BooksChatter: ℚ Finished

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

ℚ Finished - Anne Holster

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Anne Holster to talk about Finished (19 May 2016, AMH Transcription, 301 pages), a New Adult Contemporary Romance.

Synopsis | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to Anne Holster; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Finished?

"As a self-diagnosed hopeless romantic, I’ve always been intrigued by all things that must align before that ‘meant-to-be-couple’ can come together. But what if being together just didn’t seem to be in the cards for them? What if there were just too many outside forces keeping them apart? These were the kinds of thoughts I had that eventually inspired me to write the story of Jess and Finn in my new novel ‘Finished’.

As the characters came to life in my mind, I was curious to find out whether Finn would always be the self-absorbed player and if Jess would eventually give up on him and find someone new. I wanted to know what they would discover about each other and themselves and would it be enough to create that magical, forever love. It was exciting for me to find out and I hope it will be for you as well."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"That’s a tough question because I don’t feel personality-wise or looks-wise I’m represented in any one character in ‘Finished’. There is, however, a tiny bit of me that shines through in all of my characters. Whether it be places they’ve been or things that they’ve seen I try to stick with things I know and am familiar with so as to keep it as true to life as possible.

I tend to have a dry sense of humor and that often seeps out in my characters here and there as well."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Finished - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"When it came time to choose a cover for ‘Finished’ the one thing I knew for sure is that I wanted it to be bright. Most of the story takes place over the course of one summer spent at the Jersey shore so sun, sand and the sea were definitely something I wanted to show.

I worked closely with my cover artist, Rick Chappell of Chappell Graphix and it took some time, but between the two of us we came up with the concept that was eventually used. I’m thrilled with the way it turned out!"

Why should we read Finished and what sets it apart from the rest?

"One thing that I think is unique about ‘Finished’ is that it cleverly blends romance with humor and danger and it does so in a subtle way so that it always keeps the reader guessing. You think it’s going in one direction but then it ends up headed in an altogether different one.

Another thing that sets it apart from other New Adult books is that there’s no cliffhanger. The NA genre is flooded with cliffhangers so I think for some readers it’s a refreshing change to be able to read a stand-alone novel.

It’s also fast-paced and gets right to the point – the focal point of the story actually happens on the first page!"

I love stand-alones :-) It definitely gets my vote just on that point alone :-D
Can you tell us something quirky about Finished, its story and characters?

"There’s a couple of quirky things about ‘Finished’! First is that I came up with the lead male characters name before I even had an idea for a story. I remember saying to myself that if ever I write another book that the guy’s name is going to be “Finn Evans.”

Another quirky thing is that although ninety-five percent of the book takes place at the Jersey shore, in the beginning that was never my intention. I just decided on a whim to have them all spend the summer there and once I did the story really began to take shape."

Who would you recommend Finished to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I’d recommend ‘Finished’ to anyone who likes a great angsty New Adult romance. This is a story that will have you hooked – no lie! – by the first page!

If you like angsty love stories with a hint of humor and a dash of danger (and of course a healthy dose of hot guys!) then I guarantee you’ll love reading ‘Finished’."

What expertise do you bring to your writing?

"I believe I brought my experience as an avid and conscientious reader. I think this is even more important than taking writing classes, because it allows you to learn from the experts in terms of storyline, character development and realistic dialogue. It teaches you what you can get away with as an author and what you can’t. I learned as much from books I didn’t like as those I did."

What do you like to write and read about? D o you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"So far I’ve stuck with the new adult genre where my writing is concerned, but I wouldn’t rule out writing in another genre at some point in the future. New Adult is what I mainly read and you know what they say – write what you want to read!"

What is your writing process?

"My writing process is pretty simple. I usually start writing in the evening and most nights I keep going until I run out of ideas.

On some nights when the ideas are flowing I could write for hours, but then there’s those nights when I seem to develop a bad case of writer’s block and on those nights I just turn in early. I always keep a pen and pad on my nightstand in case an idea comes to me out of the blue. Of course there’ve been many a mornings when I had quite a hard time deciphering what I’d written the night before!"

What is in store next?

"Right now I’m working on my third novel. Like my other two this one is also a New Adult contemporary romance. Where it differs is that it has a bit of a darker feel to it. This one is a rock star romance that spans two generations and I’m having a lot of fun reliving the 70’s and 80’s through the various characters. Fingers crossed, I’m hoping to have it out by years end!"

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I’ve also attached a picture of me and my dog. Her name is Rhys."

Oh, wow! Rhys, you are gorgeous! Lots of rubs to you from all of us at BooksChatter!
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful girl with us :-)
We hope you have a great tour!