfriend, Andrew is through letting others dictate his life. To prove that dreams are possible, he’s going after his ambitions full force. Having signed on for a cooking reality show, Andrew’s ready to make his small café into a sizzling success.

When Andrew aids Owen on the beach, what starts off as an act of kindness turns into a hot temptation. But can a sweet budding romance survive when the time comes for Owen to leave town? Both men must learn to trust each other if their love will conquer the miles between them.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press (eBook) || Dreamspinner Press (Paperback) || Amazon US || Amazon UK || All Romance eBooks || Barnes & Noble

Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Most days, however, Skylar is chasing after her husband, her kids, and her giant dog, Wasabi. Skylar dreams about spending her days writing her novels, walking along the beach, and making more time for her good friends. On a shoestring budget, Skylar has traveled all over in her early years. Although, lately, the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe.

Website & Blog  ||  Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  Goodreads

THE GIVEAWAY

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