12/19/2011

Get Lost In One Perfect Night


 Rachael Johns is an English teacher by trade, a mum 24/7, a chronic arachnophobic, a supermarket owner by day and a writer by night. She rarely sleeps. Rachael received The Call from Angela James telling her Carina wanted to publish her book on April Fools Day and, when she told her friends, half of them wondered if it was a big joke. Luckily it wasn’t. As an active member of Romance Writers of Australia, Rachael has finaled and placed in a number of romance writing contests. Each success is uplifting and publication is her dream but even if none of this happened, she’d still write. It’s a much better option than ironing, which she refuses to partake in. Ever.



ONE PERFECT NIGHT
Peppa Grant’s fellow employees may call their new CEO Mr. McSexy, but she’s also heard that he’s aloof and distant. Cameron McCormac certainly seems cold toward Christmas when she meets him at the company’s annual party…but he’s also the sexiest man Peppa has ever seen. And when he offers to forgive the damage she accidentally caused to his expensive car in exchange for accompanying him to his family’s holiday get-together, she agrees.

Cameron needs a date to the family party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable, leading to an incredible one-night stand. But Peppa wants love and family, while Cameron’s only interested in temporary pleasure. When their relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn, will he run the other way—or will he give love a second chance?

CAT:  How often to you get lost in a story?
RACHEL:  No where NEAR as often as I’d like to. I used to be a read-a-holic, escaping into a book every spare moment and reading three to five books a week. Nowadays, with three young boys to run after, a supermarket business to help in and a writing career, I’m lucky if I read one book a week. That also means, I’m a lot more picky and will give up on a book that I probably would have plodded through in the past. Now, if I read a story, I EXPECT to get lost in that world J

CAT:  What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
RACHEL:  Contemporary romance without a doubt is my favourite. But historical and cozy-mysteries would be a close second. I LOVE small-town stories, am found of rural but it’s more the community than the cowboys that are important to me.

CAT:  What’s your favorite movie of all time?
RACHEL:  As a self-confessed romantic, I’m NOT afraid to say it’s LOVE ACTUALLY. That film delights me every time I watch it. Love the montage of people greeting loved ones at the beginning and my favorite of all the story lines is the Prime Minister and his employee. Although the love triangle with unrequited love also always gets me EVERY time. I love this movie so much, I bought the screenplay in a book.

CAT:  Who’s your favorite villain?
RACHEL:  It’d have to be Cruella DeVille. Although I adore animals and don’t condone any of her actions, she’s such a strong female villain and classic Disney too. I LOVED 101 Dalmations and she had a LOT to do with it.


CAT:  If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?
RACHEL:  I’d be a theatre actress. Always been a bit of a drama queen but I have also always acted. In my previous life as a teacher, one of my subjects was drama. I never get sick of going to the theatre and whenever I’m there I always find myself thinking… if only! Who knows maybe one day J

CAT:  Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?
RACHEL:  Daisy McCartney – she’s the dead sister of the heroine I’m currently writing, Holly from HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK. She’s up for a post humus Oscar Award and is loved by Hollywood and the world but not her family. However, she was a woman who embraced love and life whole-heartedly. If she wasn’t dead, I’d write her story!


CAT:  Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
RACHEL:  As ONE PERFECT NIGHT is my first published fiction book, at the stage of answering these questions, I hadn’t yet received a review. But I have to presume I don’t have the willpower NOT to read a review. I’m sure I’ll read and I’m sure they’ll affect me in some way, whether good or bad. But I hope whatever anyone says, I’ll not let it affect my passion for writing a good story.


CAT:  Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
RACHEL:  Neither – I can’t stand the taste of either of them. Interestingly though both my hubby and my mother are near addicts of coffee. I prefer my caffeine to come in the format of Diet Coke or chocolate.

CAT:  What does it mean to love someone?
RACHEL:  To think about them ALL the time, at the expense of anything else (at least in the early stages). But even after that early stage, I believe when you love someone, they are constantly with you. You share everything with them and will put up with a lot of little unimportant annoyances because in the end what you have together is more important. You WANT to spend time with them. I’m always shaking my head when I hear of married couples of want to spend time on their own with another “friend” of the opposite sex. To me that just doesn’t ring true. Of course there are all sorts of different loves – the love for a child is different to the love for a spouse but equally as special and important.

