Friday Fanfare presents:

A Case for Calamity by Mackenzie Crowne

Today I’m proud to have my lovely friend Mackenzie Crown on the Ranch. If you’d like to connect with her street team that link will also be included with the usual ones at the end. I’m in it, and it’s an awesome and really fun community to know!

We’ll jump right in and get to know her better. 🙂

How did the writer’s journey begin for you?

Tell us three things about you-the writer-readers wouldn’t typically know.

1. I’m a total pantser, which can be a frustrating writing process, but fun too. I love when my characters reveal themselves in an unexpected way.
2. It’s hard to type with one hand twirling my hair, but I manage to pull it off.
3. I’m lucky enough to have a private office, but do most of my writing on the living room couch.

A fellow pantser. Yes, we are brave to take on a couple of characters with nothing more than a name oftimes. I have a private office too, but it’s outside the house in a cabin and too far away for my father in-law to reach me in an emergency so I, too, reside in the living room. Lol It all began when…

I signed up for NANO a couple years ago. I cringe just thinking about that horrific month. I made it to 37k words, far ahead of schedule, and was so crazy I quit. I didn’t look at the story again until I got a request from my editor to write a story for the Twelve Brides of Christmas. A change here, a shift there, and A Case for Calamity was born.

Where did you get the premise for this book?

The heroine’s best friend, Shae, is based loosely on my bestie from high school. She was and is a lot of fun, but got me into trouble occasionally with her larks.

What stands out about this story that made writing it different for you?

I’ve never written a novella before and probably won’t again. At least not right away. I prefer having the time and word count to dig deeper into my characters.

Writing novellas is definitely not for the faint of heart, is it? I think my first one tortured me more than I tortured the h/H. Were there any difficult challenges or special subject matter you came across while writing this book?

Other than the word count, I struggled with Jane’s relationship with her parents. My parents were incredible, so the concept of selfish, self-centered parents was one I had no experience in.

What about this book would make us want to read it more than others of similar taste?

It’s a Christmas story, but instead of the usual chaos of the season, Jane and Gabe are caught up in the consequences of a one night stand, and with the hope what they saw in each other that night will bring a lasting love.

I love that these characters have ordinary, plain-Jane, names. Pun intended. 🙂 What do you want readers to take away from this book?

I write lighthearted romance. I hope they walk away with a happy sigh and a smile.

Tell us about the finished book. Is there anything special we might not know after reading it?

Well, you might not know I named Jane’s best friend after my granddaughter, Shae. She loves that!

What a neat thing for her! Tell us about the book, please.

For Jane Whitmore, agreeing to switch identities with her best friend seems like innocent fun, but spending a romantic night in Paris with a man who doesn’t know her real name turns out to be a lark gone bad. When their one night of passion proves to have lasting results, tracking down Gabe Sutton and telling him he’s about to be the father of her child is just another calamity Jane would rather avoid. After years of avoiding long-term romantic entanglements, Gabe has found a woman he might just be able to build a life with, only to have her disappear. When he finally finds her, his belief in happily-ever-after staggers under the weight of deception, and looming fatherhood leaves him with two choices: fight her for custody of his future child or cling to the promise of true love.

Let’s look at the beautiful trailer Mac brought along. 🙂

Excerpt:

“Michael said you were lovely. He didn’t do you justice.”

Chaos erupted in her belly as if thousands of butterflies had suddenly taken flight. Setting down her glass, she dismissed the manic fluttering and dragged in a calming breath. The dark-haired devil sitting across from her with intent green eyes and a come-to-me-baby drawl would fluster any woman with a pulse, even one with a natural cynicism for situations like this. She might be a round plug in a family of square holes, but she’d been raised in the world of corporate finance and recognized his words for what they were. Gabe Sutton thought he was flattering the daughter of a very powerful business associate. As the only daughter of Thomas Whitmore, CEO of Whitmore Financial Industries, Jane had been on the receiving end of similar praises over the years…for exactly the same purpose.

A wry smile curved her lips. “That’s kind of you, but, about…my father. I’m sorry he roped you into including me tonight. He means well, but he can be pushy.”

A trace of humor flashed in his eyes. “He isn’t exactly subtle, is he?”

“No, he isn’t.” She shrugged. “We’ve met, which is what he was after. Once he learns his plan didn’t work out, he’ll move on to the next…candidate.”

He sprawled back and his thickly lashed eyes narrowed as they roamed her face. “Candidate? This isn’t the first time your father has set you up like this, I take it?”

***

Where can readers find you and your books?

Find me here:

Website

Facebook, FB Street Team

Pinterest

Amazon

Goodreads

Twitter

Buy links:

The Wild Rose Press

Amazon

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Is there anything else you want to share or add?

The Wild Rose Press is offering A Case for Calamity for $1.50 today and tomorrow.

I know! I got my copy already. 🙂

I’m so thrilled to help you share A Case For Calamity, Mac. Thank you!

For our readers, thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to join us. Ask questions, leave a comment and I’ll personally contribute a copy of this ebook or a gift certificate for one commenter to the Wild Rose Press so you can get Mac’s book (or another if you already have it).

So, readers, what was the most trouble you and your besties caused or got into as young, brave souls? We’re listening!

*edited to include an ebook in the offer