Friday, March 16, 2012

Author Interview & Giveaway: Diane Alberts (On One Condition)

 Today I welcome Diane Alberts, author of On One ConditionOn One Condition is a delightful romp of a marriage of convenience with a very particular and spunky heroine who hates Valentine's Day and a extremely hot and likeable hero who needs a wife to keep his fortune.  You can tell just from that little bit that this will be an interesting book and it is.  I love the interplay between the characters.  But for now I would love for you to get to know the author a little bit then come back later and check out my review.  Also you have a chance at the end of the interview to win a copy of On One Condition so check that out as well.  Welcome Diane Alberts!


Thanks so much for having me today!

Describe the area you write in.
~looks around room~ I’m in my bedroom, so I have a bed on one side, and a shelf on the other. The window is cracked open, since it’s seventy degrees out, and birds are singing. It’s a lovely, serene scene—if you ignore the dirty clothes on the floor and the unmade bed.

What's your favorite season?
This, right here, today. Spring, where everything is warm and sunny and new. I love the feeling of rejuvenation spring brings.

Crystal:  I have to agree with you, our weather here on the NC coast is beautiful this week, makes me want to be outside all of the time!

Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).
It would have a lock that I could bolt so that no one could come in and distract me, and its own bathroom. I’d have a Keurig and a mini-kitchen, so that I wouldn’t have to leave the room. Could I have a servant boy to rub my shoulders as I type, too? Or is that too much?

Crystal: Servant boys are definitely allowed, this is an ideal reading space!  And our shoulders do need rubbing (making notes for her own reading space and wondering if her husband would mind said servant boy) ;)

What is a typical day like in your life?
I have four kids, so I get three of them off to school. Then, I take care of my three year old the rest of the morning, and my husband is home going to school full time—thank you GI Bill and Marines—so he usually makes lunch. Then, at naptime, I get to write. It’s when all the magic happens.

Crystal: Wow, 4 kids, I think I just complained about my busy life in an email to you, please disregard.  I only have 2 kids and feel like they take up all my time!  You are superwoman, superwoman who writes!

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Hawaii or England. I know, their kind of polar opposites, but I want to go to both. England for the rich history and the castles, and Hawaii for the warm weather and clear water.

Tell us a little bit about On One Condition.
I like to think of it as a modern day Cinderella tale—where Cinderella is bitter about love and relationships, and Prince Charming is a bit naive in the world of normal people. It is a shorter story, so I tried to mainly focus on the love story as Johanna and Damon learn how to communicate and trust one another, but I also touch lightly upon Johanna’s past and Damon’s failures as a modern-day millionaire.

But mostly, it’s about Johanna and Damon finding their stride, and getting their happily ever after.
  
What made you choose to write in the Contemporary Romance genre?
I honestly have no idea. All my life, I’ve been a Historical Romance kind of girl. But when it came time to pen my first novel, out came Contemporary Romance. And I haven’t stopped loving it since. In my journey as a Contemporary Romance Author, I’ve found a huge love for the genre, and a lot of new authors to follow.

Which character really spoke to you when you were writing On One Condition?
Johanna, she was very determined not to be fooled by Damon’s charming ways—but Damon can be very persuasive when he wants. When he met Johanna, he knew he wanted her…and he goes after her without hesitation.

What are you working on now?
A Historical Romance, that is almost finished. Also, I just finished a bunch of shorter stories that are all Contemporary Romances—even shorter than On One Condition—and I also just completed a full length novel that’s a dark YA book called Outwitted.

Book Blurb:
Kindergarten teacher Johanna hates Valentine's Day. She hates romance, hates commercialism, and definitely hates her school’s annual charity date auction. She never expects her pre-auction night of drinking to land a sexy Brit in her bed. Or for that Brit to show up at the auction, bid thousands just to talk to her again, and get down on one knee in front of everyone and ask her to marry him.

Viscount Damon Hayes has never met anyone like Johanna. She’s neurotic, fascinating, and fun. She also doesn't care about his title and doesn't want his money, which makes Johanna perfect to fulfill a surprise clause in his father's will: marry within three months and remain married for a year, or lose his fortune. A relationship is out of the question, but when passions ignite and the two fall in love, their marriage of convenience becomes anything but.

Author Bio:
Best-selling author of all things romance. Diane believes strongly in a happily-ever-after for everyone. She especially loves tortured heroes and heroines, as can be seen in her stories. She is repped by the fabulous Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. 
Diane Alberts lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband, four kids, and a bird. She lives in the mountains-but wishes it were the beach. She has been writing since she was in elementary school, but only recently fulfilled her dreams of being published in 2011. Enjoys dyeing yarn and knitting in her “spare” time.
She loves interacting with readers, so feel free to email her at: diane@dianealberts.com.

Sample Chapters:

Buy links:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

Books On Board

Amazon UK


Giveaway
Thanks to Diane, she is giving away one copy of the eBook, On One Condition.  Open International, ends, 3/23/2012.  Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.




a Rafflecopter giveaway


12 comments:

Shannon said...

I am intrigued by the book because of the first few lines of the blurb. It's as if that could be part of my bio! I love romances, but could it ever be me?

Thanks for the giveaway! I enjoy following your blog :-)

Diane Alberts said...

Thank you for having me here, Crystal!

Kira Decker said...

Thanks for the giveaway. Loved the interview!

Wendy Lohr said...

I'm intrigued by why Johanna hates Valentine's Day and romance so much and just how did she end up with a sexy Brit in her bed. I think it will be a very interesting and probably humorous read! :)

Anonymous said...

The OCD kindergarten teacher sounds interesting.

Linda Kish said...

It sounds like an accidental happily ever after book. I like the occasional love story, especially one that's a bit different.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Michelle Chew said...

Oh gosh, the idea of the guy spending lots on the auction just to talk to the girl really got me! Now I really want to know what her reaction would be as someone who hates anything to do with romance. I bet this is an interesting book!

- Michelle

latanya t said...

The romance that blooms.

Lori Thomas said...

Intrigued by why she hates Valentine`s Day so much.

ctymice at gmail dot com

Flo said...

I think I'm intrigued by the idea of a contract marriage. Plus I'm a sucker for a sexy British accent :P
Thanks for the giveaway!

bn100 said...

I'm intrigued by the story because it sounds like a fun read.

Literary Chanteuse said...

I love romantic comedies so I would love to read this! Thanks for the giveaway!

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I love comments on the blog and do take the time to read them.