CAT:  What would you say is your most interesting quirk?
RACHEL:  I hate this question, cos it’s made me think I’m really not that interesting L But I collect Trolls… is that a quirk? And I used to dip my French Fries in my soft serve at McDonalds. Still would if I ate that stuff but we live in the country so I rarely get the chance!

CAT:  Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?
RACHEL:  There is no question – it’d be the late sixties and early seventies. I FEEL that song by Sandi Thom – I WISH I WAS A PUNK ROCKER. I loved the flares, the bright clothes, short skirts and big chunky platform boots.
        
CAT’S GOTTA ASK:
If you were a t-shirt, what color would you be and why?

RACHEL’S GOTTA ANSWER:
PINK, PINK and MORE PINK!! And if that wasn’t available purple. I’m not a real girly girl but I do love wearing bright feminine colours. I also like pink walls, notebooks, shoes and, when newly married, I convinced my besotted hubby to let me have pink bathroom cabinets. Hot pink! I KNOW!

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?
As ONE PERFECT NIGHT has a Christmas theme, what is the best Christmas story you’ve read lately?

Rachel would like to giveaway one e-copy of her book, ONE PERFECT NIGHT.


21 comments:

  1. Welcome Rachel,
    One of my favorite Christmas stories is Nancy Warren's "Nutcracker Sweet."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great interview! I really enjoyed reading Debbie Macomber's 'Call Me Mrs Miracle', a great Christmas book. And I recently saw the movie version on DVD.
    Congrats on your release Rachael! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. My favourite Christmas Story is a movie, although it may have been a novel. It's the Christmas Box. I play it every Christmas. It's like a tradition. lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Welcome Rachel! I'm way behind on my reading, but I have your Christmas story targeted to read over the holidays. I love the magical feel of this time of the year. I catch all the new made for TV movies I can stand and enjoy classics as well. I'm a huge LOVE ACTUALLY fan as well. It's a favorite of mine at Christmas time.

    I wish you all the best with your debut for Carina and look forward to many Rachel Johns books in the future! Thanks for joining us here today.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh dear... I think I'm going to regret asking this question! As if I haven't got enough books on the TBR pile as it is :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. HI Jane - thanks for telling me about Nutcracker Sweet. Off to Google it :)

    Hi Juliet - thanks for the congrats and your suggestion. I love Debbie Macomber books!

    Hi Suz - I've never heard of THAT movie either! I obviously need an education.

    Hi Cat - thanks so much for having me. I hear ya on being behind on your reading. I'm not sure I'll ever catch up :(

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rachael, I don't read many Christmas stories for the sake of reading a Christmas story, but I'm right with you on Love Actually. I once got it on my iPod for a plane ride, forgetting about the ... uh... stand-in couple. Thank goodness for headphones and small screens!

    I'm with you on the coffee and tea vs. diet coke and chocolate, too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Rachel.

    Great interview and your book sounds great. The Velveteen Rabbit is my favorite Christmas story - except I cry when I read it each year.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I just finished Robyn Carr's Virgin River Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Abigail - LOL on those scenes in the movie. Thank the Lord for headphones indeed :) YAY for another DC fan!!

    Aw Tammy, that is a special story indeed :)

    Argh GirlyGirl - another one I haven't read that I must go investigate. Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Not sure which Christmas story I have read is the best. I Just finished A Taxan Christmas by Jodi Thomas.

    ReplyDelete
  12. OOoh another recommendation Virginia. Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I wish I can contribute to this but I haven't b/c I'm Jewish, but I SO SO SO want this book :( Great interview

    amyrbromberg (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh Amy - why not just tell me your favorite read this December? :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've just read the contemporary Christmas anthology from Carina Press and loved it! I'm generally not a big fan of short stories but with Christmas themes it nearly always works for me.
    Your books sounds really intriguing!
    Thank you for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I just finished reading Wild Man by Kristen Ashley. It was centered around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I really liked it. Thanks for the ebook giveaway!

    jcross719 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  17. HI Claudia - I'm reading the Carina Christmas anthology too. At the moment, I'm finding shorter stories are suiting me better because I don't have much time for reading :(

    Hi Jess - Thanks for the Wild Man suggestion, I'll definitely check it out :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sorry I missed your actual day Getting Lost, Rachel. BUT WELCOME and thanks for coming !! Best of luck with the great-sounding book!

    ~Angi

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Angi - better late than never :) Thanks so much!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Haven't found my Christmas book yet -- still looking! Congrats on your release.

    wordywon at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete