Augusta Hill - Book Review, Author Interview, Teaser/Excerpt

What Might Be: A Summer Tale
by Augusta Hill

Nell desperately needs to write a hit, or her romance career will be even deader than her love life. Her grandfather's quirky cabin is the perfect writer's retreat, but it turns out life in the woods isn't as distraction-free as she'd hoped. How can she concentrate on writing with Alik the local park ranger's sweet and sexy ways finding a place in her heart, no matter how hard she tries to focus?

What she doesn't realize is that his easygoing friendship comes with a difficult choice. He has a dark secret tied to the moon, and when fame and fortune come calling for Nell, she'll have to decide between the glitzy life she knew, and the man she's come to love.
Kindle Edition, 97 pages
Published November 4th 2014 by Augusta Hill Publications
ASINB00P9G35J8

Review

Don't you just love those books that when it ends you find yourself amazed. This is one of those books. Its an amazing story of a woman trying to find an escape to finish her book. Only to find herself in a love triangle. Now before you roll your eyes, I must say, I loved the new take on the love triangle. Everything about the plot, and story line in this book was refreshing. The pace was great. It picked up nicely. The writing was great. I LOVED the humor. There was so many great messages the author touched on. This book is a 5 star book. I loved it.

Author Interview

What books have most influenced your life?

This is such a great question. Books in general have been a huge influence on me. They sparked my love of travel, helped develop my empathy and compassion, and made me an avid learner. I’m Team Books – 100%!

But if I had to narrow it down, I’d say: The Phantom Tollbooth (for helping form the humor that is in all my own stories) and The Little Prince (for teaching me what is really important in life). I own the Little Prince in at least 4 languages – that is how much of an impact such a small story has made on my life!

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I’ve been reading up a storm lately (I’m trying to finish 50 new books this year), and I’ve found several new favorites. I’ve read all of Ruby Lionsdrake’s Mandrake Company series. I love space operas and once I grab one of her books I have to read it in practically one sitting. When a book of hers comes out, no housework or writing gets done by me!

For paranormal authors, I’ve really enjoyed Amelia Faulkner’s Tooth and Claw Series. Having a blind vampire is a stroke of genius, and I love all the new possibilities it opens up. It’s especially cool to see such a great hero that also has a disability.

Can you share a little of your current work/projects with us?

What Might Be: A Summer Tale is the story of Nell, a romance writer who doesn’t believe in love. She has had her heartbroken, and it leaves her completely unable to write convincing romance stories anymore. So she flees to the woods to try and write the book that will save her career. Luckily for her, it just so happens that the forest has several handsome bachelors in it, and she finally learns a thing or two about love. ;)

What were your feelings when you first saw the cover of your finished book?

I think my first thought was “Holy crap!” followed be a lot of hand flailing. Seeing that cover was a dream come true, and it was pretty overwhelming! It’s still my favorite cover to date.

Will we be seeing a following book to this story?
Yes indeed! I’m currently working on The Fearless Rose: An Autumn Tale. It takes places in the Ottoman Empire, and follows a Janissary Guard (one of the elite troops of the Sultan) who happens to be a shifter. So lots of harem politics, and a battle for power in the streets of Istanbul. I love Istanbul (I lived there for about a year recently), and I’m having a great time adding some paranormal elements to one of my favorite cities!

How did you come up with the main character?

I really enjoy Nell, and she was a lot of fun to write. I wanted to make her someone I would hang out with – sarcastic, witty, and lover of all things delicious. Some people have asked if Nell is based on me, but she really isn’t. She is more of the hilarious (but sometimes flawed) friend that I want to drink lots of wine with.

I always must ask, If you could pick an actor to portray your Two main characters on the big screen who would it be and why?

For Nell, I picture America Ferrera. For Alik, I’m thinking Jared Padalecki. I think they’d be an adorable couple on screen!

If you didn’t like writing books (Which you do), what would you see yourself doing for a living?

Well, before I was a writer worked as an archaeologist. I still love history and working outdoors, so that is something I’d probably go back to. There is something so exciting about being able to hold an object hundreds of years old, and imagine the story behind it.

Where is one place you would like to visit that you haven't been before?

I really want to take a trip to Croatia and spend time on the Dalmatian Coast. The water is beautiful, and it’d be a great place to relax and cuddle with my husband! It’ll be like a second honeymoon!

If you could have any accent for anywhere in the world, what would you choose?

I’m going to have to go with British. I love British Mystery shows, so if I had the accent I could pretend to be Miss Marple that much easier. 

Excerpt

Chapter 1 

Nell was happily trudging up the narrow, rocky mountain trail looking for blueberries when she first saw the eyes. They were the swirling green of malachite lit up by the sun, and the intensity of the color sent shivers down her spine before she even recognized that they were part of some living, breathing creature. At first she almost mistook them for some sort of fantasy object, like she had stumbled upon a fabled dwarven helmet or fairy crystal; she thought nothing in real life could ever be so beautiful and dazzling.
She almost missed them entirely, hidden in a dark bush off to the side of the trail. In fact, she probably would have walked straight by and never been the wiser if the eyes hadn’t blinked. The sudden movement and flash of vibrant green had caught her attention, however, and she had turned to stare right into the dark pupils. As she registered just what it was that she was looking at, she found herself rooted to the ground. If nature documentaries had taught her anything, it was that encounters with creatures with eyes that big and vibrant were probably not going to end well for her.

But what could they belong to? She knew it must be something large; no hedgehog or happy little rabbit had eyes that big. Her mind flashed through the possibilities. Human? No way, the eyes were far too oval and set too widely apart. Bear? She had never heard of a bear having such green eyes, and if it were a bear, it would probably have already ripped her face off. Mountain lion? If so, then she should have started to run about thirty seconds earlier. God damn it! I don’t know anything about animals. I knew I should have taken biology instead of band, she cursed silently.

Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared in her life, the eyes vanished. Withdrawn in a rush, the spot where they had peered out of now only contained pale green leaves and thick red berries. Nell thought she could faintly hear leaves rustling in the distance as the creature fled, but she could not be entirely sure. What could be so big and yet move so quickly? And what could move so quickly and also be so quiet? The whole thing made Nell’s skin prickle. She wasn’t sure if she felt any better now that the eyes were gone; it only meant she didn’t know from where they might be watching now. So Nell did what any normal, thirty-year-old, grown adult woman would do. She ran like hell.
She ran like something was chasing her – which, for all she knew, something was. Faster and faster she sprinted, following the twisting and narrow trail as it tumbled down the mountain. The only things she focused on were her breath and the rasping gasps which escaped her lips as she ran for the first time in fifteen years. Her lungs weren’t prepared for the onslaught. However, while Nell certainly wasn’t the fittest woman, she ran like she was in the New York Marathon. Except it was the New York Marathon mixed with gladiators, where she might get mauled at the finish line.

Trees flashed by (much like her life was flashing before her eyes), and she couldn’t hear anything behind her. She had never been that high up on the mountain before, and the terrain wasn’t all that familiar to her so she found herself tripping and stuttering on the rocky path. Her legs strained, and her arms flailed wildly, with her curly hair streaming out behind her. She was glad that her last undignified moments would not be witnessed by anyone else.