Considering we are all #bookaholics – I thought it might be nice, not to just share what I’m reading – but give you a little intro to the authors I read and know.

The first author I can’t wait to introduce to you (although, I’m sure many of you are familiar with her by now) is Christine Nolfi! Keep reading because not only does Christine share some ‘secrets’ with us, but there’s a giveaway you don’t want to miss at the end…

On a personal note: Christine is someone I met years ago (I won’t date either one of us by telling you how many years…but it’s been a while now) and she is someone I look up to in so many ways. Her passion for her family, for life and for writing always inspires me – and that passion, that joy and optimism is found in her books. We are also ‘book sisters’, meaning, we share the same agency (The Knight Agency) and even have the same publisher (Lake Union Publishing). I’m excited to meet up with Christine next month again and I’ll be sure to share those photos and maybe the stories behind them on Facebook and Instagram.

Have you read her novels yet? If you love to read about small-towns, real relationships, family dynamics and quirky characters, you will love Christine’s stories.  If you want to look her up – here’s her Amazon page.

“[Sweet Lake] has such a charming small-town vibe and endearing characters
that readers will find themselves falling in love with quirky Sweet Lake and hoping for a series.
Perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber or Nora Roberts’ romances.” —Booklist

ABOUT HER BOOKS

Sweet Lake (Book 1 of the Sweet Lake Series)
BUY TODAY!

 Linnie Wayfair knows just how many people are counting on her. But knowing doesn’t make doing any easier.

Everyone in Sweet Lake, Ohio, wants her to muster all her business sense and return the Wayfair Inn to its former glory. Her parents hope she’ll forgive her scoundrel of a brother and reconcile the family. The eccentric Sweet Lake Sirens want her to open the inn—and her heart—to new possibilities. And her hilarious lifelong friends Jada and Cat are dropping none-too-subtle hints for her to ignite a romance with Daniel Kettering, the sexy attorney who’s been pining for her for years…

Now a shocking turn of events will open old wounds and upend the world Linnie has carefully built. She has to make changes quickly—and the results, though not entirely what she expected, might be what she’s been yearning for all along.

NOW TO THE GOOD STUFF…HER SECRETS…

Say you have a secret stash of treats around the house. Where would it be and what would you hide?
I do keep a secret stash of goodies—high on the top shelf of the refrigerator behind the fresh parsley and boring stuff, like the bottle of catsup. I hoard sushi from Whole Foods, cheeses I don’t feel like sharing, and special treats like slices of Key lime pie. Yes, this makes me less than generous. In my defense, I do cook for my family constantly—and they tend to eat the best stuff while leaving me with the crumbs!

What would be the perfect food and drink pairing for your book?
The delectable brownies on the menu at The Wayfair Inn and tasty mojitos, the drink of choice of the Sweet Lake Sirens. I’m not sure I’d pair mojitos with brownies, but both are prominently mentioned in Sweet Lake!

Do you collect anything?
Stories, wherever I can find them. On a flight home this week, I sat beside Tom, a sixtyish man with a penchant for chat. His father was one of the brave soldiers who took Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion of WWII. As our plane glided through the clouds, Tom relayed how his dad had hoped to someday retrace his journey through France. Several years after losing his father, Tom and his sister walked the beaches of Normandy and through the French villages liberated by his father’s platoon. It was a heartwarming tale that immediately brought to mind several story ideas.

What’s one word your friends would use to describe you?
Optimistic. I believe in the essential goodness of most people. We tend to focus on the negative, but the world brims with children of light.

Tell us one secret behind the writing of your latest book:
Linnie Wayfair’s irresponsible filmmaker brother—and the mayhem Freddie provides in Sweet Lake—was inspired by the 1982 movie, My Favorite Year. I loved Peter O’Toole’s hilarious performance as matinee idol Alan Swann, and wanted to create a similar character. If you’ve never seen My Favorite Year, the scene where Alan Swann is stripped out of his “drunk suit” is a gem!

On the subject of secrets….not only do I love this cover and the title…but it comes out in my birthday month! 

Look for book two, The Comfort of Secrets, July 2017.

PREORDER TODAY!

  CHRISTINE’S INFO

Find Christine at: www.christinenolfi.com
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GIVEAWAY!

Would you like to read Sweet Lake? Of course you do!
I’ll make this really easy – tell me the first word that pops in your head when you see her cover...
Comment below to enter! GO!

(I will contact the winners by Friday, April 21st and they will be announced in the next #SteenaReads newsletter)

1 autographed paperback
1 unsigned paperback
& 2 Kindle copies of Sweet Lake for three lucky readers.