Find Barbara at:
http://www.barbaralongley.com
@barbaralongley (twitter)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Longley
Noah Langford narrowly
survived the roadside bombing in Iraq that killed five of his men and took his
leg, leaving him haunted by flashbacks and riddled with guilt. When his
stepbrother Matt dies in a car accident, the loss feels like the final blow to
Noah’s shattered soul. But then he learns about the girlfriend and baby Matt
abandoned years earlier, and suddenly Noah has a new mission…
Ceejay Lovejoy was
nineteen and pregnant when her boyfriend walked out, disappearing from her life
just like her parents did. Since that day, Ceejay has devoted herself to giving
her daughter a better life, avoiding any man who could threaten that
security—until the day Noah Langford shows up on her doorstep. His gentle
spirit has an unexpected effect on Ceejay’s guarded heart, tempting her to take
one last chance on love. But when a painful secret comes to light, it threatens
to break the fragile bond growing between them…and to destroy a love powerful
enough to heal them both.
CAT: How often to you get lost in a story?
BARBARA: Very frequently! I read almost every night before
I close my eyes. Sometimes what I’m reading (usually romance) keeps me up way
past my bedtime.
CAT: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
BARBARA: I love contemporary and paranormal romance.
CAT: What’s the first book you remember reading?
BARBARA: I learned to read with Dick and Jane books.
Remember those? But the very first book that *trapped* me was Misty of Chincoteague, then National Velvet, and The Black Stallion. After I grew out of
my horse phase, I moved on to the paranormals of my day, like The Hobbit and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
CAT: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
BARBARA: I like Cinderella, the Disney version. I used to
put it on for my daughter all the time when she was little, so I could watch
it.
CAT: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
BARBARA: Without a doubt it’s Yosemite Sam. Any of you
remember him? The handlebar mustache and his curmudgeon-like personality, yeah,
Yosemite Sam is definitely my favorite cartoon character. I’d date him. Is that
weird?
CAT: What turns you off like nothing else?
Procrastination.
BARBARA: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading
your latest release? Not so much for FAR FROM PERFECT, but for the second book
in the trilogy, THE DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES, Eli Young Band’s “War on a
Desperate Man” is the song that inspired the creation my main character, Ryan
Malloy.
CAT: Where do you read and how often?
BARBARA: Either in my living room in “mom’s” chair, or in
bed.
CAT: What was the first story you remember writing?
BARBARA: This is embarrassing. Long, long, long ago, I
wrote a riveting tale entitled WOOLY WILLARD, CATERPILLAR. It was about a
confused caterpillar who knew he was supposed to do something, but didn’t know
what it was. It turns out he was supposed to build a cocoon and morph into a
butterfly. It was a page-turner, I tell ya. I think I still have the original
somewhere. My mom saved it.
CAT: Who’s your favorite villain?
BARBARA: Lex Luther, or any villain who really believes
he’s doing what needs to be done.
CAT: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
BARBARA: Please, please, please read my books! Is that too
much? OK, the kindest most generous thing a reader can ever do for a writer
whose work they like: Tell a few friends.
CAT: Do you write while listening to music? If so what
kind?
BARBARA: Yes, and what I listen to depends on what I’m
writing. Sometimes Country Western, sometimes Celtic, sometimes R&B, or
pop.
CAT: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what
profession would you take up?
BARBARA: I’d be a visual artist, or I’d keep my day job as
a teacher.
CAT: What’s the first thing you do when you finish
writing a book?
BARBARA: SMILE. Next I call a writer friend and make plans
for a dinner out including wine.
CAT: If you were given a chance to travel to the past
where would you go and specifically why?
BARBARA: I’d be a noble during the Renaissance period.
CAT: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you
pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
BARBARA: I do read reviews, and they don’t influence my
writing, but they certainly influence my mood. The truth is, after you’ve read
a bunch of reviews, you realize what really bugs one reader isn’t even noticed
by the next. Like all things, it’s subjective. You can’t please everyone, so
you just have to stay true to your own vision and write from the heart.
BARBARA’S QUESTION FOR YOU:
As
a reader, what do you see trending recently in the kind of books you read? What
do you want to read?
Barbara is offering a signed copy of FAR FROM PERFECT. Please leave your
contact info in the comments.
