Return To Audubon Springs Blog Tour!

Title: Return to Audubon Springs
Author: RoseAnn DeFranco
Series: Brothers of Audubon Springs 
Pages: 188
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date Published: September 22 2013
Format: eBook
Genre: Romance
Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours 

Synopsis:
When Emma Grant returns to her family's Audubon Springs beach house to fulfill the stipulations of her father's will, she has every intention of forcing her former lover out of the house for good. She's never fit into her wealthy family and would prefer avoiding her past, but with her brother threatening to reveal her young daughter, she has no choice.

Rafe Iuliano has other plans. The wealthy Grants tried to bribe him out of Emma's life years ago, but he's determined to prove once and for all that a master carpenter is worthy of Emma and the house.

Their ridiculous and steamy battle for the house reignites the love and passion that bloomed between them years ago. But when Rafe discovers she's kept their daughter a secret for two years, can he overcome anger and pride to claim his family and the love of his life, or will the deception drive a final wedge between them?

~~~Location Location Location~~~

Hello and thank you for having me here today as your guest. Today I’m talking about Location, meaning the setting of a book. What makes a setting great? Setting might mean something different to different readers and writers.

In its truest form, setting is the environment in which a story takes place. In order to enhance the reading experience, the author shares detailed information about a geographical location and immediate surroundings including descriptive language to evoke vivid sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations to make the reader feel as if they are present in the story. Setting is not a component of writing during the first draft that comes naturally to me. I’m very much a character and dialogue driven writer. I layer in much in the way of setting during the second draft.

In the Brothers of Audubon Springs series, the town itself provided a backdrop for the action, and with so many varied townspeople making an appearance, the town became a part of the story's emotion and ultimately grew into a character in the book. Once that character emerged, bring the setting and moods to the various scenes to life became very natural. For example the beach itself, the time of day, whether the sun shone or a storm raged, enhanced my character’s journey.

RETURN TO AUDUBON SPRINGS is the first of three books set in Audubon Springs, a fictionalized version of my favorite New Jersey shore town. When I finished writing RETURN TO AUDUBON SPRINGS, I found I didn’t want to leave the town, so I wrote two more books to the series. SECONDHAND ROMANCE just celebrated its Kindle exclusive release and THE RIGHT CHORD is scheduled for release by summer 2014. I’m currently working on a holiday novella as well. Mainly because I left a character dangling in desperate need of a happy ending, but I really wanted to feature and experience the town during the holidays…my favorite time of year! Images of the town decorated in lights and filled with holiday cheer entered my thoughts and made their way on to the page.



I supposed the important question to ask is WHY did I fall in love with Audubon Springs? What is so special about this setting? What is it about this town that gripped and held me? The ocean, the lake, the shops on 3rd Avenue, especially Anselmos Family Bakery and Second Chance Books, all held a special appeal. It became the perfect place to take a stroll on a lazy Sunday afternoon or a day to visit with family. It is the embodiment of Everywhere, USA. That perfect little idyllic town where everyone knows your name, and will meddle in your business until you find your own happy ending.

~~~Try an Excerpt!~~~

“It’s good to see you too, Emma.” Rafe smiled. A flash of dimples tugged on her memory and heart. “Is falling into men’s flower beds a habit or should I feel special?”

“As it happens, I don’t see this as your flower bed, but rather my own.” Covered in dirt, Emma feasted her eyes on Rafe. She didn’t try to stand. Instead she pushed her hands further into the sticky mulch, needing something to hold on to, momentarily thankful to be on solid ground. She licked her lips. He looked good.

“Finally here to claim what’s yours?”

“Are you going to help me up or not?”

Rafe took a deep breath, and reached out a hand. When they touched, the same powerful jolt of electricity that used to exist between them ran up her arm and straight to her heart. He pulled harder than necessary and Emma slammed into his chest. She took a quick step back, needing space, and almost landed in the garden again. Rafe held on and steadied her.

“Whoa, easy. I don’t think the shrubs can take anymore.”

Her stomach twitched at the sound of his voice, so close it resonated in her ear and vibrated down her spine. His scent, masculine and fresh from-a-shower-clean, mesmerized her. He surrounded her even though he only stood in front of her, balancing her.

“Let go of me,” she whispered.

He complied by raising his hands, palms out, in the air as if they’d been burned. His heat lingered on her skin, and she ached with the loss of his touch.  Emma went to work brushing the gritty mulch from her shaking hands.

“You always were a bit clumsy, huh, Ems?”

She snapped her head up, and her eyes landed on his playful grin.

~~~Meet RoseAnn!~~~

RoseAnn DeFranco grew up in upstate NY with her nose in a book and a song in her heart. Following the pursuit of a musical theatre career in NYC, she turned her creative energy to writing romance. RoseAnn blogs about her writing experiences with her critique partners at www.the violetfemmes.com. A NJ shore transplant, she enjoys time spent at the beach with her family. She would love to one day live in a quaint shore town like the fictional town Audubon Springs from her BROTHERS OF AUDUBON SPRINGS series.  More information about these Contemporary Romantic Comedies can be found at www.radefranco.com.

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