Author, author... Accidental Cowgirl by Maggie McGinnis

...read all about it !!

Hello and thanks for stopping by today!  We have a personal q&a with Maggie McGinnis so let's get right to it!

What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

I sort of hate to admit this out loud, but it was really a quest for sanity that led me to writing. I had infant twins and a 4-year old, so my life had temporarily become an endless string of diapers, bottles, and very little sleep. Amidst the craziness that was infants-times-two, I needed someone I could control, so I created pretend-people! J

What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

For this book I did quite a bit of research on PTSD, and was actually surprised to find out that the highest percentage of PTSD victims are actually car accident survivors. I’d always associated it more closely with combat or personal types of traumas, but apparently it’s much further-reaching than I’d known. I also enjoyed lots of (online for now – sigh) time checking out dude ranches and Montana getaways, and next time I have twelve million dollars lying around, I’m totally buying the mountaintop retreat I found.

Do you have a special place you like to write?

My sweet hubby pulled the ultimate sacrifice last Christmas, turning his Man Cave into a cozy writing space for me. It’s warm, comfy, and tucked away from the chaos, and it’s the first time in a lo-ong time that I’ve had a space to call “mine.” That said, given that I’m mommy-to-many, I’m just as often scribbling notes at the kitchen counter or trying to balance my laptop on a lawn chair!

As a reader, what types of works do you like to read, and do you think they influence the genre(s) you write in?

I spent a lot of years reading and teaching oodles of classics and literary fiction, and I have the utmost respect for those books and authors. I have to admit that these days, 

though, I tend more toward lighter contemporary novels that let me escape for a few hours without the burden of pondering my own existence or grappling with heavy issues that invade my sleep afterward. As a mom, I am in constant worry-mode about my kids’ health, their futures, their world, so I like to let authors like Kristan Higgins, Eileen Cook, and Jill Shalvis take me away, make me laugh, and usually leave me feeling better about the universe. That’s what I hope my books will do as well.

What is your favorite method of writing? Do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?

I’m a huge fan of the notebook-and-pen method of outlining and notes-gathering, but when it comes time to sit down and write, my hot pink Dell laptop is just the thing. I do my best to plot, but I seem to have a rather cranky muse who prefers to go with the flow whether I want to come along or not. I do plot out major turning points and GMCs for my characters, but very little of my final draft resembles my early planning, despite my best efforts!

What do you do when you’re not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m generally wrangling kids, laundry, and yet another unsuccessful experiment in the kitchen. I’m a wannabe-crafter and someday-photographer, but right now I’m just enjoying all the hours I can get with my family. I know I’m going to blink and this part will be over, so I’m grabbing it for all it’s worth.

Is there anything nobody knows about you that you’d like to share with our readers?

Yikes. Can I trust them? J  I’ve already fessed up to owning a minivan (horrors!), so I’m not sure I’m ready to go any deeper than that!

Favorites:

Color: Teal and salmon, preferably together!

Dessert: My secret-recipe chocolate chip cookies (Yes, even I have a secret recipe. One.)

Season: Autumn, definitely. There’s nothing like cool air, crisp apples, and the first warm sweater of the season. Ooh – and if anyone has any pull at Yankee Candle, could you please ask them to bring back their Cinnamon Appleberry scent?  J

Sad Song: Oboy. I’d have to go with “I Need to Know” by Kris Allen. It’s gut-wrenching, and it helps me write every hero’s black moment.

Romantic Movie: I can’t pick just one! J I tend toward romantic comedies like Bridget Jones, The Proposal, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Crazy Stupid Love, but I have to say one of my favorite movies of all time is one of Reese Witherspoon’s early ones: The Man in the Moon. It’s sweetly haunting and beautiful.

Bonus: What is your ideal romantic vacation?

Any vacation at all would be ideal at this point! I’d love to rent an RV and wander the country for a month, stopping where the mood strikes. Then again, there’s an inherent National Lampoon-ish risk in that plan, so it scares me a little!

Thank you so much for hosting me today!!

It was our pleasure !!  Now for all the lastest book info :)

ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL

By Maggie McGinnis

On Sale October 8, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-345-54875-7

Published by Loveswept

Blurb

In her Loveswept debut, Maggie McGinnis tells the tale of a city girl who’s running on fumes—and the cowboy who shows her all the good things she’s been missing.

 After being betrayed by her con man ex-fiancé, Kyla Bennett nurses a broken heart. But Kyla's friends have other ideas and when they whisk her off to Whisper Creek, a dude ranch staffed by cowboys so hot they dim the Montana sunset, all Kyla wants to do is hide under a quilt. Then in rides Decker Driscoll. He’s hauling about as much emotional baggage as Kyla, but when he stands close by, both of them want to stay close—and begin to succumb to an undeniable attraction.

 After experiencing personal tragedy, Decker never thought he’d see Big Sky country again. But now that his family's Whisper Creek property is in deep with a Vegas gambler, Decker’s back for the summer—and spending all his time running from “cowgirls” who come to the dude ranch to score some dudes. Then he meets Kyla, a kindred spirit who brings on a stampede of protective feelings . . . and a powerful hankering to sear her with a new brand of love.

Buy Links:

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBookstore | Google Play | Kobo | Other retailers

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/07/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_6627.html

Author Info

Maggie McGinnis is the author of Driving Without a License, which was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award. A former high school English teacher, an accomplished musician, and a certified black belt, she lives in New England with her family.

Connect with Maggie: Facebook | Twitter | Website

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