Book Tour for
If Not for a Bee
By Carol Ross
Tour Schedule
10/11: Launch
10/13: Thoughts of a Blonde & The Power of Words
10/16: Singing Librarian Books & Chill Reviews
10/18: Grand Finale
Interview with Author Carol Ross
What is your
motivation behind If Not for a Bee? Why did you want to write it?
I’ve never written a character I so
badly wanted to give a happily ever after. Janie Everett, the heroine in If Not for a Bee, was introduced in Mountains Apart, the first Seasons of
Alaska book. In that story Janie is recently widowed with two young boys and
pregnant with twins. A difficult pregnancy and a premature birth leave her
battling both grief and post-partum depression. By the time If Not for a Bee takes place the twins
are two years old, her older boys are eleven and thirteen. She does what she
can to make ends meet, fueled by a fierce determination to be the best mother
she can. This woman deserves a happy ending.
What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read
it?
We all wrestle with challenges of
one kind or another. Aidan, Janie and her boys, Gareth and Reagan all struggle
with adversity in some form. I think it’s important to face your fears, fight
them, smother them, whatever it takes. There is a way to figure out how to work
through them. I hope that If Not for a
Bee shows how even the most seemingly impossible obstacle can be scaled.
Do you have a favorite scene?
Honestly, I like so many scenes in
this book it’s difficult to choose. I think this is because I love Aidan and
Janie so much. These two flawed, yet unselfish characters try their utmost to
do (or not do) what they think is right for others (especially the Everett boys.)
But as in life, sometimes the decision we analyze and agonize about and
ultimately make still doesn’t turn out to be the best one.
I love the scene where Janie
discovers that Aidan is teaching her older two boys something that he feels is
valuable. Something that he is 100% convinced will help them solve a problem.
But he’s also aware of the fact that Janie may not agree with this approach, so
he acts on the age-old theory that sometimes it’s easier to beg for forgiveness
than to ask for permission. Of course, he gets caught. Janie’s mom claws come
out in full force as she battles with whether or not this is the right thing
for her child. Here’s a peek…
She wanted to
tell him no, that she didn’t want him spending time with the boys anymore, but
she knew she couldn’t be that rash, that small. That would make things even
harder on Gareth and Reagan. She had to think past her bruised pride. But she
needed a minute—her heart hurt, like it was suddenly being compressed inside of
her chest……
“Janie, are you…okay?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not. I can’t talk about
this anymore right now, Aidan, but you really have gone too far. You—”
“Yes, you can.”
“What?”
“You can talk about this. That’s your problem, Janie. Where
your boys are concerned—you won’t hear anything that you don’t want to hear.
You keep hoping everything will get better on its own.”
She couldn’t take any more of this. She turned to go.
But he reached out and stopped her by placing a hand on her arm.
“Please, don’t go. Just listen for a minute. I know
you can see how happy Reagan has been while spending time with me, and I’ve
already noticed a change in Gareth, as well, the last few weeks. But your boys
have some problems and I think some of them are undoubtedly the result of
losing their father, but others stem from different issues and circumstances
that you don’t seem to fully comprehend or understand—”
“I don’t need to hear any more about what a bad mother
I am, Aidan.”
A look of unbridled surprise appeared on his face. “I
never said you were a bad mother. I said your boys have some problems that you
don’t understand or you’re not willing to address—”
“See? I don’t ‘understand’—those are the kinds of
statements that make me feel like a bad mom. Telling me my boys have problems.”
Even though in her sinking, aching heart she knew he was right, she still
didn’t want to hear it from him. How could he understand these complex issues
when she didn’t fully comprehend them herself?
“Everyone has problems, Janie. What would make you a
bad mom is if you didn’t try something that was right here at your disposal to
attempt to fix these issues.”
She shook her
head and tried to think. He’d basically just confirmed her worst fears. She
didn’t know what to do anymore. She didn’t know how to fix any of this…
“Janie,
trust me, I know what I’m doing”.
Aidan convinces her eventually, but
it takes every bit of Janie’s will to entrust her precious children into
someone else’s care. Like most moms, she wants to do the right thing for her
boys, make the best decisions. But how
can you always know what that is?
Share something about you that is unique - maybe about
how/where you write... or favorite snack foods?
Most of my writing is done sitting
on the sofa, feet propped up on the coffee table, my dachshund Lucky glued to
my hip. There’s often a cup of coffee and a bag of candy on the end table next
to me. I have a terrible weakness/addiction for sugar. You know those
king-sized bags of peanut M&M’s? Yes?
Okay, well have you seen the size above that? Bigger than the king-sized
but a tad smaller than the party size? That’s the size I buy. I can munch
through the whole bag and then swear someone broke into my house and ate
them. Because surely I did not eat that
entire bag in one sitting, did I?
— Carol Ross
If Not for a Bee
(Seasons of Alaska #3)
by Carol Ross
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 206 Pages
October 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarmingby Carol Ross
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 206 Pages
With four sons dependent on her, Janie Everett needs to keep her life uncomplicated. Now famous scientist Aidan Hollings is disrupting her orderly world, starting with the rescue of a...bumblebee.
Aidan is only passing through her Alaska wilderness town, and wasn't planning to bond with her two older boys. Or become so attracted to the widowed journalist. His globe-trotting days may be be over if he's able to show Janie that they can share the adventure of a lifetime--together.
(Seasons of Alaska #1)
by Carol Ross
by Carol Ross
Adult Romance
Paperback & ebook, 368 pages
March 1st 2014 by Harlequin Heartwarming
San Diego workaholic Emily Hollings doesn't eat fish, doesn't wear flannel shirts and certainly doesn't fraternize with the enemy. So why is she finding herself charmed by Rankins, Alaska—her company's next development target—and the leader of its hostile opposition, Bering James?
She must be more burned-out than she thought. Her professional reserve is slipping. And she's starting to fantasize about a life beyond work…a life like Bering has here. Maybe they can put their professional differences aside and explore this…friendship. Or maybe she's just deluding herself. Because one of them has to win.
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Harlequin - Kobo - Google Play
A Case for Forgiveness
(Seasons of Alaska #2)
by Carol Ross
by Carol Ross
Adult Romance
Paperback & ebook, 193 pages
April 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarming
Innkeeper Shay James has been telling herself for a decade that she's over her ex-fiancé, Jonah Cedar. But now the Chicago attorney's come home to care for his ailing grandfather, reawakening powerful feelings—along with painful memories. Shay can't afford to repeat history.
At twenty-two, Jonah couldn't wait to trade his secluded Alaska hometown for big-city success. Shay was supposed to share that dream. Yet even with unresolved issues between them, their connection is stronger than ever. Jonah's visit was only going to be temporary…until a threat to Shay's beloved Faraway Inn gives him a reason to stay and fight for that second chance.
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Harlequin - Kobo - Google Play
Carol Ross lives with her husband and one loveable miscreant of a dachshund in a small town in Washington close to both the ocean and the mountains. She adores the Pacific Northwest because it provides her with endless opportunities for the activities she loves—hiking, running, skiing, and spending time outdoors. Although she enjoys reading in many genres, she writes what she loves the most—romance, especially light-hearted stories about the fun, flirty, and often-tumultuous path toward a happily ever after. For a complete list of her books, social media links, giveaways, and other fun stuff stop by and visit her new website: carolrossauthor.com.
Tour Giveaway
- Grand Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card & copy or If
Not for a Bee (open internationally)
- US Prize Pack: bee coffee mug, bee charm
necklace, 17.6 ounce jar of honey, honey dipper, box of organic tea, and signed
copy of If Not for a Bee (US only)
