INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
A Cunning Plan
(Sloane Harper Book 1)
(Sloane Harper Book 1)
by Astrid Arditi
A Cunning Plan by Astrid Arditi is currently on tour with Masquerade Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Determined to put her family back together, Sloane Harper stalks her ex husband and his annoyingly stunning mistress, Kate Stappleton. But she’s not the only one.
Handsome IRS agent Ethan Cunning is surveying Kate too, but for entirely different reasons. He is attempting to nail Kate’s playboy boss.
Ethan and Sloane decide to help each other, which sends Sloane’s wobbly life spinning out of control. She’ll have to face danger, humiliation, and – scariest of all – the dating scene, to lure her daughters’ father home.
Losing control was the best thing to happen to Sloane … until it turned lethal.
Excerpt
Click below to read an excerpt.
Praise for the Book
"A Cunning Plan was such a lovely read, I’m still wearing a smile on my face while writing this. It had just a perfect balance of humor, mystery, action and of course a big deal of character growth and self-discovery." ~ Amazon Customer
"... a lovely mix of spy thriller, domestic drama and romance that looks to be the first in a series of adventures with Sloane Harper." ~ DragonOne
"Funny, quirky and highly entertaining." ~ reader2010
"What a great book! It's difficult to juggle divorce with kids in books and do it well. This author does it well, and gives a big dose of personal growth along with it. I read this book in two days because I couldn't put it down. I hope this is just the first in a series!" ~ C.K.F.
"I loved this book. It’s a great read, and I would strongly recommend it to folks who enjoy romance, thrills and a bit of inept sleuthing." ~ Trish (I read too much!)
Interview with the Author
Astrid Arditi joins me today to discuss her new book, A Cunning Plan.
When you first begin writing a new book, is your main focus on the characters or the plot?
I start with a character first. In this instance, Sloane Harper, then I decide what I want her learning curve to look like. Everything that happens next helps her reach her goals.
Why do you write within your chosen genre?
I’m a romantic at heart and a sucker for all romantic comedies. But while reading pure chick lit, I often get bored. The love interest alone isn’t always enough to keep me invested in a novel. This is where the suspense comes in. On top of the romantic suspense, there’s also a strong element of comedy in A Cunning Plan. Who doesn’t love to laugh?
Is there a time of day or night when you're most creative?
Any time my kids aren’t around! I usually write in the morning when my daughter is in nursery.
Describe your writing environment. Do you prefer noise or silence? Is your work area messy or neat? What do you see when you look around you?
I write in cafes. My small table is usually crammed with pens, notebooks, laptop and a stack of food because I feel bad taking up the table for so long without ordering (or maybe it’s just because of my sweet tooth). When I lift my face up from my laptop, I see life – lovers, friends, coworkers, loners; strangers going on about their lives, oblivious to me. Sometimes a snippet of conversation will catch my fancy and I’ll allow myself to eavesdrop for a while but, most of the time, I have to concentrate that much harder to drown out the ambient noise.
Do you write a book sequentially, from beginning to end? Or do you sometimes write scenes out of order?
My writing process is three fold. First I start out writing random scenes that inspired me to write the book. Then I outline the story carefully. Lastly I try to write the book sequentially, incorporating the scenes I already came up with as I go.
Do your characters sometimes surprise you with their behavior? Or do you always have complete control?
I have control over the general arc of the book but otherwise my characters surprise me constantly! Probably what I love most about writing. Feels like witnessing real life magic.
Do you edit as your write? Or do you write an entire rough draft before doing any edits?
I try to refrain from editing as I write. I find it takes me out of the story and makes the writing part that much longer. I hate rereading myself so I postpone it as much as I can.
How do you decide on your book's title?
The series name is my heroine’s. As for the book title, it is based on my male protagonist, Ethan Cunning, who is very aptly named.
Have you ever received a negative review? If so, how did you handle the criticism?
The first negative review really hurt. Now I tend to look at who my reviewer is. I’ve been fortunate enough that my harshest critics are usually not my target audience. Men for instance, or girls too young to understand Sloane and the difficulties rising from being a single mother that she has to face.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Astrid. Enjoy the rest of your book tour!
About the Author
Astrid Arditi was born from a French father and Swedish mother. She lived in Paris and Rome before moving to London with her husband and daughter back in 2013.
After dabbling in journalism, interning at Glamour magazine, and teaching kindergarten, Arditi returned to her first love: writing.
She now splits her time between raising her kids (a brand new baby boy just joined the family) and making up stories.
A Cunning Plan is Arditi’s first published work.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards.
Links
