DONNA KAUFFMAN

PELICAN POINT

Bachelors of Blueberry Cove Series, Book 1

Kensington Brava

Blueberry Cove, Maine, is as small-town as small towns get. More than a little quirky, it has sheltered generations of families. But there’s always room for a new face…

Fixing things has always been Alex McFarland’s greatest gift and keenest pleasure. But with her own life thoroughly broken, she’s signed on to renovate the dilapidated Pelican Point lighthouse, hoping to reconnect with herself. The last thing she expects is to find herself falling in love – with the glorious coastline, with age-old secrets and welcome-home smiles . . .with rugged Sean McCrae, the man she just might be able to build new hopes on.

Portland Head

DIY is so much better with help.

EXCERPT

USA Today bestselling author of the Cupcake Club Romance series, DONNA KAUFFMAN has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. 

She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently trying to makeover her newly empty nest into something that doesn’t have to accommodate piles of sports equipment falling out of her coat closet (okay, out of every closet...and under every bed....), size 13 cleats and sweaty uniforms cluttering her foyer (and stairwell, and laundry room, and...), and a kitchen that should have come with a traffic light. And a pantry monitor. (Anyone with a clever idea on how to repurpose lacrosse sticks into matching reading lamps, she’s all ears!) When she’s not stripping paint, varnishing an old auction house find, or trying to avoid bodily injury with her latest power tool purchase, she loves to hear from readers! You can contact her through her website. 

IT's FAN GIRL TIME WITH DONNA

ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?

DONNA: My own? Every day! Even more enjoyable though, is getting lost in another author's story. I loved it as a kid and still love it now, probably more so because I know how special it is, creating a world that someone can get lost in. (That's the best compliment, ever, btw...when someone tells me they got lost in one of my books.)

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?

DONNA:I started reading at age 4, so tons of Dr Seuss and Pokey Little Puppy feature heavily in there. But in terms of novel length fiction, my first was "Jessamy" by Barbara Sleigh, pubbed in 1967. (I'd love to own a copy, but they are rare and very pricey.) It's a time travel about an orphan girl who travels back and forth in time through a generations old wardrobe. Magical and my first introduction to the concept of time travel.

ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

DONNA:Well, Alice in Wonderland might not qualify as a true fairy tale, but it's a life long favorite of mine. I collect various issues of the book and have read it many, many times.

Pumpkin Lights

ANGI: What do you like about the hero of your book?

DONNA:He's an Irish charmer and natural flirt, and completely unrepentant about his love and admiration for the opposite gender…who finds himself completely head over heels for the heroine. He knows a lot about wooing, but finds himself at a total loss on the "keeping her" part. I love that he's open, honest, and forthright about his utter lack of ability in that area, even as he does his best to master the learning curve before it's too late.

ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?

DONNA: While writing the Blueberry Cove novels, I've been watching and listening to the seabirds out on Seal Island, Maine via Audubon Org's live cams, and got so used to having that as the backdrop 'white noise' while I wrote that when the puffins all went back out to see the cams were shut down for the season, I went looking for a birds/beach soundtrack to fill the void. (And found several good ones!) It's incredibly soothing and transports me immediately back to coastal Maine.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

DONNA:Actually, the best is a blend of both. It's why I became an instant addict of the television series Once Upon A Time. It's the ultimate mash up of both worlds.

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?

DONNA: I had hamsters & gerbils as a kid and I used to write (and illustrate!) the Hamster Chronicle for my family. A little newspaper I'd "publish" every few weeks and make painstaking copies of, by hand on lined school paper, for every member of my family. Whether they wanted to read all the latest hamster news or not. :)

ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?

DONNA: Well, he's a sort of villain and sometimes dark hero, but since the moment I was given an advance copy of Game of Thrones, by George RR Martin (before it was ever first published) I fell in love with devilishly wicked Tyrion Lannister. Fast forward many years later to the now crazy popular cable series of the same name, and I was thrilled to see Peter Dinklage cast in the role as he was who I'd imagined all along.

ANGI: What is your biggest vice?

West Quoddy Head

DONNA:My biggest guilty pleasure would have to be ice cream. It's a family thing. My latest absolute fave is a flavor only made in Maine. It's by Giffords and is a tribute to LL Bean (which is headquartered there) called Muddy Boot. It's basically pralines and cream with big chewy brownie chunks in it. Honestly, if I could have it shipped to Virginia in a freezer pack, I would.

ANGI: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?

DONNA: Best. Gig. Ever.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Longtime fan with a fan girl moment ~waving fingers at cheeks~ You've been in the romance business for a while now. What's your favorite thing that's happened to you as a result of writing romance?

DONNA'S GOTTA ANSWER: That I've gotten to travel to so many fascinating places and meet so many wonderful, amazing people while researching books, speaking at conferences, attending signings. I've been published steadily for twenty two years now, and it's an incredible ongoing adventure that I'm utterly grateful for. I can honestly say it excites me more and more the longer I'm at it. I can't wait to see what happens next! 

Rockland Harbor

FIND DONNA KAUFMAN

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Instagram: writerchick  Donna Kauffman

Previous GLIAS interview: 9-25

UP NEXT for DONNA

HALF MOON HARBOR

Kensington Brava  5/14

SANDPIPER ISLAND

Kensington Brava 11/14

PREVIOUS RELEASES by DONNA

SUGAR COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP

Donna Kaufman, Kate Angell, Kimberly Kincaid

Kensington Publishing

DONNA is giving away  a copy of Pelican Point to a commenter. Everywhere. Int'l readers welcome! So be sure to leave your email.

Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

Don’t forget to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. I'll be back with a special treat on the 18th. ~Angi 

DONNA WANTS TO KNOW: Tell me the first title that pops into your head when I ask you what was the very first book you fell in love with?