Blog Tour Guest Blog and Giveaway: Wait For Me - Elisabeth Naughton

I'm excited to have Elisabeth Naughton back with us today.  She's here guest blogging as part of her blog tour for her latest release, Wait For Me.  Join me in welcoming back Elisabeth Naughton.

I’m so excited to be here at Cocktails and Books today!

I get a lot of people asking what I love to read. Because I write in two different romance sub genres—romantic suspense and fantasy/paranormal—my tastes tend to be a little eclectic. I love the fantasy elements of stories like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I love the suspense elements of Elizabeth Lowell’s Donovan series. And I’ve obviously taken these “loves” and put my own spin on them in both my Eternal Guardians series and my romantic suspense novels. But what I love to read most in a book is a story that’s ripe with emotional conflict, serious tension and a romance that leaves you wanting more.

Several years ago, a friend gave me a worn copy of Judith McNaught’s Perfect. She held it to her breast, got this sappy look on her face and said, “You will love this book. You will never want it to end.” Then I watched in amused fascination as my friend had to physically force herself to let go of the book and give it to me. Up until this point, I’d been reading romantic suspense, but there wasn’t any one book that had left a huge impact on me. I enjoyed the books I’d read, and I’d just started tinkering with writing my own books, so I obviously enjoyed the genre, but I’d never had a visceral reaction to a book like my friend was having to Perfect. When she finally let go, I looked at the cover and tried not to roll my eyes. It was pink. With flowers all over the front. And the title was printed in cursive script. Now, I’m not mocking anyone who likes the color pink, or flowers on the cover of books, or even beautiful flowing script. But I could tell in one glance this was not my kind of book. I mean, I was a romantic suspense girl. And this looked historical, if anything. But because I trusted my friend’s opinion, and because we’d so far liked the same kinds of books, I tossed it in my bag and figured I’d give it a chance.

Boy, was I glad I did. I started reading that book and could not put it down. The hero is a movie star. The heroine is a teacher. He’s been convicted of killing his wife, breaks out of jail, runs into the heroine and takes her hostage. This book was written back in the early 90s. It’s full of movie star references that totally date the story. It starts way earlier than it needs to, and it goes way longer than it should. It breaks every writing rule I’ve ever learned—there’s head hopping, there are paragraphs and paragraphs of introspection, it has scenes that just go on and on and at times, info dumps are coming out your ears. BUT… It is by far and away the best book I have ever read. I was sucked into the story even with all the things writers are told we “shouldn’t” do. And I fell in love with the main characters in such a way, I couldn’t—and to some degree still can’t—let them go.

What is it about Perfect that’s so compelling? For me it’s the depth of the romance and these two people who shouldn’t be together but are. It’s what they do to each other—good and bad. It’s how they react and what happens to them and their romance along the way. There are suspense elements in this book that I enjoyed, but at the end of the day, it’s not the suspense I remember. It’s the love story. This is one of those books I can reach for year after year after year, reread and never tire of. Whenever I’m feeling melancholy or in need of a pick me up, all I have to do is find my copy of Perfect and start rereading. The cover is falling apart. The pages are worn and in some places ripped. But I don’t care. It is my favorite romance book ever. 

I know not everyone will agree with me. But reading this book had such a profound impact on me, it changed the way I write. Before I read it, I wrote mostly for plot. What happened, to whom and where, was always of more importance to me than the romance or the characters. After reading Perfect, I now start with characters and let the story develop around the romance. Character—for me—is story. Without it, nothing else matters—not the awesome plot or the incredible action scenes or even the whodunit mystery. My goal with every book I write is to make the characters and the romance so compelling, it leaves the reader wanting more.  I want my books leaving readers feeling the way I did after I read Perfect.

What’s your favorite romance novel? Is there one book more than any other that left a major impact on you? I’d love to hear about it. I’m giving away a copy of my latest romantic suspense, WAIT FOR ME, to one lucky commenter today!

~ GIVEAWAY ~

Elisabeth is giving away a copy of Wait for Me.  To enter, complete the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment to Elisabeth's question above.  The winner will be chosen, at random, on February 1st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the book

A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they’ve both been searching for is finally within reach.

“Full of twists and turns, lies and deception, and the ultimate revenge, WAIT FOR ME is a great romantic suspense read.”
—Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

About the Author

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her atwww.elisabethnaughton.com to learn more about her and her books.